SAVANNAH
His lips were like fire against mine.
We continued kissing as Blake's hands began to roam my body. I was hot. Burning. Every inch of me tingled with a sensation I'd never felt before. I couldn't stop myself from letting him in. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, wanting more of whatever this was.
The sudden ringing sound of my phone jerked me back to life. I sprung up, nearly knocking Blake over in my panic.
"Sorry," I mumbled, fumbling for my phone. "I should—I need to—"
It was Mom calling. Of course.
The moment I picked up, she was screaming with excitement. "You look really hot in those pictures you sent! I hope Blake will be there! He'll fall at your feet!"
I turned to check if Blake heard, but he was still looking flushed from the kiss, his hair mussed where my fingers had been. His eyes were dark, intense. I stepped out quickly, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"Mom," I whispered, "not now."
"What? Why are you whispering? What's going on?"
I spotted another door and slipped inside what turned out to be a small bathroom. My reflection stared back at me, flushed cheeks, swollen lips, wide eyes. I looked... different. Not like the old Savannah at all.
"Mom, he was with me," I whispered into the phone.
"What? What happened between you two?" Her voice rose an octave.
"Nothing." I was still whispering, though no one could hear me now.
"Are you sure?"
I nodded as though she could see me, then realized how ridiculous that was. "Yes. Maybe. I don't know."
"Well, whatever it is, remember what I told you," Mom said, her voice softening. "You're beautiful, darling, and I'm happy to be your mother. Henceforth, don't let anyone step on you. Be confident. Do not let anyone bully you, not even Blake. If he does, punch him."
I laughed, the tension easing from my shoulders. "Bye, Mom."
"Enjoy, darling."
I sighed, hung up, and stared at myself again. My lipstick was completely gone—kissed away by Blake of all people. The same Blake who'd called me "Savvypotamus".
I adjusted my dress, took a deep breath, and walked out. I was too embarrassed to go back to where Blake was waiting, so I moved to the living room where the party was already in full swing.
People were still arriving, music thumping through the floor, laughter and voices creating that particular noise that only happens when too many teenagers are crammed into one house. I spotted Brenda by the snack table and made my way over, relief washing through me.
"There you are!" she exclaimed, grabbing my arm.
Brenda raised an eyebrow but didn't push it. Instead, she dragged me around, introducing me to what felt like half the school. "This is Savannah," she kept saying. "My best friend."
Best friend. The words made something warm bloom in my chest. For a whole year, I'd been invisible. Now I had a best friend who proudly introduced me to people. People who actually smiled at me instead of looking through me.
Suddenly, Brenda leaned close, her lips almost touching my ear. "Did that jerk kiss you?"
I stilled. "What?"
"Blake. Did he kiss you?" She pulled back, staring pointedly at my mouth.
I shook my head, ready to deny everything, but before I could lie, she pointed at my lips. "Your lipstick is all messed up. He kissed you, right?"
I felt heat rush to my face, giving me away completely.
Brenda hit my shoulder playfully. "I told you he likes you!"
"Well, technically you didn't," I argued. "You only said he talks about me all the time. And Blake doesn't like me. It was just a one-time mistake."
"Didn't you two kiss before?" Brenda asked, her eyes wide. "I'm sure this is not your first kiss with him, is it?"
I gasped. "Did he tell you that?"
"Not really. He was smirking one evening and I asked if he won a lottery, but he told me he kissed someone he had been crushing on for over a year. I figured it was you."
"When was that?" I asked, my heart suddenly racing again.
"Few days back."
I gasped, remembering that our first kiss was in the pool after he'd saved me from humiliating myself. And now twice more today.
Blake had kissed me three times in just a few days. Was I the crush he was talking about? The thought made me dizzy.
Before I could process this, I noticed Brenda's attention shift. Her cheeks flushed pink as she stared at someone over my shoulder.
I turned to see two guys approaching us. They looked alike, both tall with sandy hair and easy smiles, but one of them was looking at Brenda like she was the only person in the room.
"Hi, Brenda. You look lovely," he said, his voice warm.
Brenda waved shyly. "Hi, Aaron."
Aaron gestured to the guy beside him. "Brenda, meet my brother, Kelvin. Kelvin, meet Brenda, my... school mate."
The hesitation before "school mate" made Brenda blush even harder.
"Hi," Kelvin waved at Brenda, but I noticed his gaze had locked on me. His eyes—a startling green—traveled from my face down to my dress and back up again. "Happy birthday to you."
Brenda also noticed him looking. "Thank you, Kelvin. This is Savannah Williams. She's my friend. Savannah, meet Kelvin and Aaron."
I figured the Aaron guy was the crush she was talking about.
I shook hands with both of them, but Kelvin held my hand longer than necessary, his palm warm against mine.
"You're beautiful, Savannah," he said, his voice sincere.
I felt flustered, unused to this kind of attention from anyone, let alone someone as good-looking as Kelvin. "Thank you, Kelvin."
"Could I have a moment with you?" he asked, still holding my hand.
I nodded, surprising myself. A month ago, I would have made an excuse and hidden in the bathroom all night.
Before I could follow him, Brenda grabbed my arm and whispered in my ear. "We've got to make Blake jealous so he realizes just how much he likes you. Go with Kelvin."
I didn't need the push. I honestly wanted to go with Kelvin. This sort of attention was new to me, but I was enjoying it and wanted to savor it to the fullest because I might probably be back to being "fat Savannah" by tomorrow at school.
Kelvin led me to a quiet corner, far from where Brenda and Sam were talking. He told me his full name—Kelvin Patterson.
"You really are beautiful," he said again, leaning closer. "Has anyone ever told you that your eyes have gold flecks in them?"
"No," I admitted, feeling warm all over. "No one's ever noticed."
"Well, they should have," he said, smiling. "They're missing out."
The DJ switched to a slower song, and Kelvin's smile widened.
"Savannah," he said, extending his hand toward me, "would you like to dance?"
I was about to reply when movement caught my eye. Blake had appeared behind Kelvin, materializing from the crowd like a storm cloud. His eyes locked on me, and he looked extremely furious, like he was going to punch Kelvin just for touching me.
My breath caught. Blake's jaw was clenched tight, his hands balled into fists at his sides. I'd seen that look before—but never because of me. Never directed at someone who was talking to me.
"Savannah?" Kelvin called my name, and I jerked back to life.
"Yeah, yeah," I said, tearing my gaze from Blake and giving Kelvin the biggest smile I could manage. "I'd love to dance with you."