Hershey Kisses

Eighteenth Kiss

We arrived back at Rick's house and I bid farewell to my friends. I sighed overjoyed what happened just a few moments ago. My first love who I vowed never to fall in love afterwards gave me my first kiss. I can feel the apples of cheeks heated up as I touched my lips feeling the tingly sense when our lips touched. Lost in thought I didn't realize I was in the front door.

"So how was your dinner?" Rick's voice caught me off guard. He was sitting at the front porch as he glanced at me.

"H-how long were you there?" I stepped away.

"Not too long." He stood up and opened the door. "Are you coming in? You look tired."

"Y-yeah I'm coming..." I answered as I scurried in the house. I avoided eye contact as I head back into my room to change my clothes. I glanced at my reflection while removing my dress still in awe how I much I changed with a little makeup and hairstyle. I sighed heavily knowing this will be my new life. I'm no longer going to be Hayate or Sophia Sho. From this day on, I'm going under the name Juliet Dawn until she decides to come back. I changed into my usual house tank top and basketball shorts and headed to the bathroom to remove my makeup and brush my teeth.

As I opened the door, I see Rick brushing his teeth. "Uh.... sorry. I'll come back later." He looked at me and took out his toothbrush.

"You can come in, Sophia." he invited as he patted the spot next to him. We quietly continued what we were doing when Rick interrupted me brushing my teeth. "Something happened to you. What happened?"

I almost dropped my toothbrush not know how to tell him the previous incident. "Oh uh well you know.... Chris is moving to another state to study.... It was a shock for me and Penny." He raised an eyebrow not fully accepting my statement.

"No it can't be that. There's something else you're not telling me." He scoot closer to me. "What happened tonight?" I scoot away avoiding him interrogating me. How am I supposed to confess that not only I got my first kiss but also that I found Juliet before him.

"I.........." I hesitated. What the hell am I supposed to say. "I........ confronted my first love that I no longer love him!!" I covered my mouth from blurting out something nonsense.

"You..... met up with your first love?" he uneasily asked.

"Y-yeah...." I nodded as I went back to brushing my teeth. He suddenly chuckled and patted my head.

"You're maturing faster than I expected, Sophia." he smiled. "How did it felt after confronting him?"

I stopped brushing my teeth remembering the kiss again and I can feel my cheeks turning bright red. "It's..... more crucial for me to take in." was all I could respond. Rick then grabbed my wrists and pushed me against the wall.

"He didn't hurt you, right?!" he asked furious.

I looked at him scared, not feeling my wrists or my arms. His grip on my wrists wrapped around mine tighter. "N-no he never hurt me!! He's my best friend!!! Of course he'd never cause any harm to me!!! Why are you doing this to me? You're scaring me, Rick!!" I struggled removing myself away from Rick but he calmed down and released me. He suddenly laid his head against my chest and sighed deeply. "R-Rick....?"

"Sorry...." he spoke softly. "The last time I acted like this was seeing Juliet getting hurt because of me... My temper.... it's hard for me to control when I see someone I care for gets hurt."

"You.... care about me?" I asked puzzled. He held my head and shifted from my chest to my forehead and pecked it. "Rick....?"

"Don't do anything reckless without letting me know first, you got that?" Still holding onto my head with his lips still kissing my forehead. I slowly nodded as he lets go of my head and walks out of the bathroom. I felt my forehead feeling where he kissed it as my face turns red once again. I slapped my cheeks to stop thinking about it and went back brushing my teeth. Bryan kissed me first and then Rick kissed my forehead. What the hell is going on? 

After finishing removing my makeup and cleaning up and brushing my teeth, I stepped out of the bathroom and headed back to my room. But then a sound distracted me as I followed where the sound came from. I was lead to the study room where Rick was sitting by the window reading something. I stayed hidden and observed what he was reading. As he closed the book, he looks out the window gripping his hand.

"This is really all my fault." He groaned. "I should've never let Juliet live with us. I should've never allowed her to follow her feelings and falling in love with Damien. I should've never convinced her to run away from us.... all because of the family name." He covered his eyes hiding his coward self and crying softly. Rick.... "I really am a shadow that should've never existed." I walked into the study room and Rick hadn't notice me coming in. All the secrets he kept inside of him. All the emotions he's been locking in to hide the fact everything was his fault. All his cocky attitude and handsome face. They were all for show. It was his mask hiding what he really is. A coward... just like me. I reached my hand towards him, uncertain how to comfort him just how he comforted me, and embraced him in my arms. Rick stopped crying but didn't look up.

"You can cry out as long as you want to." I whispered. "I'm not stopping you." His tears came back as he pulled me to my chest and cried as loud as he could. I patted his head and pillowed my head on top of his doing what I can to comfort him. Whether I lived as a middle class ignoring my parents expectations and focused my goal to becoming a mangaka; or Rick living as a rich boy hiding the truth from the world about Juliet and the jewel and getting blamed for everything that's happened, we're not perfect beings. We're simply human. We make mistakes in the past but we lift our heads and stay strong having our loved ones supporting us. How I wanted Rick to be there as my best friend when he wanted me as someone he can open up to. "I'm sorry I came in at a bad time, Rick. I'll go to bed now.." As soon as I let go of him and turned away, he grabbed my hand and hugged from behind.

"Not yet..." he mumbled. I tried to look back, but he rested his head against my neck. "There's one more test you have to pass..."

"And what's...." I asked but didn't finish my sentence as our lips lock in. My eyes wide open realizing not only I had my first kiss but now my second kiss?! What is going on?! I struggled pushing him away but his arms wrapped around my body tight. The kiss lasted longer than my first one but something felt different with this one. Unlike my first one that caught me off guard and left my heart fluttering, this one felt forced onto me as if he's making me forget my last kiss. I could suddenly feel him pushing against mine deeper feeling his tongue entertwined around mine. Holy moly is this what frenching feels like?! My body felt powerless as our body collapsed to the floor. He turned my body and wrapped his arms around my waist kissing me more. My brain is telling me this is wrong and wants to stop but why is my body rejecting that command and allowing him to take my body? "Stop it, Rick!!" I tried to cover my face with my hand, but he continues. "Please stop it!!!" Suddenly I feel his hand slowly moving under my tank and towards my chest. "RICK!!!!" I punched him to snap out of it. I moved away from him curled up and covering my lips. "What was that about?!"

He adjusted his jaw and looked at me. "This isn't going to work...."

"For crying outloud it won't work!!" I shouted at him.

"No I mean this isn't going to work... for me." he rephrased it.

"Wh-why do you say that??" Puzzled what he was talking about.

"Forget it..." he changes the subject and stands up and walks away.

"Stop avoiding me, Rick!!!" I got up and chased him, "What do you mean this won't work?!" He ignored my question and locked himself in his bedroom. I grumbled and stomped my foot frustrated what he talked about. He's told me alot about himself but he won't tell me about this? What's wrong with him?! UGH I can't stand it!!!! 

I stomped my way back to my room and screamed at the pillow to put myself to sleep to forget everything's that happened tonight.