Chapter 43 The Kiss
Phoebe
"Hey, where did you disappear to?"
Out of nowhere, Tyra wrapped her arms around me from behind. As usual, she succeeded in startling me. It felt like the Moon Goddess had blessed her with the ability to surprise anyone at any given moment. I quickly glanced left and right, making sure there were no other students around except for Finley, who was walking nearby.
We were strolling along the path toward Old Faithful Geyser, and I felt like this was the perfect moment to tell Tyra about what had happened last night.
"Whooa, you’re pretty naughty, huh?" Tyra commented loudly enough that a few students around us turned their heads.
"Could you keep your voice down, Tyra? You're making everyone stare at us," Finley grumbled, pulling Tyra’s hoodie over her head. "I regret ever knowing this loudmouth."
"Just admit you're jealous," Tyra shot back, smirking as she teased Finley, who had already walked ahead of us.
I immediately clamped my hand over Tyra’s mouth, and for once, I agreed with Finley. If she kept this up, Tyra might just expose my secret to everyone in Livingstone.
"Sorry, Phoebe. Finley can be such an annoying guy," Tyra muttered once I finally let go of her.
"If you hadn’t been so loud, Finley wouldn’t have reacted like that," I countered.
"Yeah, yeah, of course you’d defend him. He is your mate, after all," Tyra mumbled before finally falling silent.
For the next hour, we listened as our Yellowstone tour guide, a middle-aged man with a deep, clear voice, gave an enthusiastic explanation about the world-famous geyser.
"Old Faithful Geyser is one of the most famous geysers in the world. It was named 'Old Faithful' because of its predictable eruptions, which occur every 60 to 90 minutes. This geyser shoots out boiling water and steam up to 30-55 meters high, and each eruption lasts between one and a half to five minutes," he explained passionately.
I listened attentively, trying to absorb every detail he shared. Tyra, standing beside me, looked mesmerized, her eyes sparkling like a child watching a magic show for the first time.
"Whoa, that’s so cool! I never knew a geyser could be that precise," Tyra whispered to me.
Even Finley, who usually didn’t care about this kind of thing, seemed captivated. "This reminds me of how nature is beyond our control. Just like us—sometimes, all we can do is wait and see what happens," he said in a thoughtful tone.
I nodded in agreement. There was something almost magical about Old Faithful, something that made me feel small in the vastness of the universe.
"Wait! I have an idea!" Tyra suddenly exclaimed, grabbing both mine and Finley’s attention. "Let’s take a selfie with the geyser in the background! This will be an epic photo!"
Finley and I exchanged glances before nodding. Tyra had already pulled out her phone and positioned us with the geyser erupting behind us.
"One... two... three... cheese!"
She snapped several pictures, and when she showed them to us, I had to admit—they turned out perfect. The geyser erupted majestically in the background while the three of us smiled brightly.
After we had our fill of watching the geyser and capturing memories, we returned to the lodge. Professor Leach was already waiting in the lobby, a wide grin on his face.
"Tonight, we’re having a bonfire! So make sure you’re all ready!" he announced enthusiastically.
That night, we all gathered around the bonfire. The air was filled with laughter and warmth. A few students suggested games, and in the end, we decided to play "Truth or Dare."
The game turned out to be a blast, with wild dares and hilarious questions that had everyone cracking up. But when my turn came, I felt a knot of nervousness in my stomach.
I chose "Dare."
And my dare?
To kiss one of the she-wolves present.
I froze.
This was a nightmare. I was disguised as Phoenix—a guy. If I refused, it would raise suspicions. But if I went through with it, it would feel completely wrong.
Sensing my distress, Finley, who was sitting next to me, stepped in without hesitation. "I’ll do it," he declared, then leaned in and kissed me.
A jolt of emotions hit me all at once.
His lips were warm and soft, yet the situation itself felt all kinds of wrong. My heart pounded wildly in my chest, and a sudden heat spread across my cheeks. I didn’t know how to react—I was completely thrown off.
The once lively bonfire gathering fell into complete silence.
I could feel everyone’s eyes locked on us.
Tyra, who was sitting next to me, was struggling to hold back laughter, while the rest of the students were frozen in shock.
"Whoa, what just happened?" someone whispered.
"Are they...?" another person began, but didn’t finish their sentence.
"Looks like we have a new couple in our midst," someone else teased.
I tried not to think too much about it, but Tyra, ever the instigator, just had to add, "You’re lucky, you know? That was your golden opportunity to kiss Finley in front of everyone."
I let out a deep sigh, accepting the situation for what it was.
Disguising myself as someone else was never easy.
Sometimes, all I could do was go along with the flow.
The next morning, whispers about the kiss spread among the students. Some even started labeling me and Finley as an LGBT couple. I tried not to let it bother me, but of course, Tyra had another take on it.
"Honestly, this might actually work in your favor," she mused. "Instead of hiding your relationship as Phoenix with Finley, let them think whatever they want."
I sighed again, resigning myself to the situation.
Maybe this was the Moon Goddess’s way of telling me that everything happened for a reason.
And for now, all I could do was hope that reason was a good one.