Only one day left. Really, it was no big deal, only a birthday party; his party. He was turning thirteen, so it’s good that his class mates were going to be there to help celebrate; right? Even if there were going to be kissing games?
Oh, God!
Tony wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans while his eyes scanned over the list of names of those, who’d RSVP-ed for his party. One name in particular sent his heart flip-flopping inside his chest. The person has only been his biggest crush since, like, forever.
Oh, sweet mercy.
Tony sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. What possessed his parents to allow his seventeen-year-old sister, Julia, to be in charge of his party? Didn’t they know the girl was evil? Well, evil to him, anyway. Tony had told Julia that he just wanted to have a simple, little gathering; a movie marathon, order pizzas, cake and ice cream; you know, simple.
Oh no. Julia had insisted that her little brother wasn’t going to have some lame ass, geek fest that would give him a shitty rep at school. “Just leave it to me, baby bro. I’ll handle everything. You’ll have the time of your life. I promise.”
Oh sure, Julia seemed to be a sweet and considerate sister. Everyone thought so. Even Tony almost believed it; until she announced there were going to be kissing games. Pure evil.
Back to why Tony’s parents left his wicked sister in charge. Alex Jenkins was a big shot director, and Liz Jenkins was in charge of costumes and make-up, so they were somewhere on the globe, shooting some film. Tony’s nerves were so rattled, he couldn’t even remember where they had gone, or what project they were working on. He was too busy not having a heart attack. Of course, his life wouldn’t be in danger, now, if they hadn’t abandoned him and left Julia in charge of his thirteenth birthday party.
Tony changed into a pair of sleep pants and lay on his bed. Sweat left a clammy residue on his skin. Whether it was from the stuffiness of his room, or from anticipation for his up coming nightmare, he wasn’t sure. He reached over and clicked off his lamp. The glow from the moon cast shadows into his room. The wind howled outside his window, and the branches on the oak in the backyard swayed in a dramatic dance.
Maybe a storm will blow the house down. Better to die from a collapsed roof, than to die from embarrassment.
Watching the shadows bounce around on the walls, Tony drifted off to sleep. Surprisingly, horrific nightmares didn’t plague his mind throughout the night; though, his crushes face was another matter.
The next evening, Tony and Julia greeted the guests as they arrived for the party. Tony’s heart jumped each time the doorbell chimed. The ding-dong tone had taken on a menacing darkness with each arrival. Nearly the entire seventh grade class, who’d RSVP-ed, filled the Jenkins’ basement, only one hadn’t shown up, yet. Mixed with disappointment and relief, Tony focused on those already present.
Maybe, I won’t have a heart attack, after all.
The door bell chimed, more death defying than all the other times. Julia’s voice trailed down into the den as she welcomed the newest arrival. Tony’s tongue swelled and threatened to block his throat.
Oh, crap. Let me die, please.
Julia escorted the final guest into the room. She found Tony trying to hide behind a couple of bigger boys, and the smile that curved her lips would have sent the Devil running for his life.
Tony searched desperately for a place to hide. There was the storage closet, but unfortunately, it was going to be part of the blasted games. Maybe, he could escape through the sliding doors leading to the backyard. Dammit. The room was too crowded, and Julia was already making her way towards him. Tony tried to step around a couple of girls.
“Gotcha,” Julia said, snatching Tony’s hand. She pulled him to the front of the room to display him in front of everyone. “Before we begin,” Julia announced, “lets give a big hand to the birthday boy.”
As everyone applauded, Tony’s face turned redder than a fire truck, and he wished he had the ability to disappear. He tried to free his hand from his sister’s, but she tightened her grip. His eyes fell upon his crush, and his heart thumped so loudly, he swore the others could hear its pounding.
“In a couple of hours, I’ll order pizza,” Julia went on. Her voice was filled with innocence and carried a cheerful tone. Tony heard the malicious intent behind her words. “So, before everyone ends up with garlic breath, lets play some games.”
Girls giggled, and some of the boys let out nervous laughs. At least, I’m not alone. Tony glared at the boys, who let out hoots and “hell yeah’s.” He shot another glance at his crush. Man, what are they thinking?
“First game,” Julia said, lifting an empty soda bottle over her head, “will be Spin the Bottle.”
She gathered Tony’s class mates into a circle arranging them in a boy-girl pattern. To Tony’s dismay, she pulled him to the center of the circle and placed the bottle on the floor. His eyes pleaded to her, but she merely smiled and encouraged him to spin the damn bottle.
Trying to work moister back into his mouth, Tony knelt down and spun the bottle. He squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see whom it pointed to. A couple of girls giggled making Tony’s eyes squint open. Tina Rogers stepped into the circle, leaned into his face, and gave him a quick peck on his lips. A sigh quietly escaped his lungs, as he scurried to take a spot in the circle.
