Caleb was, shockingly, a bit of a romantic and had always pictured his first kiss being - well, special! But ever since Caleb had started aging faster than a phoenix, he wasn't sure how much time he had left before the clock just stopped ticking. He was NOT going to die without having gotten his first kiss!

Plus, Alexa Cambridge was pretty easy on the eyes, so he could deal with that. Sure it wasn't 'special' or whatever but sacrifices had to be made!

Walking up to the kissing booth with a huge, stupid grin on his face, he approached the Gryffindor prefect. "Hello Prefect Cambridge, you're looking absolutely RADIANT tonight," he said with a grin. He was totally the king of compliments right now. That was all he had to do to get a kiss, right?

He really hoped Lex wouldn't like, reject him cause he was all OLD and shriveling up and stuff cause that wasn't cool. He couldn't help he was sick!

"Pucker up, buttercup!" he exclaimed before closing his eyes and PUCKERING UP his wrinkly old man lips, waiting for his kiss!

Kill. Her. Now.

Kissing booth. The bloody idiots assigned her the FLIPPING KISSING BOOTH. Who's bright idea was it to stick her in the one place she'd planned to avoid yet the frickin' plague??? And if this wasn't all already enough to make her jab her own eyes out, they placed her here with Kinsley. She was stuck in arguably the WORST location for the entire night and they expected her to tolerate THEO!! sdjbfksdbgfksrg.

Someone was gonna get punched.

Lottie said she could punch people. The fact that she even showed up gave her all the licence. Her tolerance only stretched so far. Just as she settled into her booth, firmly praying that NO ONE would even WANT a kiss from her, Caleb showed up.



...

......

He showed up and said she was looking RADIANT. Where the hell was that dark wizard with Avada Kadevra??? "Hi Caleb." No comment on the radiant; NONE. Someone get her out of this place!

And did he just...did he...call her..."Slow your role and try that again. My name isn't buttercup and Merlin help me, I will punch you if you call me that again. It makes the first compliment null and void." Lex said, sticking a hand to his lips. She was pretty anti-valentine, anti-kissing, trying to stall, anti-all of this.

Umm, no. Just no. There was no way Sophie was here to kiss THEO. She was blushing at the very thought of it as she made her way across the area and toward the kissing booth. So what might you ask is she here for? Well, to stop her ridiculous brother, that's what! He just couldn't start kissing girls--not yet! They were only TWELVE!

"Caleb!" Sophie hissed, coming up behind him. She paused and rolled her eyes at his comment to Lex. Hadn't the whole Genie Pilliwickle comment taught him anything? Sophie avoided looking Theo's way as she tried to save her brother. She didn't want Theo thinking she was over here hoping to kiss him! No way!

"Caleb, you can't just kiss her! That's Lex!" Sophie continued. Oh my MERLIN, he was going to KISS A GIRL, wasn't he?! She just couldn't look. She closed her eyes and kept them shut until she heard Lex talk. Then her eyes flashed open. "Oh, good, Lex. You tell 'im." Sophie looked toward Caleb. "If you get punched this time, I'm not helping defend you. Not if you're gonna start kissing girls."

Mm. There was a small fuss at the line already.

Didn't this just open and whatnot? Well, at least it was Prefect Candy. Any other person and Jun wouldn't even be on this line. But he was mainly here to give her the chocolates she's been reminding him about. Y'know, the ones he bought over break and had no idea who they were for? Yeah, he was completely convinced they were for Lex. She was the only person Jun knew who really loved chocolate and would marry it if they could. Anyway. He approached the line, staying clear of the boy named Caleb, who's bad compliment didn't get him a kiss from Lex. Jun took a lollipop out of his candy bag and licked it. Might as well pass time doing something.

You know, maybe... just MAYBE... Theo wouldn't mind putting his precious lips up for sale if they were actually for MONEY. What was this kindness nonsense? He did not want people to force themselves to think of a compliment just to get a smooch from a Quidditch athlete. Though, it probably was easier to compliment him than it was to compliment Alexa Cambridge, so that was something at least. He flopped down at his booth and quickly gave Alexa side-eyes. She looked miserable as ever. Good, he was too.

