It Started with a Kiss

Chapter 1

 1

No turning back now. Tonight's the night this stupid infatuation ends.

That's what I kept repeating to myself as I entered the packed room and searched for his tall frame; an action which had become second nature to me over the past few months, ever since that first night. The night I had undoubtedly turned into a fully-fledged hormonal seventeen-year old and my first major crush had started to evolve into something a little more. Yes, I know, pathetic didn't even begin to describe it.

He was standing at the far side of the room; his auburn hair slightly messed up after the game today, just the way I liked it. He always looked better when his hair was messed up, don't ask me why though. He was chatting away to someone, whom I couldn't actually see because of the crowd between us, but who it was didn't really bother me anyway. Taking a deep breath, I made my way into the kitchen to grab a drink, hoping that it would calm the nerves which had started to settle in the pit of my stomach. Sarah had always said that alcohol could help. Though, why I'd suddenly started to take Sarah's advice was a mystery to me. Then again, why I started to like Aaron - to such an extent that it pretty much impacted on the rest of my life - was also a bit of a mystery to me. I really should have gotten my head examined at some point.

"Hey Tara!" A distinctly feminine voice shouted and I turned my head at the sound of my name. A smile stretched across my lips as I saw Sarah making her way over to me - her boyfriend, Matt, following close behind.

"You look hot," she blurted out as soon as she reached me, and by that I could tell she was already drunk, causing me to just smile and shake my head. With the stuff this girl got up to on a regular basis, why was I even surprised that she was intoxicated already?

"Doesn't she look hot, Matt?" she asked, as she turned to her six foot, potential Abercrombie model of a boyfriend. Matt just nodded as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, and as per usual, I suddenly felt out of place with the two lovebirds. I looked down and started picking at the hem of my new red dress, before Sarah gently pushed him off, came over and gave me a hug. She shouted in my ear as she did so, in order to be heard over the loud bass thumping from the speakers in the living room.

"So, are you going to do it?" she asked, while I nodded my head in reply, the nerves building up once again. Noticing my anxiety, Sarah just rubbed my back in a soothing manner before saying:

"Hun, you're going to be fine, it's just one kiss, right?"

I nodded my head once again, seeming to have lost the ability to speak at all. Never a good thing around here. Never a good thing around anywhere, really. I think Sarah understood that I needed some space though, as she gave me one more comforting squeeze before releasing me and re-joining Matt.

"We'll be staying here all night, so if you need me, just call my cell. Are you sure you don't want us to tag along?" she asked, her brown hair slightly covering her face as she leaned over to me once again. I shook my head violently, blonde strands of hair starting to fall away from my hairstyle as I did so.

"I'll be fine," I reassured her, knowing that the last thing I needed was these two tagging along, acting all sappy to the point that I wanted to be sick, and that was saying something. The romantic one, grossed out by a couple who loved their P.D.A.'s. Oh the irony! When the perfect couple had moved away, I grabbed the nearest red plastic cup and downed the contents, not actually knowing what it was, just knowing that it burned all the way down my throat, leaving an unpleasant feeling settled in my stomach, or maybe that was butterflies for what I was about to do. They really didn't feel like butterflies though, more like freaking hawks, yes giant hawks with their huge talons and wings and... I really needed to stop over thinking these things, and fast.

I attempted to stand a little straighter in my new heels - that almost made me suffer from vertigo with the height difference - and began my walk across the room, trying to avoid the mass of moving bodies either swaying in time to the music or practically dry humping one another. Six, seven, eight. Not too much further to go. I could just about make out who was with him - a couple of the guys from the team, a lot of strangers, but all that didn't matter. I just needed to get this stupid thing over with and move on. A new year, a new start. Free from anyone or anything holding me back. One more step. Wait, what the hell was I supposed to say again? What was I supposed to do? Why couldn't they teach you this sort of stuff in school? Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes before forcing a smile onto my face. I needed to calm down, before I gave myself a hernia from the stress. Did seventeen-year-old girls even get hernias? I'd have to look that up sometime.

"Hey guys, enjoying the party?" I asked, as I looked all around the circle, letting my eyes linger slightly on the brown-eyed wonder standing beside me. God, he was cute. Mentally shaking myself, I looked away to see almost everyone nodding their heads or muttering something about the night. I waited, but the answer I sought for most never came. Rather than look like a desperate, pitiful fool, I just pretended like it didn't bother me, instead turning to one of the guys and congratulating them on the game. Why didn't he say anything? Then again, why would he say anything? It wasn't like it was all that important. I convinced myself to forget about it, to wait until he was drunk and then just get it over with.

You're probably thinking right about now that I was crazy, sinister, evil, etc. for even thinking of doing something as awful as waiting for a guy to get drunk before coming onto him, but hear me out. This 'obsession' as Sarah had so aptly put it, had gotten completely out of hand. I failed my last Chemistry test and would you like to know why? I was watching him playing football instead of paying attention in class. I. FAILED. CHEMISTRY! Tara Somers did not fail in anything, especially not Chemistry! Granted, I wasn't exactly a straight A student either, but that was beside the point. That was the reason I had decided to take my best friend's (admittedly questionable) advice and kiss Aaron Hartman. A task, which had seemed like a good idea at the time. Emphasis on had.

Because no one could see into the future, could they? No one could look back and advise himself or herself what to do in order to avoid an incredibly awkward situation unfolding. If that were possible, I would most definitely be telling my younger self to, at this point, turn, run away, and never look back. Now that would have been the best thing for everyone.