Liza: 14 years
Summer afternoons were the worst especially when you are involved in a tiring activity like that of dancing. It was mid afternoon and the sun's red heat rays hit our skin melting it like hot molten lava of sweat.
"Ahh this sun is gonna be the end of me. Emma can we stop the practise now? I'm tired girl!!" Joan whines falling to the floor, pretending to have fallen asleep.
"The festival is in a week. We still haven't come up with a choreo for the couple dance part yet. Get up!!! Lazy ass!!" Emma says pulling Joan by her hand.
"Didn't you say there's gonna be a main center couple?"
"Yeah, we have to choose them among ourselves cuz they are gonna kiss in the end." Emma replies timidly.
"Oh I ain't kissing no girl. I haven't even had my first kiss yet. I don't want that to be a girls'. I'm out." Shouts a random member, while other's nod in unison.
Emma turns to face me and Joan. I see her coy smile turning into devil-may-care smirk. "Joan and Liza. You guys are close right? Can't you guys do it?"
Hearing the wild suggestion made by Emma, Joan jolts up from her fake sleep and shouts,"Yeah but what does that have to do with kissing?"
" You guys look like a couple from every angle. This role will fit you both perfectly." Emma grins.
"Oh you gotta be kidding me!!!" Joan says rolling her eyes.
"Come on, just a peck! Nothing much. Please, please, please, pretty please." Emma kneels down and begs, clutching onto my pants.
I glance at Joan. She looked confused like fish out of water, trying to process the whole information.
"No, it will be too awkward. Do we really have to kiss??? " Joan replies.
I didn't say anything. I wanted it to happen. I wanted Joan to be my first kiss even if it was just a peck. I wanted to taste her pink lips. I wanted to know, if the feeling was mutual.
Joan was a simple innocent girl, a literal angel. If I ever tell her how I really felt about her, she might just laugh it off thinking I was making fun of her. Even in her wildest dreams she might not have thought of me in a romantic way.
Ever since I realised the truth, I've been irrefutably forward towards her. Being cheeky and flirty in every way possible.
Joan never discouraged me when I teased her neither did she go along with it, but I could see that she was secretly enjoying it.
Joan never admitted the truth though. But it was clearly evident from the way her skin blushed like the red coral reeds and the way she closed her eyes in embarassment, everytime I teased her.
I wanted to use this opportunity to let her know how I feel. To show her, the real me and to stop pretending to be her friend.
"Liza, what's your opinion?" Emma asks still clutching onto my pants.
"I don't find it awkward or anything. I find it adorable." I say trying to contain my blush.
"So you're okay with kissing Joan?" Emma asks me with a plastered smug smile on her face.
"No it's not like that... I guess if you really want to include a kiss in the choreo then...we can just pretend to kiss.. . Like we really don't have to do it. It's just my opinion."
Emma springs up in excitement shouting, "That's a brilliant idea. Okay its settled then. Joan and Liza are gonna be the centre couples. Those who agree say 'I'. Come on"
"I" says everyone in unison, hooting and howling like as if a someone had got engaged.
I look over at Joan. She sat on the floor speechless as though lost in thought. I walk upto her. "Hey are you okay with it Jo?"
"Yeah...I mean its not like we are actually gonna kiss right?" Joan chuckles.
"Oh were you expecting more? If you want, I can kiss you. We don't have to pretend." I bite my lips while leaning in closer to watch her reaction.
"Hey you love birds save it for the dance" Shouts Emma giggling.
"Stop teasing me monkey...Come on lets continue the practice". Joan says pushing me away, trying to hide the pink blush that had formed on her apple cheeks with her soft palms.
That night I couldn't sleep. The couple dance choreo was intense. My skin burnt everywhere Joan placed her hands. My waist, my shoulders, my cheeks, my arms, my thighs.No matter how many showers I took I couldn't get rid of the firey sensations. It was love. It was lust. It was more. I was going crazy for her.
Joan....