Wh... what?

She had kisses lined up already???!

Theo absently pulled out his comb and went through his hair on both sides as he watched. His hair was super important lately, he wanted to insure it. And then his eyes locked on little Sophie. A girl. A girl at the booth. A girl meant she was here to kiss HIM. She wasn't exactly looking at him, so he guessed she was nervous. It's okay, perfectly normal to be intimidated by this kind of looker. "Uhh..." Oh.

Oh.

False alarm. Sophie was anti-kissing booth. Okay.

Fine, he didn't wanna kiss you anyway.

Lex could be as patient as possible with waiting for new compliment or whatever Caleb was going to offer. Personally, if he'd given her a chocolate frog he'd have gotten a kiss regardless but see, this was some sort of kisses for kindess rubbish. The world did NOT work like that. She couldn't think of ANYONE that would give kisses if you said something nice to them.

Uuuuggghhh.

Her eyes shifted from the boy to his sister, the more sensible of the two from what she was hearing. She wasn't even going to read too much into the 'That's Lex!' that Sophie just said. As insulting as it could sound she was agreeing fully. "Your brother's been punched for trying to kiss a girl before?" Lex blinked. This....him....she didn't even know--but on the bright side, he wouldn't have been too surprized if she'd popped him one.

"And he wants to try for another?"



Jun was here too. Whether that was a relief or not she didn't know yet but he had a bag and that got her all kinds of curious. "Hey Jun." She said, leaning over the booth's counter so she could get a better look.Was there candy in that bag? Was there any for her? That would make him being here more a relief than anything else seeing as she'd left her own candy bag up in her dorm....or well, that's where she thought it was at least.

She watched him pull a lollipop and that was all the convincing she needed to stick a hand out. "You gotta share. I'm suffering." And the kisses hadn't even started. In her mind NO ONE would have shown up, in fact she was planning on it and even Lottie thought that no one would show up but people were proving her all kinds of wrong.

"Wish they'd stuck me over at the game centre."



Oh look, her partner for the event. This seemed to be a re-occuring theme. First at the joke shop in the summer, then the Prefect Compartment on the train and now this. Wasn't it obvious she tried to see as little of him as possible? How was it possible that in the last few months alone she'd seen enough of him to last forever?? Lex caught him side eyeing her but gave no response. In fact she was planning to ignore him completely until she saw him pull out a comb.

What...even...?

"Fixing your hair won't help your face. I don't know why you even try." And a perfectly straight face. He was over there fussing about his hair. Seriously?

Lex glanced across the Great Hall for a moment then back at Kinsley. He was her company in all this suffering. "What do you think my chances are of switching with one of them over at the Game Centre?" She could switch with Alice...or Dora. Either would be better here than her.

Caleb GLARED at Sophie, who of course had to come butt in at the wrong time, and scowled. "Well, Genie isn't a nice person, I learned my lesson on that one," he said firmly. Plus he'd KIND of insulted her, so that was really the driving force behind the punch. NOT Caleb and his kissing abilities.

WHAT? Could she even make a compliment null and void?? That was NOT in the rules. He'd paid a compliment, he was owed a kiss! "Ok, how's this - Prefect Cambridge, you look absolutely lovely tonight, and I'd be HONORED if you'd bestow a kiss upon my lips," he said with a grin.

Ok, that was TWO compliments so that meant TWO kisses right?!

Rude. RUDE... rude... RuDe. Rude. Alexa was rude.

Theo tucked his comb away and took a moment to just frown at the Gryffindor. Not saying anything, just frowning. Let's see how long it took him to bite his tongue today... Okay, about three seconds. "What would YOU know about looking good, Cambridge?" Serious question. He really didn't care what Alexa had to say since she was Alexa and her opinions were invalid, but what if she was right? It's not like there were people queuing up for a Theo!snog, whereas she had TWO already.

