I was never the kind of person to worry. Especially about my peers, I couldn't care less. But because I had the kiss and it was such a big deal, I was left to feel like a huge weight was on my shoulders.

"Okay, we need to talk," Hannah said, plopping next to my seat.

"About?" I asked.

"The kiss!" she exclaimed, causing a few people to glance at me. "I can't believe you have it!"

"Shh!"

My eyes wandered around the classroom and because we were early to English, only a few people were in the room. But everyone who was there was looking at me. They seemed to be watching me and the weight I felt grew heavier.

"Sorry," Hannah sighed. "I just can't believe it."

"Neither can I." My eyes hardened and I glowered at Chris who was in class. "I can't believe he kissed me without consent."

"I know. He's such a jerk."

Hannah's eyes held sympathy and I wondered why. I wasn't upset about having the kiss, just angry and anxious.

"I know you don't want the kiss," Hannah said, sad.

"Obviously."

"So are you just going to pass it quickly?" she asked. "Just let someone kiss you and be rid of it?"

"No. Of course not." I frowned. "I don't want anyone to kiss me."

"But you don't want the kiss either."

"True, but I rather have the kiss than have someone kiss me. That's why I'll be keeping the kiss.

That was why I felt a weight. I was going to stop the game that had been going on for three years. The biggest game ever, and I knew everyone was going to hate me. That still wasn't what I was worried about because I couldn't care less about how others felt about me, but what they would do worried me. The Kissing Game had proven to make many people crazy.

Hannah's jaw dropped as she took in what I meant. Her eyes began to bulge and I watched her, knowing she along with many others weren't going to be happy. But there was nothing they could do. With a chance to end this stupid game, I would ignore others.

"What!" Hannah exclaimed. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious," I said quietly. "It's time for this game to end."

"Oh my god." She frowned. "Zoey, don't be a party pooper."

"Stop referring to me as a party popper." I sighed. "And this is what I want. Not just because I want this game to end, but also because I don't want to kiss anyone who isn't my long term boyfriend."

That was also true. I believed that physical affection should only be shown to your boyfriend who you'd been dating for a minimum of a year. So at this point, there was no one who could possibly get a kiss from me. Well, it wasn't like I would date anyone anytime soon either.

"Okay, fine," Hannah said, to my surprise. "Do what you want, but I'm worried about you. Things will definitely get hectic when angry players start mobbing you."

"I'll manage," I said, only half sure. "There's only six months left of school. I can make it until then without getting murdered."

Hannah didn't look that convinced and I didn't blame her. This game was a huge deal and the players of it worshipped it. For what I would do, I would soon be viewed as Satan.

"Hey Zoey," someone said near us.

Hannah and I turned to look at the owner who turned out to be a boy, Zeke, who had black hair and green eyes. He was smiling, but he looked nervous. I knew why.

"I'm sorry to hear the kiss was forced onto you," he said, walking to the front of my desk. "But I can help you with that. Kiss me, Zoey."

He leaned forward as if expecting me to immediately agree and I placed my hand on his mouth, stopping him in his place. His eyebrows rose with surprise and I glared at him, annoyed. Many of the boys in my school were like this. They thought they could receive kisses from anyone and The Kissing Game was to blame for that.

"No," I said, moving my hand away from him. "I won't be kissing you or anyone."

"You have to eventually," Zeke said, rolling his eyes. "Don't be difficult now."

Anger flared up in me and Hannah stiffened, also growing annoyed. I hoped she would soon understand why I hated this game.

Before I could snap at Zeke though, a low, husky voice suddenly said, "Out of the way, desperate."

I watched as someone behind Zeke put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him away. Once Zeke was grumbling and storming away, my eyes widened as Axel now stood in front of me. He was grinning and I stared at him, remembering that he was the most dedicated to winning this game. Hannah squeaked next to me.

"Zoey, right?" he asked, sauntering forward.

I stared at him and watched as he stopped in front of my desk. He firmly placed both of his hands on the sides of my desk and leaned forward, confidence radiating off of every part of him. With his face near mine, I noticed his eyes were truly the colour of the sky.

"Right?" he pushed on, cocking his head to the side to stare at me.

"Yes," I finally answered, zoning back in. "What do you want?"

It was strange to have the boy you spent your spare time staring at suddenly in front of you. Even weirder when you felt a flare of hatred fill you, knowing he was arrogant and self absorbed. I wanted him gone, but I remained staring at him.

"You, obviously." Axel smirked, and I rolled my eyes. "Isn't it obvious. I tend to like my personal space, but I'll let you invade it."

I hadn't realized we were so close. I hadn't realized his face was so close to mine that I could notice the splatter of freckles across his nose. Moving back, I noticed Hannah was gaping at him, clearly awestruck.

"Actually, you're invading my personal space," I said. "And I hate it when people do that."

Surprise flickered across his face and I knew he wasn't used to having a girl talk back to him. Most girls usually threw their clothes off the second he looked at them. That was one of the reasons why I wasn't a fan of the girls in my school either.

"You're cute." He smiled and to my surprise, I looked away as nerves hit me. "How about you kiss me?"

"How about no," I shot back, looking back at him with annoyance written across my face. "Not now, not ever."

Axel stared at me for a second and I stared back. We were having a staring contest and I wondered what we were fighting for as we just stared at each other, never looking away. My brown eyes were locked on his blue eyes and I then thought about the contrast of colours.

Axel looked away suddenly, pulling away and I watched him, slightly surprised. He ran his fingers through his messy hair and I stared him, wondering why he wouldn't look back at me.

"I'll be back," he said calmly. "Trust me."

Axel sauntered off and I watched him, feeling something stir in my gut. He didn't look back once and my eyes stayed on him. It was just like in class where I couldn't help but stare at him.

"God, he's so hot," Hannah said dreamily, breaking me out of my trance.

I looked over at her and saw that she was also staring at him. But unlike me, she was wearing a dreamy look as she admired him. It made me feel sick.

"He's infuriating," I said, rolling my eyes. "Arrogant and I hope he'll leave me alone."

"Doubt it." Hannah's eyes gleamed with mischievousness. "I think he's going to become a big part of our lives. At least, I hope he does."

I just scowled at that, hoping it wasn't true. Axel wasn't someone I wanted near me. I didn't want him speaking or even looking at me. Not when it made me so uneasy.