By Your Side

Chapter 8: Prove it

Returning the smile, the two of them exited the muscle car and headed into the old-fashioned ice cream parlor. However, when they walked in, they were greeted by a line of people already waiting. Together they stood side by side while beside them, their fingers danced off one another until Clare finally made a move to intertwine her fingers with James'. He didn't even have to look at her to feel the warm glow of her smile.

The two of them then made their way to the front counter where a giddy older gentleman spun out ice cream cones. Sal had been nicknamed the king of the ice cream cone around town and had worked at the establishment since the kids were young. Now with it finally being their turn, Clare and James approached the front counter, and the ecstatic man turned around to greet them.

"Well hello kids, its been some time since I last saw you. How are you doing this fine summer day?"

"Hey Sal, we're doing good. I'll just take a basic vanilla. What about you Clare?"

Noticing the gesture James made toward Clare, Sal began to twiddle his curly mustache.

"Chocolate for me please."

Sal nodded acknowledging their requests before he began to twist the soft trail of ice cream into the cones. Clare wrapped her arms under James' arm while he pulled out a twenty dollar bill. Noticing the slight bit of movement from the kids, Sal looked over and observed them getting friendlier as it was now just the three of them in the shop.

"So are you two dating?"

"Yea something like that. Why do you ask Sal?"

"You two just really work together. I remember when you two were just little kids coming into my store. Back then I would've never guessed that I'd see you two in here together holding hands."

Clare and James looked at each other surprised by the comment, while Sal finished the last ice cream cone and approached the counter again, passing both of the cones to Clare while James paid. Sliding the twenty toward Sal, the enthusiastic man didn't hesitate to refuse it.

"Don't worry about it. I'm all for helping a blossoming relationship, so these are on the house."

"Thanks Sal."

"Yea thanks."

The two exited the shop allowing Sal to return to the new customers who had just entered as James and Clare left. Outside the picnic tables had all been filled as the two of them were forced to go back to the car and lean up against it. They were still feeling a little awkward about actually hanging out together outside of school and mostly remained silent, enticed by the ice cream in their hands. Only Clare would be the one to break the awkward silence.

"So...you never answered my question?"

"Hmm," James' focus broke away from the vanilla cone and over to Clare. "What question?"

"The one about who your most significant kiss was?"

There was this pressuring force that hurt James' heart when he thought about the question; however, he knew that he couldn't hide his secret for much longer. Clare had backed him into a corner now, that hiding anything would only put there entire friendship on edge.

"Oh that question...look what if I told you I've never actually had a girlfriend?"

"Seriously," Clare said astonished by his response. "But you are like the best guy ever?"

"Thanks, but it's true. What about you?"

Clare shyly returned to her ice cream while James asked her the same question. She did her best to avoid answering using her ice cream as an excuse. Yet like James, she knew that she shouldn't lie and that his honesty deserved to be respected.

"You don't have one do you, Clare?"

"Shut up, maybe I haven't yet."

"But I thought you dated that one preppy dude last year."

"He was just using me to get closer to Hannah, something about not wanting to kiss the goth girl or something."

He thought that he could hear the sound of her heart being chipped away as if a chisel was hitting marble. Remembering the memory, she seemed to start to get visibly upset, and James was the only one there to console her.

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that, if I was him I would have totally kissed you."

"Thanks, James, but you don't have to lie to me."

"I'm not lying, I'm one hundred percent serious."

"Fine, prove it then."

Surprised by her calling his bluff, James saw his opportunity to make the whole situation better. Even though it conflicted with his emotions, Clare had always stuck by him through thick and thin, and this was the least he could do to repay her. James now completely serious, was about to leave a lasting impression on her.

Her eyes were burning into him, almost like she was attempting to call him out for lying but to her surprise, James had turned to face her and tilted her chin up giving him a clear line of fire at her lips. A moment passed as Clare realized that there was no bluff, and her eyes raced from side to side analyzing James. The tension building up between them as James finally made his move and approached her face, until their lips finally collided and locked into place.

Instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck, while he wrapped his arms around her back pulling her in closer to his body while keeping his ice cream cone pointing away from her. Clare's leg raised in the air now like in a cliche romantic movie moment, as the young fake couple shared their first passionate moment together. The heat they both radiated, warmed up each of their ice cream covered lips. While the combined taste of chocolate and vanilla mixed and managed to find its way between their lips.

However James didn't account for one thing, when their lips connected and their limbs wrapped around one another. The ice cream cone in Clare's hand was the forgotten factor. Behind his head, Clare pushed into the kiss, and the ice cream cone in her hand tipped forward and pressed against the back of James' neck, forcing an uncomfortable chill to erupt down his spine.