Chapter 18

JUDE

The moment those words came out of my mouth, my stomach shrivelled into a tiny blackhole that threatened to swallow the rest of my organs.

Crap. What did I just say? What was I thinking? A normal person doesn’t just come up to someone and ask them if they could kiss that someone…

Not only that, but I have been staring at him for the past five minutes like a lunatic. He probably thinks I’m weird. Any normal person would think that.

It didn’t help that he also hated me.

I wanted to examine the thought process that led me to ask him that question so I could travel back in time ten minutes ago and punch my past self. Rick, that Idiot. If he had told me that Oliver was coming, I would have gone home without him.

I had finished practice in school and, since Rick had also finished his around the same time, we both accompanied each other home. (Which had become a tradition to us at this point.)

My dumb brother, however, had ripped his training pants and needed a new pair so we had to pass through this mall.

Why a mall? I had no idea. There were plenty of better clothing stores near our place but he seemed to like Rockwater Mall a lot. In fact, he seemed to like going to RockWater a lot more after Dad… you know.

Anyway, I’d left him to buy a snack but the dumb fucker had apparently forgotten to tell me he was inviting Oliver.

I hate how much I forget they’re really good friends.

The guy in question was now in total shock. Like he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. (Me neither.) His pale pink lips opened slightly in disbelief. He stared at me, seemingly lost in space.

“E-E-Excuse me?” He sputtered out. I’d never seen him this flustered. Normally, I was very used to him shooting frowns in my direction. A part of me, a part that I was starting to shed off every time I see Oliver, was finding it mockingly amusing. Like watching a fly squirm in a web. Another part of me thought he looked absolutely adorable.

The latter was absolutely shocking. I should not be finding any guy ‘adorable’.

I forced myself to dampen these thoughts. “A…A k-kiss.” Shit why was I stuttering too. I took a deep breath. “Nothing else. Just one. No big deal.”

Oliver’s eyes widened. He suddenly turned his back to me but not before I could spot a dark red on his cheeks beginning to take root.

“Why?” He said quietly.

For a moment, I debated leaving him and going home. I’d find some other guy to kiss. It didn’t have to be specifically Oliver. I would have to kiss any guy to get this over with.

Shit got me questioning things and I’m straight. I can’t believe I’m following your advice Ruan, I thought.

But what if it backfired? What if I kiss another guy and I start thinking of him frequently like Oliver? Shit I haven’t even thought of a girl in days because of that dumb dare. Why did I participate in that dare? Should I tell him the truth? Why I needed this kiss?

A few minutes passed and I suddenly remembered Oliver had asked me a question.

I cleared my throat, trying to keep my voice neutral. “It seems that dare we did brought some…issues.”

“What-what do you mean?” A hint of certainty in his voice. Like this guy had an idea of what I was talking about.

So I told him. Not everything. Just enough that he could get an even clearer idea of what I was experiencing. His body language didn’t change as I explained it to him.

When I was done, his back was still turned to me. In an even quieter voice, he said, “I’ve been experiencing something like that too.”

“Really?” Then this curse must be that strong. Well at least it would not take much convincing to get this over with.
“That’s why I-I need to kiss…someone,” I said, avoiding the word ‘guy’. “I need to kiss you and break this weird spell on us.”

He chuckled slightly, “You really think this is a spell?”

“I mean its so obvious. Why would I want to kiss-” I stopped myself from saying ‘You’. “A guy?”

Oliver’s body went rigid. Something told me he was rolling his eyes.

“Is that what this is? Am I an experiment to you?”

Something told me that was the wrong thing to say. Shit did i blow this? Where was my expert rizz when I needed it?

He took a deep breath before he faced me, his face laced with something like determination mixed with a smidge of hesitation. His eyes were on the ground before he spoke again. “Let’s get this over with.”