"Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

and those who love it will eat its fruits."

- Proverbs 18: 21 ESV

My tongue always gets me into trouble.

"Why did you say that, Alexis?"

Why? I don't know.

"Why to them – to anyone – who has a heart?!"

Is it because I talk too much?

"Ben – it slipped. I didn't mean – they say I have a crush on you. Me? Of all people, I'm crushing on my best friend?" I say.

Perhaps.

"You pat my hair as if I'm a bunny, you keep smarties in your pockets because I like them, and you explain what the square root of negative one is. Now that's what friends do."

Do I want attention?

"You told the whole party that my mother – your own mother's best friend – has a mysterious illness. A lethal one at that."

Hell yes.

"I specifically told you not to say anything. Why would you cover an untruth with a truth?"

When someone has fascinating stories like Lil' Samuel – the one whose parents owns that massive farm – drove the twenty-three-thousand-dollar tractor in his parents' lake after a fight.

"Ben, I know how rumors can tear people apart. I didn't want to lose my best friend."

Or the story about fish lip Casey MacCloud kissing darling, goodie two shoes Janice Striker in a pick-up truck off of Old C-44 Highway.

"I needed a distraction – Janice mentioned you – I thought of last night. Those silly lightbulbs on your fence and us kicking our feet in your swimming pool."

What fun is it to keep these juicy, cliché stories?

"You're wrong, Alexis. Rumors are falsehoods. You told a truth – one that I only told you about."

I'll give you a hint. No fun.

"You talk about everyone. Everything! I know that. Ugh – sh– I mean - I admire your confidence. You're not afraid to reveal what's on your heart."

I tell anyone who crosses my path. Even if people dismiss me.

"Why thank you-"

I embellish the story, add new words to create another interpretation, and away the story goes. Still people don't hang around me too much.

"But you're not doing that. This isn't you, Lex. Why aren't you revealing your heart?"

In fact, I know students avoid me.

"I am! I'm sorry that I told our classmates-"

Even my best friend.

"If you really didn't mean it then you wouldn't have said it."

Now, ex-best friend.

"How can you say that? I mean it!"

My next-door neighbor. The goofy, curly hair boy who smiles too big. The boy who barely moves his thin lips. The man who gives me bear hugs even though he's shorter than me. The man who graduates in May while I stay for two more years.

"Do you Lex?"

I do. Now it's too late.

"Yes."

I know why I reveal his secret.

"I wish I could believe you."

I love him. That rumor isn't a lie.

"I wish you could, too."

Goodbye, Ben.

Word count: 500 words

Wow! This short story is a wild rollercoaster. I challenged myself into using dialogue and internal thoughts as the structure of the story. I usually write long descriptive scenes - I love doing that! However, for this contest the maximum word count was 500, I thought dialogue would reveal and display characterization in the few words.

The one thing I was nervous about was clarity. The bold was Ben talking whereas the regular font was Alexis talking. Her internal thoughts were in italics.

I love this story! It's a sad ending. I could totally turn this short story into a five - ten chapter novella. That would be cool!

Thank you, "The Kissing Booth" for giving us an opportunity to create new characters and show high school love. I was inspired by the bible study, "Keep It Shut" and "The Kissing Booth" story and movie.

I hope you enjoy reading it!

Thank you so much!

Love,

Fallon