Hello peeps. I've missed you! How are you?

I have a new obsession and I desperately want to get back into writing. I have some ideas in my head for original stories that will be published over on Wattpad for that matter. Username over there is HeyDannieHey and I would love for you to head over there and show me some love, too. But only if you really really want to. So far I just started over there so bear with me. I have an idea for a story that is inspired by my new career but this may be a touchy subject so I have to hold that thought for a while longer I'm afraid :(

Life crept up on me and I've had some exciting changes since you saw me last. Let's just say things got more interesting than I had bargained for and sometimes I am pretty overwhelmed still. Some good, some bad. It's a balance, remember?

I hope the ever so awesome Beth Reekles is ok with me borrowing the last few sentences from her book "The Kissing Booth". If you have not checked out the book, its companion (which is on Wattpad) or the movie version that just landed on Netflix, you are missing out. By quite a lot.

I do not know how what I will be doing here exactly. I think it may have already been done. I have not taken a look at any stories and I won't until this is out of my system. No matter what this is going to turn out to, I would be thrilled, though, if you were my side. Love, xoxo.

The Kissing Booth - Noah's Story

'Just think,' Lee said then, 'all this, just from the kissing booth.'

I laughed, pushing him slightly, and he laughed, too, squeezing me tight for a second before we turned away from the view of the empty runway, where the plane was lost somewhere in the cloudy sky and walked off.

One.

I don't remember exactly when my reputation turned into that of a player and desirable bachelor No 1 but I kind of ran with it. Word of mouth can travel faster than the speed of light or so it seemed to me. They rapidly turned every girl that I ever locked lips with into a fling and created unrealistic numbers of girls I had dated based on blowing things way out of proportion. After all, those were just kisses, right? I am pretty sure there is no rule against a guy and a girl making out when they're in the mood for it, either.

The talking train in my particular high school seemed to be exceptionally fast, Shinkansen-like. I wasn't surprised, though, since we lived in the golden age of smartphones and on-demand television. If we didn't want to, we wouldn't have to rely on an actual conversation with anyone.

I stopped my motorcycle in the wide doorway of our house, got rid of my helmet and opened the storage compartment to retrieve my bag. I saw my brother Lee's car parked and involuntarily smiled. Where my brother was, there was Shelly. Her name wasn't actually Shelly, she was called Rochelle and she was my brother's best friend ever since I can remember. She used to tail my every move when she was what ... like twelve or thirteen years old maybe. It was annoying. Still ... cute. I cringed at the word. She preferred to be called Elle anyway. Which I didn't do ... much. I liked to annoy her. A lot.

I made my way up toward my bedroom when I heard a strangled voice coming out of Lee's bedroom. 'What the ...'

Opening the door without a knock to have a surprise momentum on whatever was happening inside, I looked at the scene that was presenting itself in front of me. Elle was on Lee's bed, at best trying to wiggle out of her sweater which she had knotted herself into and wasn't able to escape from on her own. My annoying little brother was sniggering and must have just made an attempt to get off his desk chair to help a damsel in distress.

'Jeez, at least lock the door if you guys are going to do THAT.' I emphasized the word 'that' and waited for Elle's reaction. It was instant like I knew it would be. I just loved to tease her. She froze and her cheeks looked like they were flamingly hot, burning her cheeks bright pink in milliseconds. Her body betrayed her and I enjoyed this. Lots.

My brother rescued his best friend, hastily tugged down Elle's tank top and managed to get her sweater off her head, leaving her with the same hair as Albert Einstein wore on his famous tongue-out picture. I leaned against the doorframe, my amusement growing and I smirked at Elle.

'Hey Sheeeeeeeeeelly,' I greeted her and she flinched. I do know that she hates when I call her that. There were two options shortening her name, Rochelle, and I just loved to use the one that was more awkward and more annoying. It was my game and I liked to play it. Her reactions were always worth it.

'Hi, Noah,' she retorted, her voice snarky but her smile sweet. Infuriating. Interesting.

My jaw clenched almost violently as I gulped down a response I was about to utter. It was better I didn't say anything now. She'd be mad. I wanted to tease her because I knew she could not actually stay mad at me for too long but something about the look she just gave me told me that she would not let me off the hook easily if I teased her some more. Silence is golden. That didn't mean that I could not continue to smirk at her, right?

Look, I know what you're probably thinking and I get it: I should not use my looks and my reputation on my little brother's best friend and you are probably right. I shouldn't. She was just so ...

Normal.

'I know I seem to have this effect on ladies, but could you please try and keep your clothes on in my presence?' - Ouch, that was harsh. I hadn't meant it that way. I should really take that back.

'Dream on,' she said and rolled her eyes at me. Phew, that was a close shave!

'What are you guys doing, anyway?" I asked, genuinely being interested in their secret operation. They usually didn't close the door behind them because why would they, they were best friends after all. Elle looked at me quizzically for a brief moment but must have decided to shrug it off.

Lee said, 'We have to come up with a stupid booth for the carnival.'

'Sounds ... crap."

'No kidding,' Elle said and emphasized both words with an eye roll again. Apparently, all of the good booths were taken which made Elle and Lee look unprepared and quite frankly, they were. I was sure that I heard them talk about the carnival a few weeks ago already.

'We'll end up with something like - like - like that thing where you hook a duck.' Elle added, looking a tad bit desperate. She frowned and that made her look ... adorable? I shook my head in disbelief. Lee did the same. I am pretty sure he thought that she had just mentioned the absolute worst case scenario.

I got their attention by snapping my finger at them and they both looked at me. Good.

'Whatever,' I said casually weighing my next words carefully, 'Anyway, Lee - Mom and Dad are away tonight, so party at eight. The usual suspects, the usual procedures.'

Lee beamed, 'Cool.'

'And Elle?' I added, giving her a stern look, 'Try not to strip in front of everybody for me tonight, ok?'

' You know I only have eyes for Lee,' she quickly recovered from my quip and shot me another one of those innocent smiles of hers. I couldn't help but laughed a little and smirked at her. Did I just catch another small blush creeping onto her face? I watched her from the corners of my eye as I was typing party invitations into my messaging app. Having gotten two blushes out of Elle so far today I decided that another raise of that toll could wait for now and lazily strode out of Lee's room, leaving the door open.

While I was moving toward my own bedroom my heart involuntarily skipped a beat when I heard Lee tease, 'Hey, if you could stop checking out my brother for two seconds..."

The next thing I heard was a noise that I attributed to Elle shoving Lee with whatever force she could muster. Undoubtedly, she must have blushed again, too. Interesting. Interesting indeed. I stopped in my tracks, my curiosity triggered.

'Shut up,' I heard Elle say.

'I thought you were over your crush.'

'I am. That doesn't make him any less hot, though.'

As I resumed my cat-like and completely soundless walk to my bedroom in order to strip off my clothes, take a shower and get ready for the party later tonight I couldn't stop thinking about how she thought I was hot. And about how her cheeks had turned into this lovely color of embarrassment and the sudden need to dig a hole into the ground and wait things out. As I stepped into the shower I wondered whether they had resorted to the duck fishing booth in the end.

'I guess I'll find out,' I thought and turned my head toward the shower head.