Eclat

“I still can’t believe that Chris lost to some chick impersonating Lady Poopoo,” Taylor laughed, raising his beer bottle to clink against Reese’s. Reese was giggling uncontrollably, her lips quivering as she clamped her mouth shut to try and hold in the laughter. Needless to say, it was a futile attempt.

“Hey, shut the fuck up, I love Lady Gaga ‘cause she’s a fucking freaaaak.” Chris walked over, nearly toppling over and face planting into my lap. I righted him, smacking one of his red cheeks playfully. He was drunk as a skunk and I knew he’d be crying on my shoulder by the end of the night. He gave me a sloppy kiss on my forehead before settling onto Ellie’s lap. Ellie, who was definitely not fully sober, wrapped her arms around his torso and leaned into him.

To occupy that vacancy I felt in my heart, I willed myself not to get up and leave. Instead, I got up to close the door of the bus and waved my empty beer bottle in the air. When this didn’t get the attention I needed, I started talking over everyone else. That got their attention pretty quick. I wasn’t even drunk but I knew that the group was in the mood for games. My raised hand, beer bottle in tow, lowered to eye level.

I smirked. “Alright, so we’re going to take this back to junior high and play spin the bottle. Whoever it lands on. . .the person who spun it needs to kiss ‘em. No cheek kisses, rain checks, or copouts. Give that person a big, fat wet one on the lips.”

Someone cleared their throat loudly and deliberately. I rolled my eyes and tossed the bottle to Dustin. “For fuck’s sake.” I pointed an accusatory finger. “Yes, Dean, the lips on their goddamn face. Perv.”

“Soooo. Let’s get this party started!” Dustin set the bottle on the floor, where everyone had formed a circle. Thank god the floor was clean and I’d insisted on mopping it the other day. Otherwise, I’d have to be wiping some questionable liquids off my jeans. Not fun.

I did a full sweep of the room with my eyes before landing on Ellie’s. She mouthed, “Are you ready for this?” I replied with a shrug. I didn’t really think anyone would go for my juvenile little game. Turns out I was proven wrong. Against my better judgment, I grabbed the bottle from Dustin as he prepared to spin it. He shot me a look that read “are you kidding me?” before sitting back. I flicked my wrist to the left, sitting back as the bottle spun towards my destiny. I held my breath for a few seconds before relaxing, reassuring myself that whoever it landed on was my friend. I was totally fine with it landing on any guy in the circle. Even Brent. He’d apologized for his first impression and I’d forgiven him. He seemed like a nice guy, after all, he was friends with Reese and Dean.

“Oh, shit.” The words escaped Carter’s lips, causing everyone to stare at him, then the bottle, before finally settling on me.

I convinced myself not to back away from the circle, wanting desperately to get this over with. I had no intention of kissing Carter. I’d been there for too many of band practices where he’d been such a goofball. The thought of my lips on his was just too much to wrap my mind around. After all, this was the same Carter that I’d pretended to be the girlfriend of to get rid of a crazy ex girlfriend. This was the Carter I’d challenged to a karaoke contest with the song of choice being Like a Virgin. This was the Carter I saw every day after band practice at Waffle House with the rest of the guys.

“Well, someone should make a move now,” Dean said slowly. “C’mon, it’s past two thirty in the morning. We want to see some action.”

Reese smacked her brother on the arm. “Hush, little brother. Someone should lock them in the back room with a video camera. All in favor, raise your drink.”

Nobody moved.

“We mine as well get it over and done with,” I muttered before making my way over to Carter’s position in the circle. I stood up and he did the same. We figured out which way to tilt our heads after a little difficulty, lips tentatively meeting in an innocent kiss.

The innocence drained out of the encounter as we found a rhythm; Carter’s hand reached forward to cup my face and I tangled my fingers in his hair. Once we pulled apart, I grabbed the back of his head to bring him to me again. Kissing Carter was different from kissing Chris; with Chris, there were fireworks and butterflies. Carter gave me a different feeling of elation and I liked it just as much. I hadn’t even noticed that we were full on making out until someone tossed a banana peel at us. I picked up the banana peel, Carter and I edging away from each other.

“Alright, who threw this?” Carter gestured towards the peel.

A hand rose slowly; that hand belonged to none other than Christofer Drew Ingle.