5 Clichés That Didn't Lead To A Kiss and 1 That Di

Jeff stomped down the sidewalk and through the grass, each stride bringing him closer to his prey. She was smiling and talking and flirting with a line of men.

"Annie," he growled, satisfied grin curving up his lips as he headed toward her.

Pushing past the men-and two women? How very progressive of Annie-he ignored all the 'heys' the 'you can't cut, douchebags' and the 'wait your turns' that they threw at him. Scoffing, he came to a halt in front of a startled Annie.

"Well, Annie, I hope you're happy."

She gaped at him, darting a concerned look behind him at all the men she'd been flirting with. Batting her eyes at. Giggling with.

Psh. Like that'd work. Tight shirts and short skirts. College boys were path-his eyes dropped to her chest briefly-etic.

"Jeff, what are you doing here? You can't just-"

"Oh, I just did, baby." Okay, he could've left off the 'baby' since it didn't really have anything to do with this. "And, again, I hope you're really happy."

"Well, I was, relatively so, before you got here." She leaned forward, whispering harshly. "What are you doing? I'm busy!"

"Fine." He dug in his pocket, then stuffed a bill in the jar between them. "Underneath this designer sweat suit, I am wearing nothing but Speedos. Speedos, Annie." He saw her eyes dart down as if she could see through his clothes and dismissed the pleasure and satisfaction he got from her interest. It'd happen with any woman. Britta. Sh... Shirley. She did like his backside after all. Shaking those thoughts off, he leaned down, getting in Annie's face. "And, yes, they really do have the school flag on them."

Her whole face went from soft and interested to tight and a little grossed out. "Ew. Wait, what- are you blaming me? I didn't... it's not my fault the dean found you."

"You didn't run fast enough." It was simple and logical, no lawyering necessary. The slowest person between the two of them had led the dean right to the closet they'd hidden in, therefore, she was guilty.

"What- I- oh, come on! You dragged me with you without telling me what or why or where we were going. Of course I was slow." She straightened up, folding her arms across her chest.

Eyes up top, Winger.

"Why did you even take me with you? If you were so worried about getting caught, knowing I'd slow you down, why didn't you just run away like a little baby on your own?"

Good question. One he'd been hoping she'd overlook. He hadn't thought ahead, he'd just panicked when he saw the dean. Panicked and run. She'd been with him at the time, just striking up a conversation about... something, and he'd grabbed her hand and run. "That's not even- you," he dragged out, pointing at her, "you were slow, which got us caught, and now I'm about to perch on a small wooden seat meant for one. With a nearly-naked dean." He shuddered. "Touching me all afternoon."

"Oh, get over it, Winger."

"Really, Annie? Think back to all the times the dean's come to make an announcement." He waited. "Now put yourself in my place."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, then suddenly shuddered and his eyes went traveling again. She leaned forward, biting her lip in sympathy. "He is kind of... forward. But still, you shouldn't-"

"Kiss her!"

Jeff raised his eyebrows and turned to look at the people behind him in a semblance of disbelief. "Really?"

"Come on! Kiss her already!"

A few others joined in and Jeff scoffed at them in irritation. "Why is it that I can't be near a girl without people thinking we're involved? We're just friends, guys. Give it a rest." Rolling his eyes Annie's way, he saw her brows rise and her mouth twist to the side as if she were biting her tongue.

"Dude, it's a kissing booth! Kiss her and get the hell out of the way already!"

"Yeah!"

"Make room for others. We have money, too."

"I've got five kisses coming."

"Hurry up!"

"Move!"

More people joined in and then someone started booing.

Kissing booth. Right.

Flushing a little, he turned back to Annie, who was waiting to see what he'd do. She'd been pretty good about letting him dictate their relationship since the kiss the night of Britta's and Slater's dueling-declarations. She didn't look excited or expectant, which took the pressure off of him completely. But it also pissed him off.

What the hell?

Mentally shaking himself, he told his mind and body that nothing good would come of thinking thoughts like that about Annie. It was territory they couldn't/shouldn't/wouldn't cross. But he was still staring at her, still too close to her. Still uncomfortably aware that his palms were damp and there was a somersaulting feeling in his stomach and a tightness in his chest.

Her eyes fell to his mouth, brow knitting together briefly. He could. They had an excuse this time. Kissing booth. And he'd paid his money. What better excuse to kiss someone than-

Something hit him in the back of the head. He glanced down at the banana peel and turned to the people behind him. "Seriously, guys?"

A few shrugged, some laughed. Garret snickered, smacking his single dollar bills into his other hand as if he was finally getting something, and he wanted Jeff to know it.

Whatever.

Mood officially spoiled, he pointed at Annie as he stepped out of line. "Your fault. Whatever happens tonight; I blame you." Turning, one might say, melodramatically, Jeff marched off to his doom. The dunk tank and the dean were waiting.

A shudder left him for his and Annie's sakes. But she deserved it; she deserved Garret. Piles of lined up men and a few women were waiting with their dollar bills and their overly-glossed lips, but he had to sit beside the dean all evening listening to his oh-so-subtle innuendo. And fall into the tank with him. The dean had better not get grabby.

Across from Annie's booth, he spotted Britta. Apparently, she had her own booth and she was shaking her money jar. "Donation Booth! Donate money to the school because you want to, not because a pretty young girl is being thrust at you to entice you into-"

"You suck," someone yelled.

Smirking at the three coins rattling in Britta's jar, Jeff glanced back over his shoulder at Annie's jar, which was stuffed full of bills, including his own ten.

His amusement left him faster than Troy dropping a girly scream.