Chapter 2: The Prom Night

Ryker’s POV

“What the hell are you doing?”

What Claire did left me at a loss for words and unsure how to respond. However, I believe her words are merely a joke.

“Please stop teasing me.” A chuckle escaped my lips before I shifted my gaze back to her feet again. “Is your foot okay? Does the pain still linger?

“It’s trending now to “kiss your best friend and see their reaction,” and because Russell is a girl, it’s better if you take the challenge with me,” Claire said with a smile.

I cast my gaze upon Claire again, and her words appeared to be uttered with utmost sincerity. I delicately slipped the shoes back onto her dainty feet, then deftly withdrew the chair and settled myself into it. I fixed my gaze on Claire. I just noticed that a lot has changed about her. Her brown, wavy hair cascaded down her shoulders. The sleek ponytail that gathers her hair now reveals the alluring curve of her neck and nape. Her eyes were almost closed, and her smile used to be small. However, now her smile was beautiful, with her eyes shining brightly. The bridge of her nose was exquisitely formed, while her crimson lips remained unchanged. Her shape constantly changed, which I confirmed as I embraced her slender waist. If I was taller than her before, now we are almost the same height because she is wearing heels.

“So? Is the fact that you are looking at me earnestly a sign that you accept my challenge?”

I furrowed my brow and gave a slight nod. “Why me?”

“Jeez, aren’t you listening?” Claire frowned and said. “I don’t want my first kiss to be with a girl, and it can’t be Russell. It’s best if it could be you.”

I inhaled deeply. I noticed Claire’s pouting expression in response to my reaction. “Do you still see me as a child? I’m not a child anymore. I have my period, my boobs have grown, and I have started to have pubic hair on....” Claire said, but I cut her off.

My hand surprised her by covering her mouth. “What the heck are you talking about?”

Without hesitation, she swiftly withdrew my hand from her lips. “I’m telling you this because I want you to be my first kiss.” Claire said, “So what? Is it a yes or no?”

“Well, it’s no, but it isn’t because I don’t want to...”

“Fine. I will find someone who wants to do the challenge with me. Hmp, gay!” With an air of annoyance, Claire turned her back on me. She slipped off her shoes and padded barefoot into the grand hall.

“Did she just call me gay? Seriously?” Annoyance coursed through me.

I took Claire’s shoes and ran after her but couldn’t find her.

---

Claire’s POV

“Haist, is he gay? Despite my perception of him as a heartbreaker who had left many a girl in tears, he showed no interest in a kiss. He’s very annoying!”

As I made my way through the bustling crowd, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of irritation creeping up within me. The noise and mess of the party seemed to be closing in on me, suffocating me with each passing moment. I’m going to find a guy I know, and I’m going to make Ryker believe I’m searching for someone who will consent to be my first kiss.

I pouted as I witnessed Ryan and Russell leaving the building. She managed to slip away from Daniel without his notice. Daniel was seen conversing with the young ladies.

‘The real womanizers don’t care about the women they’re with.’

“Claire!”

As I pivoted on my heel, my gaze fell upon Fabio, the esteemed captain of our university basketball team. He has some of the biggest fans at the school.

With a smile, he approached me and greeted me with a simple “Hi. How are you, Anderson?”

The blaring music drowned out our conversation, compelling him to draw nearer to me just to be heard.

Fabio leaned in, his ear tilted towards me, eager to catch every word I spoke. It is acceptable. “Did you like the party?” I asked.

“Indeed, everyone is relishing the experience,” he exclaimed boomingly. As he spoke, my gaze was drawn to the taut tendon in his neck and the subtle motion of his Adam’s apple with each swallow.

‘Damn, that’s sexy!’

“Why are you by yourself? You don’t have a date, do you?” He asked out loud again.

A chuckle escaped as I spoke, “I had a date, but I left him.”

“That’s bad. Where is Russell, anyway?” He asked.

“She is just there, perhaps with Ryan.”

“It seems like I don’t have any hope for your friend. Ryan Lee is fencing her.”

A chuckle escaped my lips. “You are weak, for you had the opportunity to court Russell.”

“Her older brother looks scary. It’s like he’s eating people.” Fabio chuckled. “Do you care to dance?”

“Sure,” I replied with a nod.

At a towering height of 6 feet, Fabio has secured a spot on the esteemed basketball team. Because I’m not wearing my shoes with high heels, I’m only up to his chin. I looked at him while we talked, seeing more of Adam’s apple than his face.

As I reached out to touch Fabio’s shoulder, a sudden force seized me by the waist and yanked me away from him. To my great surprise, I could not stifle a scream, though the blaring music drowned out any sound I might have made.

Ryker sighed, “Is that truly how one should treat their date? Do you mean to leave him twice?” Ryker asked as he embraced me, and I grasped his shoulder. My gaze fell upon Fabio, but he wore a smile and left.

As I was preparing to pursue Fabio, Ryker intervened, deftly hoisting me up and carrying me away from the crowd. With a gentle release, he set me to the side as we made our way toward the lavatory.

“Haist, what is wrong with you, Big B?”

The music in that part is already low, so we can hear each other well. “Are you flirting with that guy just because I didn’t kiss you?” Despite the irritation in Ryker’s tone, I chose to ignore it.

“Uhm, wait, I will think about it. Well yeah, that might be a reason.” I said. “Why are you so angry?”

“You are behaving like a petulant child. Why are you hugging him, huh?”

