The Pursuit of Felicity

{ Chapter 13 }

I stare at my friends as we sit at the dinner table. I still haven't told them how I spent my night yesterday. I've been with them all day, silently struggling to wrap my head around what happened. I could barely focus on the homework I was supposed to be doing. "Guys," I start and Mel looks up at me from her plate. Gen shoves one more chicken nugget in her mouth before giving me her full attention. "I kissed Cam."

Silence ensues.

"Well, he kissed me. But it was mutual. We kissed each other."

More silence.

"I don't know what it means. It was just practice. Well, he was helping me practice. But it was good."

Even more silence.

"Are you guys going to say anything?" Their gazes bounce from me back to each other.

"Dude, you're so whipped," Gen announces and my jaw drops in shock.

"How the hell am I whipped?" I am most definitely not whipped.

"You just felt the need to tell us that you kissed Cameron." She swings around her spoon like a wild woman. "You sleep with whoever, whenever, and you feel the need to start telling us who you lock lips with."

"B-Because it's Cam!" I feel the need to add: "and I never kiss people!"

"So?" Gen taunts with raised brows. "Unless, of course...you like him." The corners of her lips pull upwards with a devious intent.

"No!" I have a feeling that I'm not telling the truth and they probably do, too. But I can't confess to them just yet. They'd probably try to force me into a relationship with him and I don't even know if I want that.

Gen cups her ear, "sounds like a lie," she squints at my face, "looks like a lie," she breathes in deeply, "smells like a lie," she nods in confirmation, "so it must be a lie."

"You know it's normal to like people, Fee," Mel reminds me with a small but hopeful smile. I quickly shift my head from left to right a few times.

"I don't like him!"

"Not even a little bit?" Mel practically presses her fingers together to estimate a tiny amount. I wrinkle my nose and assess the barely visible gap between her fingers.

"No." I'm almost positive the heat on my cheeks means that my face is bright red. If that doesn't give me away, then I don't know what will. But I'm not saying the words because then that'll make it real.

Gen and Mel look at each other before Mel grins widely. "So...are you going to go on that date with him?"

"No!" I look pointedly between the two of them. "And you guys can't say anything. You can't tell Ashton and you can't tell Axel."

"Say anything about what?" Gen tilts her head.  "I mean, you never said you liked him. What's there to tell?" Mel gives a fervent nod in agreement and I feel slight relief.

"Soooo...are you going to tell him?" Mel wonders after a few seconds of me just staring at them threateningly.

"What the hell? No, Mel, I'm not." I shake my head and contort my face to one of confusion. "What a stupid question."

"Here's a good question: are you coming tonight?" Gen decides to change the topic but I furrow my eyebrows at her. She waits a few seconds before continuing. "You know, rollerskating?"

"I was never invited to that." My gaze bounces between the two girls. I wait for one of them to snap their fingers and mumble about how they forget to mention it but it doesn't happen.