First Kiss, Chapter 4
Seven Minutes of Heaven, or Gone but not Forgotten
By Margaret (tvrox) and Lauren (sweetangel251)
Author's Note: Hello, this is Margaret. I have been writing all the past chapters, with guidance from Lauren. However, this is the last chapter of the past. Chapter five will mark a time warp eighteen years forward to present day, where Lauren will begin writing and will take over until the end of the fic. So say goodbye to me for now, as well as Nikki, Pete, Sarah, Derek, Taylor, and Emily, because they're all characters who won't appear in the present. Now, on with the story. Enjoy! We were all at Derek's house. Our party wasn't much of one, as there wasn't much to do, and he didn't have much food in the house. But we had some chips and soda, music to dance to, and games to play.
However, it had taken so long to get ourselves organized that by the time the party started, it was already about 9:15. Nikki had called home and told her mother that we were at Derek's and we'd be a bit late.
Now we had been dancing and eating and just generally partying for quite awhile, and it was late. I looked at the clock and realized that it was 10:30. I was supposed to be home. But I didn't want to go. I figured that since Nikki had called home, it was okay to stay a bit late.
"Hey, guys," said Taylor, "let's play seven minutes of heaven!"
Everyone agreed, but Luke and I were the only ones who were nervous. Everyone there but us had kissed a guy-or in half the cases, a girl-before. We hadn't.
"Okay!" Emily took charge. "Everyone take a little piece of paper and write your name on it so we can pick names from a hat!" We did.
We flipped a coin to see who would pick names-the girls or the boys. It landed girls. Nikki volunteered to pick first. Fortunately for her, she picked Pete's name. So they headed for the closet.
They emerged exactly seven minutes later, and it was my turn. I closed my eyes, reached for the hat, and carefully picked a slip of paper.
I opened my eyes and looked at it, and saw the one word that, little did I know, would change my life forever. Luke. I made eye contact with him, and we walked towards the closet. To us, it was the forbidden closet.
When we got inside, it was pitch black. Luke reached up and pulled the string that would turn on the light.
"I don't think you're supposed to do that," I said. "The rules say we're supposed to have the light off."
"I guess, but don't you like it better this way?" he asked.
"Well, yeah," I conceded. There was a long pause. "This is awkward," I said. Luke looked at his watch.
"Four more minutes," he said. There was another long pause. "Two more minutes."
"This is really awkward," I added. "I guess we're supposed to kiss. Have you ever kissed a girl before?"
"Never. Have you ever kissed a guy?"
"My mother would have a fit."
"So that's a no?" asked Luke.
"It's a NO WAY." I confirmed. "Though I'm not sure I'd mind it if I did."
"Well, the whole point of this game is that we're supposed to kiss, so why don't we?" suggested Luke.
"Why not?" I said.
"But we'd better do it fast-we've got less than a minute," he answered, looking at his watch again.
And then he kissed me. It was better than I'd ever imagined it could be. It was like all my troubles, everything that had ever gone wrong, were gone for just a moment. I thought I heard someone calling my name, but I ignored it.
Luke looked at his watch, pulled away, and whispered, "Time's up."
We turned off the light and stepped out of the closet, where we were met by a very angry Paulo.
"Miss, it is eleven o'clock. At ten-thirty-five your mother sent me out for you, but you were not at Nicole's. Nicole's mother informed me of where you were and told me how to get here. And when I arrive I am told that you are in a closet kissing a boy you don't even know? What am I going to tell your mother, when you get home and it is nearly midnight?"
"Please, Paulo," I begged. "Don't tell her I came here. Tell her Nicole and I were studying and lost track of time. Please, if you promise never to tell her, I'll never stay out late again."
"Then how am I to explain the fact that we return nearly an hour after I set out to find you when Nicole's is fifteen minutes from your house?"
"Tell her there was traffic, please."
"All right," he agreed. "But only if we leave now." He headed for the door, and I followed him. We got into the car, and began to drive home.
About halfway home, raindrops began to fall, harder by the minute. I looked out, and remembered every time I'd driven somewhere in the rain. The car had always been my favorite place to be in the rain, it just felt so cozy.
And then, out of the blue, I realized something. I would most likely never see Luke again. He went to a different school, and I didn't have his name or address. And how would he ever reach me-I'd never even told him my name!
