Lessons Learned I

Spin the Bottle: a classic game that has been around for ages. Unfortunately, I was being dragged by Lee to Adam's dorm to play this unfortunate game. Word had it that it was Adam's idea, but Adam passed it down to Joseph who passed it down to Lee who passed it down to me. I dragged Alex into it as well. Some other people were supposed to be there, too, which wasn't safe, but whatever. I was with Lee and Alex, so I was okay in that regard.

Lee and I knocked on Adam's dorm room.

"Why are we doing this again?" I impatiently asked.

She shrugged. "Joseph said to come."

Adam opened the door. Jake, the Goth dude I had met just a few days ago, Ivy Fitzgerald, Joseph, some other chick, and Alex were all there.

"Thanks for coming!" Adam exclaimed as we walked inside.

I nodded slowly and smiled when I saw Alex.

"Sup, yo?" he asked.

"Nothing much," I said, smiling. He returned my smile.

"Kay, let's get this game on the road," Adam said.

Jake looked at me. "Hey, Rachel."

The chick I'd never seen before ran over and hugged Lee.

"Hey, Lee!" she said.

"Hey, Victoria," Lee replied.

"Hi, Jake," I said, smiling.

"Maybe we'll get to kiss, Alex," Ivy said, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

Alex gave her wide eyes. "Maybe I'll get to make out with that lamp over there." He pointed to a hippy lava lamp.

Lee laughed and Victoria giggled.

Adam rolled his eyes again and sat down in the circle where some of the people were.

"How are you?" Jake asked as Alex took a seat next to Lee and Victoria.

"I'm okay. How have you been?" I asked.

"Great!" Jake replied. We took a seat on the floor next to each other. I was unfortunately stuck sitting next to Adam as well as Jake. The Jake part was fine, of course.

"Who wants to spin first?" Adam asked.

"Me!" Ivy shouted, trying to grab Alex's hand to hold it. Lucky ding dong got to sit next to Alex. I would have been more than happy to have traded her places. Adam disgusted me.

"Okay," Adam said.

Alex stood up and tapped Adam on the shoulder. "Can we trade seats?"

"No," Adam replied. I gave him a dirty look.

Lee looked between both of them. She got up and walked over to Adam, then said in a sweet, seductive, charming voice: "Adam, can we please trade seats? Rachel and I have a very...special...connection..."

Adam said, "Ohhh yeah. Of course." He got up and sat next to Victoria.

Alex and I both gave her a wide-eyed look.

"Alex, you wanna sit here?" Lee asked.

"Thanks," Alex said.

Lee stood up and he sat down next to me. She took a seat next to Ivy and Adam.

I smiled to myself and silently thanked God. I mouthed thank you to Lee.

Lee smiled at me and looked over at Jake.

"Okay, Ivy, go on and spin," Adam said in a bored tone.

I smelled a really familiar scent: Alex's good-smelling cologne. I took it in.

Ivy spinned the bottle and it ended up landing on Jake.

I looked at Jake and wiggled my eyebrows only to see Ivy doing the same.

Jake sighed and stood up. "Let's get this over with."

They went into a closet in the room. A few minutes later, they came back out. Ivy looked as if she were about to pass out from too much swooning.

Jake wiped his mouth off; his black lipstick was smeared. I noticed Ivy's lips were somewhat black...

Lee snickered, then said, "Jake, it's your turn to spin the bottle."

I watched him as Ivy let out a long, content sigh.

Jake sighed and spinned the bottle, which landed on Victoria. Victoria looked up at him slowly and Jake smiled a little.

Both of them got up and went inside the closet, returning a few minutes later. I looked up at them both.

Vicki blushed as Jake took a seat.

"H-How are we playing this game?" Vicki asked.

"...nevermind, I'll spin," Adam said. He winked at me before spinning the bottle.

I rolled my eyes and looked down at it, hoping and praying to God it didn't land on me.

God was on my side. It landed on Ivy.

She immediately jumped up and dragged him into the closet. Noises could be heard from inside of it.

Everyone, including me, began laughing really hard. The two love birds returned soon afterward.

Ivy literally skipped back to her respectful place and plopped her butt down.

Adam wiped his mouth off.

Alex spinned the bottle. I stared at it as it came to a halt.

Turned out, it landed on me.

Lee looked at both of us and grinned...a lot. I glanced over at Alex, feeling myself blushing. His face was red as well. Adam, on the other hand, looked pissed off.

I cleared my throat and slowly looked at Alex.

He looked at me. "W-We don't have to..." he mumbled, looking beyond nervous.

"Y-You can skip your turn?" I asked, also nervous for some reason.

"Fuck no. But we can in this case..." Adam said very bitterly.

Joseph gave him a weird look. "What's your problem, dude?"

"Nothing, you leather jacket-wearing freak," Adam replied.

Joseph and Jake both raised their eyebrows as they both had on leather jackets.

Had I not been so nervous, I probably would have gotten up and slapped Adam.

"I'm fine with it if you are," I mumbled to Alex.

"Just kiss already!" Victoria spoke up in an optimistic tone.

