Even Through the Storm

6. A Kiss

"I give," Ash says, putting down his controller.

"C'mon, I've only beat you like fifteen times," I say. "Stop being such a wuss."

"A wuss? A wuss?" He starts to tickle my stomach. "I'm the wuss?" I accidently kick the glass coffee table. He stops. "Woah, sorry." Ms. Reynolds comes downstairs carrying two paper plates.

"Quesadilla's are done!" She hands us each a plate.

"Thanks, Ms. Reynolds."

"You're welcome. Oh, and Ash, honey, Peter is upstairs. Would you like me to tell him to come down here?"

"Oh, yeah sure." Ms. Reynolds goes back upstairs. In her place comes Peter. He is scrawny, with a baggy hoodie and jeans, even though it's hot enough outside to use a hot tub to cool down. The single lightbulb in the basement reflects off his black, thick-framed nerd glasses that are in style right now, even though they are the same one he's been wearing since we were in the fifth grade. Peter sits down between Ash and I and picks up Ash's extra controller, and a slice of his quesadilla.

"What're we playing?" Peter asks, taking a bite.

"Plumber Brothers," I say. "It's fifteen to nothing."

"C'mon Ash. Let your girl win for once!"

"She has. Every time. Ever. Ever!" I smile.

"It's okay, Babe. You just need to try a little harder." I kiss him, going around Peter, who laughs.

"Ha ha. Very funny. Just you wait." Ash presses play. I win. Again. Peter is a close second. Asher though is a whole five minutes behind. "Okay, I give. I'm done. Let's play a new game."

"How about Truth or Dare?" Peter asks.

"Oh! Yeah! Wait, can I get Dri over here? Her dad's place is like right around the corner."

"The more the merrier," says Ash. I text her.

"Wanna come over to Ash's house? We're playing Truth or Dare. Peter's here."

"Sure. Be there in five."

"She'll be here soon."

"I'm gonna' go get food. You do whatever," says Peter, walking upstairs.

"Grab some popcorn too!" Ash yells. Peter gives a thumbs up, "Thanks!"

***

Dri comes into the basement a few minutes later. "Hey, what's up?" She asks.

"We're gonna play Truth or Dare. Popcorn?" I ask.

"Sure." She sits down next to Peter on the baby blue shag carpet. I hand her a bowl of popcorn.

"Okay, me first," I say. "Ash, truth or dare?"

"Um, truth."

"Have you ever cheated on me?"

"Oh!" Peter yells.

"Wow. Right out of the gate. No hesitation. Jeez. No. I have not. And why would I want to?"

"Good answer. Your turn."

"Um, okay, Dri, have you ever kissed a guy?"

"What's with you two and romance today? And no. I haven't. Unless you count goodnight to my brother when he was three."

"And I don't. Your turn."

"'Kay, um, Ash, truth or dare?"

"Let's go with, dare."

"Okay. I'm gonna' go with this whole love theme, and...."

"Oh no. Can I go back? Truth. Please say I can do truth."

"Nope. I dare you to kiss Peter." Ash stares at me.

"Do I have to?"

"No, do I have to?" Asks Peter. I stare back at Asher.

"Do it. Wait." I get out my phone and press record. "Now." The boys groan. I push Asher off the couch. "You're the one who picked dare."

"Ugh, fine." He slowly gets up and walks over to Peter. "No, I can't. This is gross. He's my best friend! And you are literally standing like a foot away from me!"

"Peter, hold this." I hand him my phone. "And point it at me." I walk over to Dri and kiss her. "There. Was that so hard?" I ask Dri, taking back my phone.

"Nope. Not at all. And we're besties. Now you. Three seconds."

"Okay, one," Asher says. "You're a lesbian. You actually like this. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just it's Peter, and ew."

"Hey!"

"Like I said, ew. Two, but we're guys! It's weird! And for three seconds?"

"We did five," I say. "Now come on. We're wasting battery."

"Ugh, fine." He leans in and they kiss. "Okay, now what can I wash my mouth out with?"

"This." I kiss Asher. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses back.

"That works." He says in between.

"Okay, back to reality!" Peter says. "And dude, you're a horrible kisser."

"How would you know?" Ash yells. "You've never even been on a date!" Peter and I laugh. "What? What? Am I missing something? Dude? What?"

"He really doesn't know?" I ask Peter.

"Apparently not."

"What? What? I want to know! What?"

"Can I tell him?" I ask Peter.

"Go ahead."

"Peter was my first kiss."

"What?" Asher yells. "You, what? How? When? Why? What?"

"Okay, um, I kissed Peter, by smashing our lips together, first grade, we felt like it, and Peter kissed me. Oh and I think you may have forgotten where. That would be at the school playground on the swings."

"What? You, what?" Asher sits back on the couch, with his face in his hands. "What?"

"I'll just give you a second to comprehend. But it's still your turn."

"Okay, um, you, uh, you," he says pointing to Peter. "Truth, or, uh..."

"Dare."

"Eighty pushups. Clapping. Go."