[ a u t h o r ' s n o t e ] : here's another chapter!!! after so so so long, I know, I'm sorry guys :c just so you know, I started this story when I was 12 cx aaand I'm turning 16 very very very soon... so yah, my style of writing might've changed ooor maybe it hasn't, I don't know, I can't tell cx please do enjoy this chapter though, and don't hesitate to ComVo c;
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》CHAPTER NINE // don't need no вυттєяƒℓιєѕ when you give me the whole damn zoo
Did I forget that the dude I was lipsmacking right now was Zackery Calvert, my best friend of 9 nine years, the guy I hated and loved at the same? No, of course not... Did I mind? Did I hate it? Surprisingly and unexpectedly... I did not.
My eyes were closed, and I felt light. It's completely and utterly cliched but I felt as if I was flying... my feet were grounded but my soul was flying and travelling to different places. My heart was beating erratically. I felt breathless. Now I understood why Stella's cousin had passed when kissing her boyfriend - the feeling you get when your lips meet another... it's indescribable.
Zack's lips were soft. Delicious.
OhmyGod. Did I just admit that my best friend's lips were delicious?
Holy shit he tasted so good.
Does everyone's mouths taste this good??
Did he brush his teeth??
HOLY SHIT DID I BRUSH MY TEETH???
All thoughts and worries I had in my head diminished because Zack's lips were still on mine and I was getting funny feelings in my stomach. It wasn't one of those kisses that you typically see in movies, you know the ones where the man and woman are hungrily ravaging each other's lips with passion, and their hands are all over each others' hair and bodies, and they're making out against the wall and they're both moaning? No, our kiss wasn't like that at all. Our kiss was simple. Simple, yet sublime.
Our lips weren't even moving. They just stayed connected. I don't know if the bell rang, or if anyone saw us kissing, or if there was an asteroid hurtling towards the Earth right now... the only thing I was focusing on was the amazing feeling erupting around my entire body as Zack and I stood there, our lips pressed together.
You know that song, Starving by Hailee Steinfeld, and one of the lyrics are: 'don't need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo'? Well that's exactly how I was feeling. In my stomach right now there was a stampede of zebras and gazelles and whatever animal stomped on Simba's dad.
Maybe seconds passed, or minutes or hours, but Zack finally pulled away and we spent the next few seconds staring at each other with our eyes wide and our mouths wide open, the realisation sinking in that holy shit we both just kissed.
Our Twilight-esque staring moment didn't last for long though because I raised my hand and it met Zack's cheek in a shocking, painful instant.
Zack's eyes grew even wider and he looked at me as if I was some deranged animal. His hands flew up to his now red cheek and he cradled it whilst saying in a very accusing tone, "Danielle!! What the hell was that for?? That's not what you're supposed to do after someone's just bloody kissed you!"
"Why are you complaining?? My hand hurts, Goddamit," I retaliated, now cradling the weapon I just used. Was I being unreasonable? Yeah, maybe so. But still, have you ever slapped someone's face really hard? You actually experience some pain of your own as well.
Zack rolled his eyes, scoffing. "Still, was that necessary??" He cradled his red cheek and pouted like a little baby, his bright green eyes twinkling.
I scoffed right back. "Um, yes! You just stole my first kiss you frickin toolbag!" I said angrily, now stomping my foot like a little 5-year-old. "You're a... a frog! That's what you are! You're a frog and you stole my first kiss! That's like, against the law!" I yelled, emphasising on the word frog. All ethereal feelings I had felt during our kiss was now completely diminished from my mind, because now reality had sunk in that I just lost my first kiss.
To Zack.
Zack's mouth fell open, obviously offended with my comment. "I am not a frog," he said slowly, with a tone of sass in his words, "just because I used to hop around in the mud on all fours when I was 11, does not mean that I am a frog."