Pfft. People must be blind.

He glanced over to the Game Centre as she mentioned it, because he couldn't think of anything better than having a different partner to spend this event with, buuuuut... Alice. No. And Dora. Nooooooooooooooo... "No chance. They'd never do it." Quick, think of something to keep Alexa sweet. "This could be fun... though... maybe." Yeah, kissing kids and strangers, mmmmmmmm, fun.

Lex listened with vague interest as to what Caleb and his sister were on about. So he did get punched...by a Genie? Did they have those things? She wanted one. They were bloody useful. Though she did wonder why Caleb tried kissing a Genie. Couldn't he have just wished for someone to kiss? That would have worked out better for him and he wouldn't have gotten punched.

She gave her full attention to the second year when he'd opted to try again. What ever happened to getting insulted and storming off to make a complaint?? Persisten wasn't he?

Wait what? Snort. Was that even a compliment? Not the first--which clearly was--but the second with 'bestowing a kiss on his lips'. It took everything in her not to laugh but she had to hand it to him. Kid had confidence, the grin being evident of that. Eh. Eh.....Eh....she had to kiss him, didn't she?

"Alright, come get your kiss." She said, inviting him to step closer.



That's it? No talking back? Was he just gonna take the insult? That was fine with her. Didn't matter. His silence was possibly his acceptance of what she'd just said.

Or not. No. He was asking HER what she knew about looking good? "Excuuuuuse you." Could he tell by her tone that she was insulted? Could he, because she wasn't. Not at all. Nope. Theodore Kinsley was THE lasy boy she would EVER listen to where her looks were concerned. She didn't give a rat's hat what he thought about her. "I know a lot, thanks for asking. I can give you some tips sometimes. Maybe then you'll be able to keep a girl who won't hurl at your face. I hear people can look pass that stuff. There's hope for you yet." And a positively wide if not spiteful grin.

Trading places could definitely work for her. He wouldn't mind getting rid of her...huh? Lex spared another glance over at the game centre. He was probably right, especially where Alice was concerned. "Fun??? Fun how??" Lex asked, her eyes widening a bit in disbelief. Kissing was fun, yes, she would admit that much but kissing random people with cheesy compliments was not.

"We're worth more than a few kind words you know." She said after a small pause. "You got a marker? I think we need to change these rules a bit."

REALLY?! He'd earned a kiss! WOOT WOOT! Caleb grinned and took a few steps closer so that they were within kissing distance. Take THAT Sophie! Caleb Newell WAS capable of doing things without getting punched in the face.

As he waited for his kiss from Miss Lex, he wondered if Sophie would try and kiss Theo since she was here and all. Hopefully not. It was ok for HIM to kiss people, but his sister? Nope. Not happening on Caleb's watch!

Here we go.

Theo held the bridge of his nose when Alexa answered him back to try and prevent the oncoming headache. This conversation shouldn't be mistaken with arguing, though. This was pretty much how the pair communicated since ever. Theo was very used to it. "Never had any complaints from girls before." Much. Not about his looks anyway. "You must have wonky eyes." Theo demonstrated the said wonky eyes, and then had to look away because that insult was so tragic.

"I dunno..." He shrugged and sighed at the same time. Nah, this definitely couldn't be fun. Theo looked up from his lap and raised an eyebrow at Alexa when she asked for a marker pen. Huhhhhhh... "Uhh... I think so..." Yes, he still had one from earlier on when he put a poster for the event up on the notice board. He handed her a black one and blinked.

Ooohohohoohoo... breakin' the rules.

"Do it."

Whatever it was, do it. Unless she was planning on marker-penning his face... On second thoughts, that was probably exactly what Alexa had planned.

