“Well, it was more a long kiss on the lips than an actual real kiss,” I said.
“From where I was standing, it kind of looked like a real kiss,” Zamantha added.
“Me too.” Noah spoke for the first time since we’d gotten in the car and started driving.
“Definitely! I saw tongue!” Zamantha said.
“Tongue!” Noah whipped his head around and looked at me.
“There was very little tongue, I assure you. It was just a teeny bit of tongue,” I said, and burst out laughing.
“Teeny tongue, not big tongue!” Zamantha said, and also laughed.
“I would take a teeny bit of tongue from Klaw any day of the week,” Lila said, and sighed.
“Me too,” one of the Hoodies said, also on a sigh.
“Do you think we can stop talking about Klaw’s tongue.” Noah looked around the car pointedly.
“Oooh, someone sounds jealous,” Zamantha almost sang that.
“I doubt that,” I said back to her, thinking about the kiss that actually hadn’t happened today. No way was Noah jealous, otherwise he would have kissed me back. At least Klaw had kissed me back. I touched my lips when I realized something.
“Oh God, I can still taste him a little.”
“I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear that,” Noah mumbled, and tapped the steering wheel.
“Really?” Lila leaned forward. “Can I taste?”
“What?” Noah and I both said at the same time.
And then, without asking, Lila leaned forward and kissed me. It was gentle and, I must admit, once the initial shock wore off, it was rather nice. Her lips were so soft and silky and, without looking up, I could feel that everyone in the car was watching us. And then, she opened her mouth a little and I felt the tiniest touch of tongue and, without thinking, I did the same thing. And for a second there, I was kissing a girl. Really kissing a girl. I heard some loud whoops and cheers coming from the Hoodies in the back, and then, as quickly as it started, it stopped. Lila pulled away and sat back in her seat. She touched her hand to her lips and looked at me.
“If you’re not going to use that phone number on your arm, you mind giving it to me?” She had a faraway, distant, smitten look in her eyes, and I don’t think it came from kissing me but rather from thinking of kissing Klaw.
“S-sure,” I stuttered, also touching my lips, now only tasting her. Which was much more delicious than him. She was clearly wearing a strawberry-flavored lip balm. After letting her copy the number on my arm, I sat back down in my seat and stared forward. What a night! Two kisses. I smiled to myself and then stopped smiling when I caught Noah looking at me.
“What?” I asked, feeling defensive for some reason.
“Nothing,” he said, and then shook his head.
The beach looked amazing at night. The flickering lights from the city cast a golden glow across the sand and what made it look even better was the big bonfire in the middle of it all. People I’d never seen before were either relaxing on towels around the fire or sitting on chairs. Someone had a portable speaker and was playing music on their iPhone, and a few people were swaying to the beat of the relaxed music. This was not how I’d imagined a beach party. I had been expecting something much wilder, and instead I was greeted by this chilled, loungey atmosphere, which, after the chaos of the club, was a welcome relief.
“These are our new friends,” Hoodie Two said, after giving a guy who was also wearing a hoodie a rather complicated handshake, one that ended with an elbow bump and a snap of the fingers. Hoodie Two turned and looked at us and then tilted his head from side to side, as if thinking.
“Our names are Noah and Zoe,” Noah said.
“Rigght,” Hoodie Two said. “Zoah and Noe.”
“Close enough,” Noah said with a smile.
“Cool, man, welcome. Grab a seat, man, or a patch of sand. Like, whatever, it’s all good.” Hoodie Four, I guess I’d have to call him, indicated the fire and the floor.
Noah and I glanced at each other, gave a brief shrug and then climbed down onto the floor next to the most gorgeous-looking twins with purple dreadlocks.
“Hey,” they both said to us at once. I shook my head to make sure I wasn’t seeing double. I wasn’t. They were identical.
“Hi,” I said, not really knowing which one to respond to.
