Poodles and Butterflies (UC,K/L,TEEN, 1/1) [COMPLETE]

[jbangelo]

Title: Poodles and Butterflies
Author: Jenny
Disclaimer: I was bored so I thought I’d play in someone else’s sandbox.
Pairing: Kyle/Liz (Liz POV)
Rating: TEEN
Summary: Just a little short fluffy piece about the first kiss that was mentioned by Liz and Kyle in River Dog.
Author’s Note: This is the product of a very boring afternoon at work, lol. It’s unbeta’d, so if there are any mistakes, I hope you’ll overlook them.

***

I can still remember the first time he noticed me.

I, of course, had always noticed him. I mean, what girl at West Roswell hadn’t? He’s good-looking, funny, athletic, popular… everything a teenage girl could want.

I would like to be able to say that I’m above all those superficial things, but I couldn’t help it. The first time he looked my way, my knees turned to jelly.

It was a Friday afternoon about a month ago, and Maria and I were working a shift at the Crashdown. A bunch of guys from the basketball team were crowded around a small booth in Maria’s section. After taking their order, Maria practically skipped over to me behind the counter. Trying to mask her enthusiasm – though not very successfully – she informed me that she overheard him tell one of his buddies that he thought I was pretty.

I nearly melted right then and there. Kyle Valenti thought I was pretty. Me. Mousy little Liz Parker. Of all the Isabel Evanses and Vicky Delaneys in our school, he thought I was pretty.

I was on cloud nine for the rest of day. Maria tried to convince me that I should go talk to him, but I just looked at her like she was crazy. What in the world would I say to Kyle Valenti?

Maria even offered to go talk to him for me, but I begged her not to. God, how humiliating would that be? To have my best friend go talk to my crush for me. That would be a sure-fire way to end anything before it even started.

But I guess Maria was intent on humiliating me, because I got a call from Kyle that night. How did he get my number, you ask? Well, isn’t that obvious? Yep, Maria gave it to him.

Though I quickly decided not to be angry with Maria, because Kyle and I ended up staying on the phone for hours. We talked about a lot of things – families, friends, favorite movies – nothing too deep, but enough for me to know that he was more than just a jock. To put it plainly, I was smitten.

And by the time we got off the phone, I had my first official date with Kyle Valenti. I immediately called Maria, and after feigning being angry with her, gushed about what a great guy he was and thanked her for putting her nose where it didn’t belong.

Since then, we’ve been on a couple of dates and we sometimes hang out between classes and after school. The first time he held my hand while walking me to class, you couldn’t have wiped the grin off my face. Me, Liz Parker the science nerd, walking down the hall hand-in-hand with Kyle Valenti, Mr. Popularity.

Now it’s the last day of school and everyone is buzzing with pre-summer vacation energy. I have about half an hour before my shift at the Crashdown starts, and Kyle has practice for the summer baseball league he’s playing in. I don’t really know what the summer holds for us, and truth be told, it makes me a little nervous. What if this is just some fling for him? Surely he’ll be wanting to move on to some other girl soon… lord knows he could probably have anyone he wanted.

My melancholy thoughts are interrupted when I feel a hand grasp my arm and pull me from the throng of students filling the hallway. Stifling a gasp, I see none other than the object of my affections smiling at me and pulling me from the crowd of students rushing to escape the confines of school.

“Hey,” he says with a grin.

“Hey,” I return, then nearly collide with him as a large male student bumps into me as he rushes by. “Sorry,” I say with a blush, reaching up to push a strand of hair behind my ear.

“It’s okay,” he says, and then pulls me by the hand towards the door of the janitor’s closet. Discreetly, he pulls the door open and gestures inside. “Come on. We won’t get bumped and pushed in here.”

I follow him inside, though my heart beats madly inside my chest at the thought of being in such a small, enclosed space alone with him. Not that I’m scared of him, but I’m just so inexperienced with this sort of thing. Holding hands is the furthest I’ve ever been with a boy.

He shuts the door behind us, and I allow my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dim light. Nervously, I say, “I have to be at work soon, so I can’t stay long.”

“I know,” he says. “I have practice in a little while. I just wanted to see you before I went.”

I smile and blush at his sweet words, and feel the butterflies in my stomach go mad as he smiles at me again and grasps my hand in his. “Did you have a good day?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I say with a nod. “Glad it’s over.”

“Me too,” he agrees with a chuckle. “You wanna do something this weekend?”

“Yeah, sure. Why don’t I just call you after I get off work tonight?”

“That’s cool. We can go to a movie or something. Or maybe some miniature golf.”

“Sounds great,” I say with a smile and nod of my head.

Silence falls upon us momentarily, and the butterflies in my stomach flutter about frantically as he gazes at me. I realize that he might actually be thinking about kissing me, and that thought both excites and terrifies me. I’ve never kissed a boy before… what if I do it wrong? What if he decides that I’m a lousy kisser and dumps me on the spot?

“So… uh… I guess I’d better get going if I want to make it to work on time,” I murmur nervously.

“Yeah, I’d better get to practice too. Coach’ll be pissed if I’m late.”

Yet neither of us moves, and I swear the janitor’s closet gets a little smaller, almost as if it’s pushing us closer together. My breath quickens, and those damn butterflies just will not stop! Just when I think that I can’t take any more anticipation, Kyle’s face is mere centimeters from mine. Any minute now, I just know he’s going to change his mind, and turn and run, and realize he’s crazy for wanting to kiss geeky Liz Parker.

And then his lips are on mine, and all thoughts fly out of my mind, the feel of his kiss the only thing I can focus on. His touch is gentle, and his lips are so soft and moist. Timidly, I return the kiss, closing my eyes and trying to relax. I’m not sure what to do with my hands, so I just let them hang limply at my sides.

The kiss is over far too quickly, and I can’t help wondering if Kyle didn’t like it, but then I see that he’s smiling and my doubts are gone. With a wink, he says, “Talk to ya later tonight, Liz,” and then he exits the closet.

With an elated sigh, I fall back against the wall of the closet. Smiling, I reach up to touch my lips and can still feel the lingering effects of Kyle’s kiss. I just got my first kiss. With Kyle Valenti. Could life get any better?

Taking a deep breath, I gather my wits enough to exit the janitor’s closet. The halls of the school are practically empty now, save for a few stragglers here and there. With a bounce in my step and a smile on my face, I head down the hallway towards the exit, stepping outside and feeling the sunshine as it warms my face. I almost feel like humming as I begin the walk towards the Crashdown.

I know this day will be etched into my memory for a long time. It’s not everyday that a girl gets her first kiss. It only happens… well… once. I know that no matter what happens in the future or where life takes me, I’ll always look back on this day fondly.

And I’ll always remember the feel of the butterflies.

The End