Well wasn't he just a bundle of excited rolled into a small Slytherin. She couldn't see the big deal behind getting a kiss in the first place. As a matter of fact she couldn't see why anyone would make their way over here to begin with. Lex had half a mind to give him a quick peck on the cheek then send him along his merry way. No one said what kind of kisses they had to be handing out, besides, he was like 5!

Alexa leaned over the booth's counter, looking real legit and all then very quickly gave him a smooch, right. on. the....cheek. He should have been more specific. For all SHE knew he might have been a germophobe that wanted no one on his lips. He was SO welcome. Yup. Definitely.

"Thanks for stopping by!" GRIN. He wasn't gonna contest that, was he?



Would you listen to that. He'd never had any complaints? None? "And you're sure you've been talking to girls? Real ones? Not that fake doll stuff I know you play with when no one's looking?" Had to be sure here because NO complaints? It was all kinds of weird and unbelievable simply for the fact that it was Theo. The boy who whined and complained and ran from germs like they'd cause the next great plague. This was interesting stuff.

And he was questioning her eyesight now. Brilliant of him. Pffft. "My eyes are fine thanks." And though he wasn't looking, she was definitely rolling them at his notion.

Hah and even he had to admit there was no fun in randomly going around kissing people. It detracted from the kiss severely. Lex perked up hearing he might have a marker and waited at the edge of her seat, praying he would.

Yes! Theo actually came through for them here!

"Thanks." She said, snatching the marker then leaving the booth to get a better look at the sign. "What'd you say we make this compliment thing more like 'chocolate frogs'?" He liked those, right? They would make for good currency. She didn't NEED anyone telling her she was pretty, she needed sugar.

"Mmhmm," Sophie said, nodding as if she was revealing to Lex the most important piece of news EVERRR. "You must not read Aparecium." Because it had all been right there in fine print. Well, actually big, bold print. "Genie Pilli--...err, something..." What had been her last name again? "...slugged him for a compliment much like the one he just gave you. I can't believe he's back for another one either." What is WRONG with twelve-year-olds these days?!



Sophie sighed as she turned her attention back to Caleb. He was really going to go through with this, wasn't he?! "Caleb, it doesn't matter if girls are mean or nice. You'll get slugged for a lame compliment either way," she protested. She may as well have been talking to a brick wall, though, because in the next second a string of compliments came again.



Wait...whaaaaaat?!

"But...," Sophie said, looking at Lex with a look that said she was both shocked and disgusted. "You were supposed to slug him!"



OMG, OMG, OMG!

She just couldn't look! She slapped her hands over her eyes but left a little room to peek. She just had to see if he'd really go through with it. "I can't look," she mumbled, although there was an open eye positioned in between that peep hole. "Just go ahead and get it over with." With his gray hair and feeble body, he was dying anyway.



...and in the next second, Sophie slowly felt her hands fall from in front of her eyes as she saw Lex meeting Caleb halfway. They were really going to KISS, weren't they?! Ewwww! Sophie held her breath the entire time, waiting for the big crash and burn moment to come. Then-...it did. A small peck on the cheek.

...

Sophie slooooowly released the breath she'd been holding in then blinked a few times. A peck on the check. Okay, she can deal with that. AHEM. "Well then," she said. "Looks like our job here is done. Have a nice day, peeps!" Then she tugged Caleb's sleeve in an attempt to lure him away and back into sanity.

Kisses...were for OLD people. ... But wait. *moment of realization* They WERE old, weren't they? ... EWWW.

Y'know what bros did for each other? They funneled pretty girls to the kissing booth table, especially when it became obvious that the line for the cantankerous Lex Cambridge was somehow longer than the line for Theo. And Theo and Mo were bros now, which meant... Mo was gonna help a brother out.

"I think you're meant to be looking irresistible. Try not to scowl at Cambridge, no matter how much she might deserve it," Mo leaned up against the table on Theo's side and offered Theo a big grin. "I'm applying to be your wing man this evening. Which girls shall I point your way? Anyone you want to kiss?"

