CHAPTER 2

“But, how?” Beyond was to say that I was surprised “I've seen you date several guys, Livie.”

"Yeah, you're right.” she agreed, "but I've never... gone to more than dating, Mark.”

"I don't understand.” I said, still confused, "the guys you've dated are not horrible, on the contrary, they're handsome.”

“Was Daniel right to call you gay, Mark?” She asked with an amused grimace "you're scaring me.” she got serious, "let's see, why so many questions?”

"Well, first.” I started to say, "no, I'm not gay, I love women” one in particular, but she doesn't know “it's just that I find it weird that a woman as beautiful as you and about to turn eighteen, has never been kissed before.”

"The same could be said about you, Marky.” she countered "You've never been kissed either.”

"Unlike you.” I continued, "I don't consider myself handsome, and I've never dated a girl.”

"I told you you're not ugly, God!"

"And I told you to stop lying to me.” I replied annoyed "You don't have to increase my self-esteem Livie, I know what I’m and how I look.”

“Mark” She took my hand “I have never lied to you in my life” she waited for our eyes to connect “Quite the opposite, and if I tell you that you are handsome it is because you are” she smiled flirtatiously “You know what I like about you?” I managed to shake my head “Well... I like your hair” She answered touching it “It's thick and it curls at the ends, your eyebrows too “I moved them exaggeratedly to make her laugh “They're thick and when you’re not wearing your glasses, they make your eyes look bluer, it's like being on the deep seas you know?

>> Sometimes I thank the heavens that you wear glasses because if not, I’d spend a lot of embarrassment with you every day” I could only see her without knowing what to say, I was practically speechless “I already told you that yours are the most beautiful eyes I have seen in my life” She continued as if nothing “And when you smile well... it's wonderful Mark, you have a beautiful smile, sometimes when I wake up sad or upset, I think of it, of you smiling at me and with just that gesture you bring me happiness. now you understand?” I shook it slowly “What don't you understand, Mark?” She said annoyed.

“Don't be mad, Livie” was the only thing I could say “I... I'm a bit stunned, I didn't know you thought that about me” she just answered with a smile “Do you want to know what I like the most about you?”

“You like something about me? She asked, blushing.

“What kind of question is that?” I replied laughing “My question was poorly formulated, actually what I had to say was if you knew what I didn't like about you” She looked at me serious, waiting for an answer, which never came.

“What don't you like about me, Mark?”

“Nothing.”

“What?” She said confused

"You have nothing to dislike Livie.” I took a breath "You're perfect.”

She started laughing in embarrassment.

“Of course not, Mark! I have thousands of flaws.”

“Oh, yeah?” She nodded.

“Tell me a flaw that you have and pull out of my mistake then...”

"You know I'm messy, don't you? I mean you've been in my room, Mark. It always seems like there had been a war and not all the bodies had been found yet.”

"I'm messy too, Livie.” she looked at me with a scowl "actually, what teenager isn't?” We must all have an occasional corpse in our rooms” I joined her laugh.

"I'm very clueless.” she continued with her list of defects.

"You're right in that.” I agreed, "but I don't see it as a imperfection but as a gift.”

“How can it be a gift that you almost got hit by a car for thinking about stupid things?”

"Well...”   I looked at her with concern, "on second thought, I wouldn’t really consider it a gift nor a defect, rather it would be a suicidal act, Livie” she could only laugh, God... her laugh was beautiful.

"Well... don't think I've forgotten your push-ups, Marky.” Livie changed the subject, "if you don't want fifty push-ups instead of twenty, then start at once.”

With the latter she left my side so that I could turn around and start at once.

"Witch.” I said softly.

“I heard that, boy! Let's see, one... two... three...” and so it went on for a while until I managed to do fifteen “come on, Marky, five more and you're done.”

"I can't take it anymore, Livie.” I answered with my voice muffled for the mat, "I swear I can't feel my arms.”

“Of course you can! Go! It's only five, you've already done the majority” I swore I didn't remember when she got so close but I could hear her voice in my left ear.

“No way! Forget it, I quit with this punishment, I will be fat for life...”

"Mark.” she interrupted.

“What?” I half yelled from the effort.

"If you do all five push-ups... I'll kiss you.”

“What?” I said again looking into her eyes.

Livie had completely reddened- I didn't know if it was out of embarrassment or something else, but if it was because of the former, I swear I’d die, to tell the truth, why wouldn't she be ashamed? I didn't know why Livie had said that, but if it was to tease me, I’d never forgive her.

“What did you say Livie?” I asked again.

