All the kids were eager to play Spin the Bottle except me. I was mortified. This hadn’t been what I imagined when I was standing in my room in front of the mirror getting ready just a few hours before…
“Honey, you almost ready to go?” Mom had called out as she walked into the entrance way to my room. “Wow! Sweetheart, you look beautiful.”
I couldn’t help but blush. I was cursed with the same fair Greek skin as my father that turned three shades of red at the slightest sign of attention. And that’s just from my mom. Imagine what it will be like with boys at the party. What if Jack’s there? My face turned purple at the thought. Oh boy, literally.
I hadn’t ever kissed a boy before that night and I sure didn’t want my first time to be in front of all my classmates at one of Alison Fletcher’s parties. Her parties were infamous all the way up to the high school. Come to think of it, I wasn’t really even sure why she’d invited me. I looked around the darkened basement – the ambiance had been set to what I assumed was called “mood lighting” with lit candles scattered about various furniture and fixtures – and didn’t see a single person from my usual crowd. Alison had asked me at the last minute two days earlier…
“Psst, Missy!” I turned around and Alison Fletcher handed me a folded up piece of paper. She sat behind me in Math class. In fact, she sat in front of or behind me in most classes we had together because my last name was Guinn. I whispered back to Alison, “Did you want me to pass this to someone?” She looked at me with a smile, rolled her eyes and said, “It’s for you silly.”
I turned back around and opened the note. It unfolded into a heart-shaped invitation that read:
Annual Valentine’s Party at Alison Fletcher’s House
This Saturday, February 14, 2009 @ 7pm
102 Mockingbird Lane
Ladies: Wear Your Best Lip Gloss
Guys: No Baseball Hats
S.W.A.K.!!
I had no idea why Alison had chosen to invite me but when I told my best friend, Ellen after class, she said, “What are you crazy? Why question it!?! Just go! All the hottest boys in school will be there and maybe you’ll get a chance to find out if Alison Fletcher really did get a nose job over Christmas break.” While Ellen’s motivation may not have been the most honest, she was right about one thing, Alison Fletcher was the most popular girl in our class and boys would definitely be at her party and that meant Jack would be there, too.
Now I knew what the lip gloss was for. Ugh. I hoped it was dark enough that people couldn’t see how crimson my cheeks were turning or if they did, maybe they would just mistaken it for too much make-up or something. I guess I don’t really want Jack to think I’m so shallow that I wear too much blush either, though. Oh, boy. Just think neutral thoughts. Think about the upcoming girls’ swim meet or basketball scrimmage or Mr. Hanley’s biology class. Eew. Last week’s owl pellet dissection was enough to deter anyone from thinking about playing Spin the Bottle.
“Come on, ladies and gents! Everyone get in a circle. Ladies on either side of me and guys sit in an arc around David. Who wants to go first?” Alison said in a teasing tone, her shirt starting to slide off of one shoulder. I’m convinced she could teach a class on how to flirt with boys and make girls feel insecure about themselves. “All right if no one is brave enough to go first, I will,” She proceeded to spin the empty bottle of Coca-Cola and as it slowed to a crawl, I prayed it wouldn’t land on Jack. Phew. Ben. Everyone stared in awe as they leaned in to kiss each other. Ben was next. It landed on Sarah and then Steve and then Christine. Only when Steve leaned in to kiss Christine, she turned her head, forcing Steve to fall forward, almost landing on his face if he reflexes hadn’t been so good. Alison was furious, “What the Hell, Christine! That’s totally not part of the game. I knew I shouldn’t have invited you!” Wow, I’d heard Alison could be tough but that was just cruel. I know Christine comes from a very Catholic family. Maybe she just didn’t’ know how to say no to Alison (like so many of us didn’t’). “Well, if that’s how you’re going to be, Christine, you can’t play anymore. Who’s going to take her turn? Come on!” No one said anything. “None of you are any fun anymore. Hey, new girl, Missy, you go! This is your first time at one of my parties, right? You spin,” and she handed the Coke bottle to me.
Too afraid to say no after what I’d just witnessed, I took the bottle from her hands and held my breath as I set it in motion. Spinning, spinning, spinning. I wanted to close my eyes out of fear of who it would land on and fear of who it wouldn’t land on but I kept watching as it spun around. Luke. Steve. Ben.
Jack. It landed on Jack. Oh. My. God. It landed on Jack. Had I applied my lip gloss enough before the game? Was my breath terrible from all the pizza I’d scarfed down earlier? Oh, no. He was starting to lean in. I closed my eyes and started to lean in, too, and then, he kissed me. Soft and sweet, he kissed me on my closed mouth, then leaned back in his seated position, ready to spin the bottle for himself. Jack just kissed me. Me. I think I’m in love…
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