Kiss Read online

'How could I possibly fix it?' said Miranda. 'I gave t h e bottle a tremendous twirl. Shut up, you lot. Right, Carl. You and me. Snog time.'

  'In front of everyone?' said Carl.

  'What's your problem?' said Miranda.

  Carl swallowed again. 'It's a little . . .

  childish,' he said cleverly. He stood up and held out his h a n d to Miranda. 'We'll step outside a moment.'

  Miranda stood up, grinning. She took his hand. I hiccupped and she looked at me. 'You're cool with this, aren't you, Sylvie? It's j u s t a bit of silly fun,' she said.

  'Yeah, yeah, fine,' I said.

  What else could I say in front of t h e m all! I watched Carl and Miranda walk h a n d in h a n d out of t h e door and into the darkness outside.

  'She m u s t have cheated,' said Andy, spinning the bottle experimentally.

  'Ssh!' said Raj. 'Let's listen.'

  We sat still, not moving. We h e a r d n o t h i n g I hiccupped miserably.

  'For God's sake, you sound like a chicken,' said Andy, imitating me.

  'I wonder w h a t they're up to?' said Raj He started kissing his own h a n d , m a k i n g gross slurping noises. 'Oh, Carl, you're dead sexy; he said in a silly girly voice.

  'Shut up,' I said. My h e a r t w a s banging as if it might b u r s t s t r a i g h t t h r o u g h m y chest a n d spatter Mum's black s w e a t e r scarlet. I'd never kissed Carl.

  I didn't know w h a t to do. Should I storm outside a n d t e a r Carl a n d M i r a n d a a p a r t ? Andy 56

  was right. I didn't j u s t sound like a chicken. I was behaving like one, too scared to stop my boyfriend kissing my best friend. But no one was acting as if it was a big deal. Maybe this was a silly game played by cool kids everywhere? Lucy hadn't tried to kiss Carl but maybe she'd have liked to? M i r a n d a was certainly liking it. She'd made it obvious she fancied Carl from the moment she set eyes on him.

  How did Carl feel? I couldn't stop imagining him kissing Miranda, his soft lips on h e r lipsticked pout, his h a n d s playing w i t h h e r intricate plaits. I suddenly stood up. The room swayed so I swayed with it, feeling as if I was on a boat in a storm. I put one foot doggedly in front of t h e other towards the door.

  'Where are you going, Sylvie?' said Alice.

  'She's going to play I Spy,' said Raj. 'Come on, let's all peek.'

  But j u s t then the door opened and Carl and Miranda walked back into t h e room. Andy and Raj applauded and wolf-whistled. Miranda was pink and beaming, tossing h e r head, h a n d s on her hips. Carl strolled in with his t h u m b s in his front jeans pockets in a determined effort to look casual. He saw me staring and gave me a little smile. If it was meant to be reassuring, it didn't work.

  'Sit down, Sylvie! Come on, maybe it's your t u r n next,' said Miranda, bending down to spin the bottle.

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  'How come you do all the spinning, Miranda?

  Let me have a go,' said Raj.

  'It's my house, Raj. This is my den. This game is totally my invention. So guess what, i get to spin the bottle,' said Miranda.

  'You're too skilled with t h a t bottle! Let's use my bottle now,' said Alice, draining it of the last drop of fizzy water.

  'What are you, a camel?' said Miranda. 'No, we don't want any of your plastic rubbish, we need a proper glass bottle. Right!' She set it spinning again.

  The bottle moved slowly this time, round once, round twice, slowing down already, looking as if it might be stopping at me, but it edged past, crept past Raj too and pointed at Alice.

  'There you are, darling!' said Miranda. 'Soooo, who are you going to snog, mmm?'

  She spun the bottle again. Alice sighed and rolled h e r eyes, pretending not to care. I could see a little pulse beating in h e r pale forehead.

  Maybe she was hoping for Carl too?

  'Raj!' said Miranda as the bottle stopped.

