Having Samantha Puckett sit in a booth with kisses for charity really isn't a good idea. Carly had come to understand that during the course of the day. Not that Sam wasn't pretty. Carly thought Sam was indeed very pretty. The problem was that Sam was scary. Any boy approaching the booth would risk either physical pain or a searing insult. Everyone seemed to know this. Now, there were a few brave souls who actually dared to approach anyway, but they were quickly scared off in one way or another.
"Sam, you know there really isn't any point in you sitting here if you keep scaring everyone away." Carly admonished.
"Good, then I can leave." Sam said and attempted to get up.
"No." Carly said firmly and put a hand on Sam's shoulder.
"You told me yourself it was pointless."
"Yes, but only because you scare people away."
"I only do that because I don't kiss any of these nitwits and knuckleheads."
At this moment a shy boy with red hair slowly approached the booth, but Sam showed her teeth and growled in a menacing fashion. He quickly ran away.
"Fine!" Carly said and slammed a dollar down on the table.
Sam looked up at her in surprise.
"Well, you're gonna make some money here, even if it's not much."
"So...?" Sam said and raised an eyebrow
"So what?
"So, do you want your kiss or not? You just paid for it." Sam asked with a smirk.
Carly hadn't really thought about that. All she wanted was for Sam to have at least some money to turn over to charity. The thought of actually kissing Sam was ...well....it didn't seem that bad. Really, it would be a good lesson for Sam that she had to actually do something for the money. And if she was bluffing then she wouldn't get any money. It was all very rational and about setting an example to kiss Sam.
"You know what, Sam? I do want that kiss." Sam said with a determined look on her face.
Sam fired off a bright smile and stood up on her side of the booth. Carly was slightly nervous, but still very determined to go through with this. It really was a simple mechanical process to lean in and meet Sam's lips with her own. Carly did so and then they kissed. It really should have been just about keeping their lips together for perhaps a second and then this silly little thing would be over. Then why did it feel so damn good? Sam's scent was very familiar to Carly, but for some reason this time it was almost intoxicating. And wasn't it supposed to end by now? Carly felt how her cheeks started flush and she pulled away.
"Sooo....well.....that wasn't so bad now was it? Kissing a person, just anyone really. Very simple. You can do that for charity. Now you can kiss other people and make lots of money for charity. It's all very good and simple."
Sam simply raised her eyebrow and formed an amused smile as she watched Carly's babbling.
"Hmm...Carly, don't I owe you five dollars from when we went to Groovie Smoothie the other day?"
"Uhhh...wha..yes, yes I guess so."
"Well, I have it here." Sam said and pulled out a five dollar bill from her pocket.
Carly reached for it, but was interrupted.
"Don't you think you should give that money to charity instead of hogging it for yourself?"
"Fine." Carly said and took the money only to slam it down on the table.
"I know that you're trying to get back at me for nagging you. But you know what, I have no problem kissing you so now I will get five kisses. Happy now?" Carly sputtered out in an exasperated tone.
"Come here." Sam said and pulled Carly in.
Why did it have to feel so damn good again? I'm just kissing my best friend for whom I have absolutely no romantic feeling whatsoever, none at all, Carly thought to herself. But good it felt, there was no denying that. Even Sam's slightly aggressive act of pulling Carly in for the kiss felt good. It felt so good even that when it ended Carly missed the feeling of Sam's lips on her own.
"Four more to go." Sam said and she certainly seemed to be very happy about that.
Carly did have to admit to herself that yes it felt good and that yes she was indeed happy about four more kisses. Nothing wrong with liking to kiss a friend Carly thought as the next kiss started. Kissing is good, friends are good, so there is absolutely no problem combining that. Even if that friend is now trying to push her tongue into my mouth which by the way is feeling incredible. Even if I allow her to do that and this supposed kiss is now turning into something that is awfully close to making out. Even if this is lasting longer than the earlier ones. Even if my heart is now beating miles a minute and I'm really red in my face. Damn it, it ended!
"Huh...that was ..." Carly managed to get out.
"SCRAM!" Sam screamed at the audience that had gathered.
With the onlookers quickly scurrying away Sam and Carly got a little bit of privacy.
"You're not mad about me using tongue?" Sam asked.
"No. no. Not at all." Carly said, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically.
"Good." Sam said with a happy smile.
Things were getting awfully confusing for Carly now. Her mind was in disarray with all these crazy feelings. All that she knew was that kissing Sam felt good and that there were three kisses left. This time it was Carly who pulled Sam in for the kiss and this time there was tongue involved right from the beginning. It was full on making out. It was intense and it was passionate. And it felt incredible. Carly couldn't really hide that from herself. Thinking while kissing can be hard, but right now it was very simple for Carly. This was just so right, so incredibly right. Sam suddenly broke it off, but only to quickly come around from behind the booth and immediately start it up again. This time it was full body contact with Carly putting her arms around Sam's' shoulders and Sam putting her hands on Carly's lower back. They didn't brake it off until Carly needed to breathe.
"Wow." Carly said with a deep and happy sigh.
"Ohh yeah.." Sam said with a huge grin.
"Did that count as one or two kisses with you breaking it off and coming around the table?" Carly asked.
"Does it matter?" Sam asked.
"Not to me, it doesn't."
"Not for me either."
Carly was aware that an audience had gathered again, but that didn't matter either. In fact it gave her
an idea. She took the six dollars she had previously given and added another ten. Then she gave the money to Gibby, who happened to be standing by.
"Go turn this in and tell them it's the proceeds from the kissing booth."
Without waiting for an answer she took Sam's hand and dragged her out of school.
"Well, seems you just bought me for the rest of the day." Sam said.
"I guess I did."
For a brief moment Carly was afraid that she had misread the situation. That she had gotten caught up in a silly situation and that Sam had only been doing this to mess with her.
"Then I better make it worth don't I?" Sam said and pulled Carly in close, their mouths only inches apart.
Sam was just about to initiate another kiss, when Carly spoke up.
"Wait! What does this mean?"
Sam hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"To me it means that I'm finally getting to do something I've wanted for a long time. To kiss my best friend who also happens to be the girl I'm kinda in love with. And I was kinda hoping it means the same thing for you."
It was rare to see fear in Sam's face, but Carly could see that now. It was the fear of rejection. Carly thought for a second and then fully realized the truth.
"I....I....guess it means the same to me as well, even though I just realized that well...I guess I'm in love with you I suppose. You're this wonderful amazing, strong person who's always there for me and right now I it seems like all I can think of is how badly I want to kiss you." Carly said.
"Now whatever are we going to do about that?" Sam said and closed the distance between their lips.