My nose wrinkled subconsciously at the memory of 11-year-old Zack in my muddy backyard in the morning after a rainy night. He would literally get down on his hands and feet, and start hopping around like a weird little frog. I shivered, thinking about how muddy and disgusting he looked hopping around like that - ugh, especially when he would start chasing me around and start hugging me and holding me against his grubby, mucky body. I remember how he would make me laugh so uncontrollably until I started snorting unattractively. He was the only person in the whole entire world that had the ability to make me laugh like that.
"When you were 11?" I asked incredulously, my hands now on my hips, "the last time you did that was two weeks ago."
Zack grinned suddenly, flashing his shiny white teeth. Then he chuckled and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Well, old habits die hard." Then he pouted again, "but still, I'm not a frog."
I folded my arms across my chest and frowned at him angrily - after all, he had just planted a big fat kiss on my lips without my permission. Of course I was angry! I wasn't being unreasonable either - wouldn't you be mad if someone had taken your first kiss just like that? It wasn't even a romantic setting. My lips were forming into a pout just thinking about it.
All my life I had dreamt of that perfect moment, that moment in which my lips would touch the lips of the love of my life. I would've been kissing the one I love, the one I was going to marry. It was going to be in a romantic setting - dimly-lit with candlelight, with the smell of roses and petunias in the air and La Vie en Rose playing in the background.
Hold me close and hold me fast, this magic spell you cast, this is la vie en rose... when you kiss me Heaven sighs, and though when I close my eyes, I see la vie en rose... when you press me to your heart, I'm in a world apart, a world where roses bloom... and when you speak, angels sing from above, everyday words seem to turn into love songs... give your heart and soul to me, and life will always be la vie en rose.
La vie en rose. Translation; life in pink, or life through rosy glasses. A state where everything is rosy and cheerful. A state of bliss when everything around you is a state of joy. The kind of state you are in when you are deeply in love. In that moment, life is perfect and everything will be fine.
Such a beautiful song, for such a beautiful moment. I wanted my first kiss to be so magical and special. I wanted it so so badly. Ever since I watched Sleeping Beauty at 5 years old, and ever since I attended Emma's and Troy's fake wedding when I was 8.
At 5 years old I understood how powerful and special and magical a kiss was. At 8 years old, I understood the importance of not giving away your special kisses to just anybody. A kiss was something special, something beautiful, and it was meant for someone who was worth it. Both Emma's and Troy's first kiss was to each other, and they've been together for 13 years now. In fact, they're getting married in a few months.
And now? Well, I just lost my first kiss.
It was gone, just like that.
No romantic setting, no candlelights, no La Vie en Rose, no prince.
I didn't even realise that I was crying until I felt Zack place his strong hands on my shoulders. Care was etched onto his face as his finger gently swiped across my cheek, wiping away any tears that fell out of my eye cascaded down my cheek.
"Hey, why are you crying?" He asked gently.
My bottom lip quivered and my eyes teared up even more as I choked out, "B-b-because you're a f-frog and you k-kissed me..." I sniffled. My vision was getting blurry from all the tears that were forming in my eyes.
Zack didn't scoff in disbelief or offense this time, nor did he try to sarcastically retort to my insult. Instead, he caressed my cheek with one hand. He sent me a lop-sided smile etched with guilt and a hint of mischief. Only Zack had the ability to look guilty and mischievous at the same time, only Zackery Calvert.
"You're really cute, you know that?" He said, still wiping away my tears and smiling that adorable and mischievous lop-sided smile of his.
However, his comment was not amusing. At all. I was still upset over the loss of my lip virginity and temporarily, I was fuelled with anger. In order to release this small bout of anger, I reached up and smacked the upside of his head which in turn sent a small shot of pleasure through me. Am I a victim of schadenfreude? Why yes, yes I am.
"Shut up." I grumbled, my eyebrows still etched into a frown. Then as an afterthought, I added, "Yes, I know I'm cute, but shut up. You're annoying and I don't like you."
