"We are fond of the silliness"
"Alright, now this is just getting ridiculous." Owen stalked down the hallway to where Phil and Keely were talking, to the great surprise of not only Phil and Keely themselves, but also Via, and many others who observed from afar. Owen's demonstrations tended to attract attention.
"Owen?" Phil said by way of greeting. "What's up?"
"I must say," Owen orated seriously, "that I am personally shocked and appalled by the atrocities being committed around here. It's ridiculous!" He went on dramatically, "and so I find no other solution than to take matters into my own hands." And with another great flourish he pulled Keely towards him and kissed her.
Phil fell back against the locker bank behind him and seemed to choke on any words that came to him.
Keely, when Owen, grinning like a smug Cheshire cat, released her, was the image of surprise and a stream of incoherent babble was all that she could utter.
Finally, "Owen!" she cried. "What just happened here?"
"Keely," he said calmly. "You are a lovely lady, and the O-Dawg is, although in high demand, unattached."
Keely nodded, dazedly. This was true.
"There isn't a problem, is there?" he asked. "Because if there is—"
"You can't just kiss people like that!" Phil burst out, finally having regained his voice.
"Well, I don't see what you're getting so upset about, Phil; after all, I didn't kiss you." Another fair point.
Phil grimaced and tried to force that image out of his head.
"No, even worse, you kissed her." He pointed wildly at Keely, who watched him intently.
"Like I said, is there a problem with that?"
"Yes!" Phil repeated. "Problem!"
"Well do you care to expand on those fragments?"
"Yes," Keely said in a small voice. "Please do, Phil."
"Well, I mean," he said self-consciously, well aware that Keely and probably many others were listening to him make what had the potential to turn into an impromptu speech detailing his attraction to his best friend. "You have to be fair to Keely, here. How dare you assume that she desires to be swept into a warm embrace and kissed out-of-the-blue like that? You really have no idea how she feels on this issue."
Owen raised his eyebrows at Keely inquiringly.
"Well, actually, Phil, if we're being completely honest here, that whole sweeping, kissing thing doesn't sound so terrible. Just, no offense, O-Dawg," she added hastily, "but not by you."
"None taken," he replied smoothly.
"Any other points to make, Phil?"
Phil opened his mouth defensively at once, and then closed it again. "Well actually now that you mention it…This is a hallway in a public education facility. There are codes of behavior here to abide by."
"The O-Dawg does not adhere to these rules you speak of."
"Besides, Phil," Keely interjected reasonably, "you yourself have been known to participate in waxed-floor sliding contests."
"We all have our weaknesses," Phil mused, venturing a smile at the memory of his sliding days. "But be that as it may, this brings us to my final point, the one that most closely involves…me."
Keely was almost not breathing as she watched Phil with rapt concentration.
"I mean, to see you kissing my friend…right in front of me…" he trailed off and would not look at anyone.
"Phil let's be reasonable—" Owen began.
"Shh! Quiet, fool!" Keely commanded, her eyes still fixed on Phil.
"Look, Keel," Phil said, looking up and walking towards her. "You're my best friend, and I feel that best friends have certain obligations to each other. To keep secrets, to listen to each other, to look out for and protect each other…"
Keely nodded, smiling. When was he going to get to the good stuff?
"And along with those obligations, I feel that if you're going to be kissing anyone, I should be a part of that, too."
And so for the second time that day, a boy leaned in and kissed her on the lips.
This time, however, it swept her away for real.
This time, she kissed back.
This time, it was the right boy, and it was absolutely perfect.
♥ The End ♥