Finding love abroad

First Kiss

It's New Year's eve, and currently, I am on a facetime call with my friends.

"So guys, how was your Christmas dinner with Keith?" I ask them with a smirk.

Anna's cheeks go pink just like I expected. Anna has had a crush on him forever. She thinks that I don't know. But I found out a couple of years ago when Anna acted all shy and strange in his presence. Whenever they are together, you can see a faint tint of pink on her cheeks.

I don't think Div has noticed it yet.

"Why are you blushing, Anna?" Div asks with a smirk.

.... okay, she knows.

"What I... I ..am..not blushing ..you..you are." Anna stutters, and I mentally facepalm. Nice save, Anna.

Looks like we are gonna talk about my best friend's crush.

"You like him, Anna."

"But I don'.."

"Don't even think about lying." I cut her off.

"Yeah, Anna. We know about your crush on Keith, so spill the beans." Divya tells her.

She sighs, "Fine. What do you guys wanna know?"

"Tell me, how did it start?" I question.

"Fine, you guys remember Kiara's birthday party four years ago?" She asks.

We both nod, and she continues.

"Well, when Div, you took Kiara to your house to distract her so we can decorate the house. I fell from the ladder and sprained my ankle, and I didn't tell anyone. Keith found out since he saw me limping and made me sit down and gave me some ice. He applied some nonswelling cream and did all the work himself. He took such good care of me." Anna completes with a smile. I did remember Anna limping during my birthday party.

"Then what happened?" Divya questions eagerly.

"Well, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I was confused about my feelings. One day I was walking to class and, I saw some senior boys harassing and teasing a girl. And Keith saw it and saved that girl. He fought with the boys and also got in trouble. That day I realized that he respects women. Which is pretty hard to find in men these days. So that day, I knew I liked him." Anna finishes. I remember that day Keith came with bruises all over his face.

"So you have been crushing on my brother for four years?" I ask her, and she nods.

"So, you are not angry?" Anna nervously asks me.

"No, Anna. I am not, but instead, I am happy that it is you," I tell her with a smile.

"Phew... I thought you were gonna kill me." 

"Let's save the killing part for later," I tell her with a smile

"You are so.." she starts.

"Amazing." I finish.

"No, but.."

"Beautiful." I finish again.

"No, let me..."

"Buy you ice cream."

"No, Kiara sto.."

"Stop being wonderful. Nah, not going to happen."

"No, Kiara, you are .."

"Going to be a billionaire. Oh, why, thank you. I never knew you had such faith in me."

"God, I am going t.."

"To buy me a car. Yes, please. I want one so bad."

"KIARAAAAA...."

"I LOVE YOU. Why yes, I love me too."

I see Divya laughing with tears streaming down her face. I couldn't control it anymore either. I start laughing, holding my stomach. Suddenly we hear a loud thud. I stop to look, and Divya is nowhere to be seen.

Divya pokes her head from the edge of the bed.

"Hehe, I fell off the bed," Divya tells us with a huge grin on her face.

That was the last straw. We all laugh, holding out stomachs and with tears down our faces.

"Stop ... I can't... st..stop laugh.. laughing my stomach.. hurts so bad." Anna tells us with her hand holding her stomach. We all laugh some more.

Five minutes later, we are all calm, and suddenly Anna starts sobbing loudly.

"I miss you so much, Kiara. It is no fun without you." Anna tells me, silently sobbing.

This makes Divya start crying too. Soon we are all sobbing, missing each other. Well, looks like what they say is true. Don't laugh too hard, or you will cry.

"Guys, go to bed. It's getting pretty late." I tell them.

"I love you, Kiara." they say in unison, which brings a smile to my face.

"I love you guys too." I tell them and cut the call.

God, I miss my friends and the pranks I pull with them. Oh, if you guys didn't know. I love pranking people, and I am the prankster of my family. Well, maybe after Keith, no one can prank as good as him.

Last April fool's, I woke Keith by putting a real live snake on his bed which belonged to one of my classmates and is totally harmless. But he didn't know, and he woke up screaming and running to the bathroom, which was filled with fake cockroaches and that, earned another girly scream from him. He opened the door to run out of the room just to be filled with green slime. Well, let's just say I had to cook for myself for one whole month after that prank. Ah, that was bliss. I miss those times and Keith too.

