If I'm Not With You, I'm Not Anything At All
~12 years old~
"Spin the bottle, spin the bottle!" All the girls at the sleepover had chanted.
Sua nervously reached for the soda bottle in the middle of the table and spun it, wishing she could close her eyes. The bottle slowed, and when she looked up to see where it landed, she was staring straight at Mizi. She felt a flicker of anxiety. "Wait, on the lips?" she asked Hyuna.
"Yep. How are you gonna learn to kiss anyone without practice?"
"Alright..." Sua leaned in towards Mizi.
Mizi whispered, giggling, "I don't know how to kiss."
Sua quickly kissed her, then pulled away. She didn't know what to think, and clearly Mizi didn't either.
~14 years old~
"You seriously haven't liked any boys?" Mizi asked.
Sua shifted uncomfortably. "No, not really."
"What about Ivan? You two would be cute together," she commented.
Sua made a face. "Ew, no. He's my friend. What about you?"
"Till's okay as a friend. I think he likes me." She said it as if it were a secret, but Ivan had told Sua about Till's crush on Mizi a while back.
"I think so too. Would you date him?"
Mizi considered this. "Maybe? I guess he could grow on me."
~16 years old~
"Everything alright?" Mizi checked in on Sua, moving a strand of her hair to the side so that she could see her face. "You're really quiet."
Sua nodded. "Just tired. I've had so much homework recently, I can't get to bed on time." That was only part of the reason. The other half? Mizi. Her heart fluttered when Mizi touched her hair, she couldn't focus in any class because she was daydreaming, and even just thinking about her got her distracted.
Mizi gave her a small, sweet smile. "I can help you on your homework if you're behind," she offered.
"That'd be great. Thank you."
~17 years old~
Sua had had enough of waiting around. She needed to know what Mizi actually thought about her. They were flirting, but Mizi did that with everyone, so she couldn't tell if she was different. "Mizi," she said sharply after school.
Mizi looked up, one strap of her backpack slung across her shoulder. "Yeah? What's up?"
"Do you like anyone?" she blurted, then immediately regretted it.
Mizi went quiet. "Do you?" she asked instead of answering.
"I'll say if you do."
"Deal."
"3...
2...
1..."
"You," Mizi said cooly, voice monotone.
"You," Sua whispered.
They started at each other, stunned into silence.
"I thought you liked Till," Sua admitted after a moment.
Mizi gagged. "Never!" she exclaimed. "He's kind of pushy, to be honest. He keeps trying to get closer to me. But believe me, that relationship is one-sided."
Another moment passed.
They leaned in towards each other, and their lips touched, soft and gentle to begin with.
"I'm glad it's not a party game this time."