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chapter three
kiss
I knocked at Tom's door. We were already in our second term and every day after classes, we used to study together in his bedroom, in my bedroom or in a lonely table under a tree, "Come in, it's open." I heard him saying in the other side of the door and I opened it.
"You never lock your door?" I asked frowning.
"No, not really. You're the only one who comes to visit me." He said and I walked closer to the small table where he was seated at.
"That's sad." I giggled. Tom was reading some sort of hieroglyphs.
"What are you reading?" I asked as I sat down across him and threw my books onto the table.
"Ancient Greek." He replied without looking up at me, "How was your day?"
"It was okay." Actually, I had my exam that day and although I had studied I wasn't sure with my answers.
"What did we learn today?" He closed his book and smiled at me as he rested his cheek in his hand and those blue eyes stared at me.
"New ways to cheat on an exam." I said smiling.
"You cheated?!"
"No, I didn't." He smiled, "But, I need to borrow your laptop, I forgot mine." I smirked and fluttered my eyelashes.
"Sorry, but you can't. It broke. It literally broke." He said imitating me and pointing at the bed in which the laptop was broken in two, "Actually, I was hoping to borrow yours."
"Yeah, sure." I stood up and walked towards the bed, "How on earth did this happen?" I said picking up the laptop.
"Practicing for a play." Tom said as he grabbed his backpack ready to go to my bedroom.
"Oh, well. Remember me not to be in the same room when you're practicing for a play."
"I will. Shall we go now?" He walked past me and I grabbed my stuff to leave. We walked through the campus to get to my room. Once there, we did everything but study. We just chatted for a while, "I want to ask her out." He said.
"Ask her." I said.
"But, I don't know. Do you think she likes me back? I've never talked to her apart from the play-" I interrupted him.
"Just do it! You're a nice guy and I must kill the person who says the opposite." He giggled, "So, mister Hiddleston, you've got a play." He nodded as he grabbed a bag of crisps.
"Yep, on Friday. Will you come?"
"What time?"
"Four p.m." I bit my lip, "You can't?" I shook my head.
"I've got classes." I said, scratching the back of my neck, "Tom, I'm sorry, I really want to go. Maybe I can tell the teacher that I'm ill and-"
"Oh, come on! Don't do that. You can come to the rehearsals, then."
"Oh, really? Okay, I'm going. When?" Tom checked the time.
"In thirty minutes." He smiled.
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I was amazed by the beauty of the theatre. There were a lot of people tidying up all the place. The scenography was almost ready and Tom's classmates were already in costume, "Sit here." He said, pointing at one of the seats in the first row, "I'll be right back, I've got to dress up."
"Okay." I was really excited and he could notice it.
"Stop moving in your seat." He said smiling, "It's like you've got ants in your trousers!"
"I can't believe that I'll finally see you acting! That's all." I said, smiling at him, "Okay, go change your clothes." He left and I smiled awkwardly at the other people on stage. The place looked amazing, I couldn't imagine how good would it look the day of the play. After a a few minutes Tom's teacher called all the people and gave them some acting advertisements and then, they began with the play. I couldn't believe how good was Tom at acting. The way he made you feel the character's emotions, it was overwhelming.
Literally jumping off the stage, Tom came to me with a huge smile on his face and sat by me when the rehearsal ended, "How did it go? You liked it?"
"I didn't like it, I loved it!" He chuckled, "Tom, you're very talented! You'll do it amazing the day of the play."
"Ehehehee." His infectious laugh, "I'll do my best." Everyone left and we stayed there. Tom's teacher was the only one there, he was organising a bunch of papers. We sat in the middle of the stage, well, Tom was lying on the stage and humming a song, while I paged through the script. I found the kiss scene and frowned since I didn't see Tom kissing anyone during the rehearsal.
"What happened to the kiss?" I asked all of a sudden. He sat up.
"Uh, the kiss-" Tom was interrupted by his teacher, who stood up and walked towards us.
"The play is in four days and I cannot make him kiss the girl." He said and I raised an eyebrow, "He's perfect for the role, but he gets too nervous to kiss this girl." It was Diane, the girl he fancied, "So, we decided to skip that part."
"You shouldn't be nervous Tom, besides, it's just acting." I said shrugging.
"What are you studying young lady? The teacher asked me.
"History of Art, sir." He nodded at me and walked toward a small table on the stage and grabbed another script which he gave me.
"That's the kiss scene, read it and you both are going to play it for me. Tom who was quiet all this time, stared at me, so did I, "Go on."
"Sir, we can't do that, she's my friend and I respect her, I cannot-"
"You want to become an actor, you'll have to get along with your co-stars, female co-stars, you will become friends with them and what if you have to kiss them for the film? If you can kiss your friend without feeling those butterflies in your stomach, you can kiss any other girl. It's called, to be professional. Just read the lines and then you kiss. That simple."
"Nic?" Tom asked. I knew how important this play was for him. I knew how important was Diane for him, and I knew he was dying to kiss her. He was so in love with her, maybe kissing Tom would make her feel a little bit the same about him.
"It's just, acting." I hesitated.
"You sure you want to do this?" Tom asked.
"No, but you have to kiss the girl, prince Eric." I said smiling and waving my eyebrows, he understood The Little Mermaid's reference, "And your teacher's right, when you're a great and famous actor, you'll have to kiss your co-star even if you don't want and it has to look real."
"I couldn't put it better." The teacher said, "Now, read the lines and kiss her." He said.
"Nicole, I-"
"Just do it, just do it fast." I was sure that I could cope with the idea of my best friend kissing me. He read the lines on the script and then threw the script to a side.
"And I love you, you've got to know that." Tom said, "And I want you to know that I'll do whatever you want, do you understand? I will, I promise." He grabbed my face and kissed me. I got paralysed actually, I didn't think that he was really going to do it. This would be the part in which I tell you how good kisser he was and all that. But, I got totally paralysed, I don't even remember what happened, besides it was a quick kiss.
"Perfect!" The teacher said when Tom broke the kiss and we both looked at each other like 'what did just happen?', "Now, I want you to kiss Diane, just as you kissed your friend." He said before leaving. There was an awkward moment.
"Tom, for the pudding's sake." He chuckled, "You've got to kiss her. I've got your saliva on my mouth, this was a big sacrifice to me! Ew!" He smiled, "Just, tell her that you love her."
"Are you mad?! No, I can't!"
"Probably. I'll tell you a secret. She was staring, like STARING at you during the whole play, I bet she likes you." I wiggled my eyebrows and checked the time, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to study for an exam." I stood up and jumped off the stage, "See you Hiddles."
"See you Oaks."
Fuck, I kissed my best friend.
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Best friends don't kiss each other right? Well, these two already did :* Thanks a lot to everyone who's reading this, you know what? I love you! And I hope you're enjoying this so far, show your support to the author by clicking on that thingy that looks like a star, would you? Thank you!
Love, Liz.