Sunday, March 01, 2009

Seven Minutes in the Bottle...

I was in grade six. One of those kids who wasn't quite one of the "cool kids" but wasn't a loser either. I was in that delightful category that allowed me to be friendly with everyone, and with a few exceptions most people were pleasant enough back.

It was a comforting way to live. I didn't wake up each morning dreading school more than any other regular 11 year old. There were some days that I would walk home alone and each lunch watching TV. And other days, cute boys and popular girls would be even go out of their way to talk to me. Yet, I didn't have the pressure to perform that they did. For the most part I just did my own thing.

My mother passed away on January 1 of that year. And that month? I was invited to my first real party. One with girls AND boys. An invitation that was significant and momentous. I wouldn't be invited to a party at that boy's house ever again. But for that one shining moment, I was cool enough to be accepted and included. Perhaps because they felt sorry for me? Perhaps because I had thrown a Halloween party that fall and invited almost the whole class? Who knows?

I don't really remember a lot about that night. Perhaps I agonized over what to wear. Perhaps I was terrified. Or perhaps I was still too sad to really get worked up about it. But I went.

But what I do remember about that party? It was the first and only time in my life that I had ever played "spin the bottle." It was the night of my first kiss. I don't even remember being that nervous about it. Although it seems reasonable to me that I would be concerned about the possibility of rejection if the bottle landed on me, and someone reacted with horror.

It seems to me that we went in order. And when it was the turn of the boy next to me, it landed on me. He wasn't someone that I had a crush on or spoke to any more than anyone else. I was remarkably neutral about it. I leaned over and kissed him and that was it. Then it was my turn and it landed on him again. I leaned over again and he pursed his lips that time. I guess I didn't do it for him. It was a very quick second kiss and then it was over.

I'm sure it went around the entire circle, but that's where my memory ends. I do remember being a bit dismayed in junior high when that boy got into a lot of trouble. It seems he fell into a bad crowd. To this day all I really remember about him was him clenching his lips on our second kiss, and the fact that there was a rumour that he set some kid's face on fire in junior high. Lovely.

I even tried googling him just now in the spirit of this post. I found someone with his name in real estate in Winnipeg. But no photo. (Unusual for a realtor). Perhaps he's in jail for the whole face-on-fire thing??

So, I suppose on paper, my first kiss was at a game of spin the bottle at age 11. But really? Does that have to count? I would rather have a memory of my first kiss being something voluntary and exciting. Something that I'd been anticipating and getting all tingly about. But, being that I was a slow-bloomer, that didn't happen until my first boyfriend when I was 17. Six years. That's a long time to wait.

I wonder if the kids still play spin the bottle? Or seven minutes in heaven- does that really happen? Or was it just made up for the movies?

Ok, so ante up people. I wanna hear your first kiss stories. Good? Pursed lips? Was there a bottle or closet involved?

xo

15 comments:

Tryphyna said...

Never played spin the bottle, or 7 minutes in heaven. I was generally cloesr to the loser end of the spectrum, more because of my 'friends' than anything else.

First kiss... hmm... I think I would have been about 12, maybe 13. Oddly enough, it was in the parkinglot of a local mall. The boy was a friends step brother. We met and kissed a couple of times, but it never really went anywhere.

Amber said...

I think your "first kiss" story was cute, as far as the whole notion of "Spin the Bottle."

Not that it really matters, but in *my* book, your first kiss would definitely be with your boyfriend at 17 years old. =)

My first? I was exactly a month away from turning 18 - was at a friend's birthday party. I ended up making out with a guy friend who was a total sweetheart. We'd gotten close over the last year, sharing our poetry and short stories, lol. I wasn't in love with him or anything like that, but... it was exciting and sweet and I was glad it wasn't just some random dude. Seeing as how we'd all been drinking... =)

Is it weird that I gave half a blowjob at 15 - two years before I even had my first kiss? And by "half a blowjob" I mean that it started, I freaked the hell out, and left him high and dry. He ended up being a jerk anyway lol.

Yeah - okay, maybe I'm a little bit of a whore...

Anyway. I guess my whole point is that... in my opinion... first kisses count when there's some kind of feeling involved. Or, at the very least, when you're not doing it for the sake of a game.

Am I making *any* sense, whatsoever?

I'm going to miss you, my friend! Have a great week and I'll be checking in when I get back from Cali!

XOXO

Laura said...

