The First Kiss (Short Story)

[Jaime_Astorga]

I wrote this back in 2006 in an attempt to get published by my school's literary magazine (this story didn't make it, but I got in with another story some time later). I thought I would post it here and see how you people like it. If you enjoy it, please, review! ^_^

The First Kiss

My eyes widened as I read the letter I held between my hands.

Dear Ikari:

How are you, man? It's been far too long since we last saw each other! Letters are fine, of course, but both of us have missed you terribly since the day we moved. I remember the time when we said good-bye, how sad the three of us were and how many tears we cried... it was really horrible. We promised to always keep contact by writing, but that promise was broken because you moved. You are wondering how we got your new address? Well, my brother went over last time and he asked around a few people. It didn't take too long for him to find out your new address, and after that he just told us. It was because we never knew where you lived now that we never came to visit you in all this time...

But we are going to solve that right now! You see, it took a lot of begging to our parents (specially Mikaly's, since his father is extremely over protective of him) but in the end they agreed to let us come visit you! It will only be for one day, but still, it will be great seeing you again! I can't believe it has been 4 years now... how time passes. We are looking forward to the meeting. Meet us on the address of 1710 S.W. 143 St. We will be arriving by bus, so be on the lookout. I just can't wait to see you again, Ikari! Expect both of us with open arms!

Love: Katrina and Mikaly

I could hardly believe what my eyes were telling me they saw. I had first seen this letter in the mail box while shifting among countless other pieces mail. I had been quite surprised to see my friend's names written on the back in gracious, curved handwriting. It had been years since we had seen each other, after all. And not too long after they left I had myself moved, without ever finding out their addresses. The end result was that I had lost a lot of contact with them. That is why I had hurriedly placed the rest of the postal deliveries on the table and hurried upstairs to the tranquility of my room. My heart was still beating now as it had on the long seconds before I had opened the letter. My eyes closed as I remembered with little effort the times the three of us had spend together....

I had first seen the pair of them on middle school. The first of them I had met was Mikaly. We had been assigned to the same P.E. class, and I remembered him coming to me with a slightly desperate expression and asking with hurry whether I had an extra shirt he could change into. Luckily, I had forgotten to bring my last shirt home the other class, so I told him I had one if he didn't mind it being dirty. He didn't mind... he was just happy to have something to change into.

From there on I had become friends with the boy named Mikaly. Shortly after, he introduced me to a good friend of his. That had been Katrina. My first meeting with Katrina had been in the cafeteria, while she was sitting behind a table in what appeared to be a corner of the room. I remember her seeing us approaching and saying "Hey Mikaly! Is that a friend of yours?" Katrina had been quite a nice person to the both of us, and in the end the three became best friends. We spent many a wonderful time inside and outside that school, always hanging out together and being there for one another.

We had become great friends. However, at the same time I looked upon them as friends, I had started to develop feelings for one... I didn't know how or when, but my heart starting beating with yearn and desire for the teen. And it beat faster with each encounter. However, I had never attempted to follow up with words what my heard had begun by thoughts. Some might think it silly, seeing how good friends we were, but there had been a reason I had not acted upon my impulses towards what appeared to me the prettiest being to ever walk the earth...

The reason had been the fear of rejection. If my feelings were not returned, then perhaps we could have still been friends. But we could never be friends as before, always knowing when we saw each other that one had feelings for the other. I had thought it might be better to remain friends and never more than to risk losing everything.

I might have been afraid of ruining a beautiful friendship before, but that was a mistake that had never ceased to hunt me ever since. I had grown up somewhat since then. I no longer felt held back by the fear of what might happen, and I kept cursing myself for never seizing the chance while there was still time. Before the factory had opened on the nearby city and drawled many families away; my friend's and my crush's included.

That's why I had been so surprised when I first saw the names on the back of the envelope. In four years my love of that person had not lessened, and anybody having news from the person they loved after all that time was bound to get excited. My energy was barely contained within my body as happiness and determination spread through all of my being. A second chance had come! However, I realized that they would only be here for a day. I had to work enough courage to say the words I needed to pronounce before they had left like last time, off to the city hours from here. And hours were like light-years when you were around the ages of 15 and 16, as we were.

