Who Could Deny These Butterflies?
three.
I crept quietly, water gun in hand, around the back of the Barakat’s house. I sat in a bush, waiting for any signs of movement. I heard something behind me and turned to see Ashleigh.
“I almost killed you!” I whisper-threatened. She giggled.
We kept watching when I saw Alex on the far side of the yard, sneaking along the fence. I nudged Ash and pointed him out. Our water guns wouldn’t squirt that far, but water balloons could.
Ashleigh grabbed a purple water balloon from my ammo-bag, aimed, and chucked the thing over to where Alex was crouched. It hit him directly on the top of the head, soaking his entire body. I high-fived her and she threw another; right in the chest.
He screamed and ran around the other side of the house. We giggled until we saw Rian army crawling towards our bush. He was our biggest challenge. He aimed his gun in the bushes and fired, barely missing us. He went over too the pool, looking around the house. I dashed out of the bush, sprinted at Rian, and shoved him as hard as i could into the pool. He cried out in alarm and i ran to a nearby tree, hoisted myself up, and sat in the branches waiting for Jack. He came around the house, running around like an idiot. Ashleigh shot Jack with water and hit him dead-on. He growled loudly and ran straight at Ash’s bush with about five water balloons. I heard a groan and Jack emerged, soaking wet, and Ash, totally dry. I cracked up. She was good.
“Zack, come down, it’s over.”
I squirted Rian, who was still in the pool, swimming around. Then I hit an unsuspecting Jack with a few balloons.
“Ha! We win!” I gloated, sliding down the rough bark and high-fiving Ash.
“What do you want to do now?” asked a now-dry Alex coming outside from the back door.
“Truth or dare!” Jack screamed, causing us all to groan.
“Hell no!” Rian complained, getting out of the pool.
“Pretty please?” Jack whined.
Ash rolled her eyes, “fine.”
We all grumbled about this decision. Jack clapped his hands and ran into the house, with me, Alex, Zack, and a dripping Rian in tow. Mrs. Barakat had left for work and left us pizza money. We sat in a circle on the floor like we always do; Jack likes this game way too much.
“I wanna go first!” Jack yelled.
We all groaned, dreading the possibility of being his first victim.
“Ummm, Rian! Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“What makes you horny?”
“Trace Cyrus.” Rian responded automatically.
We all cracked up, “Ash-Ashy, truth or dare?” Rian asked.
“Truth.”
“If you had to make out with one of us who would it be?”
She thought, “Jack, because he’s gay.”
Jack hit her over the head with a pillow. It was Ashleigh’s turn.
“Alex, truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
She smirked, “Make out with Jack.”
Rian and I burst out laughing and Jack glared at Ashleigh.
Alex sighed, jumping on Jack’s lap.
I didn’t think they were going to actually do it…
Ash grabbed her phone and started recording a video when Alex’s lips attacked Jack’s face. Pretty soon, they both really got into it. Alex was straddling Jack, his hands planted on the other boy’s hips. Jack’s hands were resting on Alex’s neck and face. Their tongues were all over the place and when Jack started to lift up Alex’s shirt Rian gave a high-pitched scream.
Ashleigh looked over to see Ri burying his face in his hands and me staring at the two, wide-eyed. Jack and Alex broke apart at Rian’s outburst, cracking up at the sight of Rian and me. Alex planted a small kiss on Jack’s lips and Ash turned off the video, “are you guys seriously straight?”
Jack giggled, “duh, i love boobies. we just wanted to freak Zack-Zacky and Rian out.”
“It worked,” I grumbled.
“My turn!” squealed Alex, “Zacky, truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
He grinned wickedly, “Make out with Ashleigh!”
I choked, “W-what?”
I looked at Ash, her face bright red.
I wanted to, badly. All of the time. She’s gorgeous, always has been. I’ve been in love with her since the eighth grade; now, we’re seniors and I still haven’t done anything about it. I just can’t ruin our friendship.
Ashleigh looked at me, “For real?” I asked.
Jack nodded, “Let’s go, for two minutes!”
I could’ve punched him.
She shrugged, inching closer to me. I leaned forward, our lips barely touching. My eyes fluttered close, her lips were like heaven. Mine began moving in sync with hers, my tongue sliding across her bottom lip. She parted her lips and our tongues intertwined. It was pure ecstasy. The kiss got deeper; I shifted, lying down on top of her, her arms around my neck. She moaned when I made my way down her neck. She arched into me, making a problem surface down south. I kissed and nibbled on her neck, softly biting the delicate skin. When our swollen lips reattached I almost died out of pure bliss. I couldn’t believe I was kissing the most beautiful girl in the world.
Then I remembered it that it was only a dare, that she didn’t feel the same, that the guys were watching this.
I pulled away, blushing. Ash’s face was also pink and our friends were just staring at us with gaping mouths. I looked down into her gorgeous green eyes, wondering what she was thinking.
“Zack, I need to talk to you,” she whispered, her soft lips brushing against my ear, causing me to shiver.
I stood up, pulling her off the ground. We left our baffled group and she looked at me, eyes filled with hurt, when we reached the basement.
“Zack,” her voice cracked, a tear rolling down her face, “you’re my best friend but I want to be so much more. I have for years, and I just can’t take it anymore, especially after that.”
