Of Scissors And Scooby Doo

Chapter 10

"Have you ever kissed a boy?"

Eleven-year old Jade released a long breath before she answered. "No. And I don't want to. Why are you asking?"

Tori shrugged her shoulders, reaching for a fry from her plate. "I don't know, it just seems like everyone makes a big deal out of... kissing. And just boys in general."

"Well," Jade started but paused to take a sip from her milkshake, "They're stupid."

"Boys?"

"They too. But I mean those boy-crazy girls. What's so special about 'em? I don't want to kiss them, I have better things to do."

Tori slowly nodded. She guessed Jade was right. But she was the first girl she heard who talked about boys like that. The other girls in her class were always giggling when a boy was talking to them and she wondered why she herself didn't feel like that. It was stupid to giggle when someone talked to you. You're supposed to be talking not giggling. "Have you?"

With a shake of her head, Tori answered Jade's question, causing the pale girl to nod and focus her attention on the French fries standing in the middle of the table. After a moment of hesitation and her teeth heavily biting her lip, Tori cleared her throat and leaned forward a bit. "What about a girl?"

Jade frowned. "A girl?"

"Have you ever," Tori's voice dropped to a whisper, "kissed a girl?"

"No, I haven't. I don't want to either. It's the same with boys. I have better things to do."

"Huh." A small wave of unease rushed through her as well as a twinge of excitement when she thought about her first kiss. How long would it be till she'd get it? Where would it be? With who would it be? And while she watched Jade from across the table, she couldn't help but wish... that maybe she would change her mind. At least about kissing a girl.

Stupid, stupid Andre! As much as I love him, it was just unacceptable! Hadn't it been for him, who knew what would have happened between me and Jade. Oh right, I know! We would have kissed! And I knew it hadn't been a dream, I knew it! She wouldn't have leaned in, she wouldn't have been so adamant on knowing if it was a "good dream" or not. God, this girl was driving me insane, slowly but steadily. I just hoped I wouldn't end up in a mental institution.

Jade hadn't asked about "my dream" again. She also pretended as if the moment in the hallway had never happened. I hadn't mentioned it either. Instead, I found myself observing every little thing Jade did in my presence. Fleeting touches. Lingering glances. Soft smiles. And she wanted me to believe that what I remembered was just a dream? I couldn't understand why she would want me to think that.

My train of thought was interrupted when I saw a flash of red approaching me. "Hey Cat!" But as soon as I saw her face, looking so blank and... wrong without her usual smile, I felt my forehead crease with worry. "What's wrong?"

She pushed out a long sigh and plopped down on a seat across from me in a very unlike Cat fashion, eyes kept down and fingers playing with a strand of her bright red hair. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"Come on. I see something's wrong. What's up? Tell good ol' Tori."

When she glanced up at me I got a glimpse of a small smile hushing over her face before it got replaced by her sad frown again. "I'm sad."

I pushed my salad to the side and put my arms on the table, leaning forward. "Why are you sad?"

Another deep sigh. "I'm all alone this entire week," she started to explain, her eyes kept on the blue table, "My brother needed to go to the special hospital again and my parents have to stay there with him. But because of school I couldn't go with them, I didn't want to anyway, but now I'm all alone."