"I'm sorry; I must have heard you wrong. You're going out with who?"

"It's one date," Celeste muttered, fixing her hair in the mirror. Her two best friends sat on her bed as she primped. "He's just taking me to a movie."

"So he's cheap."

Celeste rolled her eyes. "Come on, Simon. Andrew's a nice guy."

Simon Hardison was sitting cross legged next to Alyssa Knox. They exchanged a glance.

"Listen, C, I know I'm your best friend I'm really, really happy that Andrew Hughes asked you out, but he's a senior. A totally buff, hunky senior, but a senior nonetheless, and you're a freshman. There are rumors about what he does on his dates."

Celeste gnawed on her lip. She knew the rumors. And it wasn't like she was interested in Andrew, it was just that…Simon hadn't asked her out. For whatever reason, they had flirted shyly, hung out on weekends or after school, but he had never officially asked her out and both of their Facebook profiles still said, "Single." She just wanted to make him jealous. And it appeared to be working.

"He's not that hunky," Simon muttered.

"Okay, I'm done being protective. Holy Zeus, you're going out with Andrew Hughes!" Alyssa fanned herself with her hand. Earlier in the month, Celeste had told Alyssa about her parents and the gods and Alyssa, with her status as best friend, not to mention her belief that Greek gods were "totally effing awesome," instantly believed her. "Dammit, girl, this is going to be legendary."

Celeste turned from the mirror, pretending not to hear anything Alyssa had said, and smoothed her hands over her side. "What do you think?"

Alyssa smiled. "I told you already—you look awesome."

Simon ran his eyes over her a couple times and met her gaze. He swallowed. "Yeah, really awesome, Celeste."

She picked at the bracelets on her wrist and glanced back at Alyssa, ready for her advice. Sensing it, using her Best Friend Crisis Radar, Alyssa grabbed Celeste and forced to sit between her and Simon. "Acceptable times to be close include: if and/or when he does the cheesy yawn thing during the movie to put his arm around you, if you're holding hands at dinner, and if you're making out in the back seat of his car—if you stand too close to him when just walking, it's kind of…clingy or something."

"Wait—who says she's gonna be making out with him in the back seat of his car?"

Alyssa gave Simon a look. "It's Andrew Hughes."

"And she's Celeste Jackson."

"Are you saying she's not kissable?"

Celeste blushed. "Guys—"

"Well—I—that's not what I—"

Alyssa grinned. "You do think she's kissable. You wanna kiss her."

"Shut up," Celeste hissed. "Alyssa—"

"Stay out of it, Celeste," her best friend said, still sporting a semi-evil grin. "You wanna kiss her. You're jealous—you don't want her to go out with Andrew because you're jealous."

Simon laughed. "Yeah, like I would be jealous of that idiot."

"He's not an idiot," Celeste said instinctively.

Joy spread through Alyssa as Simon opened his mouth to argue. She could see where this was going. It was just like a cheesy sitcom. They would fight; they would kiss, announce their undying love for each other and live happily ever after. But before Simon could speak, Alyssa's phone rang. She inwardly cussed and took her phone into the hallway.

"Abby, this better be really important."

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Simon groaned. "He's only interested in you because you're..." He paused. "Um…"

"Because I'm what?"

"You're…ya know…pretty."

Celeste rolled her eyes.

"Celeste, just don't go, okay? He's not your type."

"Oh, really, and what's my type?"

Simon shrugged and got a kind of embarrassed but eager glint in his eyes. "Me?"

She went speechless. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, gasping for breath while she was simply looking for words. She closed her eyes for a moment but snapped them back open when she felt something pressing against her lips.

Oh my gods, she screamed in her head. Simon's…kissing me.

Her eyes fluttered closed.

Wow, this feels really good.

His arms snaked around her waist, holding her tightly. She did the best she could to kiss him back but he pulled away quickly. "I'm sorry I didn't ask you out before that idiot did. Please give me a chance."

Celeste blinked.

"I was jealous. I am jealous. I want to be your first date, your first kiss, the first boy you take home to your parents, the boy you meet behind the bleachers during study hall, the boy that takes you to dances or hides in your apartment with you when you don't want to go to dances. I don't want you to have anything to do with that stupid Andrew Hughes. I just want you to want me." He brushed his nose against hers. "Please. Don't go tonight."

Celeste knew it was cheesy. She knew it was cliché and totally overused and completely boringly realistic that this is how her first kiss went, but that wasn't how it felt. Still…something inside her was splitting.

"Simon…"

"Please." His eyes searched hers for something—anything—that told him she cared about him. "Please don't go." When she didn't answer, he kissed her again. Slowly. Softly. Sweetly.

The door opened and Simon pulled away. Alyssa stood in the doorway, smirking.

"Wow, I sure picked the right moment to leave the room, didn't I?" She glanced at her phone, checking the time. "I suppose I'll meet Andrew at the theatre—hopefully he won't be too disappointed." She winked at Celeste and just before she closed the door, her best friend mouthed the words, Thank you, to her before pulling the boy of her dreams back into her arms.

A/N: Now we all know their relationship isn't going to be easy but it's nice to begin with some romance, don't ya think?

Love,

E. M. Zeray