"Just complete the push-ups and then I'll tell you, okay?” She replied looking at the sky.

"Okay... count for me.” I asked, positioning myself again, "but I want an honest explanation.”

She returned her eyes to me with a smile.

"Well.” she agreed, "shall we start?” I just nodded and started to work.  “One... two... three... four... one more, Mark, one more... five.”

I fell on the mat with a pained groan, my arms felt like jelly and my lungs only received hot air, if that happened just with the push-ups, I didn't understand how Livie was going to get me to get to jump the rope, no way. I’d, for nothing in the world... and then I remembered the deal.

The word kiss came to my head and I felt my heart beat with renewed strength; A few minutes later I noticed that Livie wasn’t speaking, I turned around thinking that she had left, but I found her next to me watching me with a strange look.

"Your look is scaring me, Livie” was the only thing my mouth could produce.

"Here.” she said, handing me a towel and some water "we have to talk, Mark.”

"Okay.” I answered confused, I sat in front of her and wiped my sweat before drinking because I was thirsty "you'll tell me.”

"Well... this... about what I told you about the kiss...”

"Yeah.” I cut her off, "I understand you said it on impulse so that I could finish...”   I couldn't complete what I was saying because Livie covered my mouth with her hands.

"It's not that, Mark.” she snapped annoyed "let me finish what I was going to say, okay?” I murmured my acceptance "can I remove my hands and you won't speak?” I nodded again, "well, you see...”

Was she nervous? Hell, what’s hovering in that head, maybe she'd apologize for saying something so impulsive, possibly explaining that the kiss was on the cheek and not on the mouth and that she used the pun to confuse me so I could end my push-ups attempts, I mean, I even did them like women do. I had to get off my knees because I couldn't bear my weight since my stupid ankles were weak, actually everything in me was weak.

weak and flabby and...

“Mark, are you listening to me?” Hell, I'd been raving again and hadn't heard what she was saying “I hate you!” She yelled at me covering her face “you're going to make me repeat it to you as if it wasn't embarrassing once...”

"Olivia.” I said, removing her hands from her face "honey, you're completely red!” I started laughing, "don't hate me, okay?” If you want, I can see the sky so you won't be ashamed anymore” and with that I raised my face “I don't hear anything, Livie” I said a while later.

"Don't be an idiot, Mark, look me in the face and listen to me very well.” she said in a commanding voice.

I looked back at her and saw that she was no longer red, I actually saw determination on her face. Actually, it was a bit scary.

"Mark.” she began, taking a breath, "you haven't kissed anyone on the mouth in your life, have you?” What the hell? “Right? “She repeated so I had to deny with my head "Okay, good... I haven't done it either and it occurred to me that maybe you and I... well... we can kiss” I noticed that Olivia had started her speech sure and feeling safe, but then she started to show how uncomfortable and embarrassed she actually felt “What do you say?” She finished.

“What do I say? Well... I say how would you have come up with something like this considering that you are one of the most popular girls who has dated the most athletic and important boys in school and that you have had golden opportunities to kiss and instead, you are asking this guy in front of you, who has zero experience in seduction and the only kisses he has received have been on the cheek...”

“For God's sake, Marcus, don't go on!” She cut me off practically shouting, I had rarely seen her this way “you have such low self-esteem in yourself that you can't understand your worth.” she said more calmly “You are my best friend, the most important man for me besides my dad. You are the one to whom I trust all my problems, the only person who does not criticize or judge me in this world, and you ask me why I choose you?” She asked irritably.

>> Well, you should rather ask yourself why I should choose one of those egocentrics, petulant, egotistical and narcissists with complexes of Olympian gods to kiss me so then they can leave me in a bad position in front of the whole school. You are the only one who understands me and the only one I want me to understand. Do I need to give you another explanation? Or are you going to kiss me?” She completed without realizing that at some point in her tirade she had grabbed my hands and was digging her nails into my palms.

"Livie, I...”   I looked at her embarrassed, "I wouldn’t know what to do, I mean, I've seen movies and all that stuff, but I've never put it into practice, and it's not that I have low self-esteem, which is true, but the least I want in this world is for you to make fun of me like that, I couldn't bear you to tell your friends something else about me and then being ashamed at school.”

Livie just looked at me without understanding.

"Mark, I don't know what you mean about telling my friends anything.” she said carefully "you're my only friend, the rest are just classmates and teammates.”

“Hillary and Cindy said they were your confidants and that you had told them that I had never been kissed. I know that sometimes because I'm a man I don't understand what you're talking about, but... please don't tell them my secrets to those witches.”

