Kiss Cam [Teaser/Published October 2016]

CHAPTER TWO | AVOIDING TONGUE

I CAN'T TELL if my eyes have widened or my brows have furrowed or even if I'm just sitting there staring at the camera blankly. I do know one thing, though. My insides are being tickled by the wings of a thousand butterflies.

Since the beginning of our video blogging days, I've found myself being paired up with either Lenny or Jasper as a couple ship. To make things clear, a ship isn't what one might think it is—at least not in this case.

According to any Internet slang dictionary, a ship can be described as:

1. an unrealistic relationship that makes your heart swell with all the "feels," causing you to pound your head against a wall, cry to the heavens, or dissolve into giddy giggles. May include "cannons" (confirmed relationships).

2. to support a romantic pairing. Shipping is often the purpose of many fanfiction stories. Used for characters in books, TV shows, movies, anime, manga, video games, etc.

3. Short for a romantic relationship followed by a fandom.

Ships are probably one of the most dangerous things on the Internet; well, that and the hundreds of porn sites waiting to poison the minds of our children.

Lenny, Jasper, and I didn't even know we were part of a large fan ship circle until our names started to be combined in the comments under our videos to show which couple one supported.

Our viewers have always been rooting for a pair of us to become a couple. Not only are there Jasiper (Jasper and Juniper) and Leniper (Lenny and Juniper) ships, but Jenny (Jasper and Lenny) ships as well. However, the most popular among our viewers is the fictitious romantic relationship between Jasper and me. And anything could set off our viewers, too. If Jasper and I look at each other too long or touch each other too often in a video, the fans of our ship will go crazy.

You guys are such a cute couple!!! Admit it, you're a couple!

Why are you hiding your relationship from us?! The love in their eyes is so obvious! Jasiper feels!!

Sometimes our viewers get carried away. Not all of them are like this, of course. Some people watch our videos simply because we're entertaining. But it's the crazy ones who stand out the most.

And it's not like we ever deny anything happening between us, either. In fact, Jasper and I joke about Jasiper quite often on camera. We think it's funny that some of our viewers are so invested in our nonexistent relationship. We tease them, which is probably what lead up to this somewhat uncalled-for and chicken-worthy dare.

I laugh somewhat awkwardly and turn to Jasper for help. "Kiss, huh?"

Jasper looks down at the computer screen to confirm Lenny's words. "Looks like it."

My insides knot up further, and I have to hold back a groan while Lenny muffles laughter on the other side of Jasper.

"I mean, it's just a kiss, right?" Jasper checks, nudging me in the side. "No big deal."

"Are you kidding?" I scoff in surprise. He's being remarkably cool about this whole thing. His expression remains neutral, his demeanor bouncy and excited. Kissing is kissing. It's intimate no matter how you look at it. With the opposite sex, friend or not, it surpasses all boundaries.

"Oh, c'mon, June," he says with a roll of his eyes. He passes his laptop back over to a still-snickering Lenny and turns his body to face mine. "It'll be a less-than-a-second, quick little lip touch. Besides, we kiss each other on the cheek all the time."

My mouth is still agape as I continue to stare at him in disbelief. I have previously saved my mouth kisses for those I had deep feelings for—relationships. What Jasper and I have is friendship. And sure, we're close. We're neighbors, have had sleepovers, slept in the same bed, changed in the same room. And it's because of this that I don't want to cross any boundaries. People have already considered us too close as it is.