Chronicles of a Fat Teenager (Complete - Sequel coming soon)

Chronicles of a Fat Teenager - Chapter Eight

"Beth! Beth! Earth to Beth! What is wrong?" Jess insisted. 

Beth sat at her desk in a daze as Mr Swales prepared for the lesson in the front of the music room. The class were still settling down, chatting about their weekends. Jess and Beth were sat at the back but Jess had moved her chair closer to Beth so she could speak to her quietly. 

"Beth, a couple of tossers were laughing about something that happened to you in the corridor, something about a message in a card or something?" Jess asked, concern and panic edged her voice. "Beth speak to me, what happened? Please B, don't blank me out!"

Beth turned to Jessica and looked at her with a blank expression mumbling, "He kissed me. We kissed. Lips. I remember lips ... " and she instinctively put her fingers to her lips, recalling the softness and the strength of Miles' kiss. How her tears had made her lips salty and how his tongue and lips had gently kissed the tears away.  Her cheeks flushed and heart raced at the memory and clarity returned a little to her mind. 

"W-what?" Jess stuttered, "Who kissed? What?" 

"He was with me, when the card read out the poem to me. I was crying." Beth managed to say. 

"B you're not making any sense! How can a card read out a poem? Have you hit your head or something?" Jess asked. 

So Beth explained, the whole prank thing, how she thought it must have been the Clones and continued telling the story despite her sentences being punctuated by quiet, little outbursts from Jess that would have made a docker blush. Beth also reminded herself to never cross Jess because she learned a few new swear words while she was telling her what the card said to her, the favourite being "fucktards!" 

"I can't believe they did that to you, Beth. I bet they bought and recorded that card Saturday afternoon after they saw us in the coffee shop. Those bitches are going to pay." Jess was fuming but Beth put her hand on her leg to quieten her so she could tell her the rest of the story, the part involving Miles and the kiss. 

The class spun around wanting to know why Jess was softly squealing with delight, none more confused than Michael. He studied Jess, cocking his head to one side wondering how she was so happy following her tearful response to him only ten minutes earlier. Shaking his head, he turned back round to the front convincing himself it must be her hormones whilst simultaneously admiring the muscles on his arm, flexing them proudly. 

"Why do you think he kissed me, Jess? I'm confused." Beth asked, suddenly concerned. "Do you think it was to shut me up?"

"Probably," laughed Jess "You do go on a bit! It looked like it worked though. You walked in here like a zombie and it was ages before you could talk. So how did it end? Did he say he'd see you later?"

Suddenly Beth clasped her hands over her mouth in shock and lowered her head in shame, "Oh Jess, I think I stood there like a moron not saying anything. I remember the kiss, God ... do I remember the kiss. I remember the kiss ending and me wanting him to kiss me again but without the surprise element this time, you know, so I could prepare myself better ... anyway I think he said something to me, waited and then laughed walking off up the corridor to his class. Oh ... God ... I was just stood there the whole time. I must've looked like a half-wit!"

"No more than usual," giggled Jess teasing her, "He obviously had quite an effect. So ..... how was the kiss compared to others? What would you give it out of ten?"

Beth looked at Jess incredulously, "Well, compared to my gran, he has less hair on his face so not as prickly. Compared to my Uncle Simon, his breath didn't smell of stale cider and fags and he didn't do the hair ruffling thing like Simon does. I swear Simon still thinks I'm four. So ... apart from comparisons between my family members or practising on the back of my hand ... I'd say he scores the highest - about a nine and a half."