When I raised my face, I found a super angry Livie, I shouldn’t have opened my mouth and said those things.

“Mark, listen, I never...”  I noticed that she was looking for the right words “I’d never tell anyone something so important and less to those conceited ones who think they are superior to the rest, everything has to be a mistake, so.…” I could see from Livie's face that she knew what the mistake had been “NOOOOO!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, "those bitches will see me on Monday! You’ll see! I'm going to kill them, I'll...”

"Livie.” I cut her off "What happened?"

She just looked at me embarrassed.

"Oh, Mark, I'm sorry, I swear I didn't mean for them to find out, I feel so guilty...”

"I'm not upset, Livie.” I smiled so that she understood that I was telling the truth, “Tell me, nothing's wrong.”

"Well... you see, do you remember Hillary came in last week to get my language notes? well, it must be when I let her into my room... she had the audacity to read my diary” she ended up embarrassed.

I couldn't help but laugh.

“What are you laughing at, Idiot?” She looked at me annoyed “I tell you something so important and all you do is laugh?”

"I just couldn't understand how you could tell those hyenas something so important to me and then they’d say they were your confidants.” I replied, wiping the tears that fell down my cheeks.

“Oh!”

“Oh?” I scoffed “That’s the only thing you're going to say?”

“Yes... it just that with something like what happened, anyone would have been upset, but you didn’t believe anything they told you, Mark” She looked at me with adoration “Now do you understand why I want you to help me with my problem?”

“Problem? Livie, what are you talking about? Don't you realize how important something like your first kiss is? It will be something you will remember for the rest of your life, it has to be special, in a special place and of course with someone special.” I couldn't look away from her.

"Well... I don't care about the place, as long as I already have that special someone who will make the whole moment special no matter where we are.” Her eyes never left mine.

"Well, then it will be an honor for me to be your first kiss and you know why?” She shook her head without losing her smile “Because it will also be my first kiss and you are already the most special thing I have.”

Then I saw it, I saw in slow motion, how she got closer and closer to me, thousands of thoughts crossed my head at that moment. Is she going to like it? Is this a mistake? Will I make her fall in love as I’m with that first kiss? Will this be the story of the princess and the frog for us? Do I have bad breath? I licked my lips when Livie closed her eyes from being a few inches from me.

God, it was really going to happen, my first kiss was going to be with the love of my life, it was going to be with my Livie.

And suddenly everything went to hell when we heard how Jonny, her younger brother, called her.

“Livie?” The moment she heard his name, she suddenly separated and got up like a spring crashing against the wall behind her when she saw her little brother at the door “Dad says in an hour we’ll leave to do some shopping, hello Mark, how's your training going?” He asked when he saw me on the ground.

"Good.” I answered in a muffled voice.

“Really?” He asked not very sure “you look super red, I think your pressure has risen for the effort” The boy shifted his accusing gaze towards his sister “You shouldn't be so hard on him being this his first day, you know? You should be ashamed” he finished without giving her time to reply “Don't be late, I'm a little hungry and I want pizza.”

And with that, Livie's 13 year-old brother disappeared from our sight inadvertently leaving an awkward, stunned silence; I looked at her, who was outlining the cracks in the wall.

Had I gone crazy? we were about to kiss and to make matters worse her brother could have seen us.

"Well...”   she started to say "I think... I think that's all for now, has you see, I have to go; besides, tomorrow I may not be able to see you because I have to catch up with my homework and then I have...”

"Yeah.” I hastily cut her off "You're right I'm... I also have to catch up on that subject and then remove a few corpses from my room.” we both laughed.

"We weren't going to make a mistake, were we?” She asked after a tense silence.

From where I was standing, I could see how she swallowed nervously.

"I don't know.” I answered with total honesty "What I do know is that I want it to happen.” I looked at her intently "We'll see after if we made a mistake or not, but you have to understand that I want it to happen, Livie.”

"I want it to happen too, Marky.” she replied, remarkably relieved.

"Go away.” I pointed toward the door "Today won't be the day, but believe me it will happen and if not.” I grinned at her "I'll make it happen.”

She smiled back at me a little flushed.

"You're right.” she agreed, separating from the wall and heading for the door "See you Marky, later we'll talk about the exercises.”

"Bye Livie, have a great time.”

And without further ado, she left.

Actually, she fled the place. I was still in the same place five minutes later, where my greatest whish almost came true, in the same place where I almost died because of the excitement, and in the same place where I promised myself that no matter what, Livie would end up being kissed by me.

I couldn't help but laugh like crazy.

Yes... that was definitely written.