"Stephie, really, I'm fine, I don't need your help with what I'm going to wear tonight.  It's just a soccer game."  I reassured the, somewhat spastic Stephie.  Besides, I was honestly considdering wearing my old soccer uniform.  But then the smart, common sense part of my mind reminded me that I wasn't on their team anymore, thanks to that dickwad Jed.  

"You're kidding me right?  Look at what you wore to school today.  I mean, come on, an orange shirt and blue capris, capri's that aren't even denim?  I refuse to let you go into a public place where people actually notice a magical thing called 'fashion sense,' wearing that.  So then you can maintain some dignity especially on a date."  Stephie declared indignantly.  For god's sake, she sounded just like Sadie.  I sighed over the phone, and resisted the urge to shout, I don't even want to go on this 'date.'  He's my best friend, and I have no intention now, or ever of him becoming anything more.  Knowing that she would probably kill me if I ever said something like that about Danny, I kept my mouth shut, and found myself unwillingly going through all of this.  

"Well, if your picking out my outfit, I refuse to wear dresses or skirts."  I exhaled.  This was going to be one long night.

****

I glared at the reflexion in the mirror, again, hating the fact that I was now a girl.  And apparently, most girls wear make up, which meant Stephie had gone over board with the make up.  She was driving us to the game, which made it impossible for me to scrub it off.

"Steph, this is NOT what I agreed to.  I want this stuff off now!"  I demanded, to no avail.

"You look cute with that make up on, so shut up and focus on the date."  She reassured me.  I scowled and crossed my arms.  I was trying to think of an excuse, any excuse, to get out of the date.

"My stomach hurts, and I have a massive headache.  The game isn't going to help my headache at all!  Maybe I should just can-"

"You lie."  

"But Stephie,"  I whined, desperate. "I don't want to go on this date!"  

"Too bad, besides, you might actually have fun."  I banged my head on the back of the seat.

"Might is the key word there.  See theres still a 99.99 percent chance that I won't have fun, and it'll be a complete disaster and I'll have my heartbroken, and you wouldn't want that right?"  I tried again.

"Quit being such a baby.  Any other girl would gladly go on a date with Danny, and here you are, complaining?"

"Then any other girl can have this date."  I responded stubbornly.  She sighed thickly.

"You're not getting out of this date, no matter how hard you try.  You were the one that accepted it in the first place, and no offense, besides me and him, you don't really have any new friends here."  I clenched my teeth.  She was right.  The rest of the ride to the soccer field passed in silence, as I dreaded this date.

***

"Hey, Terra,"  Danny greeted me with a smile.

"Hey,"  I said teresly.  

"I have a couple minutes before I have to be on the field, so, um you want something to drink?"  I refrained from raising an eyebrow.  I had never remembered Danny being so nice.  Sure he'd always been the more sensible one out of our small cluster of friends, but sensible doesn't always mean nice.

"Sure."  I followed him up the hill to the concession stand.  

"I'll have a green tea, please."  I told the lady.  She nodded, and turned around to get one from the cooler.  

"Green tea?  You remind me of one of my friends that way.  He'd always get the most exotic stuff, and tea was one of his favorites."  Danny told me.  Was that sadness in his voice?  Of course it took me awhile to realize he was talking about me, and when I realized that It was all I could do to tell him that I was that friend.  

"Oh, really?  What happened to him."  I asked.  It felt wierd talking about myself.

"He moved without really telling anyone about it first.  Last time I heard, he moved to England."

"Oh."  It was nice to know that I was at least important enough in his mind for him to feel sad about my supposed 'moving.'  I suddenly felt bad about not being able to be here, as his friend, not as his date.  But then again, it was nice to know that he had a more sensitive side, that I was rapidly discovering, and probably never would have known about if I wouldn't have gone on this date in the first place.  I mentally smacked myself.  What was I thinking.  I didn't even want to go on this date.  I couldn't be enjoying it.  That was just, immoral, and gross.  Right?  I sighed, and watched as he grabbed a cup of hot chocolate, and paid for both mine and his, before turning to walk back down the hill.  

"So what other stuff do you like to do?"  He asked casually as we moved.

