While I have fun dancing with my friends, Jeremy, and several others that have asked, I’ve noticed David alternately dancing with Emma and Kelly. At one point, all of us are sitting down, I stand up and walk over to grab David by the hand, then drag him to the dance floor. Once there, I tell him, “Do not string along my friends. Choose one and do it soon so that the other can find someone else. They’ve both been asked out by many boys, but they’ve been holding out, hoping that you would notice them. Got it?”

  “I got it. They’re both really nice and cute, but personality-wise, I think I prefer Emma. Kelly is a bit too, I dunno, bold, I suppose.”

  “Then tell them and get it over with, please. I love them both and don’t want to see Kelly hurt.”

  He nods. A minute ter, the song ends, we head back to the table, and I take my seat. David murmurs something to the two of them and they head off to the side where I’m hoping he tells them what he decided. I just hope that it doesn’t hurt Kelly too much that he chose Emma. A few minutes ter, the three of them return, and Kelly looks like she wants to cry. Getting up, I walk over and pull her to me.

  “It’s alright. Maybe he just wasn’t the right one for you,” I murmur. Leaning back, I look at her and say, “Jason’s here, and you know how much he likes you. Plus, you did tell me that you thought he was really cute. What do you say we go fix your makeup, and then I’ll get him to ask you to dance?” She nods and smiles tentatively. We make our way to the bathroom, repair her makeup, and then head back out to the dance. Looking around, I spot Jason and walk over to him. I touch his arm to get his attention. “Hey, Jason, do me a favor and ask Kelly to dance.”

  “Sure,” he says grinning.

  I keep an eye on Kelly and Jason during the night. Thankfully, she seems to be much better since she’s ughing and smiling. I’m not too sure I could have bounced back as quickly. As for me, I spend much of the evening on the dance floor with Jeremy and snuggled within his arms during the slow ones, stealing kisses here and there. Unfortunately, it isn’t long before the final song pys, ending the dance. Believe me when I say that I didn’t want the night to end just yet.

  Next, we’re all heading over to Emma’s for an afterparty at their pool. Thankfully, all of our parents gave us permission to be out until 2 tonight, although Mom and Dad did tell me not to get used to it. So Emma, Kelly, Sophia, Bel, Kaitlynn, Anika, and I with our respective dates along with Jason are heading to Emma’s. Something I’m looking forward to now.

  We girls have already put a change of clothes and our swimsuits in Emma’s room before the dance, so when we arrive, we hang up our dresses and change into our bikinis, and the boys use the guest bedroom to change into their swim trunks.

  After changing, we head downstairs. Emma turns on the pool lights and turns off all the other outdoor lighting, making it rather cozy since there are lots of little dark nooks and crannies. We slip into the pool where the boys are and py for a little while. Soon enough, I lead Jeremy over to one of the said dark nooks. Let’s just say that if I was a puppy, he’d have had me happily wagging my tail rather vigorously during our little makeout session. That sted until he got a little too forward and tried to slip his hand under the bra of my bikini.

  I’ve said it before, I’m no prude or little miss goody-two-shoes. I didn’t mind him grabbing my butt when we made out, but that, nuh-uh, far too soon. Though, I really do like kissing him. Eventually, we drift over to the shallow end, where he sits down. I sit between his legs and lean back against him to watch a few of the boys py a half-assed game of water polo. Although, in my opinion, it was more in line with a water demolition derby since they seemed to be preoccupied with trying to drown each other than actually moving the ball toward the goal. It’s funny though, and they look as if they are having fun.

  Don’t ask me to join in with them, ever, since I am by far the most petite person here, which also makes Jeremy and me a kind of odd couple since he is the rgest, not tallest, but definitely the most heavily muscled boy in our grade, and I’m quite literally the smallest in it. I’m a whole 4’7” and 73 lbs. to his 5’0” and 96 lbs. Karate and all the gymnastics we do during our routines in cheerleading have a lot to do with how slender I am.

  Sighing and smiling happily, I look over my shoulder as I take his arms off of his knees, and wrap them around my waist. He seems to get what I want and leans in to kiss me, long and deeply, as I reach up and grab his hair in both hands. When we finally break our kiss, it leaves me utterly breathless and with a strange tingling feeling in my stomach. It isn’t unpleasant, though.

  Off in another corner, David and Emma are making out. Do you remember those face-hugger thingies from the Alien movies? Emma kinda reminds me of that. She has literally wrapped herself around him and looks like she’s going to swallow his face. Looking for Kelly, I finally spot her and Jason sitting on some lounge chairs that have been pulled close together, talking. The other boys have finally stopped messing around and are off with their girlfriends in different parts of the pool.

