Party Games
"Woah!" exclaimed Star, gazing at the house in front of her. Banners and balloons decorated the entire exterior of the home, all sporting various ostentatious fonts of 'Happy Birthday'. Fairly loud party music could be heard booming from inside the house, which made Star almost squeal with excitement.
Marco rolled his eyes, smiling to himself in amusement as Star and the boy made their way down the front path of the house. "Star, relax. I know this is your first earth birthday party, but it's really nothing to get so excited about."
Star just smiled coyly at Marco, shaking her head. "Yeah, sure thing Marco," she said playfully, making Marco chuckle. "You said that there is music, games and cake at these earth parties. If that doesn't scream excitement, I don't know what does!"
The pair reached the front door, both holding small, carefully wrapped presents. Marco had wrapped both of them, as Star, during her attempt, had ended up getting tape stuck to just about every object in Marco's house except the present itself. The boy knocked three times, and, almost immediately, the door swung open to reveal a certain grinning beanie-wearing girl.
"Happy birthday, Janna!" Marco and Star said in unison, smiling while holding out their presents. The girl graciously accepted, putting them both to her ear and shaking.
"Thanks guys. Ooo, how exciting." she said devilishly, trying to figure out what mysteries were contained in the two gifts.
"Janna, they're your presents." Marco said, not being able to contain a grin. "You can just open them to see what's inside."
"Your keen sense of perception never ceases to amaze me, Diaz." Janna commented sarcastically, "Butttttt I won't be opening all my presents until later. Right now, it's game time."
The way the girl said that last part made Marco gulp a little. I dread to think what that entails.
Star, however, just charismatically jumped up in glee and anticipation. "Yay! Party games!" Janna chuckled at this, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Follow me, ladies," Janna ordered, leading the pair into her home. The interior of the house was decorated in a very similar fashion to the outside, with balloons and various other decorations inhabiting a lot of the space around them. Star grinned at this, her excitement building up even more.
Janna led Star and Marco through the hallway, passing several schoolmates who were all idly chatting while drinking soda. Others were dancing to the booming music, which hyped Star up. After this game, I am so getting my groove on!
The trio arrived in a smaller room towards the back of the house. As they entered, Marco noticed that there were a fair few kids sat on the floor in a circle, heads all turning when the three of them walked in. There was Ferguson, Alfonzo, Starfan13, Justin, Oskar and various other friends Marco recognised from school. But the one that caught his attention immediately was none other than Jackie Lynn Thomas. Marco blushed at the sight of her, hoping that he wouldn't make a fool of himself in front of his crush.
A round of greetings ensued from the circle of friends, to which Star excitedly replied, "Hi everyone! I am so pumped for this party game. What are we playing?"
Marco, however, had stopped dead in his tracks, putting pieces together as he observed the surroundings before him. A group of our friends, all sat in a circle, in a secluded part of the house … Marco saw the light from a nearby lamp glimmer innocently in the centre of the circle. Once the boy squinted at the mysterious object and realised what it was, all colour drained from his face. Oh no.
"We're playing 'Spin the Bottle', Star my chum." Janna grinned, putting one arm around the confused princess. "Just a friendly little game to play to kickstart the evening. Right, Marco?"
Janna winked flirtatiously at Marco, causing the boy to shudder and fear for his safety. Star just looked around the room curiously, the girl having no clue what this game was about or how it was played. Marco, however, knew exactly what happened in this game, and just the thought of it made his brow erupt with sweat. I have to find a way out of this, and quick, he thought nervously.
"Oh, man, I'd love to play, guys. Really, I would. But I just really like this song that's playing, and I haven't eaten all day, so I'm just gonna…"
Marco trailed off as he slowly backed out of the room, much to everyone's confusion, and to Janna's complete annoyance. "I knew the safe kid wouldn't have the minerals to play," she huffed in irritation, walking over to take her place in the circle.
Star just looked at the door to the room, biting her fingernails. She then turned back to her friends, "Give me two seconds, guys."
