No Kissing

This is a oneshot story written for cheekymonkey34's competition, 'First Kisses'.

Me and Deuce have been best-friends since we were five.

It all started when my mom and I were on a grocery-shopping trip. I don't like grocery-shopping - never have, never will. So, when she made me come with her, of course, I wasn't happy. "I waaaaaant tooooo gooooo hooooooome!" I remember wailing. My mom took no notice, and pulled me along with one hand, while she tried to push the trolley with the other. But pushing a shopping trolley loaded with groceries and trying to drag a petulant child who refuses to use her own legs to walk around WalMart isn't the easiest task, and my mom's trolley bumped into someone elses.

Most people don't remember most of their childhood - but, for whatever reason, I remember every detail of that perfect day when I met him.

The tears were streaming down my face as my mother lightly scolded me for making her bump into someone else's trolley. "Rocky, behave yourself!" She'd said. Then she looked at the lady behind the trolley, and smiled, then apologized. "Oh, no problem," The lady said, smiling. But I'd stopped listening. My eyes were fixed on the little boy beside her. He looked foreign. His skin wasn't totally white - like mine, it was a few shades darker, but not much. He simply looked very tanned. He had bushy eyebrows, and over sized headphones around his neck. I quickly wiped my tears away, feeling stupid for crying in front of him for whatever reason.

He smiled at me, then pulled a tissue out of his hoodie pocket. I took it, and blew my nose, and then he pulled something else out of his pocket - I smiled when I saw what it was. A strawberry-flavored lollipop. My favorite. "Pretty girls shouldn't cry," He whispered, unwrapping the lollipop, and handing it over to me. "Thanks," I mumbled, sticking the lollipop into my mouth and smiling at him.

After that day, my mom and Deuce's mom had arranged a play date for the both of us, and exchanged phone numbers. And so our friendship grew...

XxX

I remember being invited to my first party when I was ten. Not my first party, of course. I'd been to other parties - the one's with birthday cake, and musical chairs. The one's that your mom brought you to, then stayed to take pictures.

But this party was different.

It was at a teen-disco, and I was extremely excited to go. I'd made friends with a girl called CeCe during my next year of school, and now it was her birthday party. I was completely in awe of her as she described it - "There will definitely be boys." She said, grinning. She went on. I shivered a little as I remembered, then picked up the phone to call Deuce. "Hello?" I called into the phone. "Hey, Blue!" Came an extremely familiar voice. I smirked. "'Sup, Martinez?"

"Meh. The usual. So, are you excited?"

I knew what he was talking about without even asking. "And scared. I mean, I've never been to a party like this before."

I could practically see Deuce raising an eyebrow at me. "One with members of the opposite sex?" He questioned. I blushed. "I don't have any problems with boys!" I defended myself. "Okay, lemme rephrase - members of the opposite sex other than me?" I sighed, and heard him laugh. "You're no help," I told him, rolling my eyes even though he couldn't see me. "Okay, okay, sorry. So, when d'you want my mom to pick you up?" I bit my lip. "How about six?"

"Sure," And that was that.

But then, halfway into the party that, I had to admit, was one of the coolest things I'd attended, everyone gathered into a circle to play Spin The Bottle. I bit my lip. I'd heard rumors of the game, but, being ten years old, I'd never really played it.

CeCe saw me looking nervous. "Aw, come on, Rocky, it'll be fun!" I sighed. CeCe was always trying to make me more 'fun'. I loved the was Deuce seemed to like me just the way I was. I didn't want to make a scene, though. "Sure," I said, forcing a smile. "Let's play."

CeCe grinned, and Deuce watched me, looking nervous. "You don;t have to play, Rocky, if you don't want-" CeCe interrupted him, "She said she wanted to. Right, Rocky?" I nodded. "Yeah."

CeCe grabbed hold of a bottle, then explained the rules. "Whoever spins it had to kiss the person the bottle lands on - okay?" I didn't dare meet Deuce's eyes - he'd know how worried I was, and then insist that I sit out. I kept my eyes on the floor. CeCe span the bottle, and I watched it twirl round until it came to a halt... Pointing at Gunther Hessenheffer. I smiled at CeCe and she winked. She'd had a crush on him since the first day she'd met him. Gunther looked smug. "Alright, let's do this," He said, standing up. CeCe rolled her eyes at him

"Not here, dipstick, with everyone watching... we'll go to my bedroom." She suggested, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him along. I raised my eyebrows, then caught Deuce's eye, and we both had to stifle a laugh. CeCe tried to act like the most mature ten-year-old on earth, knowing all the facts of life, but we both knew that kiss would probably be an awkward, epic fail. Not because CeCe was a loser or anything, but because of the simple fact that they didn't know each other.