“What? We are going to dance. Also, we danced earlier. You were hugging me earlier, too.”

“We are different.”

My lips formed a pout. “You’re both men.”

“I’m your date.”

“Because you are my date, I can’t dance with anyone else.”

“Indeed, that is correct.”

I exclaimed, “Big B, your self-centeredness is truly astounding. Fabio was my friend, yet his affections lay elsewhere, towards Russell, not me.”

With a sly grin, Ryker said. “He can’t touch Russell, so he turns his attention to you.”

My lips formed a pout. “You are such a mean person.”

“I’m a man, too, so I know how they moved.”

“I get it. You’re a pro.”

I turned my back on him and walked into the ladies’ room. After a few minutes, I turned to the door to see Ryker walk in.

“Why did you come here?” Surprise overtook me.

“We haven’t finished talking yet, but you’ve turned your back on me,” Ryker said.

“What? We can talk later.” I said. “I need to pee.”

Before Ryker could talk, loud voices were outside the washroom. I quickly pulled Ryker into the cubicle. We stood, our eyes locked in a tense gaze, facing each other within the cubicle. In our position, I might have a heart attack. He pressed his body firmly against mine, his hands bracing against the cubicle wall. The warmth of his breath enveloped my forehead.

“Turn around,” Ryker whispered.

“Why?” I asked with a frown.

“Well, as you can see, we’re both uncomfortable with this position.”

“I am comfortable,” I stated.

I did not expect Ryker to seize my shoulder and swivel me back toward him. The sound of his deep breaths filled the air. Something hard is poking my buttocks, but I’m not bothered. I moved around a lot to avoid it, but my behind kept rubbing against it. Ryker took another deep breath.

“What in the hell is that?” I complain.

“Why can’t you just stop moving?”

“Something hard is poking my behind,” I said. “And do you expect me to relax? Are you out of your mind?”

“If you don’t stop, I might do something you didn’t expect,” Ryker said.

“Seriously? What sort of things?”

—

Ryker’s POV

‘Damn, this is bad. If she keeps going...’

With a firm grip on her head, I drew her close. Our faces are now an inch apart. Without hesitation, our lips met. She suddenly stopped moving. Curiously enough, a peculiar sensation stirs within my chest. The feeling had returned to me for the second time.

I delicately withdrew my lips from hers. “Close your eyes,” I whispered.

Claire’s eyes gradually closed as I pressed my lips against hers again. The emotions coursing through me were indescribable. I’ve kissed many girls before, but this one is different. Even compared to my first love, it’s very different.

I started poking her lips with my tongue, and she opened her mouth a little, which I used as an opportunity to put my tongue in. As expected, Claire didn’t know how to kiss, so she let me explore the inside of her mouth and taste every inch of it. A few moments later, I was surprised when she responded to what I was doing. Her tongue mimicked my movements. I gently grasped her arm, relishing the lingering flavor of our passionate kiss. It was unlike anything else. At that precise moment, everything appeared to come to a standstill.

Surprise overtook us as the phone rang. We waited for a response from outside the cubicle, but there was none. We didn’t notice the students coming out of that restroom. Claire carefully peered outside, and I answered the call.

“Daniel, man, what’s up?” I asked.

“I’m heading home with your sister,” Daniel said.

“What?” The sensation of shock coursed through my body. “What happened? Please wait for me in the parking lot. I will look for Claire, and we will go home together.” I ended the call there.

I even lied when I said I was going to find Claire. I left the cubicle immediately and held Russell’s hand while leaving the bathroom.

“Why are you in such a hurry? What happened?” Claire asked me.

“The two have a problem. Daniel said they were going home.”

“What? Why?”

No other words escaped my lips. We hurriedly departed the building and drove directly to the parking area. We were getting closer when we could hear Daniel and Russell fighting.

-

We drove in silence until we reached Claire’s house. I went to Claire’s house so her parents would know I had safely gotten her there. I don’t know what got into my sister’s head and made her do that. But I can’t scold her too much because Claire and I did the same thing. In the restroom, I pressed my lips against hers, and my body responded with a surge of desire.

“Your shoes,” I told Claire, then handed her the shoes.

“Thank you,” Claire expressed with gratitude. Since we left the bathroom, a palpable silence has descended upon us, leaving me uneasy. She has refrained from mentioning the incident, further adding to my discomfort.

“About what happened earlier...?” I began.

A smile graced Claire’s lips. “It was perfect. I have recorded it and will upload it on...”

I gazed at her for a brief moment. She looked like a child who was happy because she got a kiss. It was an ordinary kiss. It’s not how I usually kiss women, but it was like a French kiss for her. A sudden wave of worry washed over me.

“No, please, don’t upload it. We won’t benefit from you posting that on social media. Think about Russell and your parents...”

Claire just looked at me with a puzzled look. I don’t know how to explain it, but something in her makes me feel like I hurt her.

“I’m just clarifying, Claire—that kiss had no meaning, okay? I hope our relationship will not change because of what happened. It was nothing more than a kiss.”

“Y-yeah. It’s just a kiss. I know.” Claire said. “You should go. Thank you, and good night for tonight, Big B.”

“Y-yeah, no worries.”

Claire quickly turned her back on me and entered the house while I closed the door. I left the house and made my way back to the vehicle.

Stunned, I stopped before reaching their gate and pivoted toward Claire’s house.

‘It was just a kiss, and it meant nothing. Ignore what you felt earlier, Ryker.’ I thought as I blew some air and started walking again.