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"I bet I can kiss better than you!"
"Yeah, right! How would you know?"
"We can ask our audience to be the judges." I smiled at Jesse, who now looked a little afraid. "Ash? Brock? James? You guys up to it?"
"Wait a minute, Misty," Jesse nervously stalled. "Um . . . kissing is a little out of your league, don't you think?"
"Well, I guess if you know you'd lose, then we don't *have* to compete. . ."
"No! I'll beat you! Let's do it!"
Jesse and I had argued the point on who dressed better, who's hair was better, who was prettier, who was smarter, and who had a better body. Without the help of our "audience." Somehow, Jesse had won all of them, and I was internally furious. I'd chosen kissing because I was confident that I could win it. It was obvious that Jesse was in love with James (and vice versa), so if I got him to judge one of her kisses, then maybe Jesse would be too nervous to do it right. As for me, I could kiss any of the three guys and not clam up.
I just don't get that way around boys.
But it sure looked like Jesse did.
"So? Guys? What do you say?" I sweetly asked. Brock, James and Ash all looked at each other. They'd been watching our conflict since it began. God knows why; unless it was just that men liked cat fights. It had all started when I'd said, in front of everyone, that it's the woman who makes the team. Naturally, Jesse and I then had to work out which team was made better. It had seemed childish at first.
Until kissing was suggested.
James and Brock nodded in unison. Looking from one to the other, Ash gave the impression that he didn't want to kiss us, but he didn't want to be left out, either. Finally, he conformed. "Okay."
"Great!" I exclaimed, excited to finally win. Well, to have a decent chance, anyway. My energy was renewed when I saw Jesse stealing apprehensive glances at James.
"Which one of you is going first?" Brock was all smooth about it, just like I was.
Exchanging a glance with my rival, I snatched the opportunity. "I will. I know I'll win this one."
Jesse scowled at me.
"I might as well get this over with," Ash reluctantly said, leaning towards me a bit too quickly.
"Eew, no, Ash!" I pushed him away with my hand on his chest. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to." With any luck, Jesse didn't know about my crush on Ash, and wouldn't point that out as my reason for declining his lips. He might have made me just a tiny, tiny bit guy-shy.
"Okay." Relief washed over him and a tinge of sadness marked his eyes. Oh, he really did want to kiss me! He just didn't want to do it just yet.
Ugh, I can't believe I like *Ash*.
"Oh, stop acting so smug and just lose, already!" Jesse's infamous impatience kicked in. "Or maybe you're afraid you'll *never* beat me."
Unfortunately, she was right. And I was taking a little too much time; that was bad. Jesse was regaining her calm composure and looked totally ready.
Not bashful at all.
"Oh, I'll win." Without any more hesitation, I kissed Brock and then James. No biggie. They both did pretty well, but I knew I preformed wonderfully.
Still looking bold, Jesse smiled as if to say, "Is that the best you can do?"
"Okay, Jesse. Your turn. See if you can beat that."
She took one look at Brock and refused him. "But I'm way taller than this shrimp!"
"Hey!" Although he looked mildly put-off, he also appeared to be a little disappointed. Brock *was* girl crazy, and, I hate to admit it, Jesse was quite the girl.
James simply smiled.
Sighing, I let it slide. "Fine. Just kiss James, then." Having her kiss him was the whole point, after all.
If the blush spreading across her cheeks was any indication of how embarrassed she was, she looked about ready to crawl under a rock and die. I eagerly awaited her loss. And just to humiliate her even more, I prompted her. "Come on, do it! It's just a kiss. What's the matter? You *like* him?"
That earned me an immediate reaction from Jesse. She stared daggers at me.
"I'll show you, you little brat."
And just like that, Jesse and James were kissing.
I thought it was beautiful, though I certainly hadn't expected to feel that way.
The two kissed for at *least* half a minute, then I gave up. "Okay, okay, I get it, Jesse."
It wasn't just a kiss anymore; there was no stopping it. Their hands were all over each other.
Crap! My plan totally backfired! She wasn't nervous -- she was practically making out with him. And James would doubtlessly pick Jesse's kiss over mine. How could I be so stupid? Now I know how she feels when we triumph over Team Rocket.
"Jesse!"
"Hey! Romeo and Juliet!" Brock chipped in. "Get a room!"
"I can't watch . . ." And Ash thinks he's tough.
"Okay, Brock, Ash; on the count of three, we all yell. Got it?"
"Got it," they both answered me.
"Alright. One . . . two . . . three!"
"HEY!"
Jesse and James jumped apart, looking startled and rumpled. Everyone just looked at them for a minute.
"I'd have to say," James announced after catching his breath, "That Jesse's a better kisser."