Not like me and Deuce knew each other.

I felt startled at my own thoughts. Did I just compare Gunther and CeCe's kissing to Me and Deuce kissing? I froze. I'd never thought about kissing Deuce before. And now I was thinking about how much better it would be compared to the kiss Gunther and CeCe were about to share.

Kiss.

That word hadn't even crossed my mind before.

Kissing.

Me and Deuce ... kissing.

Did I want that?

I was so lost in my own thoughts that when CeCe and Gunther walked back in, looking flushed, I barely noticed. I was jerked back into reality when CeCe nudged me. I instinctively looked at Deuce, who was blushing. I raised an eyebrow, confused. "You have to kiss Deuce!" CeCe sing-songed. Everyone else in the circle gasped. They knew that what Deuce and I had was nothing romantic. "You don't have to do it here," CeCe assured me, as if that would make everything better. "She doesn't have to do it at all," Deuce said, shaking his head. My heart plummeted to the ground.

But why was I feeling sad about the fact that Deuce didn't want to kiss me?

"Yeah," I croaked, my voice hoarse. CeCe shook her head, "No! You have to do it! Look, the bottle landed on you, and those are the rules. You can do it in my bedroom if you want to."

Gunther snickered. "'Do it in my bedroom,'" He quoted. I rolled my eyes. He was so immature. "Rocky doesn't want to - Right?" Deuce asked, looking at me. "Right." I said. Just lie and smile, Rocky... Just lie and smile. CeCe didn't look like she was going to let this one go,

"Fine." Deuce said, getting up and taking my hand. My heart was racing as he dragged me into CeCe's bedroom and slammed the door shut. I looked into him eyes, and, for the first time ever, I felt awkward. While I was with Deuce.

How messed-up was this?

"Don't look so scared. We're not gonna do anything, okay?" He said, rubbing my hands gently. I nodded, still stunned. He... He didn't want to kiss me.

Of course he doesn't want to kiss you, a voice in my head said. You're his best-friend for God's sake!

"Then what are we doing here?" I asked, trying to act normal. "Let's leave," I said, putting my hand on the doorknob of CeCe's room. He stopped me. "If we leave now, the'll think we didn't kiss. Let's just stay for about a minute, and then we can go - okay?"

I nodded. "Okay... No kissing," I clarified. He nodded fiercely. "No kissing," He agreed.

XxX

"It's so hot! CeCe groaned, fanning herself with her hand. We were at the beach - Gunther, CeCe, Deuce and I, to be exact. "Well, it is summer," I told her, rolling my eyes. She laughed, and grabbed a bottle of water, and we both watched Deuce and Gunther, who were standing in the shallow part of the sea, splashing each other with water. CeCe laughed. "You'd think, at fifteen, they'd be a bit more mature,"

"Boys will be boys," I sighed. "Tell me about it," She said.

CeCe and Gunther were in a relationship. For now. The'd broken up and gotten back together so many times, I lost count. But, I had to admit, they were a cute couple.

Gunther was walking towards us, and CeCe smiled up at him. He kissed her forehead, then he picked up her bottle of water and drank out of it. See what I meant when I said they were a cute couple? Deuce appeared a few seconds later. "Hey, Blue. Hey, CeCe." He'd taken to calling me by my last name recently. "Hey, Martinez," I greeted him. He raised his eyebrows at me, and I stuck my tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes, and I made my eyes look all cross-eyed. Then we both started laughing. "Dude, you are so friend-zoned," Deuce didn't reply, but when Gunther had his back turned, Deuce grabbed me bottle of water, and poured it all over his head. Gunther froze, then turned on Deuce, but Deuce was quicker, and ran out to the sea again, Gunther chasing him, swearing as he ran.

CeCe was staring at me. "What?" I asked her. "You know what! You and Deuce are sooo cute together!" She practically sang. I sighed. "CeCe, for the millionth time, we're just friends and I want us to stay just friends. M'kay?" Just lie and smile, Rocky. Just lie and smile...

"He could be madly in love with you, and you wouldn't even know it."

