Awkward

/CRICKETS/

:

There isn't a worse time to do this, but it's too late for that thought because I'm working my hand round to the arc of her back, pulling her closer, closer; she kisses softer, much slower, but it feels better. It's like I'm shrouded in her and the room is dead silent, save for us.

I can feel she's smiling when I take a break, when I kiss just her lips but she ends it when she presses her lips to mine- restlessly, her hands tense at first but then warm on my face like the moment won't last long enough, biting, but not; and then I feel her slip her tongue in-

"Geeeeeeeeeeezzz." Julianna drops a book at the open door and Ava immediately pulls her lips off mine— you usually can't see it really clear on her, but she is pink, after. Her lips look glazed with a red sheen, so full that I'm tempted to turn into my werewolf form, devour Julianna, get a hold of Ava and say "ah, where were we?"

"Get a rooooooom, you 'dirty dogs'!" Julianna waggles her brows at us as she picks up her book and fans herself all the way over to a desk, panting, "Is it just me, or is it super hot in here?" And finally, after the thirty-four seconds in which my retinas are utterly repulsed by her will to step into this room just to put a book on a desk, she walks back to the door and says, "Jokes aside, Mr Rothswhile is on his way here so... be careful."

Ava's eyes are well clear of me and she's looking at everything but the other humans in the room until impersonally, she pats a hand to my arm and says, "Yeah, I have... comp anyway so I-I should- I should.. go. For that class."

"Oh, no, but by all means, stay!" Julianna jests. "I was just warning you but I'm on my way out! I only came to make sure Tabi wouldn't steal my desk- otherwise, pretend I didn't even show up." She's at the door before Ava, but Ava is out before her.

Ava calls back, "Bye, Roman! ... and Julianna!"

We watch Ava strap past and back out into the little town, and then Julie closes the door like she was never going anywhere.
"Well, Turner, well. I always knew you wanted to suck her face."

"What? Let's get out of the class," I say. "We'll start rumours in de innit."

Julianna blocks the door and she's smirking like a neek at a test paper.
"Why? You didn't want to get out like three minutes ago. And you're smiling. Why are you smiling?"

I wasn't smiling before she said that.

"You still have a kiss on your lips," she says, and I check but then - "Ha! Did you just check for a kiss on your lips??!" She laughs. "You are whiiiiiipppeeed!" I try to get to the door but I don't want to touch her - she's excited today, she'll make something of it. She goes on, "I thought Ava wasn't into relationships though. That's what she told Nate and Fergus- last half. I can't believe I caught you snogging her like a movie star." And seeing people coming, she finally walks past me. "Turner and AaaVA kissing in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g."

"You said it wrong."

"Oh, I made no mistake." She left the door closed, she's going to her seat instead. "You were definitely not sitting in a tree. If I came five minutes later, I would have probably found you kidney-deep in the girl," she says.

My jaw... it's on the floor.

I have no time to respond because Poppy and two other girls enter the class talking about some end of term stuff and their continuous assessments. Very soon, the early students, then Mr Rothswhile, and everyone is in class and the class starts, but I can't concentrate because I realise I...

I don't feel anything, I think.

I just kissed Ava and it was good but... I feel like that's it. I stare at the spot where we were kissing each other and it brings back the burning feeling - a little - but otherwise I feel like it all ended the second she walked out.