She Won't Kiss and Tell

Garrett

“Gary! Hi!”, Amanda chirped as she threw her arms around my shoulder and pulled me into a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m good, thanks.”, I chuckled as we pulled away.

“Come on in, it must be freezing outside. The others are already in the living room.”, she let me in and closed the door behind her.

The smell of roaster turkey and chocolate burst out from the dining room. The noise of video games and shouting came from the living room. When I walked into the living room, all of my friends were there, watching John and Pat playing video games.

“Hold X, hold X, hold that freaking X!”, John exclaimed vigorously as Pat stare and punched his controller.

I laughed at the view and slumped on the couch, next to Kennedy, who was eating a piece of banana cream pie. My eyes traveled around the room and suddenly, landed to Amanda, who sat next to me. “Where’s Angela?”, she asked, without taking her eyes off the game.

“She has her own family dinner.”

“Oh, I feel bad for being a bitch to her on Thanksgiving.”, she shook her head and looked at me. “Tell her I’m sorry, Kay?”

“Okay.”, I nodded and watched the game instead. Occasionally, I peeked from the corner of my eyes to her. Amanda intensely watching the game, until Mrs. O’Callaghan called us to the dining room.
It had been a tradition of the band to have dinner on each other’s house for every holiday, and John got Christmases and Thanksgivings. We settled into our seats and I sat across Amanda.

When she passed the bowl of mashed potatoes, my fingers touched hers. Her eyes widened when our skin made contact and quickly pulled her hand away. Her rosy cheek turned into a shade of red and looked down.

For the whole dinner, she kept making jokes with Jared and Pat, who sat next to her. My eyes lingered on her as she laughed or giggled. When it was already time for dessert, we brought our piece of fruitcake to the living room and watched Lion King.

At the middle of the movie, Amanda stood up and I followed her until she was out to the backyard. “Amanda!”

She looked back from her shoulder and smiled. “Hey, Garrett.”

“What are you doing?”

Amanda shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the wooden garden swing. “I don’t know.”

“It must be cold. It covered on snow.”

She nodded. “I know, but it feels good, I guess.”

I sat next to her and watched her as she looked out to the dark trees over the fences of her house. “Are you okay?”

“Garrett.”, she sighed. “I’m just scared.”

“Scared of…?”

“Scared that I wouldn’t see you guys anymore. You know, you guys are going to be a lot bigger than this someday, and probably I would be just another girl who hangs out with you guys. I won’t be the part of the band anymore.”

“Don’t say that. You’ll always be a part of us, Mandy.”

She shook her head. “You don’t know what’s coming, Garrett. I’ll be hanging out with another band, and then you’ll be hanging out with a lot of other bands, that got girls in it, and someone’ll take my place.”

“Oh come on, none of those girls could take your place as John’s little sister.”

“Genetically, but how about socially?”

“Amanda, don’t be so paranoid. I swear, no girl could take me off of my feet, or make my heart accelerated when I sit next to her.”

“You’re just saying that.”, she chuckled and wiped a tear that appeared on the corner of her eyes. “There’ll be another girl who’ll do that to you.”

“Well, you’re the first.”

She looked at me and smiled. “Thank you, Garrett.”

I cupped her face in my hands and leaned in. She looked scared in her eyes, and I could feel her hands pushed my chest away a bit, but I didn’t care. My lips touched hers and suddenly, she pushed me away. “Garrett, we can’t do this.”

“What?”

“I-I can’t. It feels so wrong, and I knew how it hurts to get cheated on, and I don’t want to do this to Nate, and to Angela. Just don’t, Garrett.”

“I’m sorry.”

She nodded and stood up, walking back to the house.

Amanda

“Thank you for the dinner, Mrs. O’Callaghan!”, Pat chirping float up to my room. I guessed they were leaving. A minute later, the sound of the front door closing was heard. I pulled the comforter up to my chin and closed my eyes.

My lips were still tingling from the kiss and I couldn’t forget about how electricity would jolt through my body when my lips touched Garrett’s. It was different when I was with Kennedy.

Suddenly, my room’s door opened a bit and a moment later, the space behind me on the bed sunk in. “Hey, sis.”

“Hey, John.”, I muttered.

“Care to tell me what happened between you and Garrett outside?”

I rolled around and nuzzled my head on the crook of his neck. “Does mom send you to ask me this?”

“No.”, he chuckled and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “It came from myself.”

“Well, I told him everything.”

“What do you mean?”

“John, please don’t get mad at me, but I want to tell you something.”

He nodded and rested his head on the top of mine. “Tell me.”

“I’m scared, okay? I’m scared you guys will forget about me, as you get bigger in the music industry. I know I’m your sister, but I’m scared I won’t spend much time with you guys anymore. What if I won’t see you for a year when you jet off to all the places in the world for tour?”

“Amanda, you’re delirious.”, he chuckled and ruffled my hair in affection. “I won’t ever forget about my awesome little sister.”

“You’re just saying that.”, I rolled my eyes.

“Well, if I ever forget about you, someone has to kick my ass and yell at me. You’re too awesome to forget, and I’m as your big brother, I love you, so I won’t ever forget about you.”

“Thanks, John.”

He nodded again and ran his fingers through my hair softly as he sang me to sleep.