A Tantalizing Kiss

It was Friday, and there wasn’t a single person in our school that wasn’t pumped for the game. The State Cup was just as big as-if not bigger than-our football team going into playoffs. Since both sports were at opposite times of the year, it worked wonderfully for our school.

My team wore our home jerseys that day to school. The black and red team colors were all over the school. Banners had been hung, lockers of players had been decorated, all sorts of things. Nearly every five minutes someone was wishing me and Roger luck as we walked through the hallways. The excitement was evident in the air.

I had skipped the rest of the week’s drama rehearsals like Rose had suggested for soccer. It was a good thing too. I needed the training. I stayed after with Coach for an hour or so to get back into my groove. The play was beginning to distract me from my goal.

Tonight was going to be the first two games in the tournament. The soccer team was leaving the school had hour early to get to the capital where the tournament would be held. All the top teams from all over the state would be there. If we won the first two games, we played three the next day. If we won all three of those as well, we played one more game at nine o’clock in the evening. All games were shortened from the usual 90 minutes to 50. Twenty minute halves with a ten minute halftime.

Lose one game on Saturday and we were done.

Rodger hadn’t stopped talking about how he was going to celebrate our victory Saturday evening. It would be nearly ten o’clock by the time the game ended, and very little would be open. But he had extravagant plans he intended to carry out.

“Man, we are going to kick ass this weekend!” He said as we walked down the hallway. Barely three periods into the day, and Rodger was starting to annoy me. It seemed in most classes, the teachers were being fairly easy. All so far, save for Drama Class.

Stein seemed rather annoyed about my skipping and had decided to surprise the class with a 100 point test on Monday on acting skills. It was specifically chosen as something I would have difficulty with.

I had no intention of studying.

As we walked to study hall, a few people wished us luck. Rodger and I matched nearly identically, save for the numbers on our back.

Even so, we were still both odd.

“Keep your head in the game this time, Johnson.” Rodger advised. “We don’t need your distraction again.”

“I won the game for us, moron!”

“Accidentally! I saw you. You weren’t even looking at the ball. If you had been standing even an inch any other direction, we would’ve lost!”

I rolled my eyes, shoving him playfully, “Just be glad my head won us the damn game or we wouldn’t be going to the State Cup.”

“Whatever man, I’m just saying.”

I laughed, shaking my head as I opened the door to study hall.

“You sitting with your wife today?” He asked, walking in ahead of me. I hadn’t intended to hold the door for him, but I let him go through anyways.

“She’s not my wife, dumbass.” I mumbled, “But yeah, probably.”

He chuckled under his breath, mumbling something I didn’t make out. I knew it wasn’t complimentary. I shoved him roughly enough to give him the message as he walked to his side of the room.

My eyes scanned the room for Rose, landing on the boy I had sat with the other day, Andrew. He held my eyes for a few seconds, just long enough for me to smile at him. He smiled shyly back, ducking his head.

I found Rose sitting in the back of the room, a change of pace for her. I moved to sit in the seat in front of her, dropping my bag on her desk.

She jumped in surprise.

I chuckled, “Boo.”

Rose looked up from the paper she had been working on, meeting my eyes, “Don’t do that. I wasn’t expecting it.”

“I know.” I grinned. I took a seat in the chair, turning my body to face her, “Why are you sitting so far back today?”

She shrugged casually, “I’m not sure.”

“Hiding from me?”

“Maybe.”

I laughed. The bell hadn’t rung yet, leaving us with plenty of time to socialize beforehand. “You’re funny.”

She rolled her eyes, not responding.

I rested my arm on the edge of her desk.

“Good luck this weekend.” She said softly.

“Thanks, Doll. I have a feeling we’re going to need it.” I sighed, “But my good luck charm will be there, right?”

She held back a smile with difficulty, “I will on Saturday.”

“Good enough for me.”

“What happens if you lose both games tonight?”

“We won’t.”

“But what if…”

“We won’t.” I stared at her impassively. There wasn’t an option to lose tonight. Tomorrow would be our iffy day. Tonight would be warm-ups.

