The three fundamental laws of Northwood High were firmly established. Crafted by our ancestors and verified by future generations, no one refuted the completely logical three sentences that governed our school.
One, a rumour in motion tends to remain in motion unless compelled by an outside force to shut the fuck up.
Two, the amount of respect you received was directly proportional to your popularity.
And the third, and the most supremely infallible one, Wilder Collins was the best kisser ever.
As of eight forty-five on Wednesday evening I, Nicola Evans had successfully verified the third law in person.
Perhaps the wrong thing to be thinking of, but somehow, when the hottest guy in the school is kissing you like you're Aurora, your mind wanders to the extremely unsophisticated food you had during lunch. Even though I had no way of knowing how the events would unfold, I wished I had leaned towards a virgin mojito or something fresher.
But of course, you had to have the tacos, right Nico?
I knotted my fingers in his soft hair instead as I kissed him back, my heart fluttering. My stomach was clenching nervously with each passing second. His lips were warm. Soft. Eager. His hands grabbed my waist, holding me close. He smelled a little like chlorine mixed with a secret, seductive scent I couldn't quite place. Our body heat intertwined palpably, leaving our rate of inhalation, or breathing rather laboured. If he could taste the jalapeno in my mouth, he didn't seem to mind it very much.
Or perhaps, he simply had a taste for it.
Hot, naked tongues of fire ravaged my stomach when his tongue traced my bottom lip. My subsequent shock rendered me unable to react appropriately, which would perhaps have entailed my own tongue meeting his.
About thirty-three seconds later, his mouth left mine and our eyes met. I was breathless as I gazed mesmerized into the brown eyes with bluish flecks that made me weak in my knees.
Wilder let go of me and gazed around the dark kitchen, biting his lip in what I assumed was nervousness. I could still hear the muffled sounds of the blaring music outside at the pool party, the one thrown by his girlfriend.
Totally not fucked up.
He took a step backwards, his eyes wide as if disbelieving of what had just happened. I took a ragged breath, my entire body still tingling in the aftermath of my first kiss. I could feel my face heating up and for the first time in forever, found myself at a lack for words.
He leaned over the kitchen counter, placing his hands flat on it as he shook his head and muttered something I couldn't quite hear. He raked a hand through his dark brown hair. I felt like I was going to combust and start fanboying on the spot.
My eyes took in his tall, lean but muscular frame (thank you football), his sharp jaw, his long eyelashes and chiselled features. I was still dazed; confused as to why the hottest guy at Northwood High had suddenly decided to kiss me.
He had followed me into the kitchen where I had arrived to relieve myself of the incessant raucousness and in a bid to get away from some girl I thought was named Marlene. The lights had gone out due to some heavenly fault and Wilder had found me. Before I knew what was happening, he had kissed me.
A remarkable interaction between us indeed. Especially considering the fact that we had something of a 'friendship break up' just a few years back.
"Don't...tell anyone about this."
I stared at him, slowly coming down from my high. His brows were furrowed. His eyes dark under the shadows spanning the room. He looked pained as he bit his classically succulent bottom lip and shook his head. His defined jaw was clenched in tension, his hair tumbling onto his forehead at his action.
"Why?" I asked, gritting my teeth in defiance even as my heart sunk. If the hottest guy in the school had kissed me, I needed everyone to know about it. Except for my mom because she was paranoid about a lot of things. Kissing something with a dick was one of them.
He sighed deeply, his eyes darker than I remembered, devoid of any shine in them. As if he was regretful. It sent a twinge of pain through my heart as he continued. "Because I have a girlfriend and...I'm not gay."
I scoffed and spoke before quite thinking, "Your tongue inside my mouth seemed pretty fucking gay to me, Collins."
His eyes widened as he glanced behind him towards the glass doors where loud yells and laughter were still audible. It had been a stroke of luck that our little forbidden moment hadn't been discovered. His face was pale when he spoke, "Don't, Evans. Just forget about it."
I called him Collins because ever since our friendship had become a thing of the distant past, I had felt detached from whom I once considered my best friend. He called me Evans because as far as I knew him, he had forgotten my first name.
Which wasn't such a bad thing since I hated my name.
"I will. Once I tell Kendra," I grinned at him, trying hard to ignore the sand in my throat. "Hey Kendra, cool party!By the way, your boyfriend is kinda gay."