My heart swelled with love and joy.
“I love you, Ashleigh,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around her, kissing away her tears.
“I almost killed you!” I whisper-threatened. She giggled.
We kept watching when I saw Alex on the far side of the yard, sneaking along the fence. I nudged Ash and pointed him out. Our water guns wouldn’t squirt that far, but water balloons could.
Ashleigh grabbed a purple water balloon from my ammo-bag, aimed, and chucked the thing over to where Alex was crouched. It hit him directly on the top of the head, soaking his entire body. I high-fived her and she threw another; right in the chest.
He screamed and ran around the other side of the house. We giggled until we saw Rian army crawling towards our bush. He was our biggest challenge. He aimed his gun in the bushes and fired, barely missing us. He went over too the pool, looking around the house. I dashed out of the bush, sprinted at Rian, and shoved him as hard as i could into the pool. He cried out in alarm and i ran to a nearby tree, hoisted myself up, and sat in the branches waiting for Jack. He came around the house, running around like an idiot. Ashleigh shot Jack with water and hit him dead-on. He growled loudly and ran straight at Ash’s bush with about five water balloons. I heard a groan and Jack emerged, soaking wet, and Ash, totally dry. I cracked up. She was good.
“Zack, come down, it’s over.”
I squirted Rian, who was still in the pool, swimming around. Then I hit an unsuspecting Jack with a few balloons.
“Ha! We win!” I gloated, sliding down the rough bark and high-fiving Ash.
“What do you want to do now?” asked a now-dry Alex coming outside from the back door.
“Truth or dare!” Jack screamed, causing us all to groan.
“Hell no!” Rian complained, getting out of the pool.
“Pretty please?” Jack whined.
Ash rolled her eyes, “fine.”
We all grumbled about this decision. Jack clapped his hands and ran into the house, with me, Alex, Zack, and a dripping Rian in tow. Mrs. Barakat had left for work and left us pizza money. We sat in a circle on the floor like we always do; Jack likes this game way too much.
“I wanna go first!” Jack yelled.
We all groaned, dreading the possibility of being his first victim.
“Ummm, Rian! Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“What makes you horny?”
“Trace Cyrus.” Rian responded automatically.
We all cracked up, “Ash-Ashy, truth or dare?” Rian asked.
“Truth.”
“If you had to make out with one of us who would it be?”
She thought, “Jack, because he’s gay.”
Jack hit her over the head with a pillow. It was Ashleigh’s turn.
“Alex, truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
She smirked, “Make out with Jack.”
Rian and I burst out laughing and Jack glared at Ashleigh.
Alex sighed, jumping on Jack’s lap.
I didn’t think they were going to actually do it…
Ash grabbed her phone and started recording a video when Alex’s lips attacked Jack’s face. Pretty soon, they both really got into it. Alex was straddling Jack, his hands planted on the other boy’s hips. Jack’s hands were resting on Alex’s neck and face. Their tongues were all over the place and when Jack started to lift up Alex’s shirt Rian gave a high-pitched scream.
Ashleigh looked over to see Ri burying his face in his hands and me staring at the two, wide-eyed. Jack and Alex broke apart at Rian’s outburst, cracking up at the sight of Rian and me. Alex planted a small kiss on Jack’s lips and Ash turned off the video, “are you guys seriously straight?”
Jack giggled, “duh, i love boobies. we just wanted to freak Zack-Zacky and Rian out.”
“It worked,” I grumbled.
“My turn!” squealed Alex, “Zacky, truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
He grinned wickedly, “Make out with Ashleigh!”
I choked, “W-what?”
I looked at Ash, her face bright red.
I wanted to, badly. All of the time. She’s gorgeous, always has been. I’ve been in love with her since the eighth grade; now, we’re seniors and I still haven’t done anything about it. I just can’t ruin our friendship.
Ashleigh looked at me, “For real?” I asked.
Jack nodded, “Let’s go, for two minutes!”
I could’ve punched him.
She shrugged, inching closer to me. I leaned forward, our lips barely touching. My eyes fluttered close, her lips were like heaven. Mine began moving in sync with hers, my tongue sliding across her bottom lip. She parted her lips and our tongues intertwined. It was pure ecstasy. The kiss got deeper; I shifted, lying down on top of her, her arms around my neck. She moaned when I made my way down her neck. She arched into me, making a problem surface down south. I kissed and nibbled on her neck, softly biting the delicate skin. When our swollen lips reattached I almost died out of pure bliss. I couldn’t believe I was kissing the most beautiful girl in the world.
Then I remembered it that it was only a dare, that she didn’t feel the same, that the guys were watching this.
I pulled away, blushing. Ash’s face was also pink and our friends were just staring at us with gaping mouths. I looked down into her gorgeous green eyes, wondering what she was thinking.
“Zack, I need to talk to you,” she whispered, her soft lips brushing against my ear, causing me to shiver.
I stood up, pulling her off the ground. We left our baffled group and she looked at me, eyes filled with hurt, when we reached the basement.
“Zack,” her voice cracked, a tear rolling down her face, “you’re my best friend but I want to be so much more. I have for years, and I just can’t take it anymore, especially after that.”
My heart swelled with love and joy.
“I love you, Ashleigh,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around her, kissing away her tears.