A/N: Happy New Year! Thank you all for your kind comments :)

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Scheduled for Friday
by Anton M.

10: First Kiss Butterflies

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Thursday, January 19

Instead of meeting up with Alice at our classic spot on the second floor (the single bathroom), I met her on the staircase, knowing I had to brush her off because I'd promised my parents I'd call the security detail before ten AM to arrange a meeting with him, and I also had to call mom to make plans for dad's birthday.

Alice, seeing the busy-panicked look in my eyes (I hated calling people), understood what was about to happen and hugged me.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," she said, squeezing me.

"I know."

"I should never have told him and I'm sorry. But I have never, ever told anyone about the other stuff. Ever. And you know you'd know if I had."

"I know," I replied, desperately wanting to have a longer conversation but having to cut it short. "And I'm sorry I'm blowing you off right now. It's such an insane week. Do you think you could come over on Saturday evening? Dinner at 7 and then sleep over? I so want to catch up with you."

"Absolutely." Alice's voice was a little bit breathless but the grin on her face was undeniable. "I can't wait."

She knew it wasn't total forgiveness but it was the truce we needed to move forward, and I was relieved not to have that awkward unspoken conversation between us.

It was one of those rare days when I only shared three out of my eight classes with Alice, and while we got to do a bit of small talk between classes, all I really wanted to do was to sit down and hear about how she was handling her overprotective mother, her new boy-toy (and what it was about him that made her spill my secret), and hear all the gossip I missed when I was on set.

But at least I didn't have to brush Alice off for lunch to keep my lunch-date with Edward because Alice had to find her younger brother Sam during lunch anyway.

I found a corner of a table for myself and Edward and waved him over as he entered the cafeteria. It felt odd to ignore our respective friend groups to have lunch together, but we had to make a plan.

I opened my Greek salad, Edward unwrapped his tuna sandwich, and for a moment of comfortable silence, we ate our food. I tried not to pay attention to Lauren observing us from across the cafeteria.

"So, have you changed your mind yet?" Edward asked, a corner of his mouth lifting into a smile. His eyes lingered on my face and neck, and I wondered if he was aware of the warmth in his gaze.

"Not a chance," I replied, smiling (with lots of food in my teeth, probably). "Why? Have you?"

A flurry of tingles ran up my spine when he licked his lips and stared at mine. "Absolutely not."

I was desperately ignoring what a horrific idea this was but, if given a choice, I couldn't help but want him to be my first kiss. So what if he got together with Lauren afterwards? How many people got to have their first kiss with their first crush? Not many, I bet, but I could be one of them.

"So, what do you need, to be prepared for tomorrow?" Edward asked.

It was downright absurd to be discussing this and yet I desperately wanted him to kiss me like he meant it, even if it was all make-believe.

"It should last more than a minute," I replied, totally incapable of stifling my grin. "I need the practice."

The mirth in his eyes could've lit me on fire.

"All right," he replied, his voice low and a little bit rough.

"What about you?" I asked.

"It should take place wherever she can see it."

"Of course," I replied, keeping my smile intact, having expected it. Edward knew enough of Lauren's schedule that we could discuss teachers who dismissed students by the bell (unless we wanted to kiss for five minutes or look like we were waiting for Lauren), but the most likely candidate, Lauren's eighth class with the girls' gym teacher Miss Stovall, meant doing it outside.

The gym was across the parking lot. It would be cold, but I had a good coat, and Edward seemed to care more about being able to leave his class early than the cold outside, so we reached an agreement.

I was so full of nerves that I didn't retain anything for the rest of the day, and I told my Principles of Econ teacher, Mr. Oswald, that my heavy period started unexpectedly early and I needed to find my friend to get tampons. He probably only allowed me to go just to make me stop saying the words bleeding and tampons.

I didn't even use tampons. I used the cup like everyone else.

Yes, I was going to hell, but in my defense, I would quite possibly only have one shot at kissing Edward whereas I'd have plenty more classes with Mr. Oswald, and all's fair in love and war, right?

