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They ended up in Karlie's basement, sitting on her beige couch, the poor lighting shining above the two girls.
Karlie had her first date with Josh in two days. As their date came close, Karlie realized she's never really kissed anyone before. She thought she should get some practice to make her date with Josh, and her first kiss with Josh to be special; so Karlie invited Taylor over. Taylor's had practice kissing a few guys in the past.
Karlie thought Taylor could teach her a thing or two... She just didn't know how she would approach the proposal to Taylor.
"Karlie... What am I doing here in your dinky basement? Are you going to kill me and take my organs out?" Taylor joked, staring at Karlie. Karlie rolled her eyes at Taylor's joke.
"No..." She didn't know how to ask for it. "Okay I'm just gonna be upfront..." Karlie exhaled. "Can you teach me how to kiss?" Karlie shocked herself by being that upfront with a request so... intimate.
Taylor averted her gaze from Karlie's to the concrete floors of the basement. She started twirling the white string on her dull, red sweater. Karlie tried re-maintaining the eye contact they had a few seconds back, but to no avail.
"Taylor?" Karlie tried again. The dim room shadowed some of Taylor's face. Taylor drowned in embarrassment. Why would Karlie ask such a thing from her? She felt like hiding in the shadows available to her. Taylor couldn't reject Karlie's request. There wasn't any reason to Karlie's knowledge....
Taylor wanted to kiss Karlie for all the wrong reasons.
She knew if Karlie found out, Karlie would never talk to her again. Taylor also knew if she just rejected Karlie's request suddenly, there would be a murking tension between the two.
"I guess? Yeah..." Taylor tried to lighten the tense mood in the room, "Well I guess you didn't take me here to murder and take my organs." A shy smile started forming on Karlie's lip, a light shove to Taylor's right arm followed. Taylor made eye contact with Karlie.
"So... how do you wanna do this? I've never kissed a woman before."
"Just kiss me like you would with one of the guys you've been with before!" Karlie explained simply, like it was the easiest thing ever to do. Taylor thought reluctantly of Karlie's explanation.
None of them were you.
"Okay..." Taylor began to make herself comfortable with the space she had available, which wasn't much. Taylor's heart began beating just the slightest bit faster. Her hands became a little sweaty.
She placed a hand on Karlie's knees, covered in denim. Karlie felt sprinkles of warmth emerge with every fingertip brush. Taylor brushed a section of Karlie's hair behind her ear. Her hair feels so soft. Taylor shifted her crossed legs around the couch again. Karlie's eyes were so green... Taylor could see tiny forests in them, circling over themselves. Karlie's lids slowly closed, those green eyes fading from Taylor's view.
Taylor's palms started getting sweaty as she began closing her eyes too. Right when Taylor leaned to give Karlie her a peck, Taylor felt something- rather, someone, on her lips. The contact, though quick, was enough to send Taylor into a mental spiral. If Karlie pecking her on the lips made her head spin around this much, she could only imagine what an actual kiss from Karlie would do to her. Taylor's lips parted in shock as her eyes started to open, confronted with a contrasting friendly gaze from Karlie. She had an eager smile forming on her lips.
"Like that?"
Oh God if it couldn't get any worse. Taylor shifted her eyesight to the dusty window on Karlie's left. She could feel the burning sensation creep up her cheeks.
Karlie's eyes were looking at the dingy carpet below her. "Should I do it again? I don't know... you seem kinda off from the one I just did." Karlie nervously tapped her fingers on the couch. She wanted to do it right. Before Taylor could even get a chance to answer Karlie's question, Karlie had quickly shut her eyes and cupped Taylor's cheeks with both her palms. Karlie had pulled herself forward to give Taylor another kiss on the lips. Taylor's eyes widened in shock. She could feel the beat of her heart pick up its pace, brunette locks cascaded on Taylor's sweater.
Karlie molded her lips into Taylor's, her lips immersed in Karlie's. Taylor's cheeks felt the reddest they've ever been in her entire life. Taylor couldn't believe Karlie was kissing her. Not just a measly little peck on the lips; an actual kiss, and probably the best she's ever had. Though reluctant at first, Taylor softened into the kiss, slowly kissing Karlie back. Karlie froze out of pure shock... she didn't expect Taylor to kiss back. Out of shock, Karlie backed out of the kiss.
Taylor's eyes fluttered open, missing the contact on her lips. Her first genuine kiss, taken away.
"Karlie?" Why did she back out so suddenly? "Why did you back out? Did I do something wrong?" She wanted Karlie to kiss her more. Those soft lips on hers. Plus, Taylor had just begun to kiss Karlie back! She craved more of Karlie's lips.
Karlie's cheeks looked absolutely flushed in Taylor's view. Taylor noticed Karlie wiping her palms on the knees of her jeans.
