Jessica’s first kiss came during her second go around with Trent.  Being friends with both of them, I knew that they were each counting on it happening soon, but both were afraid to make the first move.  So Bob (Trent’s best friend) and I decided to speed up the process a bit. It was a really hot April day (but it felt like August).  The kind where it’s so hot you don’t even sweat anymore.  We four musketeers were hanging out in Trent’s garage (which only added to the heat problem, but we weren’t allowed in a “boy’s house.”) and Bob and I decided to start a game of Truth or Dare.  It started off innocent at first with the pranks being stupid things like climbing on the roof or kissing Joanna the poodle.  But after a few rounds, I dared Trent to kiss Jessica.  They both threw this huge fit about it, but once Bob and I locked them in the garage and swore not to let them out until they kissed, they gave into the desires of their heart.  This just let out a huge tidal wave of kissing.  The two of them were doing it all the time; only they had to hide it (as well as their relationship) from the ever-watching eyes of our parents.  Our parents were afraid of the evils we would encounter growing up; therefore, they forbid us from trying to.  This included many things like ear-piercings, our own phone lines, and most of all-boyfriends.  Unfortunately Jessica and Trent were not as stealth as they thought and once when they sneaked off behind Trent’s house; they were caught.  Bob lived next door to Trent and his Dad was apparently SPYING on us from the upstairs window.  Everything was now out in the open and the punishments soon followed.  Jessica got grounded for a week and Trent had to sit through endless lectures about being too young to have a girlfriend.  Bob and I received our share of the lectures seeing as how it was our “dare” which caused the whole thing.

The spring progressed and right before my 13th birthday I too was able to share in the joys of my first kiss.  Ironically it happened with the same boy in the same garage as Jessica’s occurred.  I always thought that Trent and I were the true couple; the ones destined to be together.  When one summer afternoon he asked me to marry him and presented me a ring, I was overjoyed.  The only person I told was Jessica.  After all, my parent’s didn’t even know Trent was my boyfriend, how was I supposed to tell them that we were engaged?  We were careful, and while my mom suspected we were together, she didn’t have just cause until that fateful day.

Bob, Trent and I were in the game room playing a rousing game of poker.  I was losing badly and all I had to wager was a kiss.  I promised to give one to Trent if he won, and if I won; I would get his watch.  Unfortunately I was a horrible poker player and he won.  At the instant we kissed, my mom walked in.  It must have been a shock to her, but she responded well.  She didn’t scream or throw this huge fit.  She just calmly told Trent it was time to go home and then led me out to the execution chamber of our living room.  I remember sitting in the big white "spinny" chair thinking

Luckily I got off easy.  I wasn’t grounded, my mom just forbid me from every being alone with him again.  Of course we had our ways around that; and we often met for bike rides in the company of Jessica and Bob who had no problem leaving us alone.  Soon we grew apart as most couples do, and while we never officially broke up, it was understood that we weren’t together anymore.