Learning How to Swim
First Kisses
Alicia drove me home since it was on the way. The boys were crashing on Adam’s couch for the night, so Roselyn was sitting in the middle seat in the back. She was leaning forward so she could tell us her pointless story.
“...so I was sitting there talking to myself the whole time!” she finished, laughing as she checked her phone. She shoved it into her pocket. “So you best spill it, V.”
I glanced over to her. “Spill what?”
She smacked my arm playfully, pulling out a cigarette and holding it in her mouth as she searched for a lighter.” Adam—what’d he want?” She found it and lit her joint, blowing a puff of smoke into my face.
I waved the air around me, rolling down the window. “You smell horrid, but thanks!” I groaned, teasing her. She raised an eyebrow, pulling out another stick. I took it, placing it between my lips as she lit it.
“Alright, Allie. I’m curious, too, so deal,” Alicia told me, putting the roof of the convertible down. She flipped off the car beside us as we passed him.
“It was nothing!” I whined, smirking as I heard the man hurling profanity at us. “He just wanted to talk. Alone. What else could have happened?”
They were silent for a moment, but Roselyn eventually shouted, “Well, he could have either dumped you or asked you to marry him, and if you said yes—Oh God! You’re not prego, are you?” She gaped mockingly. I smacked her hand as she tried to touch my stomach. She and Alicia burst into a fit of laughter.
“Ha, ha! You’re so funny! That’s sarcasm, if you didn’t notice. Look, it’s not as serious as holy matrimony. He just asked if I wanted to go to this party with him. That’s—”
“Oh, my God! Little Alyssa has a boyfriend!” Alicia told me, pounding her foot onto the brake suddenly. I nearly smacked my head onto the dashboard, but when I was about to scream at her I was that we were in my driveway. She grinned like a madwoman.
“I suppose I do,” I agreed, rolling my eyes and opening the car door.
“Aww, and he was your first kiss, too!” I turned back to Roselyn, biting my lip. “Wait, who else was there?” she asked, climbing into the front of the car.
I took a deep breath. “Steven.”
They both looked stunned. They glanced over to each other as Roselyn fell into the front seat.
“Adam already hates the guy, but if you told him that you and Quigg kissed, well, he’d murder him!”
“I know. That’s why he can’t find out. Got it? Zip your tobacco-stained lips or be cursed to a life of no Valentine!”
“But I love February 14th! I can’t live without it!” Alicia shrieked, smiling apologetically. “Look, the guys are having a party, so why can’t we, huh? We’re staying here for the night!”
“Oh, I don’t get a say in this?” I asked her, smiling as she killed the engine.
“Well, you can say, ‘yes’.” Roselyn gave me a cheesy smile, throwing her cancer stick to the ground and smashing it with her foot as she lumbered up to me.
“Fine. You can stay.”
“Party! Where’s my mom and dad?” she shrieked, darting into the house. Alicia followed after her, telling her that they loved her more.
They hated them so much.
I laughed, turning around and looking down the road out of instinct.
As I went inside the house, I could have sworn I saw Steven standing at the end of the street, turning around with his head hanging.
I should really stop with the meth: it’s giving me wicked hallucinations...
“...so I was sitting there talking to myself the whole time!” she finished, laughing as she checked her phone. She shoved it into her pocket. “So you best spill it, V.”
I glanced over to her. “Spill what?”
She smacked my arm playfully, pulling out a cigarette and holding it in her mouth as she searched for a lighter.” Adam—what’d he want?” She found it and lit her joint, blowing a puff of smoke into my face.
I waved the air around me, rolling down the window. “You smell horrid, but thanks!” I groaned, teasing her. She raised an eyebrow, pulling out another stick. I took it, placing it between my lips as she lit it.
“Alright, Allie. I’m curious, too, so deal,” Alicia told me, putting the roof of the convertible down. She flipped off the car beside us as we passed him.
“It was nothing!” I whined, smirking as I heard the man hurling profanity at us. “He just wanted to talk. Alone. What else could have happened?”
They were silent for a moment, but Roselyn eventually shouted, “Well, he could have either dumped you or asked you to marry him, and if you said yes—Oh God! You’re not prego, are you?” She gaped mockingly. I smacked her hand as she tried to touch my stomach. She and Alicia burst into a fit of laughter.
“Ha, ha! You’re so funny! That’s sarcasm, if you didn’t notice. Look, it’s not as serious as holy matrimony. He just asked if I wanted to go to this party with him. That’s—”
“Oh, my God! Little Alyssa has a boyfriend!” Alicia told me, pounding her foot onto the brake suddenly. I nearly smacked my head onto the dashboard, but when I was about to scream at her I was that we were in my driveway. She grinned like a madwoman.
“I suppose I do,” I agreed, rolling my eyes and opening the car door.
“Aww, and he was your first kiss, too!” I turned back to Roselyn, biting my lip. “Wait, who else was there?” she asked, climbing into the front of the car.
I took a deep breath. “Steven.”
They both looked stunned. They glanced over to each other as Roselyn fell into the front seat.
“Adam already hates the guy, but if you told him that you and Quigg kissed, well, he’d murder him!”
“I know. That’s why he can’t find out. Got it? Zip your tobacco-stained lips or be cursed to a life of no Valentine!”
“But I love February 14th! I can’t live without it!” Alicia shrieked, smiling apologetically. “Look, the guys are having a party, so why can’t we, huh? We’re staying here for the night!”
“Oh, I don’t get a say in this?” I asked her, smiling as she killed the engine.
“Well, you can say, ‘yes’.” Roselyn gave me a cheesy smile, throwing her cancer stick to the ground and smashing it with her foot as she lumbered up to me.
“Fine. You can stay.”
“Party! Where’s my mom and dad?” she shrieked, darting into the house. Alicia followed after her, telling her that they loved her more.
They hated them so much.
I laughed, turning around and looking down the road out of instinct.
As I went inside the house, I could have sworn I saw Steven standing at the end of the street, turning around with his head hanging.
I should really stop with the meth: it’s giving me wicked hallucinations...