• "Really. I'm sorry." Kiaret was apologizing again. "I shouldn't have kissed you like that. I mean, I don't really know you yet. But at the same time I feel like I've been your friend for ages."

    "Don't worry about it, Kia. If I didn't have any sense right now, I'd tell you to kiss me like that again and never stop." I grinned at her and continued, "But since I do have a little sense right now, let's forget for a while that I said that."

    "Fine." Kia smiled. "So let's start over. Hi, I'm Kiaret, but you can call me Kia, since you just did, and I think I like it. Kia... It sounds really pretty." She stepped towards me again, but this time wrapped her arms around me. I pulled her closer, into my arms and said, "That's exactly why I said it. It matches you. Oh by the way, do you hug people a lot?" I still held her close and I breathed in her scent. She smelled amazing -- it was like my grandma's flower garden mixed with something like vanilla.

    "Yes. I usually hug people when I greet them. . . But then I usually let go."

    "And I think I'm starting to usually like how you seem to keep making exceptions when it comes to me and you."

    "Yep, me too. So, anyway," she stepped out of my arms and continued, "How are you?" She smiled at me with a hint of Your mom's going to be home with your sister anytime now and do you want them to see you hugging some girl they've never seen before in your bedroom for definitely more than two seconds? But I could also see an I-didn't-want-to-end-that-hug-and-you-know-it gleam in her eyes.

    I decided that I should answer her question even though I knew she only meant for it to get us back to the real world. "Actually I'm great. I don't think I've ever felt better in my life. How about you?"

    "Well, I'd have to agree with you on that one. But seriously. Um, I think either I'm gonna have to hide, or we both run to my house, because it's getting really late, and soon we're not going to be here alone."

    "Oh, damn. Sorry. I forgot about that. Um... is there anyone at your house?"

    "Just my brother. But he's either locked up in his room playing Call of Duty or locked up in his room eating junk. So we'd be fine there."

    "Alright. You go on ahead. I'll be right behind you, but first I have to write a note or I'll be grounded," then I added with a cocky smile, "not that that'd stop me from coming to see you."