I turned to go back into the party, dozens of eyes on me. My cheeks burned bright red out of embarrassment and I ducked into the kitchen to find something to drink. A quick shot of vodka was the best I could do, and then I was back out to face my guests. “What was that?” Natalie asked me after everyone had left. We were picking up bottles and cups and trying to make our flat look a bit cleaner so that we didn’t have to slave over it in the morning.
“Merrygold being an idiot, I told you he was here!” “Yeahhh…”
“Kyle and the other boys were probably there for that. Ugh, they are going to tease me to no end!”
“No, I texted my brother, they left right after you found them in the kitchen. He said only Aston stuck around.” “Why would he do that?” I asked. “Because he fancies you…” “Not this again!” “Well, he caught you under the mistletoe,” Natalie smirked. “He’s just picking on me like he always does. He’s treated me like that since I was a little kid. He probably only did that to embarrass me in front of everyone.”
“But you didn’t hate it,” Natalie said.
“What?” “That kiss, you let him kiss you!” “Noooo I didn’t!” I defended. “You did!” Natalie laughed, “You like fell into his grip!” “Shut up! I didn’t!” I said. “You did babe,” Natalie said, “He fancies you and you fancy him back.” “I don’t!” “Ok, you think that…” “I’m not having this argument with you Natalie, I’m going to bed.” “Ok, night Jessie,” she teased. “Stop!” “You love it.”
“I really don’t,” I said, wandering into my room and shutting the door behind me. Since I was four years old and had first met Aston he’d called me Jessie. And it seriously irritated me. Natalie, her brother Kyle, Aston and I grew up together in Peterborough. Natalie and her brother lived behind me, and Aston had befriended Kyle pretty much on their first day of primary school. Natalie’s family was a big, open one, and we were always over at their house or out with them. I’d been on more than one holiday with the McIntosh’s as Natalie’s guest, Aston going with Kyle. It’s just how things worked. From that young age Aston and Kyle always teased me, almost as if I was their little sister. Eventually Kyle grew out of it, but Aston never did. We spent enough time together over the years, as we fell into the same group of friends, only a year separating us, but it didn’t matter. It was constant attempts to embarrass me and make me feel like a little girl. I groaned to myself when I thought about the kiss again. It wasn’t my first kiss with Aston, but it was probably the most embarrassing. He was always doing stuff like this, and I was starting to think he’d gone too far. Closing my eyes I tried to drift off to sleep, but all I had on my mind was mistletoe.
