chapter eight – kitchen fires and first kisses

I sat in the circle, chewing my hair nervously as Jenna put the empty soda bottle in the middle of us.

"Don't eat your hair, Thick Thea" Marc teased and I blushed heavily.

We were playing spin the bottle at Jenna's 13th birthday party and Marc was here. I hope I get to kiss him.

I watched impatiently as everyone got their chance to go. Jenna got to kiss Devin and Kaia kissed Henry. Charlie spun and it landed on Laurel. I giggled as he pecked her lips. That's Laurel's first kiss and Charlie told me a few days ago that he had a crush on her!

My stomach sank as Marc spun and it landed on Mikayla. I looked away as they kissed but heard Marc whisper to Devin that he got a little tongue.

"Tee, it's your turn" Laurel bumped my shoulder, a blush still on her face.

Here goes it... The bottle spun and spun until it landed on...

Kevin.

"I don't want to kiss you!" I gasped. It would be like kissing Wyatt. I gagged at the idea.

"You have to!" Devin pressed, sharing a look with his brother.

Kevin crawled towards me when I made no move to go to him.

"I'm sorry I can't" I freaked out, turning my head, making Kevin's lip smash into my cheek.

"Marc! Thea's here!" Sky screamed up the stairs as I walked into the foyer of the Preston house.

Marc wasn't in school today but we made plans a few days ago to meet today to work on our Home Ec project.

My stomach was doing flips as I wondered how he would act after our almost kiss two days ago. I knew that I would be pretending like it had never happened but I didn't know if he would want to talk about it.

I mean it was probably a traumatizing experience for the both of us. I mean we hate each other.

"Thea, can you make my hair pretty like yours?" Sky asked and I laughed.

"Your hair's already pretty, Sky" I smiled and she crossed her arms.

"But I want my hair to be big like yours" She pouted.

"Maybe after I work on my project, you can ask your Mom if I can curl your hair" I smile at the little girl in front of me. She was lucky to have naturally straight hair. Do you know how hard it is to detangle the mess of curls on my head?

"Sky, Myrna's wondering into my room" Marc bounced down the stairs.

"Ew" Sky crinkled her nose. "Mikayla's in there"

"Yeah, so hurry up and get her before the wicked witch gets her" Marc tickled Sky's sides and she squealed, rushing up the stairs calling her friends name. "Sorry, I would have warned you but they showed up like 20 mins ago while I was in the shower"

"It's fine" I shrugged. "You still share a room with your brothers?"

"Yeah" Marc snorts. "Mom refuses to let us take one of the other rooms. Mostly because Summer, Eric and Matt still visit for the holidays but I think it's mostly because at least once every year Eric moves back in with Marilyn and the kids"

I nod in understanding. Eric's had a hard time since college. Everyone in town knows it. He hops from one job to the next more times than anyone else I've heard of.

"And Matt stayed here for a week after a fight with Brielle" Marc rolled his eyes. "So Mom's scared that he's going to be moving back in."

"Matt and Brielle are having problems?" That shocked me. From the few times I've ran into them in town and the times I saw them at the Diner, they seemed so perfect.

"No. Matt's just been having anger problems because of the pain and he was scared he was going to hurt her" Marc sighed and I frowned at the mention of Matt's pain. I remember the time the triplets called me after seeing Matt for the first time after the accident. They were terrified..

"Oh" I mumble as we found our way into the kitchen.

****

"Are you two okay?" Mrs. Preston asked as she opened the windows to let the smoke out.

We may have accidently started a small fire. Luckily Mrs. Preston was here to put it out.

"Yeah, we're okay Ma" Marc tried to ease his Mom's worry.

"I'm so sorry" I repeat again.

"Oh, don't be" Mrs. Preston waved her hand. "I have 5 sons, do you know how many fires I've had to put out over the years?"

"What the hell happened?" Kevin and Mikayla made their way into the kitchen.

"Thea started a fire" Marc pinned it on me and I glared at him.

"You're the one who left the over mitt on the stove!" I scowled at the evil grin on Marc's face. I hate him.

"Oh hello Mikayla" Mrs. Preston did not look happy to see her.

"Hi" Mikayla glanced over at her and I glared at her. Why would she be so rude to her? Mrs. Preston is so sweet.

"It'd be nice if you let me know when you bring over girls. Like Marc did" Mrs. Preston disciplined her son. "I'm taking Sky and Myrna to the park. Please don't start anymore fires. And if you do, the fire extinguisher is on the counter by the microwave, where it always is and please get help if you need it"

"We will, Mom" Marc kisses his Mom on the cheek and I smile at the sweet gesture. "Love you"

15 minutes later, Marc and I were attempting to restart our meal while Kevin and Mikayla were in the living room, watching tv.

"Why weren't you at school today?" I ask as I remembered his absence.

"Oh, my Dad wanted to spend time together" Marc frowned. "I haven't seen him much since I got back"

"Oh" Is all I replied with.

"Kevin, I don't like when she's here" Mikayla's voice basically screeched.

I tried to ignore her while Marc outright glared at her. Kevin didn't reply to her so she continued.

"Why is she here?"

"Because I invited her" Marc continued to glare at her.

"I don't see why" Mikayla smiled at Marc and my nose crinkled in disgust. Is she flirting with him? And she calls me the whore?

"She's my friend, that's why" Marc glared harder at her and I frowned at him. I didn't think he considered us friends.

"Marc, sweetheart" Mikayla basically purred. "She's a slut. You don't need to pretend to be friends with her to get into her pants"

Kevin's eyes finally left the football game on tv as he stared wide-eyed at his girlfriend or whatever she is. But he still didn't speak up.

I saw Marc's mouth open to defend me, like he's been doing but my anger got the better of me.

"At least I'm not a desperate bitch that clings myself to a guy who refuses to call me his girlfriend" I found myself standing directly in front of her.

Kevin stood up, probably getting ready to break up a fight but I would never start a fist fight in another person's house.

"Kevin loves me" Mikayla crosses her arms but the panic on Kevin's face said otherwise.

I don't know why I did it.

"If he loved you, would he do this?"

And then my lips were on Kevin's and his hands immediately found my waist, pulling me closer.

I heard Mikayla gasp and pulled away only to see her storming down the hallway to the front door. I glanced over to Marc, who had a look on his face that I didn't like. He looked so different. It looked like betrayal but I don't know why he would feel that way...

The only thing that I did know was that I was definitely right during that game of spin the bottle in 6th grade.

Kissing Kevin Preston felt like kissing mybrother.