I went to bed that night with many thoughts in my mind and a mixture of feelings in my heart. As I lay awake in my bed I wondered about what the following morning would contain. I was obviously happy to see my friends again, of course, but there was much more to it than that. One of them I loved, after all. But it was not the lack of courage to say it that was bothering me. They had been alone in that city for a long time... what if Katrina and Mikaly where... together? Could it be that I was an outsider, a friend to a couple of romantic adolescents to whom each other they were the world?

This thought stayed in my mind for quite some time. Like a beast, it scared sleep and stalked me. I couldn't help but to feel anguish as I awaited for the interminable night to end. Where they together? Would all of my feelings be... for nothing? What would I do then? I didn't know the answer to these question that assaulted my mind as I tossed and turned as if it could solve things. When, all of a sudden, another thought entered my mind...

If someone loves someone, isn't their happiness the most important thing? When people are in love, don't they wish the best for one another? Isn't that person's happiness their own happiness? Then... if I was in love with someone, and that person in love with another, and together with that person, shouldn't I be happy because of that?

After a while, I managed to put my fears at ease. "If they are together," I thought, then at least they are happy. And to have the person you love be happy is truly a wonderful feeling...

And, with that thought in my mind, I fell asleep.

The next morning I awoke with a feeling no longer of dread but of excitement and impatience. Yet I also had another feeling... happiness. Whatever happened, the fact remained that I would be seeing the most beautiful person on earth today, after 4 long years. I hurried to wash myself and to get dressed. My mother was probably perplexed at my sudden leave from the house. It didn't matter, what mattered was not to be late.

After much walking I arrived at the bus stop. I checked my watch... there were still 10 minutes to go. I sighted at the same time I looked up towards the sky. The sun was bearing down upon me and anything else under it's grasp, but I was the only person waiting there. I took my sight off the yellow star and tried to pass time humming a song. But it was useless... the heat was too much.

I decided to simply give up and sit down to wait. It would be better than standing in the sun, at least. I looked around and silently cursed the lack of shade on the vicinity, but cursing what was not there would not bring it into existence. I sighed again and lowered my head, wondering how much time had passed already. But just as I was about to look at my watch to check, I heard the sound of a car approaching. I looked up with hope in my heart and found that it was well founded, for the vehicle approaching was not a car but a bus. It came closer and closer, and, finally, it stopped.

The bus was standing in front of me with it's side facing my front. Then, the door opened, and I saw many people climb out. Old, young, men, woman... I didn't care about them all. I just was waiting to see my two best friends again...

Finally I saw the pair of them cheerfully climb down, a cute pair of smiles on their faces. They were both very happy to see me, and took turns hugging what had once been their old buddy. When I was hugged by the one I loved, however, I enjoyed the moment as if nothing else on earth mattered.

The sphere of yellow in the sky continued to pour forth it's yellow light, but it had been worth it to stand under the sun for all this time. The target of my affections was close.

As I looked at both of them together under the blazing sun, I couldn't help but to think what I thought every time I saw them side by side; that with that shiny, blonde hair and those deep, blue eyes they looked like brothers. A part of my brain registered that they would look cute like a couple, and jealousy arose in another before I managed to suppress it.

I managed a smile and looked from one to the other as I spoke their respective names "Katrina and Mikali, my two best friends, welcome back to the city of your childhood."

Katrina giggled "Your welcome, Ikari..." She said in a soft voice. Mikali smiled as he added "Yeah, it is good to be back" as his small face scanned the surrounding landscape and buildings. Some nostalgia seemed to be noticeable in his features, but I didn't have long to ponder about that.

"So..." said Katrina, smiling "shall we get going? We have much catching up to do, after all" I smiled "Follow me" I said, and we were on our way.

After an hour of walking we were back at my house. I entered without taking much notice of the light blue walls that compromised it's outside, but my two friends did look at everything with a smile and happiness. "It must be beautiful to see all those things they left behind," I thought. Although they had never seen me in this house, it had belonged to another of our friends who had also moved at around the same time they had.

