“Wanna..ya know?” Ralph asks me, his hands shoved into his pockets and his feet shuffling back and forth.

“Uhh, yeah. Sure,” I respond casually as he takes hold of my hand and drags me to the crowded dance floor.
As Boyz II Men, blares over the loud speakers, I loop my arms around Ralph’s neck and his hands slowly make their way to my hips. Shivers are sent up my spine, this was scandalous for a thirteen year old. The wooden floor of the community center is crowded with slow-dancing preteens. I glance around the room not daring to look into Ralph’s eyes, for fear that I would mess something up. We had been dating for a couple weeks now and I was not fully comfortable with him yet.
We continue to sway to the beat of the song and I look to my right where my best friend Hannah is resting her head on Colin’s shoulder, both of their are eyes closed and their faces show small smirks. Glancing around the large room at everyone else, they seem to be standing much closer than Ralph and I. Inching my way closer to him slyly, I tighten my arms around his neck.
Finally I look up at Ralph, he is about a foot taller than me and his head is bobbing to the music. I should just go for it, it’s not like he’s gonna make the first move. His eyes find mine and he smiles, I smile back warily and my mouth opens as if to say something but nothing comes out. My head turns back to the floor as I try to figure out my next move. Should I? Is it too forward? What if he doesn’t want to?
The last chorus of the song hits and I know this is my last chance. I gather all the courage I can muster and look Ralph straight in the eyes. He looks back at my determined expression and I lean up towards his face.
Apparently he wasn’t expecting me to launch my face at him and his head sort of tilts sideways trying to lean in as well. My lips hit the side of his mouth and we both pull apart in shock. Oh my God! Did I actually just do that? It wasn’t imagined?
“That was lame,” Ralph scoffs as we both bore holes in the floor, impatiently waiting for the song to be over. That was lame? How was that lame? Well other than the fact that it was a complete epic fail, but still. I just put myself out on the line. I went for it. What was he doing to further our short relationship?
As my heart is about to thump out of my chest and hit the wall on the opposite side of the room, the song ends and I hurry away, not looking at Ralph. He goes off in the other direction as well. I spot Hannah at the pretzel bowl and stomp over to her.
“What’s happened?” she pulls her hand out of the mound of pretzels, seeing the distraught look on my face.
“I just attempted to kiss Ralph and I missed and then he said it was like..lame,” I mutter, fully realizing the entirety of the situation. Her mouth drops open and she’s almost speechless.
“He probably wasn’t talking about you, umm.. it was probably in reference to the whole situation,” she tries to calm me down as she sets down the handful of pretzels she had previously been munching on, “He was probably talking about himself! I bet he was just embarrassed or something.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I look away dejectedly.
“You should try it again,” she encourages, “it’s always better the second time.” She smirks at the thought. I stare at her, Is she serious? I just tried! It was now his turn to make a complete fool of himself.
“Maybe later,” I respond, looking off towards Ralph who is laughing with his friends. She just nods.
Later on as I lean on Ralph, listening to one of our friends talk about his dirt bike, another friend of ours comes over.
“So I heard you guys haven’t like…kissed yet,” Maddy states. She isn’t the most liked of our friends. We both stare at her with amused and embarrassed looks on our faces. “C’mon!” she whines, “it’s not that big a deal. Just do it…no one’s looking.”
I glance up at Ralph with a hesitant look, he looks back with a grin and shrugs. She’s right, it isn’t a big deal. Right? I lean in and so does Ralph, our lips press together and it feels like an eternity but in reality it’s only a few seconds. Pulling apart I stare into Ralph’s eyes in wonder. Woah…I think as my mind turns to mush.
“OH MY GOD!!!! Amanda and Ralph just kissed!” Maddy squeals as I hear more ‘Oh my Gods!’ and ‘No ways!’. Seriously?