The game lasted for about thirty minutes. Julia made sure each party guest received two turns. To Tony’s horror, his second kiss was from his sister. She was at least gracious enough to just give it on his cheek. The party guest still busted out laughing.
Just let me die as quickly and painlessly as possible. Please.
“Ok, everyone,” Julia’s voice boomed. “Next is Heaven’s Door.” She retrieved a coffee canister and a blindfold from a table and held them over her head. “I’ll pull the first name from the canister for each round; whoever I call out comes up here to be blindfolded. After I’ve blindfolded you, you reach in to draw the next name. I’ll quietly collect the chosen person and escort you both to the closet. You’ll have three minutes to have some fun. Just not too much fun. Behave in there.” Julia winked at Tony as she reached into the canister.
Oh my God, please don’t let me be first. Tony shifted uncomfortably under his sister’s stare.
“Madison H.”
A squeal erupted from Tony’s left, and a slightly plump girl bounced to the front of the room. Julia tied the blindfold over the girl’s eyes and helped guide her hand inside the canister. Madison plucked out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Julia.
Tony’s eyes followed his sister as she stepped up to a boy by the name of Tyson Blake. The two chosen ones stepped into the closet. Three minutes later, Madison skipped happily to her group of friends, and Tyson high-fived his buddies.
Julia pulled out another name. “Jason K.”
A tall lanky boy slowly made his way to the party host. Julia had to ask him to bend down so she could reach to tie the blindfold around his eyes. After Jason removed a name from the canister, she grabbed a girl, whose name Tony couldn’t remember. In his defense, the seventh grade class had over a hundred students, and he wasn’t a sociable person.
Several minutes passed, and Tony’s stomach churned knowing, eventually, his name was going to be drawn; either by his sister or by someone else. He noticed that a couple of times, those who’d disappeared into the closet were of the same sex.
God, have mercy. Please.
Julia’s hand reached into the canister. Her eyes lit up as she announced, “Tony J.”
Tony swayed. The room had shifted and the floor had turned into a raging ocean caught in a storm. He stumbled as his sister spun him around to tie the blindfold. His fingers trembled as they sifted through the tiny pieces of paper. Finally, he settled on a piece and tentatively handed it to his sister. Moments later, the room filled with hoots and laughter. Before he could rip off the blindfold and run for his life, Tony was being pulled across the room.
The closet door clicked shut. Silence filled the cramped space. Tony wasn’t sure if he was supposed to remove the blindfold or not.
Who did I choose?
No sickening sweet scent of perfume assaulted his nose, but not all the girls wore perfume.
“Um,” he mumbled. He cleared his throat and licked his lips. “So, with whom do I have the pleasure?”
Feet shuffled on the wooden boards of the floor.
Tony reached out and his hand brushed against the person’s chest. “Oh jeez, sorry. Didn’t mean to touch you there.”
A small chuckle reached Tony’s ears.
Dammit, I can’t tell if that was a guy or a girl.
“If you don’t want to play this silly game, it’s ok. It was my sister’s idea.”
The person stepped closer. A musky scent filled Tony’s nose. His breath caught in his throat as a pair of hands cupped his face and tilted his head.
“I don’t think it’s silly,” a voice whispered.
Lips pressed against Tony’s, and the room spun out of control. Tony gripped the person’s arms to keep from toppling over. Cool mint filled his mouth as the person brushed their tongue between his lips. Tony’s heart raced. When the person pulled away, Tony fought to keep from hyperventilating. He wasn’t the only one breathing heavy; whoever was in the closet with him was also trying to catch their breath.
“Is it.. Can I take off the blindfold?” Tony asked nervously.
Instead of answering, the person gently lifted the blindfold from Tony’s eyes. Tony blinked his eyes to adjust them to the dimness of the closet.
Holy crap. Tony’s heart pounded furiously, threatening to bust through his breast bone.
Dylan Reed smiled back at him. “Happy Birthday, Tony,” he murmured bashfully. “Hope this doesn’t ruin your day, but I’m glad you pulled my name. I’ve been wanting to tell you how I’ve felt for a long time.”
Tony’s head spun. He’s had a crush on Dylan since the boy moved to the school back in fourth grade. When Tony told his older sister that he liked another boy from school, she teased him, but said that it was no big deal. She even informed him that there were a lot of boys, who liked other boys, and girls who liked other girls. When he challenged her knowledge, she spat out a bunch of celebrities, whom Tony researched to make sure his sister wasn’t just teasing him.
When Tony didn’t say anything, Dylan shifted his feet. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to...”
Tony quickly pressed his lips to Dylan’s. Relief flooded through his mind as the other boy pulled him closer. Pulling away, Tony whispered, “It’s ok. I like you, too.”
As he and Dylan emerged from the closet, Tony shot a smile to his sister. He would have to thank her for throwing the best birthday party, ever.
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