Chain Reaction 2.3: You missed

     I get some real food Mom made earlier. When I finish, I get up and say, "Thanks for an awesome birthday party, Mom."
     Mom smiles and says, "No sweat."
     I go to bed and think about Claire. What came over me tonight? All of a sudden, my friend got pretty with a nice butt in short shorts. Then, because of that, I start acting weird. Why couldn't I just act normal like I used to?
     Shaking my head at myself, I have no answer other than maybe being a teen won't be as easy as I thought it'd be.

     A few days later, we all go out to Club Slate, and Branden pulls me aside before we go in.
     "So when are you gonna stop just staring at Claire's ass and ask her out?"
     I think Claire heard her name. I can't be positive she heard the rest of it. Half of me wants to run after her to outright ask her if she heard any of that.

     She walks into the building, and I turn around to Branden. "Dude! Shut up!"
     He gets mad. "Don't tell me to shut up! I swear one day I'm going to lock the two of you in a closet so the rest of us can stop pretending we don't notice how you two look at each other."
     "Wait, what?" I have trouble breathing. "How does she look at me?"
     Branden does his Branden-eye-roll. "You need glasses. That, or a brain. Maybe both."
     "Answer the question!" I say a bit louder than normal, trying not to snap. I shove him.

     He shoves me back as he says, "I shouldn't have to! Maybe you should start paying attention. You're getting on my nerves! I can't stand her, but if you want her to be your girlfriend, that's fine."
     "That's 'fine'? Like I have to have your permission?"
     "At least then she'd have a real reason to hang out with us."
     "Oh? Because she couldn't if we were just friends," I say sarcastically.
     He rolls his eyes again. "I'm done with this. Either you tell her or I'm going to carry through on my threat about locking you guys in a room somewhere. Trust me, as a friend, I'd be doing you a favor."
     "Gee, thanks, 'Cupid,'" I answer and roll my eyes back at him.
     I storm into the club, intent upon ignoring my jerk of a friend for the rest of the night. Claire sits at the bar and smiles at me when I walk in, and I freeze. I...can't talk to her right now either. Not knowing what else to do, I go chat with the new girl Kelsie. She's cute, but as a kid, I would've definitely thrown her into the 'annoying girl' category.
     Claire looks mad every time I glance at her. I feel bad for ignoring her, but I can't go talk to her after what Branden told me. Before she leaves, she snaps at me to meet her tomorrow in the chalet gardens or I'm in serious trouble.
     "Uh, okay," I answer. This makes the first time I've seen Claire mad and not liked it.

     When I get to the chalet gardens, I don't have a hard time spotting Claire. That red hair makes her easy to find.

     I can't tell her mood from her expression as I walk up to her and say, "Hey."
     "What did I do?" she asks.
     "Uh... What?"

     "Don't play stupid, Ethan! Branden said something about me, and then you ignore," she shoves me, "me the whole night! I didn't want to ask you last night because I didn't want to give him the satisfaction that he made me upset. Now, what did he say?"
     I can't tell her that! Oh, Maker, what do I tell her?!
     "He said... He said you have a nice ass." Oh plum!
     "What?! I loathe him. So that's why you go and talk to Kelsie all night? Do you like her or something?" She asks, and her face turns red.

     "Huh? No. I mean, yeah. I mean, not like like-her like her." Claire is up. set. And she got jealous! "What, you don't like her?"
     "It's not that," she says and covers her eyes. I wish she wouldn't. I like her eyes. She takes in a shaky breath and says, "Ethan, you have to be careful when you talk to girls. All you really have to do is make those blue eyes of yours dance and we fall for you hook, line, and sinker."
     "We?" I ask, and confidence zooms through me. I take a step closer, wishing she'd look at me. My eyes dance?
     "Just don't lead her on," she says, her face turning red again.
     "You haven't answered the 'we,'" I remind her.
     She huffs. "Well, I am a girl, even if you like to forget."
     I smile. "I don't forget."

     I close my eyes and quickly move in to kiss her. Her hand moves from her eyes in shock, but she doesn't push me away, which was my big fear.

     Claire giggles like a girl, which isn't really like her. I guess I made her feel like a girl.
     "You missed," she says, still giggling.
     "Huh?"
     "That wasn't exactly on my lips, monkey boy," she explains.
     "Oh. Okay."

     This is better. This is much better. Well, there might be one way it could be better than this...
     My hand starts moving down. I wonder how far I could stick my hand in her back pocket.
     Claire makes a little noise and reaches down to stop my hand. Well, I guess not. This time. I keep kissing her, nervous about stopping and what I'll say when I do. For a little while, she doesn't act like she minds. Then, she starts acting like she needs to breathe.

      I leave her lips so she can breathe, but I don't want to talk yet. The skin of her neck calls to me, and I have to answer. Would she be mad at me if I gave her a hickie?
     I never thought I'd like this, but I really, really do. I like her hair in my face, and her skin tastes so good! What if I never have to stop?
     "Ethan, I'm sorry for snapping," she says, still sounding breathless.
     No talking yet, I think and kiss her lips again. This time, I want to taste the inside of her mouth, so I make her open it. It's about a billion times better than her neck.
     She starts shaking. I have no idea why. Am I scaring her? Yeah, this is a little scary, but I like it. I sigh and decide she needs to hear me talk.

     I don't let go of her, talking into her ear because I'm too nervous about seeing her face as I tell her. "No, I'm not interested in Kelsie. There's only ever been one girl for me, and her name is Claire." Awesome. I hope that made her smile.

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