Only the Good Die Young

Chapter 17

She stands in the darkness of the nightclub, her face illuminated by candlelight, wearing jeans and her yellow blazer wrapped tightly around a brown sweater to keep her warm. The golden dress from the performance is probably for sale online. I'm sure Jesse sees her as his sultry vixen in her natural habitat, but to me she looks like the villain in a slasher film who just won't die. Kyle looks dejectedly at his beer. He has to have realized he'll never be alone with me now.

Jesse stands to kiss Alex, but she only offers him her cheek. He leaves to fetch her a drink. I'm not sure what he returns with, but it's in a short glass with ice and is clear like water. It's probably vodka or bourbon or something hard. She takes a gulp of her drink, sets the glass down and gazes at me.

Fucking Alex. Just when things were starting to get interesting.

"The worst day of my life?" she says, bitterly. "How about today?" Her face is hard.

Good. Mission accomplished.

Kyle gives me look that I can't interpret. He's had three beers so far, and my palms sweat. He'd better not tell Alex her mishap was intentional. After all, he did tell me that what I did was pointless unless she knew.

"I don't know if I'll ever sing in public again," she says. "My father would be thrilled. He'd probably disown me." She takes a long sip of her drink.

"Fascinating," I say, cutting her off. The sooner we get to the game, the less likely Kyle will sell me down the river. "We were just about to play. Kyle, I think you're first."

"What are we playing for?" says Kyle. "I don't have any more money."

Good, he's distracted. Now he just has to stay that way.

"Money sucks. Let's make it interesting," says Jesse.

We wrack our brains for something to bet with, but just end up sipping at our drinks to the music of Spare Change. I'm sure we make quite the sight: four teenagers in matching yellow blazers, dress shirts and pants (except for Jesse in shorts) sitting around a table in silence. It's almost like we're two actual couples, relaxing after a gig.

Then Kyle throws a monkey wrench into the entire evening.

"If I win," says Kyle, staring at his bottle, "Rebecca has to give me a kiss."

Holy shit.

"Kyle!" I say, stunned.

That can't be Kyle talking. That has to be the alcohol. Good Lord, it really does lower your inhibitions.

"How about it, Red?" says Jesse. He's grinning again. I think this is exactly what he had in mind when he started these silly games. I mean, it would be one thing if Jesse asked me to kiss him, but Kyle?

"Out of the question," I declare. "No offense, Kyle. You're a great guy and everything, but that's terribly inappr– I mean, no."

"Why not, Rebecca?" says Alex, leering at me. "You two are practically a couple anyway. You spend all your time together."

"What?" I sputter. I have to restrain myself from openly humiliating him. "We are not a couple."

"I'm just telling you what I see," says Alex. "It could be your little Whistler secret."

Kyle stares at his beer bottle with an unreadable face. I don't know if he wants me to, if he's trying to test me, if this is his way of getting back at me on Alex's behalf, or –

"You know what?" I say, suddenly. "Fine."

Alex is shocked. Jesse is shocked. Kyle's expression hasn't changed.

But that's still not enough. I'm through letting Alex call the shots. From somewhere deep inside me – or perhaps deep in the liquor cabinet behind the bar – comes a sentence I never thought I would say in my entire life. I lean back in my chair to gauge the table's upcoming reaction.

"If I win," I say, "Jesse has to give me a kiss. On the lips. Not like that peck on the cheek when I played Happy Birthday."

Kyle nods. I think in any other circumstance he would drop dead on the spot, but the combination of beer, Whistler, and the chance of planting one on me have hit him all at once.

"Sure," says Jesse, loving every second of this. He tosses his hair over his head with a grin. "No problem."

"J.J.!" says Alex, swatting him on the shoulder with the back of her hand. "Don't you dare!"

"Oh, lighten up, Alex. It's not like I'm going to sleep with her or something." If I could see through the table I'm sure there'd be a knee bouncing up and down.

"Yeah, Alex, lighten up." I'm bolstered now that Jesse is on my side.

"Fine," says Alex. "If I win, Rebecca has to kiss Kyle."

I feel as though I've just been told my all-expenses-paid shopping spree at Tiffany's was a hoax and I'm stuck with the bill. Why didn't I see that coming?

"Sounds good to me," says Kyle. He's too tipsy to recognize that he's been insulted. I cringe at the idea of kissing Kyle, but to kiss Jesse, right in front of his own girlfriend? That's got to be worth some risk.

"What if Jesse wins?" I say. My voice quakes. I can't tell if it's from the fear of kissing Kyle or the chance to kiss Jesse.

 "Yeah, how about it, Jesse? " says Alex, openly mocking my use of his name.

If Jesse's smile could be hooked up to a power grid, he could provide electricity for all of Canada. But a glint in his eyes makes me suspicious. I'm not sure I want to hear this.

"Then it's time for a little girl-on-girl action," he says.

My stomach heaves. "Forget it."

"Fuck you," says Alex, instantly. She grabs the arms of his chair and shoves it.

"I've seen how you look at her, Alex," says Jesse, laughing. He slides his chair away from Alex without a care in the world.

"Not on your life, Jesse," I intone.

"Why not, Red?" says Kyle. "This was your idea. I think it's great."

So the gloves are off.

Alexis Lee. Her long legs, her tiny waist, her developed chest, her narrow shoulders. She's practically flawless. There are girls out there who want to "experiment," but I'm not one of them. Everything about her makes me want to throw up. When my eyes reach her shining hair, her perfect lips and her radiant eyes, I find she's staring back. She's probably thinking the same thing, but I'm pretty sure the word "flawless" doesn't come up.

Alex cracks her neck. "Sure, why not?" she says, trying to regain control of a situation she's clearly lost. "Put up or shut up." She takes a swig from her drink then sets her jaw.

I am so not backing down from this witch. Not in front of Jesse, not in front of Kyle, not in front of my mother, not in front of anyone ever again.

"Okay," I say. "Deal."

"Who decides who wins?" says Kyle. "We can't vote for ourselves."

"We need an impartial judge," says Jesse. He looks around the bar and spots Annie and Megan, my roommates. I didn't even notice they were here. Has everyone snuck out? Are rules just for losers?

"They'll do," he says. He goes to their table and explains the contest. The girls follow him back to our table.

"Hey, everyone," he says. "Annie and Megan will judge."

Megan fumbles through the pockets of her blazer and comes up with two pencils and a piece of paper she tears in half. "We're each going to rate your stories from one to five," she says. "Whoever has the highest score wins."

Well, this is great. If the girls are as attracted to Jesse as I am, I'll be locking lips with a total bitch in a matter of minutes.

"I hate you," says Alex, giving Jesse a kick under the table that she makes no attempt to hide. Jesse just laughs. Kyle taps the bottom of his beer bottle on the table. Annie and Megan lean forward expectantly.

Alex gives me a look that's colder than the ice in my drink. "Fine," she says. "Let the games begin."