"I'm pretty sure Deuce isn't 'in love' with me."

"I see you guys flirting all the time."

"That's not flirting! Just because I'm comfortable around him doesn't mean I'm flirting."

"Yeah, right."

"CeCe, he's been my best-friend since I was five. I'm fifteen now - that's an entire decade," I said, remembering the day I met him in the supermarket and he told me that 'pretty girls shouldn't cry'.

"So?"

I sighed, and put on my sunglasses, ending the conversation. I didn't even let myself think about the possibility of me and Deuce dating anymore. Rejection from him would hurt too much. Anytime any of those thoughts crosses my mind, I would just hum my favorite song to tune it out. And then I'd forget.

Deuce had never ever showed any interest in me whatsoever. Even now, as I was laying here in a bikini, he barely gave me a second glance.

If I let myself think about asking him out, it would be all I 'd be able to think about. I wouldn't be able to talk about it with anyone, because no-one would be much help. The only person I talked to about those type of thing's was Deuce, and I obviously couldn't ask Deuce on advice on how to ask him out...

But maybe we didn't have to go out?

An idea crossed my mind, and I wanting to freaking hug myself for thinking of it. Luckily, Deuce was walking towards me and CeCe again. "Hi again," I greeted him. "Is something wrong?" He asked, and I sighed. He picked up on my moods so easily. "I was just wondering... do you want to go to the End Of Year Dance with me this Friday?" A look of mock-shock crossed his face, and he pretended to start crying tears of joy. "Oh my Gawd!" He squealed in a girly-voice. "I would love to!" I rolled me eyes. "I'm serious, Deuce." I told him, folding my arms. "So am I," He told me, back to his normal self. "Cool," I said, trying to seem off-hand.

"But why me?" He asked. "I'd've thought you'd have boys battering down your door to get a chance to ask you before anyone else... Crap, now I feel bad. I should have asked you should't I?"

I laughed, "It's fine. This is the twenty-first century. Women can do whatever men can do," Deuce smiled, then started to walk away. "But no kissing, 'kay? I mean, I know it'll be hard to keep your hands off me, but try," I rolled my eyes at him. I knew he was kidding, and didn't mean what he said to be taking seriously at all, but his words still set my heart racing. "Wear something pretty!" He called, running away, back to the water. I bit my lip. He hadn't even asked if this would be a date. Why would he ask? The voice in my head said. He knows you two are best-friends. Why would he suspect that you were asking him on a date?

I sighed. I needed Deuce to stop seeing me as just a friend - as messed up as that was, considering that we'd been best-friends for ten years now. But I was desperate, and I decided to turn to the person who I knew could make me look amazing. Good enough that Deuce would finally look at me differently.

"CeCe?" I said. "Would you help me with me hair and makeup on the day of the End Of Year Dance?" I braced myself for her inevitable overly-enthusiastic reaction, which was sure to come, as she'd just heard me ask Deuce to the dance.

"Yes!" She screamed, grinning from ear to ear. "We'll need to get started early - but I don't care, it'll be worth it! We'll need to go shopping for your clothes and shoes, and then your hair and makeup - you're going to look gorgeous! Deuce'll think so too. "I don't care what Deuce thinks of how I look," I lied. "He's my best-friend - I'm not dressing up because of him. I just wanna look good at the dance," I said. It was obvious that she didn't believe me. "Riiight," She said, raising her eyebrows.

XxX

"Whoa," Both Deuce and Gunther said simultaneously, instantly boosting my self-esteem by far. I twas the End Of Year Dance, and I'd spent pretty much the entire day in CeCe's house while she made me look 'boo-tiful', as she put it.

And, judging from the stunned looks on Gunther and Deuce's faces, it was worth it. I zeroed in on Deuce;s expression, and made a mental note to hug CeCe for this later. "Close your mouth, you're starting to drool," I remarked, smirking. I was wearing a body-hugging turquoise dress that came down to just above my knee's, my hair in a bun with wispy tendrils coming down at the sides of my face, that CeCe had warned me not to tuck behind my ears, no matter how annoying it became, and very small black heels.

Deuce, upon my request, shut his mouth.

