As Polar as the Express
"Riley?"
"Yes Ben?"
"I can't help but feel this… thing… between us."
Riley leaned back on the couch and sighed. It was one week until Christmas and he had to admit, he'd been avoiding Ben. Ever since he and Abigail had broken up again, Riley felt like his time with his friend was ticking until Ben got back together with her. Don't get him wrong, he was glad Ben and Abigail were on good terms this time and he loved the girl to death but he felt strangely… jealous? Possessive? He didn't know.
"What thing Ben?"
"This… cold shoulder."
"I haven't been giving you the cold shoulder!"
"You have. You've been downright avoiding me!" Ben said.
Riley felt the conversation taking a turn for the worst and suddenly became uncomfortable. He sat up and shifted in his spot.
"Well I'm here now, right? Jeez you're so paranoid."
"Right. Riley you've been treating me like the plague! You've been as- as- as Polar as the Express!" he said, gesturing with his arms in a very un-Ben-like manner.
Riley blinked a few times.
"Did you just make a Polar Express reference?"
"I, uh, maybe."
"Huh… didn't think you have it in you."
"Had what in me?"
"Had the ability to make an incredible fool of yourself but making a reference to a kid's movie." He laughed.
"This is coming from Mister 'She-had-the-moves-of-Mulan-and-the-mystery-of-Pocahontas'?"
"But she did! And I'll tell you, had I ever pursued a relationship with that girl we'd have lasted, like, all through our kindergarten years. Too bad she pushed me off the swings."
Ben laughed in spite of himself.
"Why've you been avoiding me Riley?" he asked softly.
"I've kinda been avoiding everyone. I don't like the Christmas season too much." Riley admitted awkwardly.
"Why?"
"Mdesonn Wraee." He mumbled.
"Who?"
"Madison Ray." Riley said louder.
"I'm not following."
"She was supposed to meet me at the school's Christmas dance senior year. We were gonna become official and she left me standing under the mistletoe like a complete loser."
"That ruined Christmas for you?"
"You don't get it, Ben. There are six big kisses in a person's life. Kisses that mean something. The First Kiss, The Dancing Kiss, The Rain Kiss, The Marriage Kiss, The First Child Kiss, and The Mistletoe Kiss. She made me miss out on what would have been two of the three."
"Two?"
"The First and The Mistletoe."
"But haven't you kissed girls since then?" Ben asked in confusion.
"Can we drop it, please?"
"Have you?"
"Well yes but it wasn't the same."
"What do you mean?"
"My first kiss happened on a dare and the girl was drunk. That was the only time I kissed someone."
"So you really missed out, huh?"
"Yeah I guess." Riley settled back on the couch again, closing his eyes. He felt the couch shift as Ben stood. Then next thing he felt stunned him. A pair of lips brushed his as softly and gently as possible. Riley's eyes flew open as Ben moved away from him.
"Wha- I- You- We- Ki- Huh?" Riley stuttered.
"I'm sorry, I don't follow." Ben laughed, then he turned serious. "I'm sorry, it's just that when you said you've never been kissed I thought- never mind it was stupid."
Riley grabbed two fistfuls of his sweater as he started to move away and pulled him back down. Their lips crashed together and Riley gasped as Ben fell on top of him. When they broke apart Ben's arms had moved to either aide of Riley so that he was pushed up on his forearms and Riley's thighs were on either side of Ben's hips. They were sprawled across the couch, crushed together like a pair of teenagers.
"Still think I'm as Polar as the Express?" Riley asked innocently.
"Do I really need to answer that?"