Author's POV
Some kisses are gentle beginnings.
This one was a declaration of war, wrapped in lipstick and laughter, performed beneath flickering cafeteria lights like the world was a stage and pain was entertainment.
Ace Adams wasn't supposed to be kissed by girls like Lily Watson, and everyone knew it.
He wasn't loud.
He wasn't rich.
He wasn't shiny enough to exist in her orbit.
But that day, when she walked toward him with a grin stretched too wide and eyes that held no softness, she knew exactly what she was doing—
She was choosing to ruin him.
Not with anger.
But with affection laced in venom.
And he didn't even try to run.
He just let it happen, because the worst kind of heartbreak is the one you see coming but walk toward anyway.
---
Lily's POV
It was supposed to be funny.
Stupid.
Another dare.
"Kiss the ghost boy," someone said.
"He looks like he's never even been touched."
And maybe I should've said no.
Maybe I should've spared him.
But something about his silence made me reckless.
He always looked like he didn't need anyone, like nothing could break him.
So I wanted to be the one who did.
I sauntered toward him like I had every right, ignoring how his eyes stayed low, how his fingers gripped his pencil just a little tighter when he sensed me coming.
He didn't speak.
Didn't flinch.
Just looked at me once—
And I swear to God, there was something in that look that almost made me stop.
But I didn't.
Because I was already too far gone.
Because I didn't want to lose.
Because winning, even at the cost of someone else's heart, felt better than losing face.
So I grabbed his shirt, leaned in close, and kissed him in front of everyone.
And not just a peck.
I kissed him like he was mine.
Like he mattered.
Like I meant every second of it.
His lips didn't hesitate.
They kissed me back like I was air and he hadn't breathed in days.
It wasn't clumsy.
It wasn't desperate.
It was soft.
It was slow.
It was the kind of kiss that holds the weight of a thousand unspoken things—
And I hated him for making it feel real.
So when I pulled away, I laughed.
Laughed loud.
Too loud.
And said, "Relax. It was just a dare."
His lips still tingled against mine when the words left my mouth.
And when he didn't say a word—when he just stood up, collected his things, and walked away without looking back—
I felt something crack in my chest.
But I laughed again.
Because if I didn't laugh, I would've screamed.
---
Ace's POV
I saw it in her eyes before she said a word.
That twitch of her smile that didn't reach her pupils.
The way her voice got just a little too light when she called my name.
I knew it was a game.
I knew I was the joke.
But I let her come closer anyway.
Because I was starving for the way she looked at me, even if it was all fake.
She grabbed my collar like she owned me.
Pulled me toward her like I was something she could command.
And when her lips crashed into mine, I didn't resist.
Not because I believed it.
But because I wanted to.
Because for one second, I could pretend it wasn't a performance.
That I was just a boy, and she was just a girl, and the world had finally given me something kind.
But it wasn't kind.
It was cruel.
And I felt it the moment she laughed.
The moment she said, "It was just a dare," like the kiss hadn't broken something permanent inside me.
I didn't react.
Didn't speak.
Didn't let her see how badly I wanted to crumble.
Because what's the point in begging for someone who only ever saw you as a test?
So I picked up my bag.
Walked past the kids still laughing.
Walked past her.
And I didn't look back.
But inside, something went quiet.
Not the kind of quiet that comes from peace—
The kind that comes from giving up.
From realizing you were never chosen.
Just used.
And maybe… maybe I deserved it.
For letting her kiss me when I knew she never meant to stay.