My first kiss wasn't in a game, it was an actual first kiss with my first boyfriend, and it was a royal let-down. I was 17, and I'd liked the guy since I was 12. We finally started dating when I was 16 (a couple weeks before my 17th birthday) and became officially "boyfriend and girlfriend" a full 3 weeks before he worked up the nerve to kiss me. I had been looking forward to it for so long and built it up in my head to the point I think I was expecting fireworks or some sort of electric current to run through me when it happened. But when he finally did lean in a kiss me for the first time, it was just a quick peck on the lips. It was over before I even knew what had just happened. It sucked.

My first kiss with my second boyfriend was WAAAAAAY better, he was just generally a sweeter guy and when he kissed me it was soft and sweet and he gazed into my eyes with an expression that told me he was crazy about me, and kissed me for a bit longer than just a peck on the lips. I prefer to think of that as my first kiss, but it wasn't really.

Nat said...

Oh god. Well, we used to play this game guys against the girls in tag. Called Tag BBQ, if you caught one of the boys they had to kiss you. The first boy was Matthieu. I was 7, he was 6 -- but a mature 6 you understand.

First real kiss was with that dude from a conference (did I end up posting that story?) I don't remember his name. Bit of a creep... but good with his tongue. I was 16. (Knowing what I know now, I think I should have done him on the strength of that kiss. Too bad for him, he got me pre-slut phase. LOL.

Brunhilda said...

I blogged about mine a couple of months ago, but it was a kid at summer camp. He wasn't the one I "liked" but in retrospect he was way cuter.

Princess of the Universe said...

Shana - is a mall parking lot odd? Sounds very teenage to me!

Amber- It's almost embarrassing to admit, I didn't even know what a blowjob was until I was 16...

Laura- I would definitely prefer to think of my first as with my bf, than face on fire guy!

Nat - I don't remember you posting the story- but if you did, send me the link!

Seq- ahh summer camp - like band camp? In American Pie? That was hot... :P

Jen said...

I never played spin the bottle.

My first "real" kiss was awful. Just awful. I did it just to get it over with & see what it was like. It was a long, long time before I wanted to give it another go!

I think the kids play more "beer pong" these days than spin the bottle. It results in many kids ending up with STD's (sharing the same glass with the entire party). I'm glad I'm not young anymore - some things you just don't think of (i.e. not using the same glass as 20-30 other people. Blehck.)

MissE said...

Never played spin the bottle. Or seven minutes.

My first kiss?
Well, like you said, 'on paper' it would be when I was around 5 years old and a boy who lived a couple of houses down our little road told me he had some to show me behind his Dad's shed in their back yard. So I went with him and he kissed me and apparently I was so horrified I ran straight home and told my Mum who promptly rang his Mum and had a good old laugh about it all.

The next kiss, when I was 14, wasn't voluntary either.

So maybe that means my first kiss was when I was 17 and I dated a boy for about a month and we kissed a couple of times. But nothing memorable. He was a bit of a drip.

*sigh*

I miss kissing.

MissE said...

and I meant to write "something" not "some"... stupid not reading over your work before hitting PUBLISH.

Doh!

Rock Chef said...

When I was a kid we used to play a game called Postman's Knock. The kissing was only a peck on the cheek in those days.

I know this is going to sound all mushy but the first kiss that I ever had that really did anything for me was with my wife, about a year before we hooked up properly. Oh stop gagging, it wasn't that bad! OK it was, but it was still true!

delmer said...

Tenth or eleventh grade ... her name was (and likely still is) Cathy.

It was at a friend's house and lasted for 10 seconds.

Crys said...

What's 7 Minutes in Heaven?

WHAT DID I MISS?!

rachaelgking said...

Mine was on the chairlift at ski practice! Soooo romantic...

Cazzie!!! said...

What a story, and what a post to have come to visit you for the first time..oh, I am not a virgin anymore, haha.
I was the same as you at school. I had a few good friends but I did not always hang with them. I just spoke to everyone and everyone, surprisngly, spoke to me. I am the same at work too, even now. I work all over the hospital (I a a nurse). I am on the nurse bank (or pool). I talk to everyone and everyone talks to me. It is nice. I feel like I do my own thing, but I work as a team with everyone I work with.
My first kiss was in Primary school. A boy, who I still see because his daughter is in my son's class at school (oh no!). He called me over and said, "Do you wanna try this new thing. It is all the rage..it is called a French Kiss". OK I said. And he did it and I almost passed out when his awful wet tongue slipped into my mouth! I ran off to the other side of the school.
I know he remembers it, I see it in his eyes when he comes to pick his daughter up, LOL.

Glamourpuss said...

Do you know, I quite honestly can't remember! How embarrassing...

Puss

 
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