So Luke was gone. But I'd always have that kiss to remember him by. He was gone, but not forgotten.
Author's Note: Hello, this is Margaret. I have been writing all the past chapters, with guidance from Lauren. However, this is the last chapter of the past. Chapter five will mark a time warp eighteen years forward to present day, where Lauren will begin writing and will take over until the end of the fic. So say goodbye to me for now, as well as Nikki, Pete, Sarah, Derek, Taylor, and Emily, because they're all characters who won't appear in the present. Now, on with the story. Enjoy! We were all at Derek's house. Our party wasn't much of one, as there wasn't much to do, and he didn't have much food in the house. But we had some chips and soda, music to dance to, and games to play.
However, it had taken so long to get ourselves organized that by the time the party started, it was already about 9:15. Nikki had called home and told her mother that we were at Derek's and we'd be a bit late.
Now we had been dancing and eating and just generally partying for quite awhile, and it was late. I looked at the clock and realized that it was 10:30. I was supposed to be home. But I didn't want to go. I figured that since Nikki had called home, it was okay to stay a bit late.
"Hey, guys," said Taylor, "let's play seven minutes of heaven!"
Everyone agreed, but Luke and I were the only ones who were nervous. Everyone there but us had kissed a guy-or in half the cases, a girl-before. We hadn't.
"Okay!" Emily took charge. "Everyone take a little piece of paper and write your name on it so we can pick names from a hat!" We did.
We flipped a coin to see who would pick names-the girls or the boys. It landed girls. Nikki volunteered to pick first. Fortunately for her, she picked Pete's name. So they headed for the closet.
They emerged exactly seven minutes later, and it was my turn. I closed my eyes, reached for the hat, and carefully picked a slip of paper.
I opened my eyes and looked at it, and saw the one word that, little did I know, would change my life forever. Luke. I made eye contact with him, and we walked towards the closet. To us, it was the forbidden closet.
When we got inside, it was pitch black. Luke reached up and pulled the string that would turn on the light.
"I don't think you're supposed to do that," I said. "The rules say we're supposed to have the light off."
"I guess, but don't you like it better this way?" he asked.
"Well, yeah," I conceded. There was a long pause. "This is awkward," I said. Luke looked at his watch.
"Four more minutes," he said. There was another long pause. "Two more minutes."
"This is really awkward," I added. "I guess we're supposed to kiss. Have you ever kissed a girl before?"
"Never. Have you ever kissed a guy?"
"My mother would have a fit."
"So that's a no?" asked Luke.
"It's a NO WAY." I confirmed. "Though I'm not sure I'd mind it if I did."
"Well, the whole point of this game is that we're supposed to kiss, so why don't we?" suggested Luke.
"Why not?" I said.
"But we'd better do it fast-we've got less than a minute," he answered, looking at his watch again.
And then he kissed me. It was better than I'd ever imagined it could be. It was like all my troubles, everything that had ever gone wrong, were gone for just a moment. I thought I heard someone calling my name, but I ignored it.
Luke looked at his watch, pulled away, and whispered, "Time's up."
We turned off the light and stepped out of the closet, where we were met by a very angry Paulo.
"Miss, it is eleven o'clock. At ten-thirty-five your mother sent me out for you, but you were not at Nicole's. Nicole's mother informed me of where you were and told me how to get here. And when I arrive I am told that you are in a closet kissing a boy you don't even know? What am I going to tell your mother, when you get home and it is nearly midnight?"
"Please, Paulo," I begged. "Don't tell her I came here. Tell her Nicole and I were studying and lost track of time. Please, if you promise never to tell her, I'll never stay out late again."
"Then how am I to explain the fact that we return nearly an hour after I set out to find you when Nicole's is fifteen minutes from your house?"
"Tell her there was traffic, please."
"All right," he agreed. "But only if we leave now." He headed for the door, and I followed him. We got into the car, and began to drive home.
About halfway home, raindrops began to fall, harder by the minute. I looked out, and remembered every time I'd driven somewhere in the rain. The car had always been my favorite place to be in the rain, it just felt so cozy.
And then, out of the blue, I realized something. I would most likely never see Luke again. He went to a different school, and I didn't have his name or address. And how would he ever reach me-I'd never even told him my name!
So Luke was gone. But I'd always have that kiss to remember him by. He was gone, but not forgotten.