We climbed the stairs that we might get to the place where I slept. It was a narrow hallway decorated by still more sky blue walls and a few pictures on the walls, most of them of flowers. I looked to the left after we had gone the necessary distance. To the end of the hallway was only the bathroom, clearly visible because of the open door.

I entered through the wooden door and could feel the two people behind me follow as the three entered into the corner of the house that I called my room. There were two beds sitting on opposite walls, one of which had one been occupied by my brother. But ever since he had gone to college such a bed had been empty and my parent's had never bothered to take it out. It took some space, but I always enjoyed having plenty of room to lay down in.

I sat on the bed closest to the door while both of my friends took the opposite one, sitting side by side and looking at me with smirking faces.

"So, Ikari, what has been of your life during all this time?" Katrina asked.

"Well, after you guys moved I didn't have friends to study with, so my grades dropped somewhat." I chuckled. As if on cue, Mikaly found my report card on the bed they were sitting on, with the result that both ended looking at it for a long time with wide eyes.

"Somewhat?" Mikaly shook his head "You are getting straight Cs, Ikari. Oh, come on. Remember when we were in school and you chastised us if we got anything below a B? I guess it's coming back to haunt you now!"

The three of us laughed at this. And the conversation continued in this fashion for a long time. Although I was enjoying it, I was also getting a little impatient for some time alone with...

Suddenly, my thoughts and our conversation were interrupted by a growl. Both of us turned to look at the youth whose face seemed to have a pained look imprinted on it. "I gotta go to the bathroom...!" My blonde friend said, and suddenly took off through the door.

Then I was left alone with the object of my crush, sitting cutely across the bedroom in the bed opposite to me.

I felt my blood leaving my face. I had been waiting for this moment, but now I didn't know what to do. But then, suddenly, I heard some sobs bringing me back into reality. I looked up and saw they were coming from the person sitting opposite to me, a face hidden by hands and surely covered by tears.

It broke my heart to see such an image, and I immediately forgot about all else. I rose from my sitting place and took one next to my crying love, whom I then hugged. "Shh... Shh... it's all right..." I didn't know what was the cause of such sadness, but I could not contemplate it for another second without doing something to try and lessen it.

The hands concealing the face finally gave away, and as expected tears were gushing forth from those eyes I thought so beautiful, even in this moment. "I am sorry..." an broken voice said between sobs... "It's just that, my mother... she died recently... and every time I think about her I just, I just...!" and the mouth speaking those words reverted back to sobbing instead.

"Oh, God..." I said, horror struck at what I had just heard... "Why didn't you tell me? I know this must be terrible for you..."

"Because..." a swallow noise was heard "Because... it was the first time we were going to see you, in 4 years! I didn't want to ruin it like this... but... I guess I did..." a few more tears poured out.

"No, no, you have every right to cry after something like that..." I said as I wiped away the tears "Cry all you want..."

But no more tears came forth. Instead, those eyes that had a few moments before been cleaned by my hand now stood looking up at me. I looked back, unable to turn away. Those tears that remained gave that face even more cuteness than before... although it still filled me with great pain to see them.

"You are beautiful." I managed to say, and the immediate reacting to follow was fear. Had I really said that? What had I been thinking?!

However, those words seemed to have the effect of making the normally pink cheeks blush with embarrassment... but the head was not backing away. It was looking at me, just a few inches away... I slowly went forward as I felt my counterpart do the same, and finally our lips locked in a kiss.

Oh, how wonderful was it to touch those lips I had so longed for! I began to with my hands surround the torso as I continued my embrace... the room dissolved and all I could think about was the precious being I now held in my arms.

Suddenly, we heard footsteps across the hallway and walking towards the room. Knowing that out privacy was about to be cut short, we quickly parted form each other's arms, taking one last longing look at each other as we did so before returning to our original positions, looking at each other from across the room.

"Hey guys" said Katrina as she walked back into the room "What did I miss?"