"It's just that... well," Karlie exhaled lightly out of nervousness, "I didn't expect you to kiss me back." Now Taylor was confused.
"What do you mean? The person you're kissing is going to kiss you back after all. Plus we're practicing." Though Taylor tried to reason her best with Karlie, the two teenagers on the cheap couch were flustered messes.
Karlie began to get defensive. "You didn't need to kiss me back Taylor! I probably already know what to do when Josh kisses me back."
"Jeez... I was just trying to help. You're the one who wanted practice in the first place."
"Why do you think I kissed you in the first place? I thought it was clearly established so you wouldn't kiss me back... I guess not!" Karlie got up from the couch and paced around the dim basement in irritability and now, embarrassment. Karlie didn't want Taylor to end up finding out her little secret from this.
Taylor's eyes began to widen in astonishment. What?? Her fast paced heart beats began to come back. Taylor watched attentively to Karlie's pacing, not knowing what to say to what Karlie had just admitted. Taylor too, got herself off the couch and began to walk towards Karlie.
"Karlie!" Well that stopped her in her tracks, Taylor thought. Why was Karlie suddenly acting so nervous?
"Are you trying to tell me something?" Taylor began to play with the strings of her sweater as she did once as she boldly asked Karlie. Taylor had a feeling. There were always subtle actions between the two Taylor noticed. The way the two always seemed to be inseparable. Karlie's huffs of annoyed breaths whenever Taylor talked about her past boyfriends and the ones she kissed, but she never thought too much of it. She didn't want to get her hopes up. There's no way... Karlie doesn't like me that way. Taylor always tried to reason with herself whenever she got caught up with those thoughts. There's no way.
The heavy silence between the two teenagers began to become unbearable, the only sounds heard being the soft breaths. Karlie's back faced Taylor as Karlie sat near the edge of the couch. A deep exhale escaped from Karlie.
"I'm sorry for lashing out at you like that." Karlie ran an apologetic hand through her brunette locks. Taylor didn't know how to respond. Of course she forgave Karlie; Taylor couldn't be mad at her for long.
"It's okay Karlie." A singular nod came from Karlie. That unbearable silence began to overtake the room once again. Taylor knew whatever was about to slip out of her mouth, she might (definitely might) regret... She couldn't hide it forever. Being around Karlie was hard enough, but if these practice kisses were gonna become a regular thing, Karlie needed to know. Taylor knew her heart couldn't take it.
"Karlie... I don't know if you know, you probably don't," Taylor twiddled her thumbs, "and I don't wanna risk anything in our friendship because I really do value it."
Karlie shifted her body so Taylor could meet her face-to-face.
"This was probably one of the worst ideas I've probably agreed to... And I'm not saying that it's because of you Karlie! It's just that... well..."
Karlie's eye contact started to become a little too intense for Taylor. Her eyes practically pierced into her soul, like Karlie knew what little secrets Taylor brewed within before she got the chance to admit them.
"Karlie, I really like you and not-"
Taylor didn't have any time to react for what was to come.
A soft pair of lips on hers. Karlie's soft pair of lips. There she goes, interrupting me again. A small smile began to form on Taylor's lips as the kiss became more heated. Taylor began to mold her lips on Karlie's. If the kiss before was her best, Taylor right now would be laughing at the Taylor who got a little kiss from Karlie 15 minutes back. Taylor couldn't begin to describe how this one felt with Karlie. To have the knowledge that with this kiss that Karlie felt the same, unknown joys ran through and through Taylor's body... Karlie did feel the same for Taylor, right?
Taylor pulled out of the kiss, trying to catch her breath while worry began to enter her mind.
"Karlie... What about Josh?" The worry slowly started to slowly invade Taylor. What if Karlie only kissed her back for some sick and twisted reason? Maybe she didn't feel the same way. Thoughts plagued Taylor's mind.
"I don't care about him. I only agreed to that date because of some lame dare my friends initiated. I don't want him Taylor, I want you."
Taylor couldn't believe those words escaped from Karlie's lips.
I want you. Taylor's mind bounced back and forth against it's articulating thoughts. I want you. She couldn't do anything but stare at Karlie with the most dumbfounded look ever in humanity as Karlie stared back with hope in her eyes. Karlie wants me?
A light blush began to creep up Taylor's cheek as she tried her best to express the reciprocated feeling. Taylor's known Karlie for so long, since the beginning of her high school years. They became instant and inseparable friends from that point on. Karlie was always there for Taylor when she was at her lowest and her best. When Karlie had gotten texts from Taylor to come over, Karlie came right over. Karlie was there when Taylor wanted a certain someone to listen to an original song she had created.
"I want you too. You're the one I want." Taylor had the most dopey smile painted on her lips, a slight twinkle in her eyes.