Secrets we keep in bottles

Round-about

(Hey guys! This is my first published story so i hope you enjoy! If you do, feel free to follow me to get updates on future pieces!)

Trigger warnings: Drug abuse, child neglect/abuse, gay slurs

______________________________________

Glass of a perfectly sound pop bottle scrapped across the concrete floor as it was spun counter clockwise. Round and round it went before it's cap landed on the 5'9 jock of a boy Tim Winsly. Score. He smirked at his new partner and leaned forward without hesitation, planting a big kiss against the lips of Ellen Sue. Blushing from adrenaline and a mild amount of anxiety, she pulls away before she's givin the chance to taste him. Some of the group hollered with amusement while the other side grinned and exchanged small giggles.

"Your spin now Eric!" Exclaimed Ellen in attempt to turn the attention away, grabbing a handful of potato chips from the bag that was being passed around.

"Better pucker up Jess." Eric made wet, exaggerated smooches in her direction. She made gag noise but the smile on her face held no real disgust. He leaned forward and grasped the bottle between his skinny fingers, giving it a good spin back in the direction it came. It made rounds several times, turning and turning again before coming to a skidding halt in front of Bill (Clucker) Bucket. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked across the circle at Eric, a hidden flicker of surprise in his friends eyes as well.

"Gay!!" One of the girls jokingly shouted, following it up with roar of laughter from the group. Bill immediately crossed his arms in defense.

"No way am I kissing you." He huffed, lips turned downwards in a half hearted scowl. Eric grinned widely at the site of his friends discomfort.

"Come on man, we can't move on with the game until you do. It's just a stupid kiss anyways. It doesn't mean anything."

The kids started up a slow chant starting with Ellen, then Tammy, egging Bill on. Kiss...Kiss..Kiss.. Even Eric's best bud Jacob joined in on the chant between crunches of potato. Before Bill could protest any farther Eric leaned across the mess of food and glass, giving him a loud exaggerated peck on the lips. Bill wiped his mouth across his sleeve in disgust, shoving Eric's chest away from him.

"That's sick!" He exclaimed in mild irritation.

"There. Now we can move on." Eric chuckled, snatching some of the salty snack from Jacob's hand as he slumped back down onto his side of the circle. Jacob shot him a soft glare in return and pulled his snack in closer to his body.

"Jacobs next!" Sing-songed Eric through a full mouth, his amusement growing when Jacob's cheeks gained a reddish tint.

"I'm okay," He said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "I just came to watch."

"Ah-ah-ahhh no sir, you paid to play."

"I-..How?" He questioned, puzzled.

"You brought the chips." A statement so matteroffactly it only confused Jacob more.

"How does tha-"

"Oh my godddd just do it already." Eric huffed dramatically, giving Jacobs back a nudge. "Everyone else has already had a few turns. Tammy's on her 4th!"

Swallowing hard he sets the Lays down and leans forward slowly, his ears beginning to burn. Gripping the glass between his slightly sweaty palm, he spins the bottle and waits. He prayed the universe would give take pity on him and tip the odds into his favor. He only cared if it landed on a handful of people, he could live with kissing a few from the group. He would even take Tammy Thompson and her over-glossed lips over Tim.

The seconds drag on like hours as he watches the bottle turn around and around. He could feel his heartbeat in his ears. By a cruel twist of fate, the bottle top slowly comes to a halt and lands on none other than Eric Henson himself. They exchange looks and neither boy looks happy about the outcome, Eric blowing off the forminh awkward energy with a laugh. Jacob starts to question weather or not he was the one with the reddest cheeks now.

"I vote for a re-spin." Eric pipes up almost immediately, dismissing his friends stare and reaching for the center of the circle.

"Nope! A spins a spin! Besides, its just a silly kiss isn't iiit? It won't mean anything." Smirked Bill, gesturing to Jacob to speed up the process. Should have known Bill would get his revenge. Grinning widely, Bill leans back to watch the show.

Jacob gulps quietly. "Come on guys." He gently pleads, no hope on the horizon for a vote change. It wouldn't be fair anyways and he knew it. Bill had to kiss Eric, and Amy had to kiss Ellen. They weren't going to let them off just like that. A games a game, you come to play or you don't come at all. "One kiss, it'll be fine. Just a quick peck. Nothing more to it, right?"

Right?

If he was so sure why did it feel like he had to convince himself.

"Kiss..Kiss..Kiss..Kiss" The chants start up and fade into the background, his own heartbeat doing a good job of drowning them out. His palms weren't just moist anymore.

Looking up at Eric, he takes a personal deep breath. Eric looks back at him and his expression is unreadable. He furrows his brows and starts to speak but suddenly a warm, soft pair of lips connect with his own. In that split second he feels his stomach drop as it dawns on him and his chest explodes in a firey warmth he's never felt before; Its almost suffocating. Or maybe that was due to a genuine lack of oxygen. Breathing through your nose while your hearts racing will do things to you. His anxiety heightens, or was it anxiety? He wasn't completely sure right now. He didn't feel a panic attack coming on so maybe he was okay.

Very suddenly it dawned on him. Maybe this is what he was supposed to feel when he kissed Tammy Thompson last year in 10th grade. Was it though? He was conflicted. He hadn't ever kissed a boy before until now, for good reason. He wasn't sure what it was supposed to feel like. He hadn't really felt attraction to Tammy either. Granted she was a very pretty girl, but he hadn't recalled ever wanting to kiss another before that or since. He just wasn't that interested.

This felt like more than a peck, and with the realization that his friend hadn't pulled away yet and all eyes were on them he ripped himself away from his thoughts and away from Eric. How long had they held that kiss? Surely it wasn't any longer than a normal kiss. Couldn't have been, he was sure someone would have said something and no-one had spoken of it. As a matter of fact they had almost immediately moved on. His lips and chest felt cold. He hadn't realized they were sitting that close. "Did I lean in? Oh fuck I hope not" Underneath his panic however he longed for the warmth again. He hadn't felt anything like it. He adverts his gaze to the bottle and clears his throat.

"S-so whos next?" He manages to choke out, catching a glimpse of Eric sitting back in his seat out of the corner of his eye. He licks his lips, pulling any remining moisture from Eric's lips into his mouth.

"I'll go!" Tammy pipes up not pausing to consider a group vote, and with that she gives the bottle a good spin.

As the game draws on Jacob sits quietly for the rest of the time with a thought so loud he feared it might leave his lips if he wasn't careful.

He was sure Eric wasn't just a friend to him anymore, if he ever was to begin with.