I'd come to the party with CeCe, and Deuce had come with Gunther, and something told me that no-one was expecting me to look... well, this different. I hardly ever dressed up much. This was a change. I noticed Deuce glaring at someone behind me, and noticed that some guy was checking out my ass. Deuce ground his teeth together, narrowing his eyes, and the guy walked on. I smiled at Deuce gratefully, and he walked up to me. "Lookin' good, Blue," He said, taking my hand and leading me over to the food-table. "Thanks," I said. "I like it too... Apart from the shoes. I hate wearing heels," Deuce laughed. "CeCe?" I nodded. "CeCe," He got me a drink first, then tool one for himself. Then I put my cup down on the table, and so did he. No-one spoke for a while. The loud music that was making the floor vibrate under the soles of our feet became background noise. The people surrounding us, dancing, talking, and having fun - they blurred away until I couldn't see then anymore.

Suddenly, all I could see and hear was Deuce. I bit my lip, and saw his eyes flicker to it, then away. Slowly, without even thinking about what I was doing, I started leaning in towards him. A rational part of my brain screamed What the hell are you doing?! You're about to throw so many years of friendship down the drain! I took no notice. I tilted my head sideways, closing my eyes, and held my breath in anticipation as our lips were about to touch. "Uh, 'scuse me?" I froze. Deuce froze. Everything that had blurred out of my hearing and sight was suddenly back where it was before. We weren't in out own little world anymore. We were at a school dance.

Me and my best-friend were at a school dance, about to start making-out, in front of everyone.

Oh God.

I glared at our interruption, a boy I'd seen several times in the hallways of our school, but did not really talk to or know the name of. "What?" I growled at the interruption, my voice harsh. I didn't dare look at Deuce. I wasn't sure I wanted to see the expression on his face. "Um... I wanted to ask... if you - um - wanted to ... dance?" He said, stammering through his request. I pinched the bridge of my nose. He interrupted what could be the biggest moment of my life to ask if I wanted to dance? "I don't think she wants to, man," I heard Deuce say. The boy nodded, and walked away, giving me a look that suggested I might be crazy.

Which I totally was.

There was an awkward silence. "Um... I'll go... find Gunther," Deuce muttered. I didn't even bother questioning the fact that Gunther had told him he was back home because he'd forgotten his cellphone, and would be gone for the next ten minutes or so. I understood the need to escape the awkwardness. "Okay," I whispered. He looked at me closely for a second, and then walked away.

"Rocky?!" Deuce was pounding on my front door. I groaned, and looked at my bedside clock. It 3.a.m. I picked up my cell phone, and texted him, rubbing my eyes to wake myself up.

What the hell are you doing here so early? -R

Me and Deuce had avoided each other for the whole dance, and, eventually, I'd gone home early, unable to take the awkwardness. I hadn't told anyone about the almost-kiss.

Just let me in. -DI sighed, and sat up in my bed. Deuce had stopped knocking on the door now. I guessed he was waiting for me to open it... But I couldn't. It would be way too awkward. Just me and him... alone. After I'd tried to kiss him - We were supposed to be best friends for God's sake! Who the hell tries to kiss their best-friend?

But we were at that inevitable stage in out lives that everyone had warned us about - the part where we started seeing each other as more than best-friends... I sighed. I never thought it's happen to us. But after CeCe's Birthday party - what, five years ago? After we'd nearly kissed... It'd been different since then.

I bit my lip, contemplating whether or not to let him in. As if he read my mind, he sent me another text. Please? -D I sighed, and got out of bed, then sent him a quick text. You're lucky my parents aren't home. -R

I looked down at what I was wearing. My pajama shorts and a blue camisole. I thought about changing into something less revealing, then face-palmed. This was Deuce for God's sake. Why should it matter what I wore around him? Because you two nearly kissed, dipstick. I frowned at the voice in my head. I started that kiss... I basically forced myself on him. How do you know that's not what he wanted? He's my best-friend!

I sat back down on my bed, trying to regain a healthier level of sanity. After a few deep breaths, I felt the tiniest bit better, and went to answer the door. "Finally." Deuce said, waltzing in and sitting on my couch like nothing had happened earlier and it wasn't three a.m. in the morning. "What are you doing here?" I asked, folding my arms. He crossed his hands across his heart, pretending to be grief-stricken. "You're not happy to see me?" I threw a pillow at him. "I'm serious, Deuce. It's too early for you to be here - so there's obviously a reason."

I didn't let myself wonder what that reason might be.

He suddenly looked nervous. "Rocky, about what happened at the dance..."

