"Rick and Celine, We're not starting the game without you two, so hurry." The girl exclaimed from the living room.

"And we're playing kiss the bottle first." She added

My eyes narrowed as i observed Rick's body language. Frustration and irritation seemed to emanate from him.

The clench of his jaw and the determined stride he took towards the living room where the other teens were gathered.
I stepped in front of him, blocking his path and forcing him to stop mid-stride.

My tone held a hint of sarcasm, but also a hint of genuine annoyance.

"Hold on a second," I said firmly. "I thought you were going to end this party. What happened to that?"

Rick shot Celine a sidelong glance as she held onto his wrist, clearly not amused by the physical restraint. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment, a hint of irritation in his eyes.

"I mean the game won't take long, Let's just get this over with. My mother won't be home in an hour anyway." he said walking away.

I sighed.

🝮🝮🝮

The living room was a hive of activity, with 10 young partygoers gathered on the floor in a circle around a single glass bottle placed in the center. Five girls, five boys.

The room was charged with excitement from the girls that cheered and giggled unabashedly, clearly enjoying themselves.

"Look at Dana, she's so ready to get ran through." Kennedy randomly scoffed

I covered my mouth in shocked from Kennedys comment.

"Kennedy!" I laughed

"Am I'm lying though? Imagine being that excited for a boring teenage game."

—-

Suddenly My gaze shifted toward Rick, I noticed that he was watching me intently, taking in my reaction to the party scene unfolding around us. I rolled my eyes playfully, intending it as a lighthearted tease. To my surprise, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, clearly amused by my expression.

Dana's voice broke through the noise of the crowd, drawing everyone's attention to Celine. "Oh look y'all, Celine Kinsley is staring at Rick," she chuckled, her words followed by a chorus of laughter from the group.

"I'm sorry but who are you again?" I replied

Dana's voice was filled with irritation as she directed her attention toward Celine. "You know what," she huffed, "why don't you spin the bottle first?"

Celine felt the weight of Dana's gaze, her annoyance palpable. She glanced down at the glass bottle on the floor, suddenly feeling uncertain and exposed under the watchful eyes of the party guests. With a hesitant movement, Celine reached forward and gave the bottle a firm spin.

I can't believe I'm doing this.

Rick's and Kennedy's eyes followed Celine's movements as she spun the bottle, his gaze focused and concentrated. The room grew quiet, the only sound being the gentle whirling of the bottle as it spun around in a tight circle. All eyes were fixed on the spinning object, anticipating where it would finally come to a stop.

The bottle spun around and around, seemingly taking its time to come to a halt. Finally, it slowed its rotation and came to a complete stop, pointed directly at a boy named Chase, who happened to be one of Rick's friends. Gasps of surprise and excitement filled the room, the girls in the group clearly intrigued by the result.

"You know what that means." Dani squealed

Rick jaw clenched.

Surprised murmurs rippled through the group as they looked back and forth between Chase and I.

I was caught off guard as Chase moved forward, his hand gently tilting my chin up towards his. Before I could react, his lips were on mines, locking into a kiss. The room fell silent, the only sound being the soft sounds of our mouths meeting.

As me and Chase's lips met, a hushed gasp filled the room, like a collective surprise echoing among the teens gathered. Chase's hand held my head firmly, his grip steady as he took control of the situation, guiding the kiss with calculated precision.

"Time is up!" Dana chuckled

My heart raced as the kiss came to an end, the sound of applause filling the room. I slowly opened my eyes, my gaze falling on Rick's face. His eyes were locked on mines and a muscle in his jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth. His fists were balled up at his sides, an expression of anger and frustration clearly visible on his face.

My voice rang out, calling Rick's name as he hastily got up from the couch and stormed out the front door, which slammed forcefully behind him. My words hung in the air, unanswered as Rick had already exited the building with great haste.

"Well then— who's next!?" Dana exclaimed.

I rushed out of the house after Rick, my heart pounding in my chest as I chased after him through the yard. He was already several paces ahead, his tall figure clad in a black hoodie and grey sweats, hands stuffed in his pocket. His stride was fast and determined, anger radiating from his form.
"Rick!" I called out once more, my voice pleading desperation.

I quickly closed the gap between us, my feet moving as fast as i could to get in front of Rick. With a surge of determination, i planted myself in front of him, effectively blocking his path and forcing him to stop in his tracks.

I stood in front of Rick, blocking his path and stopping him in his tracks. My heart thudded loudly in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins from chasing after him. I searched his face, trying to understand the anger and frustration I saw there.
"Rick," I said, my voice filled with concern, "what's wrong!"

Rick's voice betrayed irritation as he spoke, his tone gruff and dismissive. "Get out of my way," he commanded.
But I stood my ground, refusing to budge, my determination to get answers and understand his anger stronger than my fear of his anger.
"No," I stated firmly, "I'm not moving until you tell me what's wrong."

Rick's eyes raked over my face, his grip on my shirt tightening as he closed the distance between us. His voice was low and rough, filled with a mixture of anger and something else unreadable.
"You," he ground out, "You're the reason."

Rick's gaze shifted to the street, avoiding mine as I spoke. I could see the tension in his jaw and the stiffness in his shoulders. The mention of the kiss with Chase seemed to have struck a nerve.
"It's the kiss with Chase, isn't it?" I asked softly, the realization dawning on me.

Rick remained silent.

I could see the muscles in Rick's jaw clenching and unclenching as my words sank in. His eyes were fixed on my lips, his gaze almost intense, but his expression still guarded.
"You're jealous, that's why," I repeated, my voice gentle yet firm.

Rick's fists were balled up tightly at his sides, his whole body tense.

"Get out of my way, Kinsley."

Rick tried to move past me, but I quickly reached out and caught his hand, my own fingers wrapping around his. His eyes glanced down at our entwined hands, his expression almost surprised by the contact.

In that moment, the world around us seemed to fade away as our lips met. The sound of passing cars faded into the background, replaced by the soft but fervent sounds of our mouths coming together.

It was just us, locked in a passionate kiss on the sidewalk in the dim light of the night.

Rick's expression softened as our lips parted, his gaze still fixed on the surroundings as he tried to process what had just happened. His hand, almost instinctively, moved to cover his crotch, a subtle movement that didn't go unnoticed.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out, my heart still racing from the kiss. "I don't know why I just did that."

Rick's usual confident demeanor seemed to falter for a moment, his eyes darting around.

"Are you—uhh—okay?" I awkwardly glanced at his hand

"..Definitely." He said sarcastically.

Rick's eyes remained fixed on me, his gaze intense and unreadable. It was like he was deep in thought, pondering something that I couldn't quite grasp. A mixture of confusion and curiosity coursed through me. Was he feeling something for me? If he did, why? My heart quickened as I searched his face for an answer.

"Let's just go back and end this fucking dumb teen party." he said

Just as we were about to head back inside, the sound of a car passing by startled Rick.

His eyes widened as he recognized the color of the car.

"What?" I said confused

"It's Regan, my mom." he stated, his voice laced with a hint of anxiety. "She's back."