"Come on, you two. Kiss," Lee demanded.

I cleared my throat and looked at Alex. I noticed I was smiling a little.

"Um..." Alex said, standing up slowly. He looked incredibly embarrassed.

I stood up slowly as well, then I looked at him. We went into the closet, closing the door behind us.

Alex turned on the light and looked at me. My heart was racing -- I'm sure my face was red as well.

Why are you so nervous? I thought. He's just your friend. You kiss his cheek all the time.

I relaxed myself a little and took a deep breath, then sighed. "You ready?"

He slowly nodded, looking even more embarrassed than me.

I cleared my throat and stared at him for a few moments before stepping a little closer. I leaned in and slowly kissed his lips.

Good girl, I told myself.

He kissed me back and slowly let his hand rest on my cheek. I slowly tilted my head to the side, continuing to softly kiss him. He stepped a little closer to me and let his hand slide down to my shoulder. He began to relax himself a little.

Might I note that he was an exceptionally amazing kisser.

I softly placed my hand on the side of his face.

Nearly a minute into the kiss, Ivy had to show herself. She opened the door and politely stepped in, closing it behind herself.

I quickly pulled away from Alex and looked at her.

"Y'all have been in here for over a minute. Time's up," she said impatiently, giving Alex a jealous look.

Alex looked beat red along with a mix of something I couldn't put my finger on. He quickly left the closet.

I briskly left as well, assuming my original position next to him. Ivy came back into the room. She gave me a dirty look and sat back down.

I cleared my thoat and mumbled, "Whose turn?"

"Mine," said Joseph. He spinned the wheel and it landed on Adam.

"Dude, I am not into guy on guy. Fag," Adam said.

"Ew! You could grow a vagina and I still wouldn't make out with you," Joseph said.

"Spin it again or something," said Jake in a bored tone of voice.

I sighed and looked down.

"Fuck it, I'll spin!" Adam exclaimed, spinning the bottle.

As my usual luck had it, it landed on me.

I stared at it, already feeling an urge to rinse with Listerine.

"Fuck yeah!" Adam exclaimed, getting up. I glanced over at Alex, who looked pretty ticked.

Adam literally dragged me into the closet.

Revenge time, I thought.

I stared at Adam and wiggled my eyebrows. I closed the door and turned on the light.

He grinned excitedly and wiggled his eyebrows at me.

I stared at him for a second, smiling. I then politely smacked him across the face with my hand.

He put his hand over his cheek as his jaw dropped. "What the?!"

"Do you think I'd be stupid enough to kiss you after you disrespected me the other night?! Hell no! You don't know me very well; not even well enough to know I hold grudges against people. You gotta earn back your description of 'charming' before I would even consider touching you."

He looked down and nodded slowly. "I'm sorry," he said. He said it with feeling; it seemed like he actually meant it.

I stared at him for a few seconds before walking out of the closet and sitting back down next to Alex.

Alex stared at the bottle as Adam sat back down. Lee spinned the bottle; it landed on Joseph.

Joseph's and Lee's eyes widened and Lee mumbled, "Oh, shit."

I aimlessly stared down at the bottle. Lee and Joseph went into the closet.

I glanced at Alex, whose face was beat red. He didn't look back at me.

Jake was applying more lipstick. ...black lipstick; Gothic trend...

I cleared my throat, not sure how to feel.

Adam was staring at me aimlessly. I glanced up at him, then looked back down.

Lee and Joseph returned moments later and sat back down.

"Whose turn?" Vicki asked.

"Mine, I guess..." Alex said. He spinned it; it landed on Ivy. "...damn it!"

"Come here, Alex!" she exclaimed, dragging him into the closet.

"Ahh! I'm gonna die!" Alex shouted.

"Good luck, Alex!" Lee shouted.

I giggled like a girly-girl. Ivy slammed the door; kissing sounds could be heard.

Alex screamed bloody murder as he ran back out with lipstick smeared all over his face.

Ivy walked back in with a dazed look on her face. "My life's dream has comed true..." she mumbled.

I laughed.

"My nightmare has become reality," Alex mumbled.

"Um...you have lipstick on your face..." I mumbled, looking up at him.

He wiped his face, which was redder than a radish, off.

I smiled a little at him.

Ivy slowly approached him. "Wanna reinact that, Alex?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"No, I'm good for a lifetime," Alex said.

"Ohh, I need to sit down. I'm about to faint!" she exclaimed, taking a seat.

I cleared my throat and stood up. "Um, I should be heading back to my dorm room. It's late and I still have homework to do..." I mumbled.

"Yeah, same here," Lee said.

Alex looked depressed for some reason.

"Um...I guess I'll see you guys later," I said, staring directly at Alex.

"Nice seeing you again, Rachel," Jake said.

"You, too," I said, smiling a little at him.

Lee stood up as well and Alex nodded slowly.

"Thanks for coming," Adam said.

"See you guys around," Joseph said, winking.

"Bye! Have a great evening," Victoria said, smiling.

"You guys do the same." I smiled a little and left.