Zack let out a chuckle, still staring at me with his green puppy dog eyes. "Yeah, I guess I deserved that." He smiled at me guiltily now, with no sign of mischief, "Hey Dani, I'm sorry. Please don't cry. It hurts me, right here." He said with more drama than necessary, pointing to his chest.
I couldn't help but let out a little laugh, although it sounded like a strangled and garbled sound rather than a hearty chuckle. "You're pointing to your boob, you idiot."
Zack laughed and started groping his right boob, the one he had been pointing at. "Yeah I know," he grinned, "my boob just hurts so so so much, Dani. I can't bear the pain!" He was now groping it with an unnecessary amount of passion and false pain, "if you forgive me Dani, then my boob will be relieved of pain. Will you do that for my boob?"
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the smile that played upon my lips. Zack was such a goof, and he was so bloody annoying. He was a frog, and an idiot and just a plain ol' pain in my ass. But he was my best friend, and he was my best friend for a reason. No one made me more entertained that he did, and he never failed to make me laugh even in a situation like this.
"No, I will not do that for your boob, you egghead," I said, wiping any more tears that I had. "Your boob deserves all the pain in the world right now."
Zack stopped groping his boob and the cheeky look in his eyes dimmed a bit as he stepped closer to me and he lay his hand on my arm comfortingly. "Hey I'm sorry," he said genuinely, with no more trace of mischief, cheekiness or malice on his face. "You have to understand that I-I... kissed you... because....." I could tell that he was nervous now. He was stuttering and gulping and he wouldn't look me in the eye.
"Because....?" I pressed, curious to know more and still feeling anger at the fact that he had stolen my first kiss. I know many people may think that I was being completely and utterly dramatic, and that even the idea of saving my first kiss for someone special was petty and irrelevant, especially in our society today. It really disappoints me to know that so many people disregard the value of a kiss, when a kiss was so so so special.
The first kiss, especially, is completely and utterly special. The first kiss is the beginning of the physical intimacy feeling of any person. It's evolutionary. Moreover, whenever we do something, we always recount the first time we did that thing. So even if it may be our 34th kiss, we relate it to our first kiss. Thus, making our first kiss special.
Now, what am I supposed to say and recount about my first kiss? That I slapped his face straight afterwards? That I started crying? That he started groping his boob? Wow. So romantic. Completely and utterly romantic.
"Because... well........." Zack said nervously.
I raised my eyebrow at him threateningly and he gulped one more time, wiping his sweaty palms on the sides of his legs. "Okay, well, because...." he continued, now shyly looking at me.
His shy and nervous facade crumbled completely when that famous troublesome grin of his appeared on his face again. "Hold the phone", he said, smiling, "before I answer your question, you must answer mine..."
Oh God.
"Did you like the kiss, at least?" He asked, now smiling at me with an expectant look in his eyes. His head was tilted to the right and he was looking at me like a cute little dog who wanted a treat. "Like... Was it good? ... Did you like it?"
Holy crap, this just got extremely awkward. To my dismay, I could feel my palms getting sweaty and I could feel my cheeks flaming and turning red. I had stopped crying ages ago, and now I was just nervous and awkward. My fists kept clenching and unclenching and my breathing was slowly getting more erratic as I pondered different answers in my head.
How in the world was I supposed to answer that question?? I mean, did I even like it? Did I? I don't know! I mean, it was nice, I guess, he tasted quite yummy... but I didn't like it! I wanted my first kiss to be special! But, well, I can't deny that it was a good kiss... was it a good kiss? What even defines a good kiss??
"Well, I'm no expert," Zack said, grinning in amusement, "but I think what defines a good kiss is when like, your heart beats fast and all that jazz... Oh! And when you get goosebumps like everywhere, I think I once read that in a romance novel.... Oh! And it's a good kiss when not only your toes tingle, but your vagina tingles too-"
"WHAT?!" I hollered, my mouth dropping open. Now I really couldn't breathe - did I just say all my thoughts out loud just before? Had he heard everything that I was thinking?