Not that there's any of either happening here. Whatever.

My footsteps echoed in the empty hallways as I ran to my locker to get my white coat.

Edward had just popped a piece of gum in his mouth when I approached him by the front door. He was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets, chewing his gum. Handsome and confident, he didn't seem at all deterred by what was about to happen. Instead, his eyes were full of a quiet kind of energy that gave me goosebumps.

Coming to a stop, I felt my heart drop to my shoes.

Chewing gum. Fuck fuck fuck.

Could it be any more obvious that I was doing this for the first time?

"You got any more of that?"

Edward threw the empty wrapper in a nearby trash can. "Sorry," he replied, stifling his smile. "Last one."

I stepped in front of him. "You have five seconds."

Chewing slowly, Edward narrowed his eyes, amused and confused in equal measure until his five seconds were up, I lifted myself on my tiptoes, took hold of his warm neck and pulled him to me.

"My turn."

Grinning, Edward rolled the chewing gum into a tube before he held it like a pointy little spaghetti between his teeth. Feeling breathless, I closed the space between us, and our lips didn't touch but with the way his eyes lingered on my mouth, they may as well have.

"Thank you," I said, letting go of his neck, feeling nervous and a bit shy. "Didn't want to scare you away with my dragon breath."

Eyes alight with some unnamed emotion, amusement or warmth, he assessed my face, and I could've gone up in smoke at the way his eyelashes moved as he observed me. Realizing I was chewing the gum that had been in his mouth, I felt on top of the world, and… so very refreshed.

Holy shit.

"Oh my God this is one of those gums that's like a glacier shoved in your mouth with a bushful of mint," I whispered, spitting it into the trashcan and breathing with my mouth open like it was on fire. "Are your tastebuds dead?"

Edward laughed.

"Have you ever considered becoming a food critic? I'd read your descriptions."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Hey, I didn't force you to steal my last gum. That was on you," Edward said, clearly enjoying my reaction. "C'mon." He held the door open for me, and I felt the smallest pressure of his fingertips on the center of my back as I walked through the door. The sun was pretty low, about to set in an hour and not a cloud in sight, but it still felt chilly.

I couldn't keep my teeth off my fingernails as we walked around the corner that faced the gym. The afternoon was ordinary in every way: a school bus was waiting on the side of the road, chattering students who'd been released early spread out of the door after us, and a few parents were waiting to pick up their children in the parking lot. But because I was about to get my first kiss, nothing felt ordinary, and my stomach was twisting with nerves.

We had four minutes until the bell rang, but it might as well have been zero because neither of us could guarantee that Miss Stovall wouldn't release the class early (which she sometimes did).

Edward kept his hands in his pockets as we walked. If I didn't know already that he'd agreed to kiss me I would've been daunted by his intimidating expression, his buzz cut and sharp gaze and pointy barbell. He looked downright scary when he wasn't smiling.

"Are you okay?" he asked, searching my eyes. He motioned for me to step on the small little ledge near the bottom of the wall, giving me a few inches of height to help not kill his neck. We were in perfect view of the entrance of the gym, almost impossible to miss. "Why are you nervous?"

I could've lied, but it was exhausting to act outside of work, and I had no reason to hide my nerves from him.

"It's my first kiss," I replied, feeling defensive. "How could I not be? I'm terrified."

"Hey, now." His gaze softened as he brushed his fingers along the lapel of my coat. "Why? You don't like me, I don't like you. There's no stakes. Literally, we could have the worst kiss in the history of the universe and there would be no consequences."

"That's the thing. If we discover I suck at kissing—and you have to tell me if I do—I'll have to rehearse the kiss on set with Mik—co-star for the entire morning. I don't know if I can live it down if that happens."

"That's not going to happen."

"How do you know?"