“But…”

“Rose, trust me. We won’t.” I smirked confidentially, “Tonight is how they sort out the week ones from the ones that actually stand a chance.”

“How would you know this?”

“I’ve played soccer all my life.”

“Isn’t this your first year on varsity though?” Her lips pulled into a sexy smirk as she thought to have out-smarted me.

I mimicked her smirk, “I played sophomore year too. Coach thought I was too damn good not to have.”

She raised her eyebrows slightly, “Impressive.”

“I can think of something else that’s impressive…”

“That’s completely inappropriate.” She rolled her eyes.

“I’m just giving you a little hint of what’s to come.” I shrugged casually.

Just then, Coach Stu walked in, and the room grew silent. I turned my head forward as he called out attendance, waiting for my name.

He settled back into his chair, the newspaper in front of him. A pen was poised in his hand as his eyes strained to read the small printed word search.

Soft whispers arose throughout the room. He knew that days such as this always caused a stir from students. As long as it was kept to a minimum, he tolerated it on rare occasions. I was grateful that today was one of those occasions.

I turned back to face Rose, who had already started to complete her paper once again. She looked up once she noticed me.

“You know, Stein was pissed as hell that you ditched practice.” She whispered softly.

“You’re the one who told me to!”

“I know,” She laughed, “I’m trying to calm her down and get her to reason with me. She likes me.”

“But she hates me.”

“She’s taken on a liking towards you. She’s upset that you’re choosing soccer over drama, but it’s the biggest thing all season for you guys. She has to understand that.”

I made a face, “She’s Satan. She probably won’t.”

“Have a little faith in me!”

I curled my fingers around the hand that held her pencil. My eyes held hers as I dramatically whispered, “I’ll always have faith in you.”

She laughed quietly.

I loved making her laugh.

“So what are we doing for our date? I was thinking dinner and a movie, but we could always do something extravagant like rock climbing or bungee jumping…” I trailed off.

“You have to win first.” She poked my nose, talking to me as if I were a small child and not the teenager I was now.

“I’m going to own this tournament.”

“Don’t let me down.”

“I have to admit, Doll,” I said, “I’m surprised that you agreed to go on a date with me at all to begin with.”

She made a face, “It’ll make Pierce stop bugging me.”

“Are you just using me?”

“No!”

I smirked, “I know. I’m sure this date is only so that you can get me in bed quicker. But if that’s what you want, all you have to do is ask.”

“No.” She gave me a hard look.

There was a loud ‘Shh’ from Coach Stu as the volume level had increased too much for his liking. A moment of silence passed before we started to talk again, making sure to keep our voices softer than they had been.

“How was your date with Pierce, by the way?” I asked, acting as if I actually cared. In reality, I wanted to hear something I could make fun of him for.

“I haven’t gone on it yet…”

“Why?”

She gave me a bashful look, “I’m trying to prolong it for as long as I can. That was partly why I called you yesterday, to see if I could go to the game on Saturday instead of a movie with him… I’m so glad you offered.”

“Any time,” I shook my head softly, “So you’d rather have a date with me than him?”

“We’re not going on a date. I’m supporting you as a friend would. Isn’t your friend Leah going to be there?”

“Yeah, but she has to. I’ve known her forever. She knows I’d kill her if she didn’t show up to the most important game.”

“Would you kill me?”

“If you didn’t show up?”

She nodded.

I thought for a moment before answering, “No, but I think I’d be incredibly upset that our team lost. We need our good luck charm.”

“Is that all I am to you?” She teased.

I smiled innocently, “You caught me.”

Rose playfully shoved me.

A moment of silence passed between us. A question started to burrow its way into my head, nagging. I bit the inside of my cheek tightly, trying to decide if it was a bad question to ask. A part of me hoped she’d break the silence first, but she didn’t.

“So…” I trailed off, trying to act as casual about this as I could possibly manage. Rose looked up, waiting for more.

“So…” She repeated.

