2002
“Just go over there, man. Look at her. She’s just standing there talking to her friends. She isn’t going to shoot you down,” Vance encouraged me as he, Griffin, Bryant, and I stood in a group on the far side of my living room. “The whole reason you threw this graduation party was to have a reason to talk to her. Now go be a good host and thank her for coming.”
I looked over to Kylie wistfully, watching as she laughed and chatted with her girlfriends, a red Solo cup in her hand. To me, she looked more like a woman than a seventeen-year-old girl, having grown into the curves she’d developed long ago.
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” I replied, the agony and hesitation evident in my voice. “Why would I ever think she’d be interested in someone like me?”
Griffin chimed in, tapping his cup on my shoulder to get my attention, “Dude! You’re not the same runt you used to be.”
I turned and glared at him. “Thanks for that, Bennett.” It was true though. The last year of school, I’d had a remarkable growth spurt that left me much taller than my classmates and with an abundance of muscle I’d never dared hope to gain.
“You know I’m right,” Griffin continued. “You’re a fuckin’ beast now. I don’t know what you’re worried about. I told you I hit up her best friend, Ashley. She says Kylie has just as big a crush on you.”
I snorted. That’d be the day.
“Knowing what a joker you are, forgive me if I question your sincerity,” I replied dryly.
“That hurts, Sever. Do you really think I’d do something like that to one of my buddies?”
“Yes!” the rest of us exclaimed.
“Fuck you guys. When have I ever embarrassed any of you?”
“Every chance you could,” Vance declared. “You’ve never passed up the opportunity to humiliate the three of us.”
“Now, come on. I didn’t specifically do it in front of a girl any of you liked. I did it in front of everyone,” Griffin mumbled with a smirk as he brought his cup to his mouth. “The rest was just a bonus.”
We all glared at him for a moment before Bryant chimed in.
“If you don’t go over there and talk to her bro, I’m gonna step up and take a shot. I’m sure if I told her how Megan did me wrong, she’d be all over me.”
“You’ll do no such thing, you weenie. This is Justin’s girl. He’s been mooning over her for years,” Vance admonished him before turning back to me. “Just pull your balls out of your pocket and take the chance. Don’t throw away this opportunity or you’ll regret it forever.”
“But what if I stutter? Or worse, draw a blank and stand there staring like a creep?” I said, feeling my anxiety level shoot up at the thought.
Vance reached out and grabbed Bryant, who had been slowly trying to inch himself toward Kylie unnoticed.
“Relax, Justin,” he replied, without missing a beat. “If you get stuck, just take a sip of your beer. It will give you a moment to collect your thoughts. Now go. If you don’t, I’m going over there and bringing her here to you.”
I sighed heavily before replying. “Fine. I’ll bite the bullet and get it over with. If I crash and burn, expect me to get thoroughly wasted before the night is over.”
“Your dad’s liquor cabinet will be waiting,” Bryant said.
“Shut up, Bryant,” Vance, Griffen and I intoned.
After downing the rest of my cup of the cheap beer the guys and I had gotten just for the event, I took a deep breath and screwed up the courage to march over to Kylie. I told myself I had nothing to lose. We were done with school. If she shot me down, I’d never have to face her again.
I walked toward Kylie and her girls quickly, chanting, “You can do this!” in my head over and over again. As soon as was within two feet of her, my heart began to race. I made a quick detour toward the kitchen to refill my cup, telling myself it was necessary. I couldn’t very well sip from an empty cup if I came up short for words.
As I was topping up, I heard the most angelic voice in my ear. “Hello, Justin,” it said breathily. I turned slowly and gazed down at the object of every one of my teenage fantasies. Kylie Moore was standing in front of me, smiling that beautiful smile that always made my stomach flip.
Gone was her former ponytail, replaced by a sleek style that hung just below her shoulders. The smattering of freckles over her nose that I’d thought was so cute had faded and was hidden under her make-up. She looked beautiful with or without the freckles.
My mouth went dry for a second as I tried to find the words I needed.
“Oh… Hi Kylie,” I croaked. Then like the genius I was, I continued, “Did Vance send you in here?”
Kylie looked confused for a moment but brightened as she held out her cup to me, shaking it slightly.
“Nope. I came in here for a refill, same as you.”
Grateful to have something to do besides trip over my own tongue, I took her empty cup and handed her my newly filled one. As I was pouring her beer, I watched as she brought my cup to her lips and took a healthy swallow. She grinned afterward and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She opened her mouth to speak, but before any words could come out, she let loose a loud burp. Her eyes widened like saucers as she slapped her hand over her mouth and began to giggle.
“Oh, my God,” she exclaimed as her shoulders shook with her restrained laughter. “I cannot believe I just did that. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I told her. “It happens to me all the time, only much worse. Watch.” To ensure that I outdid her, I chugged my beer mightily. When done, I smiled at her before belching like a champ.
Kylie howled and clutched her stomach with her free hand. “You weren’t kidding!” she said.
I shook my head back and forth, grinning widely. “No, I’m afraid not,” I replied. I turned to refill the cup once again, but then decided to fill it only halfway. I didn’t want to become a slobbering drunk around Kylie or worse, have her thinking I was a teenage alcoholic.
After her hysterics had died down, she brought the cup to her lips again, taking a much smaller sip this time. She looked at me appraisingly.
“Would you like to dance, Justin?”
It was every teenage boy’s nightmare. I thought it was some cruel joke of the universe. For as much as every girl seemed to love to dance, each guy dreaded the proposition. I had a flash of panic as I imagined myself trying to dance with her, but instead looking like I had a neurological disorder.
Kylie cocked her head to the side and wrinkled her cute little nose at me. I suddenly snapped out of my reverie when I realized she was waiting for my answer while I stood there like a tool staring at her. Shaking it off, I took a deep breath and held out my hand. I may have been afraid of making an ass out of myself, but I was more afraid of letting Kylie get away from me.
I led her into the living room where we had pushed the furniture back against the walls to make a sort of dancing area. Several couples were moving to the fast tempo of some current dance hit. I placed my nearly empty cup on a side table before maneuvering her to the center of the room (I thought it would be easier to hide amidst all the other bodies). In a stroke of good luck, whoever was playing deejay for the night put on a slow song. Internally, I thanked the fates for smiling on me for once. I turned to Kylie and carefully pulled her into my arms. She came willingly with a big smile. I wrapped my shaky hands around her waist as she reached up to link her arms around my neck.
Just as I leaned in to whisper something in her ear, I felt an icy cold sensation slither down my spine. I jerked in surprise, as I felt liquid coating my back, causing my blue dress shirt to stick to my skin. As I gasped at being drenched in beer, Kylie’s face screwed up trying to figure out the cause of my discomfort. I reached up and pulled her arms down and pointed to the now-empty cup in her hand. She gasped when she realized she had soaked me in cheap beer, and her eyes began to shimmer with tears. I just laughed as I took the cup from her hand and tossed it to the side of the room before pulling her back into my arms.
“I am so sorry, Justin. I have no idea what I was thinking. You’re just so tall, and…,” Kylie rushed out the words on an exhale. I shook my head as I lifted a finger to press against her lips. She smiled gratefully at me before leaning in to rest her head on my shoulder. Her body molded to mine perfectly. I rested my cheek against the top of her head as we slowly swayed back and forth to the music while the beer continued to trickle down my back. If that’s what it took to have Kylie Moore in my arms, I’d have gladly doused myself in the whole keg.