*attention* this chapter includes a discrete amount of swearing. Read on at your own risk(?). If it bothers you, well, fuck you.
Now back to that kiss.
I couldn't help but close my eyes. In one, fast moment there were so many feelings that even the feelings had feelings.
I always imagined that moment right there to be slow, over teased, with a little music in the background, and that I'd be rather conscious of it.
But it wasn't like that. It was out of nowhere. And I couldn't even think straight. I don't reckon I was even thinking at all. Reason was overwhelmed by all those feelings, as an entire legion of butterflies flew inside of me and all the blood from my head flowed right under my belt.
Amber's soft, beautiful lips were on mine. And they were doing all types of dances. I can't even tell for how long, but it was all perfect.
For a long time I had worried myself about not knowing how to kiss, googling it even. I was pretty sure that my first kiss was going to be a fluke but, heck, was I ever wrong.
I just had to stand there with my mouth barely open, as my lips were grabbed, sucked by hers, and bitten, and licked, and there were tongues coming in and coming out, tongues twisting around.
Sometimes we worry so much, we overthink, about what we have to do, how we have to do it, and, in the end, all we have to do is just be there. Stand there and let it happen, the natural way it should.
Kissing her was like smoking a cigarette. The flavor was the same. And I felt cool and it felt good, a tidbit prohibited, and in the end I wanted more.
"I'm sorry," she said, as she rapidly moved away, "I shouldn't have."
"What?" I exclaimed with the voice of someone who just got hit in the balls, "Why? It's okay..."
"No, it's not," she said, "I can't do this to you. You deserve better."
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
All the beautiful feelings were replaced by a sting in my chest. That's where I began to wonder if I did something wrong again, if I did something I shouldn't have done.
"I told you, Peter," she sat back straight, "I only ruin people and relationships. I'm not a good influence on people. I would only destroy you and your feelings."
"I don't believe you."
"It's not a matter of believing or not, it's a fact. You deserve better than being my boy toy."
"Don't say it like that..."
"But it is like that." She sighed and moved her hair away from her face.
"We can still try..." I said, "I mean, what could possibly go worse than wrong."
"Believe me, Peter." She sighed. "Wrong is enough to tear you apart."
"But--" She stood up and gave me back my keys, as she walked away from me.
Kissing her was like smoking a cigarette. But I should have mentioned, I never smoked one. So, my first kiss was my first cigarette. New, illegal, addictive, but it also hurt like hell.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
The following contest, scheduled for one fall, is a tag team match!
"We're so gonna win this one," said Evelyn.
"Yeah," I said chuckling, because Evelyn sounded a little robotic due to my bad internet connection.
This time we were not "wrestling" each other. We were teaming up against Sylvia and Joe, a couple who played respectively The Undertaker and The Rock. Those two would always show their affection for each other in the group chat. Like, get a room?
First question: how many times has Stone Cold Steve Austin won the Royal Rumble?
I took some time to type "three times", Evelyn immediately wrote simply "3", but she was anticipated by Joe.
1-0 for Undertaker and The Rock.
"Dammit, I had it," she scolded.
"Don't worry, we'll get the next one." I said, rubbing my sweaty hands on my pants.
Second question: What world titles did Rob Van Dam hold at the same time?
I immediately typed "WWE and ECW". No one had yet written a thing, so I got it like I said I would.
"Told ya," I remarked.
"That's how you do it!" She exclaimed.
And in that moment, I heard the door opening, which automatically made me mute my microphone and the speakers, and close Skype and all other windows on the laptop.
My mother entered the room. "Who are you talking to?"
I turned around to look at her from my bed. "Jesus, mom. Ever heard about knocking?"
"I should knock in my own house now?" She sounded pissed off for some reason. "I asked you a question."
"What-Who--" I stammered, "Friends. 'M talking to friends."
"What friends, please."
"I have a few."
"You have no friends."
I started to burn up inside. "Mom, what the fuck. You don't know what goes on in my life."
"That's because nothing goes on in your life. So who were you talking to?"
"Goddammit," I barked, "would you leave me the fuck alone? That's not cool to say. If you're mad for some reason, go fucking unload it on someone else. The fuck did I do to you!"
"Stop using those fucking words!" (I swear, she was serious while saying this.) "Who were you talking to?"
"It's a friend!" I hissed, "a friend I met on Facebook! Are you happy?"
"No," she insisted, "where is he from?" She automatically assumed that it was a 'he'.
"The city." I lied.
"New York City?"
"No, Mexico City," I roared, "yeah, fucking NYC."
"Alright," she grabbed the door handle, ready to get out of the room, "be careful with these people online."
She left the room. I took a deep breath and put volume back into microphone and speakers. Evelyn was mumbling something.
"Hey, hey," I said, "sorry, my mother."
"What'd she do?" She asked.
"She entered the room and didn't want to get out." I explained.
"Thought you left the call, honestly." She said. "You missed a few questions. I was able to do something. Last question is on its way, so be ready."
I took a look at the page. The score was 2-2. Whoever would get the next question right wins.
Final question: Who is the longest reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion?
I started typing, then thought about it for a second, then hit 'Enter'. 'Jushin Thunder Liger'.
3-2. Kane and Triple H win the match!
"Yeah!" Evelyn gloated in my ears, "You're a boss! You even know about Japanese wrestling?!"
"Of course," I praised myself, "that's what won us the match!"
"Oh man..." she said, "oh man!" she then screamed.
"What?" I asked.
"Did you see this, in just now?"
"What?" I wondered.
"This." She remarked, "it's The Rock's phone number! Just got leaked!"
"What?!" I yelled.
"Omigod."
"Send it to me!" I begged.
And she sent it. Are you kidding me, I thought to myself, as I added the number into my phone.
"Are you going to call him?" She asked.
"Of course I am!"
"Well, alright. I gotta go now! See you, okay?"
"Yeah. Alright. Bye!" I quickly said, as she hung up the Skype call.
I had the alleged Rock's number right there on my phone. So I took a breath and hit 'Call'.
After ringing a few times, a muffled voice answered. "Yeah, hello? Who's there?"
"Evelyn." I nagged.
She laughed. "Do you smell what the Tiger's cooking?"
"How could I believe that." I chucked. "How dumb I am."
"Well, look at the bright side, now you've got my number." She pointed out.
"Oh," I exclaimed, "you're right. Now you've got mine too!"
"I do, indeed," she said, "I should go now. Night with Sean! But, now that you can, text me, alright?"
I smiled. "Yeah, sure. See you Avsam."
As soon as she hung up, I started improvising some kind of dance on my bed.
I had her number. She said I could text her. She said I should text her. Omigod.
I didn't text her that night though. I didn't want to get between her and her boyfriend.
I spent the entire afternoon with Evelyn to get Amber out of my head. But, as soon as I was alone with myself, thoughts started to haunt me again.
I just couldn't stand the idea of what happened at the gym. Was I in love with Amber? And if not, why couldn't I stop thinking about her?
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
The next morning, it was Saturday, but my usual morning-long sleep was cut short by the sound of some texts on my phone.
"Pete, are you there? I need to talk."
It was Evelyn. She was texting me in the middle of the morning.
"He broke up with me."
I shook my head and leaned closer to the phone. I still had sleep in my eyes, so the screen looked weird.
"Sean broke up with me."
It was now all coming together. I was 'waking up'. I even wondered if I was dreaming, so I pinched my leg. It hurt. It was real.
Evelyn Tiger was single and in desperate need of someone.