KALEN

Chapter |2| First Kisses

T E S S A ' S P. O. V

At 14, I was beginning to blossom through the stages of puberty. My glasses were still a permanent fixture, although my mother allowed me to buy a pair more suited to my appearance. My acne was beginning to clear up, and the retainers I wore every night allowed my teeth to correct their awkward ways.

I had grown taller too, not staggeringly so, but compared to my petite best friend I was a giant. I didn't mind my height though, it made me appear older, more mature and intimidating to my former bullies.

Kiara ran our school now. She was the shining diamond of our grade and I was the less dazzling gem by her side.

About a year ago I learnt the importance of hair care. I watched so many videos and asked Kiara's mother for help to fix my scraggly blonde hair. It was strange how much hair could define a person. Now, I was renowned for my long blonde locks that exemplified a natural shine.

I was changing, in all the ways I ever wanted to change. Yet inside, I was still terrified of talking boys and there was still one boy in particular I couldn't stop pining after.

"Tessa, it's your turn." I was pulled back to the present by Kiara waving a glass bottle in front of my face. Her lipgloss was already smudged from making out with Trevor and Finn.

The rest of the circle egged me on as I watched the bottle spin round. I cringe inwardly as it landed on Will. Kiara has been pushing me to make a move on him, since she knows he likes me. He's too awkward to ever actually ask me out though.

"You don't have to..." Will was nice. Sometimes too nice.

"I want to." Everyone awed and began to chant for us to kiss. It would be my first kiss, in-front of a dozen of my classmates, with a boy who wore a bow tie to a party. Oh well, it has to happen sometime.

I lean forward, crawling forward on my knees until I'm in-front of him. He placed a hand on my waist, the other stiffly on the back of my neck and leans in with puckered lips.

All I can think about is the sheen coating of sweat across his upper lip. Uh. Maybe this was a bad idea instead?

"Okay, party's over!" The lights suddenly flicked on, the harsh brightness causing my eyes to squint. Will loses his balance and lets his hands slips from my body, quickly shuffling away.

I sit there, dejected, as he runs out of the basement with the rest of his friends.

"Kalen! What the hell?" Kiara screams in his face. She began to rant, declaring how unfair it is for him to break her party when he promised to let her have it.

He casually leans against a wooden beam, sipping small gulps of water from his bottle. "I said a party, not an orgy. Spin the bottle was never promised."

"You play it all the time with your friends."

"I'm 17 Kissing is natural for me, but not for my little sister."

"You're still 16 asshole, and I've been kissing guys since I was 10."

He cringes. "I didn't need to f*****g know that. Just go to bed, mom and dad will be home soon anyways."

Kiara scoffs in true fashion, before storming up the stairs. I'm still hovering by the washing machine, unsure of what to do.

"Oh, Tess. Hey," I smile and wave back. He's the only person who calls me Tessa. From anyone else's lips, I would hate the nickname but from his, it makes me melt.

"Are you parents coming to pick you up?"

"It's late, so I'm staying over." Kiara gets so mad sometimes she forgets about the people around her i.e. me.

"Your mom finally caved, huh?"

"Yeah, it was a difficult one to convince but I managed it." He just nods and we both stand there in awakes silence. I would run up the stairs but the tension is so thick between us, I don't want to be the first one to cut it.

"Was that your boyfriend?" He saw me about to kiss Will.

"No, no, no. Just some guy in my class."

"Good." Good? As in, I shouldn't have a boyfriend at my age, or that he wants me for himself.

"I should..." I move towards the staircase when he grabs my wrist, gently pulling me back.

"Don't leave just yet." Four simple words yet my heart was spiralling out of control. We stare each other the same way soulmates in the movies. I feel feet becoming lighter, floating almost.

"I mean, talk with me still. Kiara will probably still be in the shower, she takes forever. I don't want you to be all alone and become bored."

"Trust me, I'm never bored here. This place is like a fun house compared to mine."

"What's your dad like?" It was strange I knew so much about his family, yet he nothing of mine. The Romanos were infamous in New York, swimming in cash and fame. I remember paparazzi followed Kiara and I home once. It was terrifying yet exhilarating all at once.

