Sour Sweet Love

Chapter Fourteen

               "IT was so dreamy. Like, my arms around his neck. Our lips meshing in what those cheesy romance writers call impeccable synchronicity. I sound whipped as hell but those bastards have it right. I have never experienced anything more beautiful..."

Molly was going on indefinitely about her kiss with Declan. So it was revolutionary. And it was doing more than just making her heart catapult; it was making mine wrongfully disintegrate. Why did I want Declan to leave Molly this instant and profess his affection or interest in me instead? Molly went around, I told myself; she could find somebody else. By the end of my thoughts, I concluded that I was awful.

"Avery?" Joey mumbled, visibly troubled. "Is this what kissing Liam felt like?"

"No, Joey, this is not what kissing Liam felt like."

"Oh, hush it, you two," Molly demanded, glaring tepidly at the two of us. "You just don't know what it feels like to be in love."

I exchanged an incredulous glance with Joey. "Calm yourself, Juliet. You've only known the guy for a goddamn week," I blurted out. Then when Molly and Joey narrowed their eyes at me in astonishment, I brought my fingers to my lips. "Um, I mean, yes, love, whoorah?"

"Uh, okay, so Molly is in love," Joey digressed, eyeing me cautiously. "That's cool."

"Yeah. And dude. When you're in love," Molly began, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Her eyes glistened with mirth. "Kissing your loved one feels like cotton candy."

"I'd rather it taste like vodka and sushi," I retorted.

The bell then rang, startling all three of us. Molly finally stopped prattling about her innocuous exchange with Declan. I wanted to tell her that it—love—was a mere illusion, and that this—whatever it was that she was feeling—was transient; it could not last; it could not be maintained, not even with the sincerest effort and integrity.

"Oh, well, earth to Avery!" Joey shouted. When I broke free from my trance, she added, "Time to go to class? Like, saved by the bell and all."

Molly rolled her eyes. "I'm just going to stay in."

"So bye," I said to Molly. Joey was kinder with her farewell. Then when we left the room and we were out in the wild, she slammed me against the wall and demanded answers.

"Don't tell me you've developed feelings for him, Avery," she stated.

I pushed her off. "I've developed feelings for nobody."

"So you're seriously telling me that you're in full approval of Molly's new relationship?"

"That's none of my business, Joey," I told her. "Why are you antagonizing me?"

"I'm not antagonizing you," she defended. "So you like him. And you feel attacked."

"I don't like him," I grumbled.

"Fuck."

I brought my hands to my temples, rubbing it. "Fuck indeed."

"You could've been a little quicker," Joey said.

"Quicker than Molly?" I retorted.

"Don't be a bitch."

"I'm not. Just—whatever," I muttered dismissively. "I have class."

Joey nodded. "See you then."

"Yeah," I said. "See you."