I go out of my room to meet Ryder coming out of his room. He looks at me and frowns.

"Were you crying, Kiara?" he asks me, worried.

"Yeah, I just miss my friends and my brother, that's all." I tell him everyone in this family knows about my parent's death.

"Yeah, I miss my friend too.. although I don't have many friends."

"Wait. You don't?" I ask him with confusion, clear in my voice since he is one of the sweetest kids I know.

"Yeah, I just have one friend. My classmates call me a nerd because I get good grades. And they don't like me because I don't join them to tease girls and make fun of them in my class."

"You wanna know a secret?" I whisper.

He nods his head with a smile.

"They are jealous of you." I lean down and whisper in his ear.

"Why?" He whispers back.

"Because you are a good boy who has the brains that they don't. You are smart, you are handsome, and you respect girls. They are just jealous because they know they can never be like you. And just know that your family is proud of you and that I am very proud of you. Don't change who you are so people will like you. Be friends with people who like you as you are." I tell him with a smile.

"Are there anybody in class who is just like you?" I ask him.

"Yeah, there are some boys and girls, and my classmates hate them too." He answers after some thought.

"Go talk to them and be their friends. They would love to be friends with you." I tell him with a smile.

"Thanks, Kiara." he hugs me. I hug him back and place a small kiss on his forehead.

I look up to see Blake and Raven looking at us with a smile. I feel the heat rise to my cheeks. I see them all dressed up.

"Hey, guys. What are you doing here?" I ask awkwardly, playing with my mom's ring. I tend to do that whenever I am nervous or embarrassed.

"I came here to tell you that we will be going on our date now and that you guys should be careful and not burn down the house." Raven informs me.

Oh, the cruise date. I completely forgot about it.

"You are in charge, Kiara. Make sure that the boys don't go out of control. We don't want to come to a burned down house like last time." Blake tells me and looks at Ryder, who is whistling and looking down at the floor like it is the most mesmerizing thing in the world. I wonder why?

"Sure, guys. Go enjoy your date. I will take care of everything." I reassure them.

"Thank you, Kiara." Raven thanks me. I nod with a smile. Out of nowhere, Reed comes all dressed up.

"Mom, can i .." Reed starts.

"No, Reed. You are not going to the New Year's party at your friend's house." Raven cuts him off.

"Wait. How did you know?"

"I am your mother, Reed. If you didn't know." Raven counters sarcastically.

"But mom," Reed whines like a girl. He actually whines.

"I don't want to hear anything. This year you are spending New Year's eve with Kiara and your brother." The tone she used stated the end of the discussion.

"Guys, we will be home before midnight so, wait for us. We will go to the rooftop to look at the fireworks." Blake reminds us.

Soon they both leave, and we all sit down to watch the Fast and Furious.

"I am sorry if I am the reason you cannot go to the party." I tell Reed. He shrugs.

"Other than making out with girls, it gets boring anyway." he tells me. I scrunch my nose in disgust.

"He is the biggest player in the school." Ryder tells me.

How does he know that?

"I have heard people talking about him." 

Oh, I talked out loud, didn't I?

"Yep, you did." this time, Reed answers with a chuckle.

Blake and Raven reach home at half-past 11, and we all go to the rooftop to watch the fireworks.

It's pretty cold although I am wearing two sweaters, I can't stop my clattering teeth.

Soon, I feel a jacket put on me, and I look at Reed.

"Aren't you feeling cold?" He shakes his head and puts an arm around my shoulder, and I snuggle more into his warmth.

The countdown begins, and Reeds looks at me, and I look at him. People kiss during the new year, right? I felt warm all of a sudden.

5.. he comes closer.

4... I go closer to him.

3... out nose touches.

2... I remembered what Ryder said.

1... HAPPY NEW YEAR...

I turn my face so he can catch my cheek and, Reed pecks my cheek. He looks taken back but, he just smiles and hugs me. This is the first time a boy has kissed my cheek.

"Happy new year sparkle." he whispers in my ear.

"Happy new year Reed." I wish him.

I break the hug to go greet everyone else.

We all go to bed, and I think about my near kiss with Reed. "Happy new year Keith, mom, and dad." I whisper before darkness overtakes me.