Stay With Them Tonight

JASON P.O.V.

I was being stupid. I realized this, and at the same time I couldn’t stop.

Allie had had her head back on the couch, a slight grin on her face and blushing. My first thought had been that she was thinking of Tyler. I had kissed her on impulse, to see how she would react. I had to know what it felt like to kiss her.

It had been better than I thought it would. Her eyes had popped open, and we had looked at each other, not moving. Her lips were soft and slightly parted, but I hadn’t tried to do anything more than press mine against hers.

I regretted it as soon as she broke the kiss. I definitely regretted it when she got up, walked away, and slammed the bathroom door. I hadn’t ever had a girl walk away angry because I kissed her; it was a weird experience.

For some reason I worried about what she would think if I just left, and as stupid as it might’ve been, I didn’t want to leave just yet.

Allie made me selfish.

So I had followed her into the bathroom, where she had looked shocked and her face was red, all over. Maybe if it had been on another girl it would have been unattractive, but on Allie I liked it. I felt a grin wanting to make its’ way onto my face, but her glare prevented it.

But you don’t like her, I reminded myself. The word “sorry” popped out of my mouth without me thinking of it. I hadn’t ever felt the need to apologize to a girl before.

She made me apologize.

I told her I wasn’t sorry I had kissed her, but in truth I almost was. I didn’t want to push her away, and everything I had done so far had seemed to create a space between us that I didn’t want.

I was sorry that I kissed her, because I was about to do it again. I leaned down, remembering that I hardly ever had to do that with Tracey. She had been tall, just a few inches shorter than me. Allie felt different, but I found it was a good different. I didn’t know what to expect.

Without further ado, I brushed my lips against hers for the second time that day. For the second time, I kept my eyes open, gauging her reaction. Her eyes seemed to droop, and I knew she was close to giving in. I pressed more firmly against her, moving my mouth slightly against hers. My eyes fell closed on their own accord, and I could just feel the soft heat of Allie’s mouth.

I brought my hand to the side of her head, not restraining her but rather just wanting to touch her. She kept her arms at her sides, and it frustrated me until she began moving her lips along with mine, slowly and unsure, but it still happened. Her hand was on my neck, now, and I hardly even noticed. For such a chaste and normal kiss, I couldn’t focus on anything but Allie.

I deepened the kiss, moving into her mouth, and surprisingly she let me, kissing back as much as I was. I wrapped my other arm around her, pressing her against me. She finally gasped, pulling back and opening startled eyes.

I felt like I was resurfacing after a long time underwater without air, and leaned my forehead against hers, still staring into her eyes. I was so close I noticed the black of the iris contrasting sharply with the light but vibrant green. She played with the hairs at the nape of my neck, and I smiled.

Abruptly she pulled away, and I was too startled to try to make her stay. She pulled my arm from around her, dropped her hand, and walked out of the bathroom, giving me an absentminded smile. I stood there, stunned, and watched as she walked around the corner. I heard her walk calmly up the stairs and close a door somewhere above me.

What did I just do?

*****

ALLIE P.O.V.

Yesterday I had heard Jason leave a few minutes after I had gone upstairs. I was slightly sad to see him go, but at the same time, I had just found out I liked him.

I had no idea what he felt for me.

At dinner, my parents had noticed and mentioned my unusual lack of response, but I simply said I was tired. They let it be, although I saw doubt in their eyes. I would have played coward and skipped today, except I remembered I was supposed to meet Rachel at lunch.

I sighed, pulling on a light blue long-sleeved shirt and dark blue shorts. It was getting rather cold rather fast, and I hadn’t unburied a lot of my winter clothes from my closet yet. I evened it out with a Panic! At the Disco sweatshirt which always kept me warm.

I walked outside, hopping in Ryan’s car quickly before I got cold. Jason was in the backseat already, whether that was his own doing or Ryan’s, I didn’t know. Ryan grinned at me in the rearview and said hello.

I talked with Ryan on the way to Kelly’s, nervously filling the silence as I felt Jason’s eyes on me, trying to make me look back. Finally, as Kelly climbed in and she and Ryan began talking, I looked at him. His face was one of speculation, and his eyes stayed on mine, trying to guess what I was thinking. I looked away quickly.

