Spinning the bottle

When I was about 16 they sold me a dream, so I packed my bags and ran away. Who were they? What was the dream? Where did I go? Well the answers are pretty simple to be honest

The newspaper, but mostly my family -who never lost a chance to mention how we needed a new life or how hard times were for us, how bad was our situation- they sold me an idea that many decades later would be called as "the american way of life", a silent promise that was made for me, a believe that life could be better on the states, which is where I ran away to, to the american dream

If I found what I was looking for? That requires a much more complicate answer. There was things I expected, that's for sure, there were things I had pictured and things I dreamed of but what I found was different from all of it, but it wasn't bad. I think that might have been when I learned the biggest secret of life, that the best things happen when we don't see them coming. That was what happened to me, after hoping I could find a woman I liked, get married, settle down as everyone expected from me, I found Ashton Taylor, the greatest love of my life. With Ash I also found freedom and a love that marked by soul to beyond the grave, that wasn't something I could have ever imagined but it was my destiny and Noah was on his way to find his

There were billions of things Noah wanted and also billions of things he was hopping he could prevent from happening, one thing he did wanted and did got was Cassie Smith with her long blonde curls falling around her shoulders and shinning with the party lights of his house. He did dreamed of her on form-fitting purple dress, silver high heels and a red lipstick he wanted to taste

And there she was, walking into his kitchen with a red cups in hands "What are you guys doing?" she asked looking at the circle that was being formed around the counter top "Playing a game" Noah answered as casually as he could, holding an empty bottle on his hands "Spin the bottle, there's space for one more in case you want to join us" he shrugged as if it didn't matter either she would say yes or no, but that was just what he considered as his game, pretend nothing mattered when it actually did, he had pictured this moment before, the girl of his dreams agreeing, sitting on the opposite side giving more chances of it happening. He spun the bottle waiting for the moment he had been longing for, that was the night he would kiss Cassie Smith

But what Noah wasn't expecting was that when the bottle stopped it would point to Lily and Kirian. The brown haired couldn't keep himself from noticing the surprised look of the medium that didn't even wanted to be there, Noah also couldn't ignore the happy grim that his friend was fighting to hide. Though Benjamin had fone home he would be happy for Lily's achievement when he got the news, the main reason why she came to Noah's parties after all was the chance of finding someone to love, now she had the chance plenty of people on that night wanted to have: to kiss the new guy in town. Noah wanted to be happy for her, he had seen the way Lily had been looking at Kirian while they prepared the house for the night but there was another feeling creeping in his chest that he simply couldn't ignore. Jealously, he wasn't sure if he wanted to be on Lily's place or if he simply wanted to spin the bottle again on the hope that it would point to to him and Cassie

"Very well then" Kirian pronounced getting up "Shall we?" he stretched out his hand for Lily, who gladly took it getting up to follow him into the kitchen pantry, Cassie whistled while they dissapeared from everyone's view and Noah repeated her gesture also blinking to her right after. A part of him wanted to just carry on the game even before the pair came back but another part of him was dying to know what would happen on the pantry, to be more specific he wanted to know if Kirian would make a move, and if he was as good at kissing as he seemed to be

If anyone out there wants my opinion I see no point on this game, what's so fun about waiting around while other people kiss, you can do that without spinning a bottle, just recycle the glass and go home, will you? And Kirian still calls me boring, I am simply caring for the environment

-

"Hey" Kirian greeted uncertain and chuckling a bit as he and Lily stood in front of each other in the dark and tight place "Hi" they shared a shy chuckle still being perfectly able to hear the loud music playing outside and the drunk voices that screamed the lyrics "So..." Lily gulped, the confidence she had felt moments before was completely gone "I...I never fully thanked you for what you did this morning...for Ben, it meant a lot to him, so thank you for whatever happened this earlier" she smiled and he repeated the gesture "Any time" suddenly he frowned which caused a bit of a confusion to her but he soon start talking again "Heavens, I don't think we have even been introduced yet, I am Kirian" he stretched out his hand for her to shake "I am Lily Murray...sometimes...sometimes it's Liam" the medium smiled as they shook hands "Nice to met you, sometimes Lily" "The pleasure is all mine ghost boy" Lily winked, there it was again: Her Murray charm, the confidence, there it was Benjamin Duncan's favorite player "Listen if you don't want to, we don't have to do this" he shrugged and made a gesture to the closed door "They won't know...but I am not gonna lie, I would pretty much like to kiss you"

