OBX Writing Prompt: First Kiss
āOkay, I got one.ā John B crushes his can and belches loudly, Sarahās arm shooting out instinctively to swat at him in reprimand.
āFirst kiss,ā he says, waggling his eyebrows. āGo.ā
Theyād sat around the fire after another hard day of physical labour, with every intention of putting their throbbing feet up and relaxing for the evening. But the night had devolved into chaos, as it usually did when the beers were cracked open and the joint was lit.
In a very earnest attempt to get to know Cleo a little better, the night had started with a game of two truths and a lie, even though they all felt, by the end of it, that they knew even less about her. It had quickly turned into truth or dare, with JJ choosing increasingly difficult and absurd dares and everyone else preferring to hunker down in front of the fire and reveal their secrets. And now they were just yelling things, reliving childhood memories and egging each other on.
āSixth grade,ā Cleo announces, much to everyoneās surprise. āHis name was Ezekiel and he was stiff as a board, which checks out because his father was a Baptist pastor.ā
āAnd you upgraded toā¦ Pope?ā JJ shoots her a sarcastic thumbs up while Pope glares. āScore!ā
Cleo rolls her eyes but laughs, shooting Pope a shy look. Their relationship is still new, and the others still like to give them shit.
āMine was Maddie Heckler,ā John B says wistfully. āSheād been eyeing me all year, sitting next to me during circle time, sharing her orange slices with me, helping me tie my shoesā¦ā
āHow old were you?ā Sarah asks, amused but slightly concerned.
āIt was kindergarten. She cornered me behind the slide and planted one right on me. I was that irresistible.ā
āHeartbreaker,ā she says, pushing his hair back. āYouāre not gonna like this, but mine was actually Topper. I was fourteen.ā
āTopper-Motherfucking-Thornton,ā John B mutters, tilting his head back and downing his beer. Sarah looks worried for less than a second before he picks up her hand and places a kiss on her knuckles, smiling big and reassuring. No one is surprised when she melts, least of all JJ and Kiara, who share a wall with the couple.
āKie? What about you?ā John B asks.
āNothing crazy. Evan Wongās fourteenth birthday. Basement game of spin the bottle,ā she explains. John Bās eyebrows jump.
āI was at that party,ā he says, furrowing his brow as if trying to remember that night.
āYou were at the party, you werenāt in the basement.ā
John B rushes into a story about how Evan Wong once sold them weed that was actually just oregano, and Kiara expects JJ to chime in, knowing the way the story ends.
āYou two are awfully quiet,ā Kiara says, eyeing JJ and Pope.
āWellāā JJ starts, but Pope is quick to cut him off.
āJJ. No. You promised.ā
Popeās eyes are so wide, they might just bug out of his head. The girls have no idea whatās going on, eyes bouncing between all three boys just as John B leaps up and says, āOh my God.ā
āWhat?ā Kiara asks, alarmed and impatient.
āOh my GOD!ā John B repeats, now pointing at Pope and laughing. āThat was your first kiss?ā he asks Pope.
āTechnically, it was both of our first kiss.ā
John B is laughing so hard he can hardly stand, feeling for the chair behind him with his hand and collapsing onto the seat, giggles loud and obnoxious.
āItās not a big deal!ā JJ says, just as Pope lets his head fall into his hands, resigned to his fate. āFifth grade, some guys were giving Pope shit, calling him all kinds of names and teasing him because they thought he was gay. I wanted to punch them in the face but this guy,ā he jerks his thumb in John Bās direction, āwas all, āuse your words, JJ. Be a lover not a fighter, JJ.āā
JJ huffs in annoyance, scowling like if he could go back in time just to pummel a bunch of eleven-year-olds, he would.
āSo I said, āso what if heās gay? What if Iām gay, too?ā and then I grabbed Pope and I kissed him. It shut them up real quick.ā
For a moment, itās quiet. No one says a word. Kiaraās lips are pursed, her eyes soft with affection. Sarah might actually be crying, though that probably has more to do with how much sheās had to drink than anything else. John B looks entirely unbothered, like this outcome was always inevitable, like heās known all along that JJ would kiss any one of them, for any reason, without a second thought. Even Pope, flushed and embarrassed, looks at JJ with something like gratitude.
āWell?ā Cleo asks, suddenly. āHow was it?ā
JJ grins. āSurprisingly tender.ā