With his mouth slightly parted and lips beautifully curved, his gaze stopped on my legs, skirt, and finally, my lips. His sparkling eyes were now full of warmth, and I felt weightless when he parted the edges of my coat to rest his palms on the sides of my waist. Nobody had ever held me the way he did. I'd never even been touched by a guy I wasn't related to, not like this, and my excitement mixed with fear. But Edward stepped closer, still, and his scent of crisp spearmint, motor oil and something quintessentially Edward sent a flurry of butterflies through me. I was acutely aware of his every touch, and his warm breath blew over my ear when he repeated, "That's not going to happen."

Somebody call the fire brigade because I burst into flames.

He pulled back his head, but only a little, and he bit his bottom lip as he eyed mine. "I like your skirt," he whispered, distracting me as his fingertips brushed over the leather, and I nearly died when he squeezed my back.

Okay, I'm never having a shower again.

Hesitating, I put my hands on his waist, under his jacket but over his hoodie, and the knots in my stomach tightened.

His eyes lingered on my lips.

"You're so tense," he whispered. "Relax. It's just a kiss between friends."

Sure, sure, sure. Totally. That's how I feel, too. Absolutely, yes. Couldn't agree more.

He slid his palms up and down my sides as I stretched my shoulders and neck, attempting to relax. It felt indescribable to be held by a man, with a careful, firm, tender touch, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Only a minute now," he whispered, his low voice a bit rough. "Do you want to start before so it doesn't feel too perfectly timed?"

"Okay," I whispered, feeling so alight with nerves I could've disintegrated right in front of him.

Time had never moved slower than when he leaned in, smiling as he touched my small nose with his straight one, side to side. Then, I breathed his breath before his lips brushed against mine, soft and firm and setting me on fire. The intense spearmint had dissipated to a vaguely coolish taste, and his chest expanded against mine as he breathed. It felt so intimate, the strength of his grip, the minty taste of his mouth, the warm breath we shared.

"Open your mouth, Bella," he whispered against my lips. "I won't bite." He lingered, his playful eyes searching mine, his voice lowering. "Unless you want me to."

Feeling stupid by my inexperience, I did as he asked, and I felt electrified when his low groan vibrated through me. Humming against his lips, I pulled him closer, and I don't think I'd ever felt as naked or vulnerable than when he touched his tongue against mine. Something about that felt infinitely intimate. I ached to kiss him deeper, to feel him closer, and when I did, he pressed himself so tight against me I could've drowned in his firm warmth.

He slowed down a bit, letting me set the pace to nibble and suck and touch his tongue. I had no clue what I was doing but I felt so weightless and on fire it didn't leave much room for self-doubt, and even if I vaguely remembered that I was supposed to be practicing for tomorrow, nothing about what I did served that purpose. I ached to feel him against me, and when I gently bit his lower lip and released it after sliding my teeth along it, Edward near-growled and pressed him against me so tight not an atom was left between us.

I found his reaction furiously attractive even as my brain began to comprehend that I'd turned him on. He seemed to realize it as well because he immediately pulled away, and I was grateful that he couldn't tell he had the same effect on me.

"Sorry," he whispered, panting slightly.

Maybe it was the oxygen deprivation, but I felt high. Can you get high from kissing?

"S'okay," I replied, just as breathless. "I'm glad, even. Now at least my costar won't be the first guy whose hard-on I will have felt."

Edward's laughter was near-guttural. Grateful beyond words that he'd done this for me, I fell into his arms, and he hesitated but then probably figured I'd already felt his hard-on so there was nothing left to save, and I sank into our hug. I began to feel the slightest wind around us. Hordes of students were leaving the school, and I realized that the bell must've rang and the gym had probably emptied a while ago but I didn't have the guts to ask Edward if he'd seen Lauren. I didn't want him to confirm that he'd been paying attention.

"Thank you," I whispered, breathless and grateful. Edward squeezed me in response, and I felt his teeth against my neck as he smiled.

And who knows, maybe I just liked kissing? Maybe the way he made me feel had nothing to do with him, and maybe kissing anyone would feel like this?

…