My theme for 2021 is a Young Adult short story. A double-date in the 1990s. An established teen couple sets up their best friends with each other, but it doesn't go well.
Today's word count is approximately: 570 words
J is for Je ne sais pas
Yohann strolls over holding two necklaces. "Check it out. Sweet 16. One in silver and one in gold. I mean, they've got more of both. But I know you usually wear silver." He holds one toward me. "And I figured, with your blond hair, you probably like gold."
Madelyn crosses her arms as Yohann offers her the necklace. "It's strawberry blond. No one wears gold anymore, except old people. Plus, fake gold turns your skin green. Besides, I'll be seventeen in a few days."
I feel Lance's body tense. "Wow, Yohann, that's so nice of you!"
He enunciates every word carefully and elongates the word nice.
"How kind of you to pick out something so whimsical. And to take note of what jewelry a girl usually wears. You're a really great guy. Have I told you that recently?"
Yohann raises his eyebrow. "You okay, bro?"
Lance steps around me and puts his hands on Yohann's shoulders. "I am. I really am. And it's because I have you as a best friend."
"Uhh, thanks?"
"What a guy! Come here." Lance moves his hands to Yohann's cheeks, squishing his face and giving him duck lips. Then, much to my surprise, he leans in for a kiss. It's hilarious, he even makes a "muuahhh" smooching sound as he does it. His lips actually land on his own wrist, but that's only visible from my angle.
Yohann steps backward, nearly falling over. "What was that?"
Lance laughs and steps away. "That? That was easy. I'm going to the can, be back in five."
I get an actual kiss and a butt grab before he rushes off, leaving me with a confused Yohann and a stunned Madelyn.
"Riley?" Yohann asks, his mouth falling open and shut as if he wants to add to the question, but just can't find the words.
"Je ne sais pas," I shrug as I answer that I don't know in French. Though really, I know fully right well that Lance was making a point to Madelyn.
I take the silver necklace. "This is cute. Thanks, Yohann."
We both look at Madelyn. She's biting her lip.
"So you're sixteen now, not fifteen?"
"Yeah. Why?"
I pretend to be interested in the card games hanging on the wall beside me.
"No reason. I just thought we were both fifteen," Yohann toys with the gold necklace.
"You're fifteen? But Lance's seventeen. How are you fifteen?"
Yohann shrugs and takes a step closer to me. "I don't know. I skipped a grade. His birthday is later. Just math, I guess. Does it matter?"
I look over at Madelyn. So help me if she harps on this age thing, I will go buy a Hubert, fill it water, and fling it at her. No, I'll get a dozen of them and drown her.
"Guys are usually older than girls." Madelyn's eyes meet mine. I see her respond to my silent threat as she tugs on her fingertips and leans away. "It doesn't matter."
"Your sweet sixteen party at Mike's was so fun," Yohann says to me.
A content sigh escapes my lips. "Yeah, yeah it was."
That was the first time Lance and I were able to spend the entire night together. No rushing. No empty feeling afterward when the bed lacked his body heat. No worrying about getting caught. I toy with the silver necklace and hum to myself.
Thank you for reading!
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My Twitter would be @PenMinion - but I'm suspended right now. I used a quote from a comedian to threaten my self-critical inner voices. I didn't know that voices in my head were protected by Twitter's TOS. But they are. And even though the comedian has a Twitter account, and the quoted joke is available as a gif on Twitter, it was still a violation of the TOS. (And possibly racist?) Feel free to scroll this blog to learn more. I have several posts about it. In the meantime, never threaten inner voices of self-doubt, because you can be kicked off of social media for such an action.
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Ooo, that's a fun revelation.
ReplyDeleteStopping by from A to Z!
- Jayden Vincente
Erotic fiction author
https://jrvincente.com/a-to-z-2021/