The spotlight shines upon you and how could anybody deny you? (Coldplay)

There were two girls at school who thought I was brilliant. Okay, maybe they didn’t, but they let me believe they did and that was all I needed. They were afraid of me and as far as I was concerned that was a good enough basis for a friendship.

We sat at the top of the slide in the school playground and we permitted some kids to come up and others we did not. Some didn’t mind, some did. Some we forced to slide down, some wanted to slide down, either way once you went down you were at our mercy to regain entry at the top of the slide again.

One boy pushed me down the slide. He cheered: “I’ve defeated the Queen.”

He was the first boy I kissed. His name was William but everyone called him Willie. I called him Liam and that became his name.

He pretended to be too cool for girls, all boys did then. I ambushed him behind the school and dared him to kiss me.

“Ew.”

“Ha! I knew you were too much of a sissy.”

He furrowed his eyebrow and made a fist.

“I’ll let you be the security guard of the slide. You can have the final say in who gets up to the top and who doesn’t.”

He considered this.

I didn’t have time for him to search his soul. I quickly kissed him. It wasn’t magical. There was manipulation and bribery and I didn’t let a moment form first or linger after. I stole a kiss. I had no problem with stealing anything. Now that was over.