The One Next to Me

Two days. Two days left of 8th grade, Skyler thought. Only two days left until she was in high school. But she couldn't help but to think that even though she had two more days until she was a grown up, she hadn't had her first kiss. To most people, it wasn't a big thing, but to her it was her transition into being a woman. It didn't have to mean anything, she just knew she wanted it.
"Why do you want to get kissed so badly?" Skyler's best friend Aiden asked. They had been best friends since kindergarten. He had always wanted to be more than friends. Skyler had no clue of this, however. He knew she had never been kissed and wanted to have her first kiss before high school. He had often dreamed  about being the one to kiss her.
"I just want to be like the rest of the girls in our class. They've all been kissed." Skyler reasoned. Aiden gave her a look that she had seen plenty of times. It was his look of confusion and a look of judgement.
"I just want to ok. I don't  expect you to understand. You've already had your first kiss. Girls follow you wherever you go."  Skyler said.
Aiden knew that he shouldn't be angry. She had a point after all. He did have his first kiss. He knew that girls followed him around like little puppy dogs. But none of those girls were Skyler.
Three weeks went by and Skyler talked nonstop about her first kiss theory. Aiden listened patiently, knowing that if he offered to kiss her, it would change their friendship.
"I know... why don't you get one of your football buddies to do it." Skyler said.  She knew that they were all jocks amped up on their testosterone and would kiss anything with eyes and a mouth.
"Umm ... because they're all a----. You know this," Aiden snapped. He knew that the guys were actually nice, but not nice enough to be the first guy to kiss the girl he liked.
"What about Aaron? He's a nice guy. He was my lab partner once," Skyler said. Aiden knew Aaron well. He was a nice guy.
  Even though, he said, "No he wouldn't be right. I heard that when he kissed Katie for the first time over break, he went straight for tongue." This was a lie, but he saw that Skyler dismissed the idea of Aaron. "I still don't get why you just want it. Most girls want a commitment and all that dumb girly s***. You are the only girl I know who would want a kiss just to kiss." Skyler knew she shouldn't be offended, but she couldn't help question why he was asking her this.
"Whats your problem Karev. You're my best friend. You should be on my side." Skyler said.
"I am your best friend, and its my job to protect you. All guys want is a girl's body. I don't want some random guy to take advantage of you." Aiden said. He knew he sounded desperate, but he didn't care.
"Whatever. Be a friend and help me find the perfect guy." said Skyler.
For the next two weeks, Aiden pretended to listen to Skyler talk about her plans to get kissed. All he could do was think about was kissing her. But he knew if he tried anything, their friendship would be over.
"Is kissing someone for the first time good?" Skyler asked. Aiden thought to himself about his first kiss. It had been with a girl named Rachel. It was in a movie theater. At the end of the movie, he leaned over and kissed her, except, he couldn't fully see her face so he ended up only kissing half of her lips.
"I guess so." Aiden said. He smiled a little because he amused himself with this answer. Skyler didn't catch on.
"When it happens, should I wear lip gloss or lip stick?" Skyler asked. Aiden thought to himself that he wouldn't care either way as long as he was kissing her.
"Chapstick."

A week later, Skyler had called up Aiden to tell him some big news.
"Guess who has a date for Friday night?" Skyler screamed. Aiden's stomach dropped.
"Who?" Aiden said.
"Me, you goob! Jason Hill asked me on a date! Can you believe this... I'm going to get kissed. And with only a month left of summer, it couldn't be better timing." Skyler said. She was still screaming.
"Good for you. I'm happy... really." Aiden said glumly. He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince, Skyler or himself.
Skyler came home that night and called Aiden right away.
"Hey goob." She said.
"How was the date?" he asked. He wanted her to say that it had been terrible.
"The date went okay! He was a perfect gentleman. That being said, he did not kiss me. Even when I tried to kiss him he backed away. I really liked him though. I think that I'm gonna go out with him again." Skyler said. Aiden was happy that they had not kissed, but he didn't like the fact that they were going to go on another date.
"Well just be patient and it will all work itself out." Aiden said.

Over the next two weeks, Skyler and Jason had been on three dates. There was still no kissing. Skyler couldn't figure it out. She has put on makeup, she had worn cute clothes, and she even painted her fingernails, which she hated doing. But they all ended the same way. The date would end and they would either shake hands or hug. Skyler was getting tired of this so she called Aiden,
"Whatcha doing this Friday?" she asked.
"Nothing... why? Aren't you going on a date?" He asked. He knew he sounded rude, but he didn't care.
"Wanna go see a movie. I'm getting tired of Jason. He just won't kiss me so I need a break. You in?" Skyler asked.
"Sure why not." he said. They hung up and for the next three days, Aiden couldn't wait for Friday at 7:00.

They met at the movie theater downtown at 7:00pm Friday night. Aiden had showered, brushed his teeth, twice, and put on cologne. He was excited for their "date." Skyler arrived and they got in line to buy some snacks. While they were talking, Skyler saw something or someone who caught her attention. She recognized two figures standing in the corner, completely immersed in each other. Suddenly it all made sense to her. Those figures had been a girl who she knew from her class, and Jason Hill. She felt so hurt and betrayed inside. Aiden turned around to see what Skyler was looking at. He saw Jason and a girl named Paige from their class. Then all to quickly it happened. Skyler grabbed the drink from the person in front of them and walked over and poured it on Jason. Then she stormed out of the theater with Aiden following behind her.
"I can't believe this!" she screamed. "I honestly cannot believe that he was cheating on me. This is probably why he wouldn't kiss me." She started sobbing.
"Skyler I am so sorry." he said. He grabbed her and she sobbed into his shirt. "He doesn't deserve you. You are so beautiful and so talented that he is so far below that standards." he said. She stayed in his arms for awhile, just listening to his heart beat.
  Then she looked up and said, "Aiden I love you. You have always been there for me and you are the best guy I know. You always make me happy." She looked into his eyes and said, "Its you... its always been you.Then she inched towards him, then leaned forward. They kissed. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but it wasn't a bland kiss. It was a kiss that someone remembers forever. Its remembered because its with the right person at the right time. She had been wrong. Kissing someone for the first time was special. But not for the reasons she thought before. She realized how immature it was of her to want to kiss someone to keep up with the other girls.She realized for the first time that she didn't need a perfect guy, but a guy who was perfect for her. She knew everything was going to change, and she was okay with it.