Chapter 28

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I guess I spoke too early.

I am currently in the girls bathroom of the theater, freaking out, and my first instinct was to call Jake to calm me down.

"Kit-Kat what are doing? The movie over already?" Jake asked in a joking manner. I roll my eyes, standing in the last stall pacing back and forth as much as I could. Knowing some girls were in here, I kept a low whisper, so they wouldn't hear my humiliating dilemma.

"No, Jake, listen. I really think I screwed everything up," I tell him real life panicking. I imagine him with folded eyebrows of confusion, but with that dumb smile of his on his face simultaneously.

"Hahah! Kit-Kat calm down, what's wrong?" He couldn't hold in a chuckle. I sighed whisper yelling into the phone.

"Omg, I think Asher wanted to kiss me!" I just blurt out. I could've told Jake Celeste saw me rush out the theater at that, but I wasn't for sure, and I didn't have time for that honestly.

I had to admit that to him later.

Jake was confused already with just Asher as the topic.

"What? Asher kissed you?" he sounded offended, but I just stomped my foot and groaned as he didn't hear what I said. "Wow. I have to say Kit-Kat, that's a nice move, what did you do? The movie isn't even over yet and he couldn't wait 'till he walked you to your car and gave you a goodnight kiss that he had to do it then?" He was proud behind chuckles. I sighed shaking my head as if he could see me.

"Ugh, no! Jake, you didn't hear me-"

"What's wrong Kit-Kat, don't tell me he tried to do something else," he became serious, something shuffling in the background like he was getting up from where ever he was. I shook my head.

"No! Ugh, Jake, listen. I said Asher WANTED to kiss me, I didn't kiss him back! He probably thinks I hate him and I don't! It was so awkward I had to LIE and tell him I had to go pee! I can't go back out there! I just want to go home!" Jake was quiet for a minute, but he started chuckling again, and I just leaned on the back of the bathroom stall, wishing he'd take me seriously.

"Alright, alright calm down. It's not that big of a deal, well wait? Why didn't you just kiss him? You like Asher, isn't this what this whole thing is really about?" I hid my lips in my mouth and stared at the back of the stall wall not saying anything.

I could NOT tell Jake Lander I NEVER had my first kiss before. He'd never leave me alone about it just the Hello Kitty incident! I'm seventeen, of course we all kissed someone before right?

"Well, wait forget that, how about you tell me everything that happened so that I can get a full idea of what happened. But I'm sure you're overreacting."

And I probably was.

***

The beginning of the movie was just fine. To be honest we were really into it trying to figure out what was going to happen next and I even forgot Celeste was even in the theater with us with Andrew Broader. The jump scares were really getting me most, but that didn't mean Asher didn't jump either. We made of each other for it every time, poking one another and getting closer and toward the middle of the movie, is when the kiss almost happened.

The scene was of the girl in the basement of her deceased grandparents house, of course. She was just walking amongst everything and I was already afraid enough and I was inching my way closer and closer to Asher. Eventually Asher noticed with a chuckle whispering to me,

"Scared Dee?" I looked up at him and rolled my eyes, my legs placed in the seat hugging them.

"Of course not!" I whisper back. But when a shadow moved quickly in the background and the girl turned around and it was gone and you if you would've blink you would've missed it, I gasped and found myself under Asher's arm, leaned against his blue t-shirt and he chuckled wrapping his around me, his right hand on my right thigh.

"Well it looks to me you might be," he whispered coolly down at me. I felt his breath on me, and despite the extra buttery popcorn that ended up tasting extremely good, it smelt of mint and strong mouthwash.

"Okay!" I had to admit looking back at the big screen, leaning on him. "Maybe like....a little."

He chuckled and I had to giggle as we look back at the movie and after a bunch of silence and bad feelings, the dark figure confronted the girl with a disfigured face and dark eyes and both Asher and I jumped and everyone in the theater laughed because it was so unexpected and soon the girl was running with the ghostly figure after her.

"Hahaha! That totally got you!" Asher said poking at me laughing, still holding me in his arms. I gasped laughing as well.

"As if it didn't get you either!" I whispered yelled back. "You know what, I think you want me here so you wouldn't be so scared," I crossed my arms. He brushed me off as the scene was now outside in the broad of day and I could see Asher's clear face looking down at me.

"What! No way! I could handle this on my own," he tells me. I cock an eyebrow.

"Oh really?"

"Hmmhuh," he nods looking back at the movie. "Besides you're not here because I was scared. You're here cause I offered. I simply wanted to be with you... no matter what we saw," he shrugs.

