The days went by, and our lunches alone together got more frequent. Soon, Claire and Nate had to accept that Avan was becoming a part of the group whether they liked it or not. The next thing I knew, all four of us were hanging out after school; meeting at the local bookstore for history research, going on movie outings, the first double dates that I actually enjoyed, the game nights at home, and the occasional high school party.
Mike Johnson, one of the cutest guys in school, threw a party after the Brushwood Angels’ football victory against the Pirates. Avan asked me to go with him, since his novelty and his charismatic personality seemed to make him friends with the whole school. It had been the first time I got asked to a party, especially by a boy, so I was onboard. But anytime we happened to see Amy, she shamelessly tried to find a way to bribe Avan away from my side. When that didn’t work, she would throw herself all over him, shaking her skimpy outfits in front of him in a none-too-subtle attempt to seduce him.
I had grown tired of it, and to my relief so had Avan. From then on, we spent our weekends at the bowling alley or the coffee shop in town. As soon as Amy realized he was unattainable, she turned the heat on me. I was used to her ridiculously mean comments, but I still felt embarrassed when Avan heard them. I certainly didn’t want him to think any less of me.
As the relationship between Avan and me kept growing stronger, so did my feelings for him. Two months had gone by, and I could not really explain how, but I felt my whole being becoming defined by his, as if my mind and body were finding a new purpose for existing. Was this how first love felt? I wasn’t sure, but I knew for certain I was growing up, and fast.
The greatest confirmation of this change came during one of our few private outings to the movies without Claire and Nate chaperoning us. We were watching The Last Exorcism, which was totally scary and wonderfully romantic, too. I am the only one unaffected by scary movies, but this one’s special effects had me continually burying my face in his shoulder. He didn’t seem to mind—he even moved the armrest back and pulled me in closer. Feeling his body pressed so close to mine sent that strange energy cascading through me. The sensation was absolutely glorious.
I could feel his heart hammering as hard as mine. He seemed as nervous as I was. At this point, I was so aware of our bodies pressing together that the movie was merely background noise. It had been two months of flirting and holding hands. It was time for something more. I wanted something more. Just as I thought that, his shakily free hand pulled my chin up to face those eyes shining down at me. Something in that gaze never failed to take my breath away. He leaned down toward me, and I instinctively closed my eyes. I wasn’t sure what to do, and so I momentarily held my place, but then my face rose to meet his.
The first kiss was short and tender, but the contact between our lips unleashed me. There had been no blinding light, but the same sense of shock rippled through me. He registered his awareness of my yearning, and I felt his body tense slightly. He paused, wanting to look into my eyes, and when he did, the invitation for more unleashed his passion, too. His warm lips moved again toward me. As if buried beneath the layers of each touch, each soft lick, each movement, speaking of what words couldn’t, each new sensation brought new unspoken responses. We moved in unison. His mouth pulled in my lower lip, and as my jaw relaxed, I tasted the sweetness of his tongue.
Our lips parted, but we remained locked in the
awareness of each other’s breathing. Frozen time seemed to melt and flow once again. He faced me with a smile that began slowly on one side of his mouth and remained there. The kiss could have lasted forever. Hell, I wanted it to last forever, but I pretended to get interested in the movie again, however my mind was in a different dimension. The pervading warmth radiating from where our bodies touched was only getting stronger. The electric current between us was palpable. This couldn’t be ignored any longer. There was literally a physical process happening between us. I had to talk to him, but for now I just wanted to enjoy his nearness—and, hopefully, a few more of those kisses.