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||꒰𝒋𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂꒱||
I saw Bryce and Garrett bickering after school. It looked bad; they were yelling. They appeared to resent each other, but deep down, I believed that they just wanted to be friends. But because boys are as stubborn as mules, there is no hope for them. Literally none!
Unable to ignore the situation, I impulsively ran over and grabbed Bryce by the wrist. Pulling him away from Garrett I mumbled "Don't stoop to his level," though it was about as loud as the sound of leaves as they susurrated underfoot.
Bryce protested, explaining Garrett's remark, and I blew it off. He's not the first person to insult me, anyways. Nor was it Garrett's first time.
I stared into Bryce's eyes as his gaze flickered back and forth, from looking at me to looking in Garrett's direction. There was some emotion buried just below the surface of his expression. "But Juli-" Bryce began to contradict my previous comment when I decided I was done waiting. I pressed my lips to his. The kiss was impulsive and hasty, and it was over before it really began.
Suddenly realizing what I had done, I stammered a short apology.
"No, it's fine," Bryce reassured me, although I didn't truly accept it.
And then, this time more rigid, I said, "No, I-I should've asked." Why I faltered mid-sentence I cannot explain. Something about being so physically close to Bryce made my heart pound.
"Well then," he said at a fraction of the volume I had used before. "Can I kiss you?"
Not long ago, I would have presumed I was having a silly thought, merely a dream. "Yes," I replied, and his lips were upon mine once more. It was today. Today I finally got my kiss. And although I believed that when he kissed me he would no longer be walking around with my first kiss, he still was. Just differently. Before, he owned every capability and hope I had of kissing, and he had been my almost-kiss. But now he is my first kiss.
"Juli, will you be my girlfriend?"
"Yes," I replied, without thought. My wistfulness had vanished, replaced by a content feeling. "We should probably go" slipped from my mouth. I suppose it was the responsible thing to say.
"You're probably right. But who says that we won't see each other tomorrow? Well, we still have the ride home together." He seems optimistic. Hopeful. Then, I realized, I was the same.
"That's true," I responded with a smile. We were here, together, and I felt as though it might stay this way. I would quite like that, too. To grow and learn and age alongside Bryce. Looking at him, I knew that if he put himself into this relationship, I would always reciprocate that determination. After all, I fell for him in second grade. Since second grade, he's been my Bryce. And maybe, just maybe, it was meant to be.