I just stared at him at this point, speechless, and I finally whisper back,

"Seriously?" He looks down at me, his blush pink lips getting closer to mine and he whispers back,

"Seriously..."

And before I know it I feel this urge to lean toward him and he is to me as we're glancing at each other eyes than our lips, and our eyes again! And right when he closes his eyes slowly, knowing I'm right there to be kissed, I panic as I never kissed a guy or anyone before and I just sit there gulping staring at him not knowing WHAT to do as he's waiting to feel my lips, but suddenly we're both interrupted by a screech and the main character screaming and we both jump looking at movie again, but my facial expression isn't because of the movie, but because of my hot face flustered I didn't kiss him at all....

"Whoa!" Asher said as we both looked at the movie and everyone in the theater is chuckling again as it was unexpected. "Okay now honestly that one got me," he chuckled. I gulp again, regretting everything wishing I could just rewind and kiss Asher like I was suppose to do and I guess by the look on my face, it stated everything.

"You okay Dee? Haha!" Asher asked looking at me. My face was pink although with my darker skin tone you probably couldn't tell, but my mouth was extremely dry. 'I should've kissed him! Why didn't I just kiss him!?' I thought to myself hysterically.

"Uhhh," is all I could say staring at the screen with wide eyes. "Ummm," I could not let Asher see me like this. "I'm so sorry," I said unraveling myself from under his arm and sitting upright in the seat.

"What's wrong-" he tries to ask, but I plaster a fake smile and laugh.

"Nothing, sorry, that jump scare kinda got me so bad, I actually have to pee," I lie grabbing my purse. Asher chuckled up at me as I stand up gulping, hoping he can't see through me.

"Hahha! Seriously?" He ask me. I nod.

"Hmmhuh." By then I just turn around beginning to walk to the stairs, but I come back to him,

"Want anything while I'm by the concessions?" I ask him. He shakes his head replying,

"Nah, just hurry back. I'd hate for you to miss the movie," he tells me. I give an iffy nod and mouth,

"Sorry!"

Finally, I speed walk my way down the stairs, but then I instantly remember Celeste and Andrew and I take out my phone and go to the photo app, and I place it against my ear, and making it seem like I'm about to talk on the phone, I was secretly snapping pictures of her through the volume button, and as I do I hear her whisper,

"Who the heck is that on their phone in a movie theater?" Thinking she'll figure me out, Andrew turns her attention away from me to him.

"Don't worry about them, I'm the only one you need to worry about." She giggles and I know, FOR SURE they're kissing and hoping I got a picture of that too, I turn the corner from going down the finale step and sprint for the bathroom, remembering my REAL problem, everything else coming back to me.

Regretting I left to pee.

Regretting not kissing when I had the solid chance.

***

Jake was quiet on the other line after I told him the story, but of course I left out the part of me leaned back just staring at Asher waiting for me to kiss him and the OTHER part of me getting hopefully sufficient evidence that Celeste was in fact kissing in Andrew, but eventually he just laughed a little and I looked confused at the ground as he did.

"What??" I really wanted to know.

"Seriously Kit-Kat? Asher just thinks you had to pee. The movie interrupted y'all sooo, what's the problem?" 'The problem is that I lied to now YOU and HIM that I never had my first kiss and I panicked as I didn't know what to do!!' I wanted to yelled but instead I shout,

"I don't know!!" I heard a toilet flush beside me and I forgot other girls were in here and I stopped myself and regrouped to say quiet. "Okay... I guess I just don't know how to approach him now that I know he tried- I mean- wanted to kiss me."

"Like I said Kit-Kat you're over thinking. Just go back to him and just know that he likes you enough to kiss you," Jake tells me reassuringly.

"I can't do that! I never kissed a boy! I never had my first kiss! How am I suppose to kiss Asher without embarrassing myself or making it suck and he forever hates me and word goes around, 'Dawn Noel is a BAD kisser!" I wanted to yell at him, but instead I sigh and really say,

"But I think it'll be awkward now Jake. Come on, what should I do so I don't like, I don't know, freak out knowing we almost kissed?" Jake signed I know with a smile on his face, and it sounded like he was standing up walking somewhere.

"Okay, go back out there and get something from the concessions. So you won't sit there in silence, a conversation will strike up 'cause you got something. Does that sound like a solution Kit-Kat?" He asked me behind more chuckles. I thought about it and I instantly thought skittles and I nodded like he was here in front of me.