  Jeremy leans down and nuzzles my cheek for a moment, making me smile. Then whispers, “So, what are we now?”

  I run my fingers through his thick hair, kiss his cheek, and murmur, “I dunno, why don’t you tell me.”

  “Are we a couple?” he asks.

  “You haven’t asked me to be your girlfriend, so I suppose at the moment, you could call us friends with make out benefits. Or, do you want us to be a couple?”

  He chuckles. “Rei, I’ve been interested in you since I id eyes on you. You can’t tell me you didn’t know.”

  Smiling coyly, I murmur, “Oh, can’t I?” I giggle at his expression. Standing up, I turn around and sit in his p. Then I kiss him softly and nuzzle his cheek as I whisper, “expin to me why?”

  “Why what?”

  I lean back a little and look into his eyes. “Why you’re so interested in me. Sure, I’m cute, but I’m nothing special. There are much better-looking girls that have been chasing after you all year. So, why me?”

  “Well, you are extremely cute, and that is a huge bonus, but you’re also smart, athletic, and popur on top of everything else. But for me, it’s how you treat everyone. You never act like you’re better than others like some do. I’ve never seen you be mean to anyone, even Karen, who we both know would deserve anything you throw her way. You’re an amazing person, Rei. At least, that’s how I see you.”

  I let out a huge smile, happy that he sees me that way. Leaning in, I give him another soft kiss and then hug him tightly to me, crushing my small breasts against his chest. “Then, tell me, ask me, whatever. All you need to do is say it. Isn’t that apparent to you?”

  He lightly runs his fingers along my back, sending chills along my spine. “It wasn’t until tonight. You’ve been friend-zoning me for quite some time now.”

  “I had good reasons for it. Jer, I like you. I always have, but I had to figure myself out before anything else. I’m new to this retionship thing.”

  He snorts softly. “Rei, we all are. This is going to sound like a line, but it isn’t. I’ve never been all that interested in girls until you showed up. And, I really like you, too.”

  I smirk at him. “I already knew that. Tonight though, well, it made me realize how much I like you. So, that settles that we like each other. Now, the question is: how much do you like me? Where do we stand? What do you want me to be to you? Am I just a close friend that you want to make out with, or am I going to be more than simply that?”

  He chuckles. “Good Lord, Rei, you don’t pull any punches, do you? I think you know what I want. It’s the same thing that I’ve always wanted with you. I want you to be my girlfriend.”

  Sitting up, I smile at him and trace his lips lightly with my thumb. “I’d be happy to, but I’m gonna tell you right now. I’m very strong-willed, obstinate, and I’ll probably scratch your eyes out if you so much as look at another girl like you do me. Comprende, senor?”

  “Comprende, mi senorita.”

  “Bien. Ahora Besame.”

  Being the smart boyfriend that he is, he does just that. He leans in and…

  Time seems to stop when his lips meet mine. My heart was already fluttering from our conversation, but now, it’s far more intense, and my heart is pounding in my chest. My world shrinks to the two of us, the feel of his lips against mine is intoxicating, making me feel weak and as if I’m going to melt.

  I don’t know if I’m dreaming all of this, but I sure hope not. Every sense of mine seems to be heightened. I can feel every single point of contact between us almost burning, urging me to demand even more from him. Every single touch of his seems to be stimuting me to ever newer heights. The warmth of his breath against my cheek, the smell of his skin, the feel of his touch as he holds me, to the softness of his lips while our tongues dance with each other.

  By the time he breaks our kiss, I’m dazed and breathing roughly. That strange, warm feeling in my stomach has returned with a vengeance and is now an inferno, seeming to be demanding something. I don’t know what, but I feel as if I need it, badly.

  As he leans back in to kiss me again, my inferno merely increases and flows up into my chest. My whole body tingles and burns with a need that I don’t understand or even begin to know how to quench. I part my lips as he invades me again, taking me over like a wave, leaving me with one thought: how much I want him to kiss me even more deeply as my hands develop a mind of their own and roam his taut chest and back.

  It isn’t until Kelly giggles and says, “Geez, you two need to get a room,” that I come back to my senses.

  Smirking at her, I quip, “Don’t be jealous. I’m sure Jason will kiss you if you want.”

  She makes me ugh when she sticks her tongue out at me and says, “He already has,” flips her hair over her shoulder, and flounces off to rejoin Jason.

  I look back at Jeremy, smile coquettishly, and ask, “Now, where were we?”