The princess caught up with Marco in the hallway, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Marco?"
The boy jumped a bit in fright before turning around and facing Star. He sighed in relief. "Oh, Star. It's just you. Thought you were Janna for a second there." He shuddered.
Star gave him a perplexed expression. "How come you don't wanna play?"
A number of reasons, Marco thought bitterly, all of which concern me staying out of Janna's clutches and keeping my dignity in front of Jackie. Or what little I have left, anyway. "Star, do you even know what spin the bottle is?"
Star put her wand in her mouth, deep in thought. Suddenly, out came her wild guess. "Oooh! Is it where we all throw bottles at each other and whoever bleeds the most wins?"
"No, its when you - wait, what?" Marco asked in confusion, to which Star shrugged. "Look, it's a dumb game where you all sit in a circle and spin a bottle round. Whoever the bottle points towards when it stops spinning, you have to…"
Marco trailed off, slightly embarrassed at having to explain the premise of this party game to a girl. Star just stared blankly at him. "You have to do what, Marco?"
Marco exhaled in tiredness. "You have to … kiss them." He concluded, to which Star's eyes widened a bit. The boy looked away in embarrassment while Star began biting her wand again, obviously thinking on what Marco had said. Suddenly, the girl came alive again, and grabbed Marco's shoulders in excitement, much to the boy's shock.
"Well then you have to play, Marco!" Star exclaimed, making Marco raise an eyebrow in confusion. Star sighed and continued. "You saw who was sat there, right? That's Jackie Lynn Thomas out there. You know, that girl you like?"
At this, Marco hushed Star frantically, looking around to make sure no one had heard that. "And your point is?"
"Duh, Marco! You could get to kiss your crush!" Star said enthusiastically, making Marco blush a bit. "Oskar's out there as well." She sighed dreamily, thinking about what it would feel like to kiss the bad boy of her desires.
Marco thought on Star's words. I guess she has a point, but … no, no way, the whole thing is just too awkward and embarrassing. The boy heard the laughter of his friends emitting from the game room. Although, maybe it would be a good chance to start something with Jackie…
Marco shook his head. "I dunno, Star, it's just-"
"Awesome!" interrupted Star, grabbing hold of Marco's arm excitedly and dragging him back into the room. "Trust me, you'll have a blast!"
Marco groaned. Looks like I'm doing this. Yippee.
"Well, seems like it's my turn first." said Janna slyly, twiddling the bottle between her hands as she eyed Marco playfully. "Since it is my birthday, and all."
Marco and Star had taken a seat next to each other and just opposite Janna. The boy winced, not liking how Janna was talking or how she was looking at him. His eyes never left the bottle as she placed in in the middle of the circle and gave it a gentle spin.
Marco eyes the bottle nervously as it spun, not knowing how he would react if he actually had to kiss Janna. He looked up and his eyes met her's briefly, and she gave the boy a suggestive wink. Marco gulped, closing his eyes. Please don't land on me, please don't land on me, please don't land on me, please don't land-
"Oh, jackpot baby!"
Marco's eyes shot open, his gaze immediately focusing on the bottle, which was pointing at…
"Ferguson?" Janna said with horror, the colour from her face draining. Marco sighed in relief, thanking any higher power that was looking out for him. Ferguson, meanwhile, was pumping his fists in the air with excitement, much to Star's amusement, who giggled.
"You have to kiss him now, Janna! Those are the rules." she chirped happily, and there was a murmur of agreement from the surrounding audience. Janna groaned.
"Okay, fine. Let's get this over with." she said dully as Ferguson crawled on all fours towards her, a grin on his face.
"Get ready for a taste of the Ferg." he said, in what sounded like an attempt at a flirtatious tone. Janna just cringed, closing her eyes tightly and moving her face closer to the ginger boy's. They both puckered, giving each other a small peck before Janna recoiled instantly, sticking her tongue out in repulsion.