  Raj smacked his lips and made silly kissy noises, lunging at her.

  'Give over!' said Alice. 'Not here. Outside.'

  She stalked off, with Raj trotting eagerly behind her. They were only outside the door two seconds and t h e n Alice marched back in.

  Their applause was paltry.

  'Hey, call t h a t a kiss? I've h a d better kisses from my great-aunties,' Raj complained.

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  'You should smarten up your sweet-talk then, little boy,' said Alice.

  'Give me another go, Miranda,' said Raj as she set it spinning.

  'I don't choose. I have no control over this bottle whatsoever,' said Miranda. 'It's psychic force, darling. Fate. Whatever. Isn't t h a t right, Sylvie?'

  She smiled at me. I couldn't help smiling back. She set the bottle off again. I knew w h a t was coming next. The bottle spun. I felt I was spinning with it, whirled round and round so fast I grew giddy and could barely breathe. The bottle slowed and we all watched it edge towards me.

  'Aha!' said Miranda. 'Sylvie's turn!'

  I swallowed. 'I'm not sure I want a turn,' I said.

  'What sort of total wimpy response is that?'

  said Miranda, snorting. 'Of course you w a n t a turn!'

  'No I don't. I'll give my t u r n to Raj as he w a n t s another go.'

  'You can't do that! Now, stop pontificating and we'll play. We have to see who your snog p a r t n e r is.' She looked at me. 'Who do you want it to be, Sylvie? Use your psychic power to influence the bottle.'

  I knew I didn't have much chance. Miranda h a d mastered the spinning so t h a t with the right twist of her fingers and flick of h e r wrist she could make the bottle point wherever she 59

  wanted. Still, I stared at the bottle and tried willing it where I wanted. I wanted it to point to Carl, of course. I didn't w a n t to kiss anyone else but him. I was scared though. I loved Carl. I h a t e d it t h a t he'd kissed Miranda. I wanted him to kiss me. I'd dreamed about it often enough.

  But we didn't do stuff like kissing. It would be so weird now, when we'd grown up together.

  We'd have to get around to kissing some time, obviously. We were going to get married, for God's sake. Carl had given me a glass 'diamond'

  out of a Christmas cracker when we were seven years old. When we used to play weddings he'd fashion me a gold wedding band out of a yellow Quality Street toffee wrapper.

  It seemed I couldn't concentrate hard enough on Carl, try as I might. The bottle slid past him, past Miranda, and stopped at Andy.

  'Interesting choice, Sylvie,' said Miranda, eyebrows raised.

  I couldn't say anything. I didn't w a n t to h u r t Andy's feelings. I didn't know w h a t to do now.

  I felt Carl's h a n d squeezing mine, encouraging me. I squeezed back gratefully and then stood up, trying to look Andy in the eye.

  'OK?' I said.

  'Sure,' said Andy, getting to his feet too.

  We walked to the door, opened it and then walked into darkness. I blundered forward and bumped into a cupboard.

  'Hey, careful. Come here,' said Andy. 'Where are you? You're such a little titch.'

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  'That's w h a t they call me at school,' I said.

  'I've always been small for my age and everyone says I'll suddenly s p u r t upwards a n d catch up with everyone else, but it hasn't happened yet, still, here's hoping, because it's horrible being so small a n d looking so stupid and babyish,' I burbled.

  'Ssh,' Andy said gently. 'We're m e a n t to be kissing.'

  He reached out for me in the darkness, ducking his h e a d down. Our noses bumped together in comical fashion. I giggled hysterically.

  'Was t h a t a hiccup?' said Andy. 'Hey, wait a second. You've stopped!'

  He p u t his h a n d s carefully on my cheeks, tilt-ing my head, and then he kissed me on the corner of my mouth, so lightly I wasn't totally sure it h a d actually happened.

  I felt w e a k with relief t h a t it was such a sweet and simple kiss. We walked back into t h e den and sat down again. Carl was looking at me anxiously.

  'Are you OK?' he whispered.

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