It All Started With An Apple

Chapter 28

"Detail me.  Now."

Instead of texting me back like a normal person, Kyla called me.  Was I surprised?  Not at all.  Text messaging would never provide a sufficient amount of information—at least, not in Kyla's eyes.  She needed to hear the sound of my voice, the way the words came out.  That way she could tell that I was kidding or not.

I leaned forward on my bed, resting my chin on my hand.  "Well," I murmured softly, "we were at his house."

"You were?" Kyla shrieked.  I blinked, for a moment not understanding.  Why did she sound so shocked that I was at Dannon's house?  Everyone else knew.  Oh, right.  I'd totally forgotten to tell her about Dannon's and my plans.

"Yeah."

My voice was so soft that it sickened me.  I sounded so out of it, so dazed.  It was like he had kissed me, even though he didn't.  And, what was wore, Kyla noticed this as well.  "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, her voice growing higher-pitched with each word.  "Did you guys kiss?"

"No," I murmured.  "I'm getting there, okay?"

"Damn, Bri, if you could only hear yourself right now.  You sound so out of it."

I did notice, Kyla.  Thank you for notifying me.  "I know."  I tried my best to laugh, but failed miserably.  "Anyway, we went to his house and worked on the project.  Then we went outside and played beer-pong, except it was with fruit punch."

Kyla laughed.  "Nice!  You know, I've always wanted to do that.  Maybe sometime we should—wait, wait, I shouldn't be talking.  Continue!"

I fell back in my bed, staring up at the ceiling.  I blinked, visualizing myself in Dannon's bedroom again, his eyes boring into mine like he could see right through me.  I could feel myself getting lost in them all over again—and he wasn't even here.

"Brianne?"

I blinked, my reverie slipping away.  "Sorry," I mumbled.  "Tom video-taped us while we played.  And then, when the game was over, he told us to go back inside and work."

Kyla sucked in a breath.  "You didn't work, did you?" she breathed, sounding like a child being told a horror story.

I shook my head, forgetting for a moment that she wasn't there.  "No, we didn't."

Kyla laughed giddily.  I could just imagine her sprawled out on her bed, her eyes wide as she spoke, feeling great about herself because she'd been correct.  She was probably ecstatic enough about this for the both of us.  I would have been excited, but this was so unlike me.  I just . . . I couldn't.

After a moment of silence, Kyla groaned.  "Lady, supply the information!  I'm dying here."

At this I laughed, and I actually managed to sound like my usual self.  "Sorry."

"Don't apologize!  Get on with it!"

Way to be impatient, Kyla.  "Okay, so we were just lying on his bed.  And then I looked over at him, and he was staring at me."

"Awwwww!" Kyla squealed.  "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!  I think I'm hyperventilating."

Choosing to ignore her, I continued on as I held my hand in front of my face.  I flexed my fingers, a distant smile on my face.  "Well, nothing happened, Ky," I mumbled, more than a little disappointed as the words slipped off my tongue.  "Tom walked in right as we were about to . . . kiss."

It took me a while to find the strength to say the word out loud.  Kissing was something that never really entered my mind before.  I didn't want to kiss anyone at school—well, I did now, but that wasn't the point—so why would I think about it?  Kyla used the word constantly, saying that she could kiss a good number of the school's population.  I'd never really said the word while thinking of me kissing someone.  But now?  All I could think about was what would have happened if Tom hadn't come into the room.