While the beanie wearing girl was chanting a chorus of "ews" and "yucks", Ferguson stood up, a grin etched all across his large face. "Oh man, that was awesome! I'll see you guys later, I have to go tell my parents about this!"
And with that, Ferguson ran hurriedly out of the room, much to the perplexion of the surrounding teens. Janna had seemingly recovered, although she was sporting a particularly bitter scowl.
"Wait, so who goes next now?" asked Jackie, looking around the circle. Janna's scowl transformed into a sneaky smile as she jumped at this opportunity.
"Well, since it is my birthday, I think I should pick who goes next," she smiled evilly, her eyes falling on Marco, who began to grimace in fear. "Spin away, Diaz."
All heads turned in Marco's direction. Marco gulped, looking down at his knees, feeling the burning stare of one particular skater chick on him. "Uh, are y-you sure you d-don't want someone e-else to-"
"Oh, I'm sure." Janna grinned, causing Marco's eye to twitch. The boy lifted his gaze and looked around nervously, at all the eyes staring directly at him. There is no way I can do this…
"Hey," Marco heard from his left, and turned to face Star, who was harbouring a supportive smile. "You'll be fine, Marco. Just play the game."
Marco sighed in defeat, and nodded. Oh god, who knows what I'm getting myself into. Taking a deep breath, he moved his shaking hand over to the bottle and spun it.
Round and round the bottle spun, all eyes following it, but none so much as Marco's and Janna's. Marco wanted to close his eyes again, but found that he was unable to keep his eyes off of the ever-spinning bottle. The anticipation was killing him.
Finally, the bottle began to slow down, much to Marco's dread. Slower and slower the bottle spun, until it gradually came to a halt, pointing just to the left of the boy. Marco frowned at this, and his eyes followed the direction the bottle was pointing, until he met the gaze of the last person he expected it to land on.
Star just sat there, slightly wide eyed, locking eyes with Marco as a deep shade of red began to settle on her face. Marco imagined he must be blushing as well, and while he couldn't tell, the heat rising in his cheeks certainly gave off that impression. I have to kiss … Star?
"I swear, it's supposed to be my birthday!" Janna grumbled in annoyance, folding her arms and beginning to sulk. Everyone else's attention was on the two teens that were madly blushing, and who now were looking awkwardly in different directions, desperately trying to avoid each other's eyes.
"I don't think, uh …" Marco trailed off, unable to think of any excuse to get himself out of this embarrassing situation. I knew this was a bad idea…
"Yeah , I, er …" Star did the same, kicking herself for taking part in this game and for pressuring Marco to do so as well. My first birthday party game experience and I have to kiss my best friend…?
Janna, who still looked rather sour, lost her ongoing battle with frustration. "Oh, just lock lips already! Those are the rules, remember, Star?"
Star mentally kicked herself once more for saying those words. Begrudgingly, she turned to face Marco, who was bright red and looking down at his knees. Star sighed. Best get this over with. Oh man, this is gonna be so awkward.
"Well … I guess if it's only f-for a second…" said Star nervously, causing Marco to look up at her. The girl offered him a small smile, which the boy tried to return without it looking too forced.
Marco breathed deeply. I guess this is going to happen, then. Wish I'd never come to this stupid party…
"Sorry, Star." he said quietly, still smiling weakly at the girl. He positioned himself so that his whole body was facing Star, and the princess did the same.
"No worries, Diaz." said Star in a small voice, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to do. "Now, let me just…"
Slowly, Star began to lean towards Marco, her eyelids slowly dropping. Marco did the same, trying with all of his strength to prevent his hands from shaking. All of their friends were watching intently, interested in seeing the close friends' intimate moment. Closer and closer the two of them leaned, their faces only mere inches away from each other. Finally, Star felt the soft, tingling feeling of Marco's lips brushing against hers, and the two locked lips.