So that's what this was about. He was here to tell me that we'd never be more that friends. "Forget about it. It's fine. The whole kissing thing - or almost kiss, or whatever. It's no big deal. It shouldn't have happened. Just forget about it."

He stared at me. "Um, yeah, if that's what you want."

I nodded. "Well, it is. And, er..." I sniffled a little in an attempt to keep from crying. I felt so pathetic. Stupid, stupid, stupid, I cursed myself. "You should probably leave now," I concluded, going to open my front door. "My parents'll be home soon..." He looked stunned, nodded, and walked out the door. He suddenly stopped and stood in the doorway, looking at me. "Leave," I told him, glaring. I didn't mean to be so harsh. I just wanted him to go away before I started bawling or something.

I tried to shut the door, but he stopped it from closing with his hand. "Go away, Deuce. Just - just go away." Then I started crying. "Why are you crying?" Deuce asked, looking worried and shutting the door behind him. He took my hands into his and tried to look into my eyes, but I kept my eyes on the ground. "Go away," I whispered. But, of course, he didn't. "I'm - n-not cry-ing," I gasped in between sobs. I wasn't looking at me, but I could tell he was raising his eyebrows at me.

"Rocky?" He whispered. I still didn't look at him. "Rocky - Rocky, look at me." I kept my eyes on the ground. "Rocky, please," I shook my head. He put his fingertips under my chin, and raised my head so that I was looking into his eyes.

His eyes... warm pools of brown. I'd always thought they were beautiful. His best feature, his smile coming in close second. He bit his bottom lip, and suddenly seemed hesitant.

I froze.

Time froze. Just like it had the last time this had happened.

I didn't move. I wasn't going to make any move at all. This would be all on him... If he decided to...

Was he going to?

Then he was leaning in towards me.

I stopped breathing.

Oh, God, he was going to... I could feel his breath on my face. Warm.

I felt my eyelids close.

And then... And then... His lips were on mine. We were kissing. Me and Deuce were kissing. His soft lips moved against mine, and, for the first time since this - whatever it was - had begun, I moved. My hands moved to his neck, and I finally started breathing again.

And then I knew... I didn't just like Deuce. I loved him. I loved him so, so much.

It felt like everything was OK again. His lips tasted like Jolly Ranchers - my favorite candy. I could feel his hands on my hips, pulling me closer to him.

It was indescribable. Like... fireworks exploding. It was all those corny lines they use to describe it in stories and more. I was burning up - But I liked it.

Then, too soon, he pulled away, looking at me with an expression I couldn't fathom.

My hands stayed around his neck, and his at my waist.

We just stood there, no words spoken, looking into each other's eyes.

"You broke the rule," I whispered, breaking the perfect silence.

He raised an eyebrow. "What rule?"

"The no-kissing rule," His hands started to move away from my waist. "Rocky, if you didn't want me to kiss you-"

"I'm not the one that enforced it," I told him, and his hands stayed where they were. "You did," I finished. "I did?" He asked, looking confused. I nodded. "All through our friendship, you've always tried to keep things platonic between us... I was sure you didn't like me in anyway other that a friend... And then you kiss me."

He shook his head, "I've wanted to that ever since the first day I met you. Remember that day? When I gave you the lollipop and told you that pretty girls shouldn't cry?"

I smiled. "You remember," I whispered. "How could I forget? Anyway, I meant what I said when I called you pretty. I was gonna kiss you on the cheek - Imagine! I was going to risk the infection of cooties for you,"

"Cooties?" I asked, smirking. "Hey, I was five. Cooties were like a terminal disease back then. But, anyway, I chickened out with the kiss back then, and gave you a lollipop instead."

"That's so sweet,"

"Thanks. So, ever since then, I've liked you as a little more than a friend... But I was pretty sure you didn't, so I tried my best to not flirt with you or anything. I didn't wanna freak you out," I smiled again.

Have you ever felt so happy that you were just speechless? That was it. That was what I was feeling.

"So where does this leave us?" I asked him.

He bit his lip. "Rocky Blue," He began, grinning, "Will you be my girlfriend?" I gasped, then laughed. "I'd love to," I told him.

"Wow. Rocky Blue's my girlfriend," He said, smiling and sitting down on my sofa, pulling me onto it beside him.

"Deuce Martinez is my boyfriend," I countered, smirking.

Wow. This is probably the longest story I've written in a while - but I think it's worth it, because I'm quite proud of it. Thank you for reading!