This Kiss (18+) COMPLETED

o n e

  Annie Sands smiled so wide she believed her face would become stuck. But she didn't care. She was so happy she felt she would never be sad again. She dropped the phone after hearing the dial tone and shrieked so loud she heard her sister down in the kitchen drop and smash a plate.

  She scurried down the stairs and almost tripped over her now kneeling sister, trying to pick up all the pieces, "Good one, Annie. Now I'm gonna be poking my hands and probably bleed and die, and then mom's gonna kill me." Archie, her 17 year old sister complained.

  Sometimes Annie wondered if she was inspiring actress, instead of her over dramatic younger sibling, "Just leave it Arch! Tell the maid to do it! Do whatever, because we're gonna be RICH!" She squealed, running through the house to find her mother.

  Archie stood and looked after Annie questioningly, "We have a maid?"

  Diana, the 48 year old yoga instructor, and also the two girl's mother, came around the corner just as Annie was rounding it herself, "Oopfm! Annie, darling. What's all the commotion?"

  "Mom! I just got off the phone with Abigail!" Annie screamed, Diana put a finger to her ear and squeezed her eyes shut, "Honey, if you keep screaming, I'm not going to be able to hear your delightful news."

  "I got the gig, mom! I'm going to be on the reality TV series This Kiss!"

  Annie was so excited she started jumping around and throwing her hands in the air. Diana and Archie watched her silently to the side, exchanging glances.

  "Reality TV is all rigged, you know that right?" Archie said after Annie had tired herself out from screaming and was now just standing old school 80's moves around their tiny living room.

  "Who cares? I'm finally going to get the recognition I've been waiting for! Aren't you happy for me?" Annie stopped dancing and, panting heavily, waited for the answer she knew was coming, and didn't hurt any less when she got it.

  "Of course we are, sweetie, but come on, you're just setting yourself up for years of drama and fake news articles, and the works! You want to put yourself through that?" Diana reached over and put a reassuring hand on Annie's shoulder.

  But they just slumped down after her touch and Annie stepped away from her, Diana's arm dropped back to her side, "I'm not going to let you dampen my mood. You never believed in me, well you'll see, mother. You'll see."

  Annie smiled at her, a tense one, and twisted quickly, heading out of the front door and bounding down the walk to her tiny yellow beetle, parked on the side of the street.

  Diana didn't come after her, but Archie did, "I believe in you, Ann. I always did. You have to tell me all about the show, what's it about?"

  Annie smiled at her younger sister. It was true, Archie always believed in her. At 23, her big break had finally arrived, and Archie had always been the one who said, "Just one more audition, you'll kick their ass next time!"

  Annie climbed in the car, "Get in, loser. I need new clothes. I have to look the best on the show." Archie smiled and climbed in after her sister, with the radio blasting, they sped down the street, cheering the whole way.

***

  "So, Ann. Did Abigail tell you anything about the show?" Archie asked over a big bowl of Thai noodles. She sucked some up, her sauce dripping all down her chin and shirt, she swore she was a child.

  "No, she told me jack. But that's okay, I have an idea. I mean, the title. This Kiss. What could it possibly be about besides romance? Obviously I'm gonna be like a bachelorette and they're going to give me a bunch a guys, they're all going to fall for me, and I'll be the one to break each and every one of their hearts." Archie chuckled, rolling her eyes.

  Annie grabbed a nice spoonful of chicken fried rice, and watched as her sister played with her chicken balls, she never really liked them, "What happens if you fall for one of them?"

  Annie rolled her eyes, "Come on, Arch. When have I ever been in a serious relationship? I'm not into that right now. That's the last thing in my mind." Archie eyed her sister thoughtfully, "What if it's not like that, and instead they have you and fifteen other hot girls fighting for the same dude?"

  "Then I'll make him love me, then laugh in his face when he decides he wants to marry me." Annie shrugged, taking one of Archie's chicken balls and popping it into her mouth.

  "You're an awful human being." Archie commented between giggles. Annie just snorted, she felt rice come out of her nose and she laughed even harder, both sisters covering their mouths trying to stop themselves from laughing, but then laughing even more when rice spurted from their mouths.

  "How am I going to survive in the house without you?" Archie said softly, after the two girls had stopped laughing.

  Annie sighed, "I promise I'll call you, FaceTime you. If they let me. I won't get out of touch with you, okay? If mom decides to be a bitch like usual, just escape for awhile, go to the beach."

  Archie just shrugged, playing with her food again, "Arch, listen. You know when me and mom argue and I just disappear for a few hours?"

  Archie nodded, cocking her head to the side and wondering where her sister was going with this, "I go to a secret area, the most calming area in the Tristate area!" She magnified her voice, and a few heads in the crowded mall cafeteria turned their way, but she didn't care.

  "There's a hidden little path over at the park, between those two giant shrubs near the children's park. I found it one day when I was really small, my baseball went back there, and I had to go get it, didn't I?" Annie shrugged but didn't hold back, her sister was going to be alone for weeks, she was going out of state, she had to do this for her, she was really the only one who had been there for her after their father left. Really, they were all the other had.

  "Inside there's a cute little bench surrounded by flowers, someone takes care of things back there, I just never met who. Eventually as I got older I added my own stuff, a little bookcase, but make sure you keep the plastic covering on it, when it rains the books would get ruined," Archie nodded, begging her to continue.

  "I even added a cooler, where I keep adult drinks and soda. I'll remove the adult drinks before I go. Don't want you into those," Archie rolled her eyes, "and I give you complete permission to use that area when I'm gone."

  Archie smiled, "Thanks Annie. How come you never told me about that place before?"

  "Because it was my sacred hideaway. I even when there when we fought. It calmed me down and helped me to think about things. I think you'll like it a lot." Archie reached over the little table with both arms and hugged her older sisters shoulders, "I'm gonna miss you a shit ton, Annie."

  "I'll miss you, Little Arch." Archie scoffed and pulled away, "You promised not to call me that anymore.

  Annie raised her hands defensively, "For old times sake, before I go?"

  Archie sighed and sat back fully in her chair, stuffing more Thai in her mouth, "Fine, but only once."

  Annie smiled and took her sister's last chicken ball, biting a piece off, "Come on, eat up. We're not even close to done yet."

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I hope y'all are enjoying my new story so far. I plan on making this one a little longer than Her Savior, but nonetheless, a romance all in its own! If you haven't checked out Her Savior yet, please go give it a read! Very short romance novella I think you'll all enjoy for a quick on the go read! Thanks for checking this one out as well, and please leave any questions or concerns you may have in the comments! And compliments, those work too! Adios.