Kissing Lily

Happy Birthday To Me

            The more Lily and I hung out, the more I liked her. She was funny, smart, pretty, and so different from anyone else I know. Just being around her made me want put a little effort into my appearance and be more like her. Mom was loving it, and surprised me with a bag of new makeup and some edgier clothes.

            I’d give Lily a ride home in the afternoons, and afterschool we’d hang out at either her house or mine. I now knew that she loved alternative music, hated rap, loved chocolate, hated pineapple, and devoured books like I do.

            I finally had the type of best friend I had only read about in books. It didn’t bother me that she had an ex-girlfriend, it just made her more unique and special to me.

            Finally my birthday arrived! My mom let me invite seven people. I invited the exact same six people I invited every year, plus Lily. Mom promised me three hours of the house to myself. In return, I promised there would be no drinking, no drugs, and nothing broken. My dad had my birthday cake delivered early and sent cash for snacks, and of course the usual $100 as my birthday gift. We wouldn’t be allowed to cut the cake until my mom returned, but I thought she was being generous enough letting me use the house.

            Lily let me borrow a sexy little spaghetti strapped black dress, and my mouth fell open when I saw the skimpy mini-dress she was wearing. Her little black dress came with fishnets and what my mom liked to call “hooker boots.” She was the first one at my party, and she literally took my breath away. I wanted to look like her and felt lucky that I was her best friend.

            We dumped chips into bowls and got the music started. Pretty soon Joelle and Amy showed up, followed by Adam and his best friend Mark, and a few minutes later Jason and Trent completed the party. I had purposely invited and even number of boys and girls. We were all considered “loaners”, unpopular misfits and we were all friends. Well almost all of us, as I don’t think the boys had actually spoken to Lily yet.

            Amy was inhaling the chips, Joelle was pouring soda, and the boys were standing around looking a little lost. I burst out laughing when I saw Lily wink at me, carrying the ketchup bottle from the fridge.

            “Anyone want to play spin the bottle?” She sat the ketchup bottle down in the middle of my dining room table.

            Amy started hacking over the chips and Joelle had to give her a good whack on the back.

            No one said anything.

            “I do,” I said slyly.

            “Well the birthday girl is up for it, anyone else?” Lily asked.

            The next thing I knew we were all sitting around the table, the same table where I have a boring family dinner every single night, and I found myself giving the ketchup a good spin. Since I was the birthday girl everyone decided I went first.

            As the bottle spun around and around, I held my breath. What in the world was I thinking?

The bottle spun slower, and slower, until finally it stopped. On Lily.

On Lily? Could I kiss Lily? She was my best friend, but we were new friends. I was just about to speak when Joelle piped up.

“Oops, re-spin. This time try for a boy,” Joelle gave a nervous giggle.

I spun the ketchup bottle again, and again found myself in inner turmoil. Who in the world am I about to kiss?

Slower, slower. It’s going to stop on Adam. Stop. Mark.