I took the pencil out of her hand gently, doodling on the edge of her paper absently, “You were thinking about me last night?”

“Yeah, but it was about the soccer game… I told you this.”

“Were you… using anything while this was going on?”

“What are you…”

I looked up at her with a devious smirk.

Her eyes narrowed, “You’re such a pervert, Mason.”

“You like it.”

“No, I don’t. And no, I wasn’t… getting off… to thoughts of you.” She whispered as softly as she could muster with a surprisingly fierce tone.

“But were you getting off?”

“Shh!” She hissed, pressing a finger to my lips. I smirked beneath it. “Don’t say stuff like that so loud!”

“Sorry.” I mumbled against her finger.

She pulled it away.

“You never answered my question.”

“No! I wasn’t!”

I chuckled, “Let’s play twenty questions.”

Rose faltered for a moment, “Why the change of subject?”

“Because I want to play a game with you.”

She hesitated, “Alright, you begin.”

“Do you kiss on the first date?”

“No.” She said quickly. I failed to hold back a grin, earning a kick from her underneath the desk. “Are you just playing this game to figure out if I’m a whore or not?”

“No, I’m honestly curious!” I said, “Do you really think I’m the asshole you always accuse me of being?”

“Sometimes.” She brushed the hair out of her face, “Why did you sign up for drama class if you don’t like it?”

“I thought it’d be an easy A. I didn’t realize the teacher was such a bitch. How often do you get off?”

Her face heated up, “Pass.”

“Pass? You can’t pass in this game!”

“I just did.”

“Fine. When was the last time you got off?”

“Mason!”
I chuckled, “Ok, Ok, I get it. I’ll stop with the questions about you getting off if you answer this one.”

She shot me a look.

I held her eyes, showing that I was just as determined as she was.

“Fine. Last night.” She crossed her arms, resting them on the desk. Her body leaned towards me, her eyes hard.

I raised an eyebrow, smirking gently, “I thought you said…”

“I wasn’t thinking of you!”

“That’d be pretty hot if you were. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Mason!”

“Alright. It’s your turn to ask a question anyways.”

She thought for a moment before she asked her next question, which surprised both of us, “Do you jerk off a lot?”

I smirked, looking her straight in the eye as I answered, “Ooh, yeah,”

She raised an eyebrow, opening her mouth to ask another question when I cut her off.

“It’s my question now. How many guys have you screwed?”

“Two.”

I was surprised at her boldness. “Only two?”

She nodded, looking hurt, “I’m surprised you think so low of me. I’m not a whore, Mason. It’s only been two guys. How many girls have you screwed?”

“Three.”

She seemed shocked.

“I’m surprised you think so low of me. I’m not a man whore, Rose.” I mocked her. She rolled her eyes at me, smiling gently. “Do you role play?”

“I did once.”

“Once?”

“It’s my turn.” She smirked. “Do you fantasize?”

“About you? All the time.” I grinned wickedly.

“Mason!” She laughed.

“I can’t help it.” I shrugged, “Do you like to role play?”

She made a face, “Role playing is weird. This guy was weird. I couldn’t get my mind into it. It was just an awful experience. Have you ever done something sexual with a guy?”

“Whoa, absolutely not! I’m as straight as you can get, I can promise you!”

She giggled. “I was just curious…”

“Well, now I’m curious. Have you ever done something sexual with a girl?”

“I kissed a girl once.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Not a question, and not your turn.” She said.

I pouted slightly.

“Who was the girl you were talking to after the one game that I went to?”

“Joey? She’s my sister. I live with her.”

“Really? What about your moth…” She trailed off quickly.

“She’s not capable of being my guardian, and I don’t want to live with my dad. Joey’s 28 so legally, she’s my guardian.”

“That actually sounds kind of cool.”

“It is.” I grinned, “So tell me, what did you act out?”

She grimaced, “He wanted me to pretend I was Little Red Riding Hood and that he was the Big Bad Wolf. There’s something wrong about acting out bestiality, especially when you’re acting as an eight year old.”