"Alright I got an idea. Thanks Jake, and you better not laugh at me 'cause of all this," I said seriously. "And be at my house tomorrow morning-"

"At 8:55am to go to the secret hide out. I know, I know." I let out a breath of relieve but he quickly asked, "But what is the secret hide out?" I rolled my eyes with a smile and flushed the toilet with my foot, and smile at the back of the wall.

"A shame you don't remember Jake Lander, but I'll show you tomorrow. And hey, you better still be reading Bubble Gum and Cigarettes," I tell him like a mother. "You haven't informed me on anything you've been reading."

"Actually I'm on chapter seventeen, and when you called me I was chillin' in bed reading. I'm kinda glad you recommended this book to me," he keeps talking as I walk out the stall to wash my hands even though I just stood in the stall, my phone balancing on my shoulder against my ear. "The action feels like a movie in my head."

"And that's how all books should be my friend. Well I have to go, Asher is probably wondering."

"And I would be too if I were him. And hey, thanks Dawn, you called me friend." It didn't even occur to me I did, but I did notice,

"And you called me Dawn. Something weird is going on, so Imma just hang up," I tell him as I'm drying my hands off.

"Yeeeah that's a good idea. Good luck Kit-Kat, text me when it's over."

"I'll think about it. Now go read."

"Yes ma'am."

I laugh shaking my head hanging up and I place my mouth back in my purse and as I'm checking myself in the mirror, Celeste walks in, and I look at her through the mirror as she's looking at me directly, and when she sees me, she stops dead in her tracks.

"Dawn Noel," she says enthusiastically with that suspicious grin on her face. "I didn't even recognize you with that outfit on. Let me guess," she taps her chin. "Since you're actually wearing something descent in your life for once, I assume you're on a date?" I turn back to look at myself in the mirror combing my hair with my fingers and she walks over to me. "Or you admit you're a lesbian on a date with Charlotte Montgomery since y'all are always together?" She ask me wondering.

"Celeste, I do not have time for your remarks or anything else of that nature. I'm here just as you. On a date with a guy." She was surprised.

"Let me guess, that senior of yours that's way out your league?"

"Yes," I turn to her directly unfazed by her comment. "Him exactly...." Knowing she was with Andrew I figured I'd interrogate with her so I could get her words against hers she didn't come here with Jake, just in case the pictures weren't enough when...and...if I tell him.

"And I assume you're on a date as well?" I ask her. "With Jake?" She widen her eyes and smacks her lips and quickly goes into a stall locking it behind her.

"That's none of your business Dee," she tells me strictly. I quickly pull out my phone coming up with an idea and I stand on the side of her stall, using the voice memo to record her voice, hoping she'd give me more deats on what's she trying to cover up.

"But if you must know I'm here with a friend from my dads business-"

"Oh so you're not with Jake?" I ask her. She pauses.

"No, I just told you I'm with my friend from my dads business! Ugh, how stupid are you?" She ask me quickly trying to change the subject, but I stay on target, knowing that I could get her to where I want her to go.

"Well Celeste I was just asking I mean, that's kinda weird," I couldn't help but mess with her talking close to the memo. "What did Jake say about all this?" Suddenly she flushed the toilet and I backed up putting my phone in my back pocket quickly and she came out red face with puffy cheeks.

"Jake doesn't need to know what I do in my personal life Dawn Noel and you better not even mention it to him since I KNOW y'all have classes together!! Mind your own business!" She threatens me. I lean back on the counter as she's all in my face but I get to ask,

"Why not?" As she emotions are already high.

"'Cause I said so!!" Suddenly an elder women walks in and smiles at us and we smile at her back and she walks into a stall and Celeste looks right back at me. "So keep your mouth shut." Quickly Celeste goes out the bathroom and I ask her,

"Where you going?" She doesn't turn back.

"I need a tampon." I kinda laughed and take out my phone and stop the voice memo as it got everything.

"It looks like Jake won't be going to homecoming with Celeste after this...."

As I walk out the bathroom I remember Jake suggesting I get something from the concessions to distract both our minds for when I return from the bathroom and from the kiss that didn't happen.

There were no lines so I step up the cashier and it's that same boy again and he ask,

"Movie over?" I shake my head.

"Nope. I just needed something to fill my sugary cravings." He nods with a grin.

"I don't blame ya. What kinda candy do you want?" I smile at him proudly and I say,

"Skittles." He glances at me and nods as he opens the glass case to get a pack.

"Nice choice, you know, if you eat them all it once, it really does taste like your eating the rainbow?" He asked me. I instantly thought of Asher and as I give him a five I reply,

"To be honest, I actually did."

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