Authors: Tina Ferraro

The ABC's of Kissing Boys (20 page)

I shuddered, taking stock. I didn't know if that Victoria girl and Rachael had been for real about shunning me for dating a freshman. But if they had, maybe-just as Tristan had been showing me from the first day, when we swept up grass blades together—it was a matter of attitude. You act like you know what you're doing, like you're in complete control, and sooner or later, people start to believe it.

How else could I explain how I'd ended up taking kissing lessons from a guy just out of middle school? Maybe I was more of a fighter than I'd ever given myself credit for before. Maybe I was more than ready for this next challenge, as well.

“Shake hands and walk off?” I repeated, starting to come to my senses. “Yeah, we should totally do that. Except … not right now. And probably not any time tonight …”

“No?” A smile touched his face. “Tomorrow, then?”

“Maybe not tomorrow.”

“This weekend?”

His smile must have been contagious, because suddenly, it was all over me. “Definitely not until the end.”

“Or by the start of next week, for sure.”

“Maybe. Or maybe we don't have to break up at all.” I mean, if Rachael and Victoria gave me the cold shoulder because I'd found the right guy, who needed them? “But in the meantime, I'm going to need a lot more of those See-You-Later Kisses.”

“Not happening,” he said, lowering his face to mine. “No more goodbyes. But I'm willing to give you all the This-Is-Just-Beginning Kisses you'll ever want.”

I laughed, and his other arm came around me. Then his mouth settled over mine. In a perfect fit. In the sweetest kiss since, well, Westley kissed Buttercup or Romeo kissed Juliet. At least, to me.

Everything was wonderful. Peaceful. Perfect.

Until I looked up to see my parents and Tristan's dad marching toward us.

Zealous
:
Once you've got the
guy who's right for you, kiss him like there's
no tomorrow.

M
y father and Tristan's were almost a head taller than my mother, but as the three of them crossed the park lawn, it was my mom who seemed to be leading the crusade.

My first instinct was to jump from the bench and away from Tristan. I mean, no parents liked finding their daughter embroiled in an octopus embrace, let alone in the arms of the son of their archenemy.

But I realized that was pointless. If I was going to profess my feelings to my varsity soccer team, to the school—to the world—shouldn't I start with the people who loved me?

I untangled myself from Tristan and stood. A moment later, I felt him beside me, his hands at his sides, too.

“Mom,” I said, knowing from my years of soccer that the best offense is a good defense, “you need to listen to me. Tristan has been there for me—really there—lately. Don't judge us until you know the facts.”

“And nobody makes me happier than Parker,” Tristan said.

An “Awww …” sounded from somewhere deep inside me, and I turned to him with a smile. He grinned back—and I think we both lost a few seconds just looking at each other.

Then my dad cleared his throat. Bringing us back to the makeshift courtroom where I was about to be tried and found guilty of consorting with the enemy.

I met my dad's eyes. But oddly, the fire that normally raged over the mere mention of anything Murphy seemed to be simply smoldering.

“Parker,” he said, “I'm not here to reprimand you. Your mother and I and George—”

George?

“—want to explain something,” he continued. Then he glanced at my mother, as if handing her a microphone.

She took a breath that seemed to start at her gut. “I'm the one,” she said. “The one who made that first call to the city.”

The world spun before my eyes.

“I knew your dad was building the wall too high,” she said, “and that in the long run, it would cause problems, especially when we went to sell. But he was under so much stress at work, and having such a good time building it, I didn't want to shake things up at home by telling him he was over- the- top.”

Over-the-top?
My
dad?

“So,” my mother continued, “it seemed one anonymous call to the city would take care of everything. He'd be forced to comply, and no one would be the wiser. And when he put the blame on George here, well, at first it seemed innocent enough. We barely knew the Murphys, and so what if Dad grumbled a little when he waved hello? But as you know, it soon turned ugly. And the bigger it got, the more worried I felt about confessing, afraid a war of the same magnitude might break out in our marriage.”

She ran a hand across her face. “But lately … well, despite what you've been saying, I've suspected you and Tristan had become more than friends. You kept slipping out with him. And those clothing bills! Something had to be up.”

I flinched. Busted there.

“Seeing you leave with him tonight, I realized your father would never permit your relationship—for the wrong reasons.”

Emotion seemed to catch in her throat. “It was bad enough, what my lies had done to your father, and to George. I couldn't have it spread to our children. So after you left, I broke down and told your dad the truth.”

She shuddered until my dad's hand came to rest on her shoulder.

