10Chapter One "Something Changed"
It started out just like any other night for the two teenagers, Melissa and Ivan. As always, they were both at Melissa's house, playing video games, watching TV, and doing their homework (in that order, of course).
The two of them, who had been best friends since at least the fifth grade, had somehow managed to maintain the same friendship for almost six years now. Though, something had definitely changed from fifth to the eleventh grade. For some reason, they had each secretly developed a sort of 'crush' on each other. Neither of them knew about these crushes, of course. They had both known that this would probably never turn into something more.
But that was before something changed.
At that moment, Melissa and Ivan were lying on their sides on Melissa's bed, watching the TV that was to the far left of them. On the floor between them and the TV, lay the already overplayed-for-the-day Playstation, with its controllers and various games scattered throughout the room. At the foot of the bed were their backpacks full of the homework they had gotten from school that day and it had yet to be completed.
Melissa issued a soft sigh, turning her head slightly to the right towards Ivan, who was lying a few feet behind her.
"Bored of TV yet?" She asked, her own boredom showing in the tone she used.
Ivan looked towards her, his head propped up by a single arm so he had been able to see the TV over his friend. He chuckled slightly at her question before answering.
"Of course I am, and I have been for the last hour at least," He replied, poking her gently in the middle of her back with the hand that wasn't already holding his head up.
"Ivan… Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Melissa insisted, her brow furrowing as she continued to look back at him. She had given a slight jump as he had poked her back, as she was very ticklish there for some reason.
"Because, I didn't want to do my homework, weirdo," He replied truthfully, sticking out his tongue in a playful manner.
Melissa couldn't help but laugh and raise an eyebrow at the silliness her best friend had yet too lose. "You have a good point there…" She stated after her laughter had died down.
Ivan smirked slightly at her response. "Of course I do," He teased.
Melissa just shook her head, rolled her eyes, and mumbled something that sure sounded a lot like 'dorkoid.'
"Looks who's talking…" Ivan whispered back, as he was quite good at deciphering any and all things she had every said in a 'not meant to be heard by others' sort of tone.
Melissa just sighed, and rolled her eyes once more, and she laughed quietly to herself. Tired from having to crane her neck in order to look at him, she rolled over so that she could face him instead. She must have rolled a little too far, for now she was now closer to him than she had ever been before (unless of course, you'd like to count hugs) as their bodies were now touching. Her eyes widened in her sudden shock as she realized just how close they actually were.
"Sorry…" That all she had managed to say as some of the shock wore off slowly. She had averted her eyes away from him, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Ivan put a single finger to his lips. "Shhh…" He said, smiling as he removed the finger.
Melissa looked up at him, one eyebrow raised in question at his sudden behavioral change.
Placing one hand to rest upon her side, he pulled her slightly closer to him (if that were possible). With his other hand, he moved it to the back of her head, running his fingers slowly and gently through that red-orange hair of her. He then leaned forward, gently kissing her on the lips.
Melissa's eyes widened even more as shock overtook her every other emotion once again. She couldn't believe that Ivan, her best friend of all people, was actually kissing her. What had brought on this sudden change? She was so confused, that she couldn't even fully enjoy the simple kiss that the two of them were sharing.
Ivan soon pulled away, and stared down at his bewildered best friend. "Sorry, couldn't resist…" He chuckled.
Her jaw dropped and her eyebrow shot higher. What was her friend thinking? Had he perhaps gone insane all of the sudden and lost his mind?
Ivan couldn't believe it himself that he had kissed Melissa; the girl whom he had been crushing on ever since she had run up to him, a smile on her face, the day she moved in next door, six years ago. His best friend, who had been there for him whenever he needed her the most. Now she would earn herself a new title in his mind, the girl he first shared a kiss with.
That was when he saw it; the smile that had attracted him to her in the first place. It grew slowly, and it was then he discovered just how much she really liked him.
He saw her face inch closer to his own. He felt her slow and even breaths upon his lips and chin. Soon, all that followed was the sensation he felt when her lips were against his for the second time that night. And before his very eyes, he could have sworn that he saw stars. Not the kind of stars you could see on a clear summer's night but rather the stars that told you something amazing had just happened.
As Melissa pulled away, thus breaking the kiss, Ivan lay there in a sort of daze. He wore a kind of idiotic smile on his face. He had only come back to reality when he heard her faint giggle in the background of the dream-fantasy world he had been in momentarily.
That was when the confusion hit him like a bullet. He had no idea what he was thinking now had previously been the very same thoughts Melissa had had only moments before.