The kiss sent a jolt of electricity through Marco's body, which shocked the boy to no end. Star had a similar feeling, a wave of warmth washing over the girl as she felt the softness of Marco's lips gently caressing her own. After a second, all awkward thoughts evaporated from both of their heads as their minds went completely blank. The pair just focused on their shared kiss, their minds totally void of any thought. They melted into the kiss, the touch of their lips sending a warm and comfortable feeling through both Star and Marco' entire bodies.
"Uh, guys?"
Immediately, Star and Marco's eyes shot open, and they realised that their lips were still connected. Simultaneously the pair pulled away from each other, both slightly panting and sporting severe blushes. They stared at each other with wide eyes for a fraction of a second before averting their gazes awkwardly, slowly realising just how long that kiss had lasted.
Their friends all stared at the pair curiously, suspicions starting to trickle through their brains. Janna, however, was eyeing them both moodily, still sulking at her ruined plan.
Finally, Star was the first to speak, in a small, almost squeaky voice, "So, uh, who's n-next?"
All eyes shifted to Janna, who just groaned in response. "You know what? Forget this dumb game. Let's go open my presents."
And with that, all of the party goers got to their feet and shuffled out of the room, chatting to one another absentmindedly. Star and Marco both stood up, still blushing furiously and avoiding eye contact as they followed the crowd out of the game room.
"Bye Janna! Thanks for the party!" said Star, smiling brightly at her friend as her and Marco walked down Janna's front path.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." grumbled Janna, slamming the door. Marco winced at the loud sound it caused.
"Seems like she had a happy birthday," noted Marco sarcastically, as he turned to face Star, who laughed in response. The pair had a chuckle before the memory of the evening dawned on them, causing them both to stare at their feet in embarrassment as they left Janna's front garden and began the journey home.
The walk back home started off extremely silent, neither one of the duo wanting to add to the weirdness that clung around them like flies around dung. Star rubbed her arm awkwardly, wanting to put an end to the awkward vibe between her and Marco. Why did that bottle have to land on me? she thought, irritated at the embarrassment it had caused her and Marco. And why were we kissing for so long? Janna and Ferguson barely smooched for a second, and yet we were there like that for who knows how long.
Star recalled the funny feeling she had experienced during the kiss, the sort of electrifying feeling that had coursed through her body. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind, shaking her head. Things are weird enough already without making it all more … complicated.
Little did she know that Marco was facing the exact same internal problem. The boy walked parallel to Star, neither speaking a word to each other still. That kiss, Marco thought, remembering back to the experience and replaying it through his mind. Do all kisses feel so … right?
Finally, it seemed like the silence had become far too much for both Star and Marco, as the pair turned to each other and spoke simultaneously.
"Listen, Star-"
"Marco, I-"
The duo both ceased speaking, averting their gazes awkwardly for what felt like the hundredth time this evening. Again, the pair spoke in unison, and this time they replicated each other's exact words.
"Sorry, you go first."
Marco and Star now looked at each other in shock, blushing mildly at this callback to the Blood Moon Ball.
"No, seriously, you go!" they both exclaimed at the same time, causing them both to put a hand over their mouth. They looked into each other's eyes for another moment, before the pair of them burst out laughing.
Marco clutched his side as he laughed, looking at Star. The princess wiped a tear away from her eye as she giggled, returning the gaze.. The pair smiled at each other.
Marco decided to speak. "This isn't gonna make things … weird, is it?"
Star formed a small smile, "Nah, I shouldn't think so."
Both of them were satisfied that the awkwardness had seemingly vanished, continuing to grin at each other. "Friends?" Marco asked, opening his arms for a hug.
Star didn't even have to think twice as she almost leapt into Marco's arms, giving him a tight squeeze. "Friends." the girl said warmly, smiling.
The pair hugged for a few seconds, both noticing that their cheeks were feeling a little bit more warm than usual. But they put it down to the preexisting awkward vibes of the night as they released each other. They smiled contently to one another and, as they began again on their walk home, both Star and Marco couldn't help but think that they should attend birthday parties far more often.
