Purple Ink (SatoGou)

Chapter 3

I'd never been shy. I'd never been a nervous person. Around her was no different. She didn't make me anxious. There weren't really any butterflies, but there was excitement, and I waited, and after an hour passed, I realised Dawn and Misty weren't coming back.

The fire was still crackling feebly in front of us when I dipped my head and kissed her for the first time. Her lips were soft, and she tasted like strawberries and vanilla. It was clumsy, I think, and didn't last long, but she didn't pull away. We kissed again, but this time she initiated it, leaning up to kiss me, standing on her tip-toes to reach me. I didn't really know what any of it meant, but we were kids, so it didn't need to mean anything.

I walked her home, and when I got back, realised I hadn't written the reply to Red I was due to send out in the morning. I sat at the desk, my stomach suddenly clenching painfully as I lifted the pen to the paper. I could still taste Lillie, still smell her on my jacket. It felt like a betrayal.

Dear Red,

Why am I not surprised that you aced all of your exams again? I swear you've aced every single one since we were seven. You must be some sort of brainiac. I seriously envy you. Dawn keeps saying I'm missing some essential brain cells, and I honestly can't argue with her. I'll let you know when I get my exam results too, but they'll be nothing compared to yours, of course.

I forgot to tell you in my last letter, but a new girl started in my class this week. Her name is Lillie. She's blonde, and really pretty. I don't know if it'll go anywhere, but we kissed for the first time tonight. She's kind of my polar opposite, a little like you, but I think I could like her, if I tried. Any luck on your end?

Blue

My hands shook as I pushed the paper into the envelope and sealed it. When I crawled under the covers later on, and stared up at the ceiling, rain pelting against the glass of my window, it was Red that I thought about. I wondered how she'd react. Of course, she'd probably be happy for me. But what if she wasn't?

I mailed the letter the next morning. I texted Dawn, telling her about the kiss, because she'd been blowing up my phone all morning, demanding to know if there was a spark between us or not. Her response showed she was more excited about the whole thing than I was. And she'd set up another date for us, telling me to meet her at an ice cream place nearby, where Lillie and Gary would be there too.

I think Lillie could tell Dawn was trying to pair us together, but she didn't seem to mind. I caught her stealing glances my way, and always smiled back when I did, watching her face glow as she blushed.

We were older now, and I knew it wasn't normal to ask someone to be my girlfriend a week after I'd met them, so we were both inexperienced, and when I invited Lillie back to my house after the ice cream, she seemed absolutely terrified, but said yes anyway. My mom wasn't home, which she noted as she scanned the hallway as we entered, and I beelined for the living room, not wanting to make her uncomfortable by going upstairs.

We sat on the sofa together, watching a movie. We got to know each other pretty fast. By the end of the movie, she was leaning up to kiss me again, and we made out on the sofa for a long while. She stayed until it was late, and my mom was due home from work. I walked her home again, and kissed her goodbye at her gate. She turned to wave at me from her front porch, and my heart warmed up in my chest, just a little.

- - - -

A few days passed. I woke, knowing there'd be a letter from Red, and jogged downstairs, rubbing my eyes sleepily. I'd been texting Lillie the night before, and had stayed up later than I was used to. We weren't dating, but she'd already been over again.