Chapter Two: Maybe it's Love

"It's easy! Just balance, Kiera!" called the brown-haired boy joyfully as the girl with him wobbled on his solar-surfer.

"But I"-

"Kiera, you can do it!" Jim said stubbornly. He had pulled her out of school to teach her how to surf. The rocky beach they were on made Kiera nervous, as the void after the crumbling sand was nothing but space. She did not want to go hurtling off into space.

"Are you sure they won't that we never showed up to school?" she said, hoping that would get off the board. She wobbled precariously again.

"Never! They haven't said anything to me yet and I haven't been to school in a month!" Jim barked as a solar wind whisked through, ruffling his hair and earring. Kiera didn't really appreciate that wind. It narrowly went up her long green skirt and spread it out, revealing her drawers to Jim. He did nothing about it; he just laughed and pulled his jacket on.

"JIM! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" she screeched as the board hovered a few more feet above the ground.

"Balance!" he shouted back. The wind blew a little harder and the board shifted.

She toppled over and suddenly, everything seemed to fall in slow motion. She fell down towards Jim. His arms opened to catch her. His face, her eyes briefly flickering to it, suddenly got a worried look that she had never seen on it. She flinched as her arms hit flesh and closed her eyes, afraid of what he might do if she touched him.

His arms locked arms her waist, pulling her up slightly as she grasped her wrists around his neck. Her nose was smashed into his chest. She felt her eyes widen at his…less than pretty smell of old food, machine oil, and general boy-ness.

"Hey, spitfire, you okay?" he asked, pulling her back to face him, his facial expression one of such tenderness and concern that she never would've guessed to see out of Jim Hawkins.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be alright," she murmured, blushing and stepping back.

"Are ya sure? I don't…I don't want to have to take you to a hospital…or give you CPR or anything," he said, rubbing the back of his head and looking awkward.

"I think you'd like to give me CPR, Jim, any guy would," Kiera said airily, trying to make him uncomfortable. She flounced away, smoothing down her white blouse and tugging the azalea pink belt around her waist a little tighter. "Can you even perform CPR, Jim?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Show me then." This could be it! She felt like jumping up and down in joy.

His hand reached out and touched her waist and he pulled her in, close to him. Gently, he pushed a lock of hair out of her face and leaned in.

"Well, first, I'd check your heart, to make sure it's beating fast enough." He pressed his ear to her heart. Kiera felt it double in speed as he took a deep breath and lifted his head, his nose barely missing her breast.

"And since your heart is still beating, I'll just breathe." Jim leaned forward and pressed his lips on hers in an undeniable kiss.

Thin and chapped. His lips were thin and chapped, not exactly what Kiera was expecting, but it was a…nice kiss all the same.

They broke apart.

"Uhm…so, how was it?" Jim asked, looking self-conscious.

"It was a nice kiss," Kiera replied a little too quickly.

"Just…nice? No fireworks?"

"No, no! There were fireworks…it was just…awkward…like most first kisses should be."

They exchanged a glance, and looked at their feet.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow!"

Gasping, Kiera shut the door of her room and stood against it. She had just kissed Jim Hawkins! The JimHawkins had just kissed her! Kiera Hawkins had a nice ring to it.

But it was Jim. He wasn't predictable. He was probably just playing with her, just to get some extra snogging in. He was only playing with her.

Was he?