"He's...my dad, I guess. There's nothing really special about him, he's just like every other dad."

"What about yours?" I've barely seen Mr Romano, but Kiara tells me he's the best dad she could possibly have asked for.

"He's great but sometimes I feel like I hardly seen him. His job is..." Kalen lets out a small laugh. "terrifying and demanding. I just miss him."

"Yeah," We fall into silence again until I realise his hand is slowly slipping down my wrist. His entwines our fingers, letting our skin electrify.

We drift towards each other like two ships lost at sea bound to meet. I hitch a breath when his other hand cups my cheek. My eyes meet his, and I liquify into a puddle as he parts his lips, lowering his head down to meet mine.

I let my eyes fall shut and pray my lips know what they're doing.

It's the lightest thing I've ever felt. A whispery soft kiss, that transcends me into heaven. He treats me like a delicate porcelain doll, barely grazing my skin with his fingers, yet when he does, pleasure sparks through my nerves, forcing a quiet moan out of me.

He pulls back slowly, eyes screwed shut as his chest heaves up and down. I watch him tenderly, wondering what's going to happen next.

Maybe I should say thank you? Maybe I should say nothing? Maybe I should...

"Goodnight." He breaks away from me, my skin thing into ice as he dashed up the concrete stairs leaving me alone in the darkness.

I stand there...confused, aroused and completely in love Kalen Romano.

***

I was 15 when I suffered my first heartbreak. Months had passed since my first kiss, our first kiss.

Kalen had become distant, leaving whenever I would enter a room, making excuses to skip dinner whenever I was over. It was tearing me apart.

That fragile little girl who used to be bullied was still inside of, but this time it was her protector that was inflicting so much pain.

I couldn't even tell my best friend about it. I tried too, but Kiara always expressed how much she hated when her friends would ogle her brothers.

A girl, Cady Spencer, had just been kicked out of our friendship group and shunned by the whole school because Kiara caught her making out with Kai.

Kiara could be vicious, and vindictive, but her reasons were always justified.

At first, Kiara was fine with it as long as both of them were happy. However Kai was Kai, and he later dumped Cady for an older girl.

Cady could be a b***h. She spread rumours about Kai, nasty horrible things, and if there's one thing Kiara never tolerated, it was people disrespecting her family.

I would never risk my friendship for a boy. Kiara was my person, and that was more important than a crush.

It didn't mean I wasn't drowning inside. My old teddy bear had become my confidante. I cried on it, screamed at it...I'm even more embarrassed to say I practised kissing on it, imagining Kalen was in its place.

He was destroying me, and he didn't even know it.

One day, I left Kiara up in her room to grab some water. My feet were silent across the floor as I padded towards the kitchen, but I stopped, hearing hushed voices from inside.

"What's with the hot blonde?" I recognised the voice as Drake, a guy on the same basketball team as Kalen.

"Who?"

"Dude, your sister's friend." My cheeks flamed.

"What? Tessa?" He's shocked I'm considered hot? f*****g great.

"Yeah, her. You think she'd go out with me."

"She's 15." Kalen snapped.

"So? It's just a date."

"You're 17, it's f*****g weird." It sounded like he was saying it more to himself than his friend.

"I'm not gonna f**k her straight away, maybe a few sloppy kisses and a blow job." His friend laughs. Kalen doesn't.

"No, she's off limits." He states gruffly.

"Jesus. Calm the f**k down. Don't tell you're in love with the chick or something?"

This was it. That moment that changes the course of our story. He'll say he loves me, but he's just too scared to admit it to me and then I'll walk in and tell him how I feel too. We'll kiss, and laugh and all this pain will be over. Because I'll be with him.

A harsh laugh breaks the silence. "Seriously? She's my little sister's best friend. I've seen her as a pudgy 8 year old wearing grandma glasses with straw hair. Trust me, I'll never f*****g want her."

Heart shattered.

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A/N: Thoughts on their first kiss??

Thoughts on Kalen?? Does he want Tessa or not??