The Bet 2 - Kiss & Tell

Part 1

“What the fuck happened to you?” Monica is already badgering me, and I swear, I haven’t been in the kitchen for more than two seconds.

“Nothing.” I reply in a temperamental tone. It is seven forty-one a.m and I am in no mood to argue. I don’t feel like fighting, I don’t feel like joking, and I don’t feel like explaining.

“Hate to say it, but you look like you got ran over by a friggin semi. Telling me that nothing is wrong seems a little absurd.” Monica is giving me that disapproving look as she waits for an explanation.

“It is nothing important. Don’t worry about it.”

She glances over at me with that pissed off face. Let the games begin.

“You better fucking tell me what happened, right now. I am your best friend. You can’t sit here and act like nothing is wrong. I’m not that stupid, Rachel.”

I touch the side of my swollen face, which stings badly for a moment. I know it looks horrible. I had a view of myself in the bathroom mirror before I walked into the kitchen. Underneath my left eye is a completely purple bruise..

What an ass I am.

“I had a rough night last night.” I respond with no vary in my voice whatsoever. I might as well be a nun.

“Obviously,” Monica replies.

I sigh deeply. I don’t want to do this, but she is bound to find out soon enough anyways.

“I kissed her.” 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Monica is looking at me like I am insane.

“The girl with the tattoo? You know, the hot legs? Yeah, I kissed her.”

“So? What does that mean?” She is shrugging ignorantly. Obviously it has become difficult to put two and two together.

Suddenly her eyes become understanding. She knows what I am talking about.

“Ha. You must of paid for it then, huh?” I nod at this. Boy, did I ever.

“You know, I have never met a girl who hits you in the face with her purse after twenty seconds of kissing.”

Monica begins to laugh hysterically. This is exactly why I did not want to have this discussion.

“I mean, I can see if she hits me before our lips touch, but I definitely can not understand why she would sock me in the face with a leather purse after I’ve had my tongue down her throat for like eight seconds.”

Monica smiles awkwardly at me.

“That’s the price you pay for wanting hetero punani. Happy hunting.”

I glance over at her, not amused by the cruel and usual comment. Any other day I probably would have found it funny. Today, I just was not up for the friendly ridicule.

“Don’t let it bother you. If she really didn’t like you, there is no way the kiss would have lingered on like that. The hetero probably has the hots for you.” 

“Thanks for your wonderful advice. I will be sure to lunge myself down the stairs now...”

Part 2

“So you mean to tell me that you kissed another chick, and didn’t even tell me?”

Julie rolls her eyes as Neve blabbers on. She doesn’t care less about the fact that she actually kissed a woman, just the fact that Julie neglected to tell Neve until the next day.

“Okay. I would definitely not call it me kissing her. Its more like she invaded my area.” Neve rolls her eyes disgustedly.

“Right...I’m sure. You were probably battling her off you with a wooden stick.”

Julie hits the automatic unlock button on her key chain and begins walking over to the car. Neve follows hurriedly, frantically trying to keep up with her.

“You know, there are two different kinds of female sexy. There is ‘kiss me, I’m a virgin sexy,’ then there is ‘I am fucking straight up hot with a nice ass and nice lips,’ sexy. Whoever in the hell that chick was, definitely had the ‘I am straight up hot’ look. If you didn’t have the urge to kiss her, I don’t know what to tell you.”

Julie looks over at Neve in complete shock, not quite understanding what she is saying. 

“So you’re saying that I should have wanted her?” Neve looks over at Julie with a , “duh” look.

“I am not gay Neve! Hello! Not attracted to women? You know? Hetero sexual? What you claim to be as well!”

Neve looks over at Julie and laughs. 

“You’re such an idiot. Just because I think a girl is hot does not make me gay. It makes me bi-curious maybe, lesbian, no. I am not going to lie Julie. That girl was fucking hot, and you know it. If you kissed her, so what? Who cares? It doesn’t mean you love Todd any less, or you’re a lesbo. It just means that you are human. Part of being a human means trying new things. I really wouldn’t even care if you fucked her. All the more power to you.”