He walked closer to me, his eyes were narrowed, glinting under the dim light. "I'm serious, Evans. Just forget this happened and we'll be cool."
A part of me wanted to grab his angelic face and kiss him again, even if it was to just shut him up. But I didn't have the guts. I could hardly believe that someone who usually actively avoided me had somehow suddenly kissed me.
I was only kidding when I said I would tell his girlfriend. The fact of the matter was that no one would believe me anyway. Wilder and I had been inseparable once, but after his rise to fame (consequent of being chosen as the football captain) he had transcended to the highest level of popularity while I remained happily sauntering in the background.
I bit my lip, almost yelling at him. But I knew there was no point. An awkward silence fell and he opened his mouth to say something as the lights suddenly flickered on. Somehow, seeing him under the bright, white glow made me feel even more embarrassed. His perfectly gorgeous eyes, his sharp jawline, his dark, wavy hair, his tall, lean, muscular frame. Wilder Collins was a dream.
At least for me.
My heart raced uncomfortably, my face suddenly warm as I inadvertently relived the kiss. My first kiss and he was dismissing it like it had been nothing.
"You're not telling anyone, okay?"
I was quiet, my nervously clenched stomach heavy with lead. I turned away from him, my cheeks burning. I took a deep breath and forced myself to look at him as I muttered, "No one would believe me anyway."
His eyes widened and he tilted his head slightly to the side, as if puzzled.
On cue, the glass doors opened and a few of his teammates wandered in, laughing loudly.
"Collins, come on, we're having a cannonball contest!" one of the boys, Archer Blue, spoke.
Wilder nodded at him, grinning like he hadn't just ousted his sexuality. Maybe I was overthinking. Maybe he was bisexual. Chances were even if he were gay, he wouldn't go for me.
"Evans," one of the boys drawled, his grey eyes studying me. "Would you like to join us?"
The wolfish grin he passed after his words made it clear that his intentions weren't exactly noble. I gazed at the three shirtless guys and then at Wilder, who had taken to studying his own fidgeting feet.
"Man, this must be such a party for you!" Hector spoke, his dark eyes glinting malevolently. I only knew his name because he had been my teammate on one nightmarish spelling bee some years ago. "Half-naked guys all-around-" they all chuckled. I eyed Wilder, feeling satisfied to see him glance away and biting his lip uncomfortably. "This must be like your fantasies coming true!"
I grinned at him. "Yes, Hector. However, my fantasies shan't be fulfilled unless these lips of mine were to find yours."
He stuttered, his smile faltering as the other guys burst into laughter.
I walked over to him. "You're not my type. I don't consider men below the intelligence quotient of ten."
I held my head high and left the room before I heard one of the guys whisper, "Such a weirdo. Why does he talk like that?"
Masochistically satisfied, I walked out of the kitchen of dreams and nightmares to where the party was still raving noisily. I spotted Camden in a corner, standing with a glass of what I assumed was apple juice. His mouth was agape, his eyes fixed on something as he stared shamelessly. He looked more bewildered than I had ever seen him in the three years of our friendship.
My heart still raced, my lips tingling with the memory of Wilder's on them and I wondered if I should tell him. I made my way over to him, still debating internally.
Cam shook his head when he saw me, his brown eyes glittering with the glow of the fairy lights. The action caused his dark, wavy hair to tumble onto his forehead carelessly.
"Man, this is wild," he said as my eyes travelled to where he was looking on the deck. Roxanna Morgan was grinding on a girl whose name I didn't remember. Her dark skin glistened under the bright lights, her long, ebony hair flying behind her as a blonde, blue-eyed girl with an impish face joined in her movements to deafening hoots and cries. "I mean...it's kinda hot."
I managed not to roll my eyes.
"Did you talk to Rayleigh?" he asked suddenly as I crossed my arms and stood beside him.
I shrugged. "She said she won't be coming to the party. Last met her in class. Not after that."
Part of me was bursting to tell Camden about the kiss, but I wasn't sure I was ready to divulge it just yet. I liked the feeling of having a sweet, forbidden secret with Wilder.
"Could you call her?" he asked in a soft voice. I gritted my teeth as he continued. "Just make sure she's alright."
"Why wouldn't she be alright, Cam?" I asked, frustrated at the unsaid game between my two best friends. "She's probably asleep or something."