"I really like snowboarding and swimming."  I replied with a shrug, before realizing I had let another part about the actual me slip out.  If I kept that up, he'd find out who I really was, and then he wouldn't believe me and then I'd probably lose any type of relationship I may of had with him.  Friend or 'girlfriend.'  I inwardly winced at the last part.  But I was finally beginning to come to a conclusion, Stephie had been right.  Other than her and Danny I pretty much didn't have any other friends in this form.  And being able to hang out with him, even in a situation like this, was better than not having my oldest friend around period.

"I've never been good at swimming, but snowboarding is really fun.  You should show me some tricks sometime."  I instantly remembered what Steph had said earlier about when guys are trying to ask you out.  Was he trying to ask me out again?

"Yeah, sure.  But just to let you know, I can totally kick your ass when it comes to snowboarding."  I grinned.

"Bring it on!"  He laughed.  

"NELSON, get down here now!  You already missed the entire warm up!"  The soccer coach yelled up over the fence.  We both turned to look at him, before Danny rolled his eyes in reluctance.

"Guess I better get going,"  He told me.  

"The other teams defense looks kinda weak, so don't waste all you're offense players to go to their side, save alot for their offense."  I told him.  He grinned and winked at me.

"Got it."  And he turned to jog down the hill towards the field.

****
After 2 hours of screaming tips and cheers towards my own soccer team, (or should I say my old team.) The game was finally over, and Danny came running up to me.  

"I take it that was you I heard, screaming tips to me like a maniac."  He chuckled.

"Hey, without my guidance, you never would have blocked number 24's kick in the and wouldn't have made the winning goal."  I exclaimed indifferently.

"True,"  He continued with a shrug, I saw the amusement in my eyes and I know he was just giving me a hard time.  I laughed.

"Maybe I should be the coach."  He burst out laughing and from there we started talking about really random things of interest, that probably wouldn't have made sense to anyone else.  We ended up getting so absorbed in our conversation that we lost track of the time, and it wasn't until one of the janitors who was cleaning the spare trash, came up to us, and told us it was 11:00.  From there we instantly started running to his car, realizing our parents probably wouldn't be particularly happy about our late return.  He had his liscence, while I only had my permit, so he drove me to a house about a block down from my original house, realizing I was still living in the same house, and that would really make him suspicious.  He pulled up on to the curb, and opened the door for me.  I stepped out and stood there facing him.

"Good game tonight, dude."  I congratulated.

"Yeah, It was fun, but I think it was funner getting to know you better."  I looked away, feeling my face, unwillingly, heat.

"Uh huh, sure."  I snorted.  His eyes widened at my sarcasm, and I instantly felt guilty.  "Yeah well, I guess it was okay getting to know you too.  I had fun."  He smirked.  Which me want to smack him for thinking my response was funny.  I was going to wipe that smirk off of his damned face.  And, me being rash, and stupid, reacted without thinking, and pulled him by the shoulders and planted a gentle kiss on his lips.   I then pulled away, and casually became extremely interested in my finger nails.  My face flushed even brighter than it was before.  Curse my own stupidity!  Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw his widen with shock, and for a second, I was filled with self satisfaction of taking that smirk off of his face.  

"What was that?  And here I thought you hated me, and then you try to pull off a lame kiss like that?  I guess you really do hate me."  I folded my arms and turned away, glaring at the street lamp.  "This is a real kiss."  He angled his neck downwards and captured my lips in a gentle but thourough lip lock.  His breath was a hot breeze across my face, and his tounge flicked slowly around my mouth, being light but fufilling at the same time, and when he was done, there wasn't an inch of my mouth left unexplored.  He pulled away, and smiled at my aghast expression.  He had left me breathless, appalled, and ecstatic at the same time.

"What, never had a kiss like that have you?"

"No!  That's not tr-"  

"Uh huh, then why didn't you kiss back?"  I hated his damned reverse phsycology.

"You caught me by suprise, that's all."  I mumbled.  He chuckled, and then said.

"Well, as you already know I had fun tonight, and we should take up that snowboarding bet soon, but It's late and I bet your parents are worried, so I'm gonna let you go.  See you later, Terra."  He pecked my cheek, and turned to walk to his car.  I saw him wave from the car before driving off, but I was too stunned to wave back.  I stood there watching until the rear lights of the car faded from sight, before slowly regaining logic, and other senses I had lost during the kiss, and slowly made my way home.  Oh god, I had kissed my best friend!  And oddly enough, I wasn't really bothered by it.
****