Once again, Neve leaves Julie completely and utterly shocked.

Never a dull moment.

“I kind of did more than kiss her though,” Julie adds.

Neve smiles wickedly as she leans into the car. The look on her face says she is more than eager for answers.

“It was nothing sexual or anything. I kind of I hit her in the face with my purse, but only because she scared me!”

Neve is laughing at Julie. I mean, really laughing. Never in her life has she heard a story like this.

“So let me get this straight. She kissed you, so you smashed a twenty pound purse in her face? A purse which you keep almost every single make up product in the United States in?”

Julie nods. Neve gasps in laughter.

Jesus Christ.

“She had no right to kiss me like that,” Julie protests.

“Okay, settle down killer. One of the laws of the constitution is every person has the right to pursuit happiness. You simply had to pull away, say no, whatever, and it would have been over. No, not you. Its not like rejection is bad enough. No, we feel the need to sock the chick in the face with a fucking eighty pound purse. That will really teach her a lesson. Jesus fucking Christ Julie. You probably paralyzed the damn girl with your Gucci bag.”

Julie gazes at her best friend for a moment and reconsiders her actions.

“Your probably right. Maybe I should have used my shoe instead.”

Part 3

They gave me a life that’s not so easy to live
And then they sent me on my way
I left my loving, forgot my dreams
I lost them along the way
Those little things you say
When words mean so much
You never back down
And they all shy away
You always listen to me

And what do I care 
To get me through these sleepless nights
And what do I have to hold
When no one’s there to hold me tight
And what do I see
The only thing that gets me through this
Is what I feel 
And I feel you

- 3 Doors Down

When everything one has ever wanted stands in front of them, is when they seem to ignore it the most...

Part 4

“I would have given you all of my heart 
But there's someone who's torn it apart 
And she's taken just all that I had 
But if you want I'll try to love again 
Baby, I’ll try to love again, but I know

The first cut is the deepest
Baby I know
The first cut is the deepest
When it comes to being lucky
She’s cursed
When it comes to loving me 
She’s worst.”

Monica places her ear next to Rachel’s door, not being able to ignore the pleasant sounds coming from inside. Rachel’s singing somehow burns this hole inside of her. She can never fight the urge to stop and listen, even when she knows she shouldn’t.

The acoustic guitar isn’t very strong, but she can still make out the chords. Rachel’s playing is brilliant. Very rarely does she ever miss notes, and the few times she does, it is soon corrected with smooth sounds that so lusciously mix in with her voice.

Monica feels faint, like she will soon melt. She has no idea how it happens, but Rachel’s voice overwhelms her. Like some kind of spell that lingers over her conscious. It spreads from the back of her neck, to between her loins and all the way down to the tip of her toes. God, does Monica ever want her.

“I still want you by my side
Just to help me dry the tears that I’ve cried
But I’m sure going to give you a try
If you want I’ll try to love again
Baby I’ll try to love again, but I know

The first cut is the deepest
Baby I know
The first cut is the deepest
When it comes to being lucky 
She’s cursed
And when it comes to loving me
She’s worst.”

Monica continues to stand by the door as the guitar solo takes place. She recognizes the song from an old Rod Stewart hit. Sheryl Crow just rewrote the song not too long ago. Monica loves Rachel’s version much more.

“I still want you by my side 
Just to help me dry the tears that I've cried 
But I'm sure gonna give you a try 
'Cause if you want I'll try to love again 
Baby I'll try to love again but I know 
The first cut is the deepest 
Baby I know 
The first cut is the deepest 
When it come to being lucky 
She's cursed 
When it come to loving me 
She's worst

The first cut is the deepest,
Baby I know
The first cut is the deepest 

I’ll try to love again...”

Good God can this woman ever sing.

Look for the next one in a few weeks...