He was quiet. He bit his lip and sighed, raking a hand through his hair. His eyes were dark, glistening with the golden lights reflecting off the surface of the pool as he spoke, "I know...just had a feeling something was off with her today."
"There wasn't."
"You don't know, Nico-"
Thankfully, my phone rang and I excused myself from him to stand in a corner instead. I sighed and picked up the phone, pressing it to my ear as an unknown number flashed on it. I gazed at the raucous pool party still raging in front of me. People in all colours of clothing sitting, some lounging on the several folding chairs placed around the deck as loud music blared from the speakers at the back of the building. The pool was an open one, set in the backyard of the massive modern house that belonged to Kendra Love. I still wasn't sure why I had accepted her invite. I still wasn't sure why she had invited me at all.
"Hello?" I spoke into the phone, straining to hear the voice on the other side.
"Nico?" a vaguely familiar female voice spoke. "It's Cher."
I tried to rack my brains to find any inkling of the somewhat familiar name and decided to shoot randomly. "Cher, how's it going?"
I tried to sound confident. Whoever she was clearly thought I knew her and I didn't want to burst her ego.
"Um...it's Kailey." My stomach turned. I realized why the name of my sister's best friend sounded familiar. "She...she got really drunk and Brad took her somewhere, to his place I think but-"
Blood pounded in my ears as I ran through the crowd, my thoughts raging uncontrollably in my head. "Where does he live?"
She gave me the approximate location. Not the best, but it would have to do. "How long ago?" I asked breathlessly.
I ran towards the main road where I had parked my trusty hatchback. I slid into it and turned the key in the ignition, putting the phone on speaker as I revved up the engine. "Are his parents home? Is she alone? Is he alone?"
"He has other friends. Some girls too...but...I'm not sure."
"Where were you?" I asked, trying hard to keep my voice from trembling as I increased the speed of the car. Silence fell on the other end before she responded in a small voice.
"Thirst."
I cursed under my breath. The newest club opening that my sixteen-year-old sister had been super interested in going. "Was she drunk?"
Cher answered in an even smaller voice, "Yes."
"Are you still there?" I asked, glancing at the time and seeing that it was almost nine. "Are you alone?"
"Um...yeah. Just standing outside the bar."
I gazed at the time again, my heart racing. I took a sharp turn towards the left and made my way to the bar. The obscure street was a shortcut to Brad 'perpetual Hard-On' Jones and the bar itself. "Wait. I'll pick you up."
Damn you, elder brother responsibilities.
Granted, I was only a couple of years elder to her, but being the sperm that won first came with its own baggage and her wild childishness was mine.
About ten minutes later, I spotted Cher's familiar figure standing in front of the newest bar in town. I could see the neon drippy letters on the signboard at the top of the bar behind her, complete with glittering lights and obscene sketches. The insanely loud music made the windows of my car reverberate. Part of me wanted to burst into the bar and yell at whoever had thought it appropriate to present drinks to under-age kids. However, I had a job to do before that.
Cher gave me a soft smile and slid into the passenger seat as I started driving again.
"I hope you know that you're in trouble," I said, glancing sideways at her.
Her green eyes were dark, her brows slightly furrowed as if in regret as she gazed away from me and muttered, "Sorry."
I reached for my phone and called Kailey's number, hoping and praying that she would answer. Brad's house was right around the next corner, but I had to make sure she was alright. She answered mercifully on the fourth ring.
"Hellloooooo baby brother!"
"Kay," I spoke, relief flooding through my system. "Keep talking to me okay? I'm coming to get you."
She hiccuped. I saw the massive house of the Jones' springing into my view and sped up the car, adrenaline coursing through me.
"You should get here we have a dope-hic-partayyyyyyy!"
I drove into the driveway and killed the engine, scrambling out of the door. I could hear Cher's footsteps behind me as I quickly walked over to the front door and banged on it.
"O.M.G someone is here!" Kay squealed and giggled on the phone. "Who-"
Her voice was cut off suddenly and my heart jumped to my throat. I banged on the door again, yelling. "Open the fucking door!"
My anger kept rising each second that I waited. I could hear the blood pounding in my ears. If he touched my sister in any way, I would make him pay. Even though he was twice my size and probably had his cronies with him.
Either way, shit was about to go down tonight.
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So...a scandal is brewing XD Lots of drama is on the way. Why do you think Wilder kissed Nico? Do you think Nico should keep the promise? I would love to hear your thoughts!
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