“After the shock wore off, I forgave her,” my father said. “To be honest, I was relieved to find a way to put an end to this whole thing. It was eating me up. So I suggested we go talk to George.”

“And I can't say I minded an apology, or putting this thing to rest,” Tristan's dad admitted. “And I understand about the lengths some people go to, to keep their marriages together. Sometimes I wished I'd done more of that myself.”

My mother nestled back against my father, and he slipped both arms around her in a bear hug. (Which was a weird way to see your parents, but I guess since they found me in Tristan's arms, fair was fair.)

“So I'm hoping we can forget this whole thing,” my mom said, “and get on with our lives.”

Then, in a surreal moment, the three of them headed back across the lawn, as if riding off happily ever after into the sunset.

Tristan and I turned to each other.

“Did that just happen?” I asked.

“Man, who would have thought our dads would be so willing to make peace?”

He grabbed both my hands and planted a big one on my lips. Then we fell into step, bringing up the rear of the Stanhope-Murphy parade.

Nobody's life was perfect, and we still had mountains to climb. But so much of what we wanted was right here in our hands … so why not—for the first time since Hartley went all heartless on me—just relax and enjoy the feeling?

Now I Know My ABC's …

E
ven though a couple of weeks have passed since the Stanhopes and the Murphys essentially kissed and made up, it still feels like an out- of- body experience to wander outside on the weekend and see my dad and Mr. Murphy working side by side.

Today it involves handsaws and goggles on the side of our house, and, Tristan told me, up next is tackling some dry rot on their eaves. All this teamwork is gearing them up for making any driveway modifications the city demands. Though Mr. Murphy tried to call off the dogs, we learned that filing an ordinance complaint is like writing on cardboard with a Sharpie. No taking it back. So now they wait. Together.

Who would have thunk it?

Tristan and I have done some survivor bonding, too. We've weathered some looks and comments (mostly aimed at me), but all it took with Rachael was mentioning that with me “out of the way” she has a clearer path to Luke, and she gave her sanction to my romance. I don't think she cares at all who I date, as long as I keep up my end on the field. And being tight with the team captain can only be a good thing (as long as that captain isn't named Chrissandra Hickey).

Speaking of Chrissandra, she got her butt kicked off the team for good. Mandy and Elaine admitted that Chrissandra had major jealousy issues with me because she thought I was a threat to her popularity and love life. In fact, she apparently got close to Kyle last year by pretending to help him “hook” me—and then went in for the kill herself.

And she totally planned to rat me out to Hartley as the sole instigator behind the discovery of AJ's pills, which she figured would prevent me from ever making varsity and going against her for captain next year.

Look who got the last laugh.

Over on JV, Lyric got the boot, too. When Hartley asked who I recommended as the new captain, I swallowed my pride and told her Emma. I'd been rough on the girl, and for the most part, she didn't deserve it. Emma came to me later and thanked me, and I've been dropping by practices whenever I have free time, helping with drills.

Back on my own team, I only talk to Elaine and Mandy to be polite. I've learned who my real friends are. And number one in my life is Becca. She helped teach me a lot about popularity and loyalty—and, well, myself. And while she doesn't plan to date a freshman anytime soon, she's happy for me and how things have worked out with Tristan.

I'm happy, too. And looking forward to later this month, when our birthdays fall, one day apart. He's promised me something special called the Birthday Kiss. I'm hoping that there are no lit candles or noise-makers involved—but that it
is
one of those kisses that has to be done indoors. Maybe even behind
closed
doors?

There's so much more for us both to learn about kissing and falling in love and each other. But no rush. For now, we have all the time in the world.

Tina Ferraro refuses to talk about her first kisses (besides, do spin- the- bottle kisses really count?), but she's happy to share all about her books if you want to visit her Web site,
www.tinaferraro.com
. She lives with her husband and their three kids in Southern California.
The ABC's of Kissing Boys
is her third book for young readers.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ferraro, Tina.

p. cm.

Summary: When sixteen-year-old Parker Stanhope takes kissing lessons from
the freshman across the street as part of her plan to get on the varsity soccer
team, a relationship blossoms that threatens her popularity at school and must
be kept secret from their feuding fathers.

eISBN: 978-0-375-89195-3

[1. Popularity—Fiction. 2. Interpersonal relations—Fiction. 3. Soccer—Fiction.

4. Neighbors—Fiction. 5. High schools—Fiction. 6. Schools—Fiction.

7. Kissing—Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.F365Abc 2009

[Fic]—dc22

2007051601

v3.0

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