He looked down for a bit afraid that he could have made her uncomfortable but Lily simply walked forwards "Show me what you got ghost boy" Kirian raised his head to stare into her eyes, a pair of light green gems behind her transparent squared glasses "As you wish, Murray" before she could even properly think about the situation, Kirian's lips were covering hers. Lily couldn't remember the last time she had kissed someone but it didn't truly mattered, not on that moment, Kirian seemed to be fully sure of what he was doing so Lily just followed his lead. The boy's hands were on the sides of her face, covering her cheeks with the warmth of his fingers and the cold of his rings, and it felt good. It felt good to support her hands on his waist, testing out his skin under the shirt. Without thinking she pulled him closer, as he didn't expect her move it caused Kirian to lose balance a bit ending with him pushing her forwards. In conclusion the wall was used to support their weight as well as keeping them from falling. Lily's backs were pressed against the wall as he was as close as it could and would get

"Wow" the girl said once they pulled apart, even thought they had their foreheads pressed "Now I get why Noah likes parties so much" Kirian laughed and ran his thumb through her face gently before walking back "I think we should come out" he commented with a corner smile "Came out of the closet, you mean?" she asked trying to look serious "I'll go first, I am bisexual and genderfluid" there was a time when she was afraid of saying those words out loud, specially living in Thunder Mesa, but with time it started to come out natural -not on every conversation, of course. But Kirian felt save, she felt like he would understand, and he did- he nodded opening a smile "I am a bisexual too, I am also transgender and a medium" Lily started laughing more than she intended to and more than he thought she would, but Kirian liked how loud she was being, it was the most sincere laugh he had heard in a while "Whatever you say, ghost boy...or maybe I should call you ghost bi" he shook his head in defeat "Come on, the crowd awaits" with a reverence he opened the pantry's door, holding it for her. That was the beginning of their bound

-

When they came back to the circle, they were both welcomed with a a round of applause as Kirian took back his place on the circle and Lily sat next to Noah with a victorious smile "I need to call Ben, he needs to hear this" she said mostly to herself but it caused a feeling on him, the same feeling that had haunted him a few moments before. When did Ben and Lily had gotten so close anyway? Maybe when Noah stopped hanging out with them because he always had more important things to do, more interesting places to go and cooler people to hang out with "Or you could just tell me" he said without thinking as someone spun the bottle again and two other people got up to make their way to the kitchen

Lily looked at her party boy with curiosity and confusion, she couldn't remember the last time he had shown any interest on her love life, at least not without she practically begging for him to pay attention on what she was saying, so one day Lily just stopped trying, but I guess progress is progress "Well...if you actually want to hear it..." he shrugged indifferently "Yeah, why wouldn't I want to?" that boy was so clueless...sometimes it was almost like he tried really hard not to understand things "I think he is going to be a great addition to Thunder Mesa" was what Lily commented as she looked at the boy on the other side of the circle, who casually ran a hand through his hair, playing with his own locks "How so?"

"Well you know, haunted town and all...besides" she pronounced the last word suggestively, turning her head to look at Noah "He is a very good kisser, the type that you don't forget easily...and this town needs a bit of movement..change even, I think he can bring that for sure" Noah looked at Kirian with curiosity in his eyes, studying the other boy's face and trying to connect that with Lily's words, the question on his mind now was 'what Kirian's presence on Thunder Mesa meant?' I must say, it meant there would be the hell of a change, not only for the Phantom Canyon but also for Noah's life "He does seems to be pretty...exciting..." Lily grinned "Wait until you kiss him" Noah gasped, ready to talk back but that was when he saw the new couple that the game had selected

Cassie Smith....and him

It was almost like the universe was playing that silly game with him, but no. It wasn't just a matter of universe but of spirits. Noah's house as many corners of Thunder Mesa was haunted, the way that particular ghost found of spending time was hearing the gossip and manipulating the game. Sometimes the attraction law is just a friendly bored ghost

But for Noah it was a dream come true, no matter how it happened

Lily rolled her eyes as Noah got up trying to hold back the excitement and offered to help Cassie to get up, to be fair Cassie seemed equally pleased with the situation. Judge me if you will but if I was the ghost trapped on Noah's house I would probably not make his wishes come true but unfortunately this isn't about me. It is about the night when Noah Stewart had all his dreams come true...well, almost