Kelly randomly glanced back at me throughout the whole trip, trying to tell me something that I couldn’t figure out. As we got to the school and out of Ryan’s car, she pulled me aside and we walked into the building together behind the guys.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. She rubbed her arms, not cold but rather unsure of herself.

“Did something happen with Ryan?” I guessed. She laughed.

“No, no, we’re great. You’re the one with guy troubles.” I jumped guiltily. Did she know-

“Allie, give me three guys that you have crushes on,” she said suddenly. This was a game we had sort-of played earlier in high school when we were bored. We would discuss the guys and wonder who was the closest to one of the guys they liked.

“I don’t have three at the moment,” I said slowly. She raised an eyebrow. I sighed.

“I like Jason,” I blurted, whispering and looking around the crowded hallway. She didn’t look the least bit surprised.

“Who else?” I tried to figure out why she wanted to know. She should have started interrogating me about my crush on Jason.

“I don’t really-”

“Anyone, Allie. Think hard. And remember I don’t care who it is, I just need you to trust me enough to tell me.” She said, seeming to want me to say a specific name. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

“Anyone?” I asked.

“Anyone.” she confirmed immediately. I played with my hands, entwining them and then separating them.

“No one,” I said.

“Allie, at least one person.” A name came to mind, but I had never told her. There had always been someone else I could name. I sighed, and realized this was probably the one she wanted.

“Tyler.” I mumbled.

“I knew it.” she muttered to herself.

“What?” I asked.

“Never mind, I just wanted you to finally admit it. C’mon. Let’s go to first period.” She pulled me along by the hand and changed the subject.

“Kells, I really need to talk to you about what happened last night.” I told her as we weaved through the entire student body seemingly to be crammed into this one tiny hallway. She glanced back at me, frowned, and went back to navigating. I sighed.

There was a lot I hadn’t told my best friend recently.

*****

“He kissed you!?” Kelly exclaimed. At least nine heads that turned to look at us and I hid behind my notebook.

“Do you have something to say, Miss Anderson?” the teacher snapped. I looked wide-eyed at him and shook my head as Kelly stifled her laugh.

“No, sir.” I answered when he didn’t go back to teaching. Finally, he turned and continued on with his PowerPoint presentation.

“You didn’t have to inform the whole world, Kelly!” I hissed, blushing. She laughed, clapping her hands together and saying “I knew it” again.

“And . . . I might’ve definitely kissed back.” I added, leaning towards her so others wouldn’t hear.

“Really? You and Jason?” Greg whispered from my other side. I heard him chuckle as I dropped my head loudly onto the table.

“Miss Anderson?” The teacher threatened. My head popped back up to find him glaring at me.

“Sorry. I’m listening.” I told him, smiling. He returned to his boring chemistry lecture, which I was certainly not paying attention to.

Greg brought his chair closer, so our table looked like a three-person table rather than a two-person. I sat between him and Kelly, and I put my hand on my chin, blankly staring at the front of the room and thinking about Jason.

“Your ears are blushing.” Kelly grinned. I felt them get hotter and moved my hair to hide them.

“Honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t done it sooner.” Greg said. I sat back in my seat to look at him.

“What do you mean? Does Jason always do this, then?” I thought of stuffing him into a basketball and kicking him into the Atlantic. Or the Great Lakes. Or down a well.

“It’s not that he’s done it before, it’s that he’s been looking at you for a week now, and he’s never been known for his patience.” Kelly put in helpfully. I rolled my eyes.

“He has not.”

“Has too.”

“Fine, whatever. I don’t believe you. It’s Jason, the guy who can’t love anyway.” I said dejectedly. Kelly got a text and replied quickly.

“Ryan?” I raised my evil eyebrow, and she raised her perfect one back.

“No, it was Tyyyler.” She drew his name out, sending me a knowing look.

“You- Tyler- What?” Greg asked.

“She likes him.” Kelly informed him.

“Thank you, Gossip monger.” I glared at Kelly.

“Like it was a secret.” Greg said sarcastically.

“I didn’t know!” I exclaimed. The teacher sighed, turned towards me, sighed again, and turned back to the board. He wrote my name angrily on the whiteboard (at least, I think it was my name- you could never tell with his unintelligible scribble).

“Why only me?” I whispered. My friends chuckled and I put my head on the table, wanting the day to be over.

It was only first period.