The Kissing Booth

The alarm goes off, waking Samuel from a sound sleep. Disoriented, he panics, his hand swiping the alarm clock off of the nightstand. Groaning, he slides out of bed and dives underneath to retrieve it, finally pushing the correct button on top to get it to stop.

After a shower, he dresses himself in the outfit he laid out last night. His favorite jeans. Blue on blue plaid flannel shirt and the brown cowboy boots that are almost too small for him.

Thankfully, Stella didn’t come in to bug him and see his clothing laid out like that. At seven years old, she likes nothing more than to tattle on her brothers. Samuel, the closest in age at nine, is her most frequent target. Bradley and Chance, their two much older brothers, are more likely to just roll their eyes affectionately if she tries to tell on them. They’re both going to college in the fall.

Mom and Dad are already up and sitting at the table in the kitchen, drinking coffee and talking. They both look up in surprise as he comes in.

“Mornin’,” Samuel mutters before helping himself to a cup. He’s not old enough to drink coffee, but he can pour juice into it and pretend to join in.

“Good morning, yourself. You’re up and dressed so early? On a Saturday?” Mom makes it sound like this is a rare thing. Well, maybe it is.

Seated, Samuel takes a sip of his orange juice, then sets the cup down with a sigh, just like his dad does. “The fair is today. Remember?” They can’t have forgotten. It’s all Stella’s been talking about for weeks.

“After breakfast and the chores are done,” Dad says.

“Then we’ll go,” Mom chimes in.

It doesn’t matter that Samuel is in a hurry. Everyone takes their sweet time doing the daily chores. Another eon goes by before breakfast is eaten and the dishes are done.

Finally, both trucks head down the road. Brad’s driving the one Stella and his mom are in. Chance is driving Dad’s big truck with Dad riding shotgun and Samuel in the back seat. Samuel’s urges to Chance to go faster are met by a hard look from Dad. Fine. As long as they get to the fair before it closes down for the night.

Once they reach the fair, they have to find parking. Then they have to stand in line for tickets. Samuel gets more and more impatient. Stella turns around to stick her tongue out at him, which is blue from the sno-cone she’s eating.

Just as he starts to retaliate by sticking his own tongue out back at her, she walks by. It’s her. Samuel loses his train of thought, struck dumb by the sight of her. The new girl. Layne. Layne Everly. He sighs.

“Ow!” Samuel yelps loudly as Stella kicks his shin. “What’d you do that for?” His shin hurts bad enough to make him bend down and rub the spot. By the time he looks up, Layne’s gone.

Stella sniggers from behind her melted sno-cone. “Sammy and Layne-y, sitting in a tree,” she sings. Enraged, Samuel draws back his arm to knock the sno-cone out of her hand.

Dad catches his arm just in time. “Don’t even think about it, Samuel. Or we’re turning right around and going home.”

Stella, all ears, watches her brother get a talking to. With another sappy smile she turns back around. He can still hear the stupid tune she’s humming.

Somehow they make it through the line and into the fair. Brad and Chance take off, neither one of them wanting to stick around in case their parents ask them to shepherd their little brother and sister around.

Chastened, Samuel walks around the fair with his parents and his dumb sister. They look at all of the exhibits. All of the animals. All of the booths selling wares. He sticks close to his dad, not even pretending to be interested in some new piece of farm equipment. All the while he looks for her. Layne. She’s here somewhere.

“Look! Doggies!” Stella points across the way. There’s a booth set up with the words “Kissing Booth” painted on a wooden board that’s mounted across the top. A Boxer, a Great Dane and a Dachshund, all wearing jaunty red bow ties around their necks, sit on wooden boxes inside the booth. The dogs wag their tails ecstatically as Mom and Stella approach.

A blonde woman who was standing behind the dogs steps forward, smiling at Stella. “Fifty cents and you get a great big doggy kiss!”

At the same time, Samuel spots Layne, who is standing next to the booth. The lady must be her mom.

Stella hands her money to the woman and points to the boxer. “Him.”

Samuel is suddenly at Layne’s side. She looks at him and smiles. “Samuel, right? That girl’s your sister?”

Stella squeals as the boxer licks her cheek. Samuel has just seconds to make his move.

He places his hands on Layne’s shoulders. “Layne Everly. I love you.” He doesn’t even stutter over the words.

Layne doesn’t pull away. Instead, she closes her eyes and leans in. Samuel, his heart beating fast, leans in too. Their lips meet for just a moment. The most important moment of his life.

Samuel steps back. They both open their eyes. They both smile. Samuel runs across the way to stand next to his dad before Stella and Mom can make their way back to them.

Even Stella retelling the story of the kissing booth to anyone who will listen for the rest of the day doesn’t bother him. Nothing’s going to bother him today. Not when he got to kiss the most beautiful girl in school.

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963 words

Tomorrow, July 6, is International Kissing Day. Write a story or poem featuring a significant kiss.