"Yes, I did hear everything you were saying," Zack said, flicking me a wink, "And why thank you for that comment, I had no idea I tasted quite yummy."
Oh. My. God.
My eye was twitching again, just like it was doing so uncontrollably right before that big goofhead kissed me. My mum once told me to stop rolling my eyes, otherwise my eyes would stick to the back of my head forever and ever and I'd look like a possessed horror movie character for the rest of my life. Did the same thing happen with eye twitching? If my eye kept twitching like this whenever Zack pissed me off (which was a hell of a lot of times), would my eye be forever twitching? I'd look insane for the rest of my life.
Oh well, at least my outward appearance would now match my personality.
I cocked one hip out and placed my hand on it. Now I looked like a sassy bitch, which was fitting for the current situation. "I did not say that you were "quite yummy", nor do I think you were or are," I said, trying to act confidently. You know what they say, fake it till you make it. "In fact, you tasted like the rotten butthole of a dead skunk."
Zack raised one eyebrow and took one step towards me. "First off, it is quite worrying that you know what that tastes like," he said, smirking, "Second; I thought quite the opposite, actually." He took one step closer to me, and now he was about half a metre away from me.
In a quiet and gentle voice, he said, "I thought you tasted like strawberries, and everything good in the world."
Goddammit, he got me flustered again. He really knew how to get to my emotions, didn't he? Gahh! It was so frustrating! Completely and utterly frustrating, irritating, annoying, infuriating, maddening, tiresome, bothersome, exasperating - and all those other adjectives.
However, all thoughts of violence and threats and insults disappeared in my head, and were suddenly overtaken by thoughts of sadness, sorrow and regret. Why did I approach Zack in the first place? I mean, I know the original plan was to give him my first kiss, so in a way, my goal had been achieved... but it didn't go the way I wanted it to. I wish Zack never dared me in the first place. I would never wish he was never my best friend. I just wish we never played that damn chess game that day... so many regrets.
Before I knew it, my lips were quivering and my eyes were watering. My mouth was doing that cry-baby pout I always do when I cry, and I probably looked like new-born red-faced baby right now. Crying was probably a good thing to do right now.
All playful expressions that had been on Zack's face disappeared again when he saw me crying. He stepped closer to me and grabbed my arm before pulling me to his chest. I didn't resist or stop him - I didn't know if it was because I was exhausted, or being I was just yearning for some comfort.
He wrapped his strong arms around me and I leaned against his chest, sniffling like a little child. He started stroking my hair as if I was a little kitten. We stayed in that comforting embrace for a while, him just casually stroking my hair and my back while I cried and occasionally blew my nose into his shirt - hey, if he stole my first kiss then I had the right to blow some nasty snot rockets onto that motherf**ker.
I don't know how long we had been out there, but I'm pretty sure we missed half of fifth period. But I didn't care - I was tired from the arguing and the crying and the stress, and being in Zack's arms was nice and comforting. I felt the exact same way I would feel if a girl best friend had been comforting me - just an intimate, affection platonic feeling.
I really hoped this kiss we shared wouldn't change anything between us.
Zack's my best friend - has been for the past how-many years and always will be. Maybe it was a good thing he had my first kiss... better him than anyone else, right? I mean, I was still mad, of course. But I had no strength to be mad right now. The Kraken can be unleashed some other day.
Zack tightened his hug around me and whispered, "I love you, Dani poo."
Through my tears and my snot, I smiled. "I love you too, you big goof."
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[ a u t h o r ' s n o t e ]
hello my fellow readers, I've finally updated!! Kind of a boring chapter sorry, I reaaally don't have any ideas up in this big ol' brain in my head xD oh well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway.
And 46.6k reads??? EEEP THANK YOU GUYS! I love you so much, and I really am sorry for taking so long to update each time :c but do enjoy this chapter, and have a great day guys :)
If you want to, go ahead and chuck me a comment, and let me know if you liked this chapter! I love you guyssss <3