The Hitting Zone
chapter-287

"But..." Kyle continued to hesitate.

"Stop being a wimp!" Jason called out and soon the nearby classmates started to egg him on.

"Do it!"

"You can't back out!"

"Even Marie is in!"

Kyle turned red, yet he stood up and walked over to Marie. Every step brought more gossip and attention. Soon, the group around the beer pong table even turned to look and see what was going on. It didn't take long for them to figure out what was going on too.

"Isn't this a little dishonest?" Noah frowned at the scene. "You guys are basically trapping him into this kiss. Plus, he might not even start a relationship with Marie? Won't that hurt?"

Kaylee could only shrug. "It wasn't my idea. I only got to overhear the plan. Marie and Dave are the main culprits."

"Does Dave think Kyle really likes her?" I asked Noah.

He raised an eyebrow. "Like her? How? You saw how they were on the bus, attacking each other...that's not how you treat someone you like. If anything, her and Dave looked close during lunch with us. Wouldn't that be more normal?"

I shook my head, not sure how to answer. I don't know what's a normal start in a relationship. My parents split when I was young and then my mom stayed single until they took her away. The closest I've come to seeing an actual relationship is Mr. and Mrs. Atkins. They were always nice to each other, but also to strangers.

At this point, Kyle has reached Marie and they stood eye to eye, barely a few inches apart. Marie closed her eyes and looked at peace, ready and waiting. Kyle nervously wiped his hands on the sides of his shirt, before placing them on her shoulders. He tilted his head and leaned in. The inches between them became centimeters, their lips touched, and the whole backyard started hooting and hollering, attracting attention from those inside.

"What's happening?"

"Is that Kyle and Marie!?"

"It's a dare. They both agreed too."

"I didn't even think they got along."

"They fight in history all the time."

"They must still be like elementary kids, picking on each other to show affection."

"I would never kiss a guy that treated me like that."

"Eh! She treats him the same way! Doesn't that make them made for one another?"

It got even more crowded, making me feel a little sick and nervous.

"You okay, Jake?" Noah peered and my face, seeing my distress. He turned to Kaylee. "Is there anywhere we can go to get space? There's too many people out here now."

She pouted. "You don't want to see what will happen next?"

Noah glanced at his brother and Marie, who had now separated and were both turning red with embarrassment from all the attention they were gathering. "What else could happen? They either start dating or don't? What can I do about it?"

She rolled her eyes. "How can you be so uninterested? Isn't he your brother? I'm curious as to what my sister would do now."

Noah frowned. "Jake is my brother too. And he's uncomfortable with the big crowd."

Kaylee looked at me, then sighed. "Okay, fine. Follow me." She made a path for us to move through the crowd, leading us back to the house. Then led us through the living room area and took us upstairs, where there were less people.

I visibly relaxed, losing the tension in my shoulders, as we were no longer boxed in.

Noah looked up and down the hall, where most doors were closed. "Uh, Kaylee? Are we allowed up here?"

"It's Leslie's place. Only the team is allowed up here, but you guys are with me." She opened one of the doors and flipped on the lights. "If anyone says anything, we can just blame your brothers for ignoring you two." We walked in the room, but she kept going, opening a sliding glass door, revealing a balcony. "Your whole family knows about Jake being claustrophobic so why would you guys take him to a party?"

We followed her onto the balcony. The view was of the backyard, so we almost had a birds eye view of what was happening. And so far, nothing was happening. At least, nothing like them kissing like before. It was like someone had hit the rewind button, and the group was back to playing the game 'spoons.' Except...Marie and Kyle were now sitting next to each other on the two seater. They were close, yet neither one was looking towards the other.

"It's the first time Jake and I are at a party." Noah finally answered. "I didn't think it would be so crowded. As for the twins...they aren't very thoughtful." We three leaned against the rail with Noah in the middle, me on his right, and Kaylee on his left. "Have you been to other parties?"

Kaylee paused for a minute before answering. "Yea. They're all the same. Drinking, games, and gossip."

Noah sighed and glanced at me. "We should have just stayed home and played video games. Or watched some baseball videos on the tv."

"I-I don't mind the experience." I said, looking out on the crowd. The social interactions would help. Dr. Moore said so himself. I got to see some of the guys outside of baseball, and I even spoke with Kaylee. I actually couldn't wait to see Dr. Moore and tell him about this big step I've taken.

"Ya know, I thought I heard people say you were a mute." Kaylee leaned forward to look at me. "But I think you're just shy."

Noah cracked a smile. "Hey, don't be so rude. Jake is just coming out of his shell."

"You're just like a big brother, always protecting him." She snorted.

"Since day one." Noah stated proudly.

I let out a small laugh. "The day I moved in, he declared he would be my big brother."

Kaylee smiled. "How long have you been with the Atkins?"

"About a month." I replied. "Sometimes it feels longer than that. Other times, I feel like I blinked."