Never Been Kissed

- TWENTY-ONE -

                                                   -• TWENTY-ONE •-

By the time Saturday rolled around, my parents were back in town with my cathartic Nonna in tow, since my mother didn’t trust her helping staff with anything. Nonna didn’t neglect to tell us how much she hated it here and that she could look after herself.

Opal and I were back in our house—Opal, somewhat grudgingly because she didn’t want to be without her new friend Laurel. The situation between Laurel and me though... I think she was upset because I agreed to go on a date with Talen when we were at the park. I tried to explain to her that I was trying to get over Beck, with someone that genuinely liked me, but she just brushed me off and told me ‘it’s fine’.

It wasn’t.

It was nearing 3 o’clock and I wasn’t too sure what to wear. Talen had never really defined where we were going and I was at a loss as to how to go about doing this dating thing. Did I wear make-up? An impossibly short dress? Heels? All things that I didn’t own, but I could always steal stuff from my mom, right?

I stared at myself in the mirror and wondered what exactly what Talen saw in me.

I didn’t have boobs, per se. Being an A-cup, they were really almost boobs and not actual boobs. I’d worried about the size of my bosom before, but not like now. My ears still stuck off my head like dumbo, I still had tons of unattractive freckles amongst even more unattractive, pasty skin. Somewhere during the expanse of this summer, I’d graduated from being from as flat as a board to having a little bit of a figure, but that was about it. I didn’t know what to do to accentuate anything on my body into anything remotely attractive.

And that was how I found myself dialing Selena’s number.

Selena was there quickly, with Kelsey and Jade in tow. I hadn’t really wanted her to bring them, even though they were my friends, because they were too easily excitable, and once they knew about Talen, everyone in the neighborhood was going to know about it.

I brought the girls up to my room and let them peruse my closet while I sat on the bed and watched them.

“My God, Amber. Do you only wear tank tops and shorts?” Jade yelled from one corner of the closet.

“They’re the most comfortable,” I answered truthfully.

“Never fear! There are things in here that we can use!” Kelsey shouted, climbing out of my closet and bringing an armful of colorful shorts and skirts that I avoided. Selena marched out behind her with another armful of tops.

I felt myself pale as they dumped all the clothes on the bed and looked determinedly at me.

“Amber Montgomery, by the time we’re finished with you, Talen will never want to let you go.” Selena announced, placing her hands on her hips.

“She’s going out with Talen?” Jade’s eyes widened, a cowlick curl falling into her eyes. She was too shocked to move it though and the wispy curl stayed right where it was.

“Er—” I pulled the collar of my T-shirt with my index finger.

Kelsey looked at me determinedly. “If that’s the case, then you’re going to have to look extra special.” She began to march toward my bedroom door.

“Where are you going?” I called after her.

“To get something from my car,” she said ominously.

When she left the room, Selena and Jade pounced on me.

I was really going to regret this.

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