Oh, yeah, and... Lex. She got a wave. "You look terrifying today, Cambridge. Do I get a kiss for that compliment?"

Caleb's mouth fell open in shock.

WHAT?!

He'd been robbed!!

Robbed of his first kiss on a TECHNICALITY!

Gapping wordlessly like a fish before finally finding his words, he scowled and crossed his arms. "Oi, no fair! This is a KISSING booth run on kindness and I totally paid you like, three compliments so I deserve at LEAST some lip action, Cambridge," he said. He was only fighting for his equal payment! A kiss on the cheek? That was nothing. Stop holding out and be a PREFECT, Lex! Set a good example and all that jazz.

Aaaaaaaaand Alexa had gotten her first kiss. Theo tutted quietly and looked around the hall for any potentials for himself. He couldn't believe that his own FRIENDS weren't helping a guy out. It only had to be a fripping peck on the cheek. Pfft... whatevs. He wouldn't forget about this, you know.

"Yeah." Fake dolls. What WAS she talking about? "Proper girls with proper eyes." Yes, he was suggesting that Alexa wasn't a proper girl, and WHAT? Theo laughed when she actually defended her eye sight. Good, that meant the insult wasn't as bad as he had first thought. And also... just to get things straight. "And I do not play with dolls."

Oh okay, snatch that pen, why don't you.

He was making a face the whole time because he really expected her to come at him with the marker, but oh, chocolate frogs?! "Oooh... nice idea! Nooooo one will have chocolate frogs on them tonight. Because they'd go all mushy in their pockets and all over their lovely clothes, right? It sucked because no chocolate, but also meant LESS KISSES.

He did kinda want just ONE kiss at least, though.

Uhhhhh....

Back away from his booth, Branxton. No kisses for you no matter how charming you are.

Oh. Theo scratched his head as Mo said his piece. He was giving him advice? Well... he didn't NEED advice on the ladies... but he absentmindedly sat up a lot straighter and softened his expression. "Oh, she does." He said quietly, giving Alexa one final glare, before grinning WIDE back at Mo. "How's this?" It was a bit too much, if I do say so myself.

"Ummmm..." Theo looked around the hall and stroked his imaginary beard, like a right arrogant prat. Well, apart from Isidora Miroslava, Ella Bishop and Professor Bellaire... there weren't many people that Theo really wanted to lock lips with. Apart from maybe... "There's this one girl I saw. She's in Ravenclaw. Your house, right?" Yes, Mo was in Ravenclaw, wasn't he? He had apparently forgotten. "I dunno her name but she's wearing a black coaty-dress thing." WHY WAS HE TELLING MO THIS?

WHY?

"Anyway... I mean she's... okay." Theo shied away a little and fiddled with his tie. Scratch that, just fetch Ella Bishop.

Now that Lux actually approached the booth, she was feeling a little shy. She did not know this male Prefect, but she still wanted to get a kiss because... well, she had promised not to kiss anymore and this was like her one free chance to do it without getting in trouble.

Seeing the girl Prefect with a marker, she became confused. Was the booth closing? Or were the compliments not enough to suffice for a kiss anymore? She wanted her kiss, darn it! Walking up to the boy Prefect, she said, "You have really nice hair." And she actually meant it too, it wasn't merely a way to butter him up so that she could get a kiss from him.

All this love stuff seemed like trouble to Benjy, really. But, well, Benjy actually quite liked trouble, and thus he'd hobbled down the stairs to join in with whatever the Prefects had organised. If nothing else, there was bound to be food.

Before he spotted food though, Benjy had spotted his Captain...and behind Mo, were two kissing booths. Whoa, there. Benjy did a double take, and a bemused grin spread across his wrinkled face. As had become usual, his grey hair was hidden under a slouchie beanie - today's a dark red that matched his skateboard. A skateboard that hadn't been properly ridden in all too long. Sigh.

But back to the kissing booth. Benjy leant into Mo conspirationally. "That is who I think it is, right?" he nodded over to Lex in the kissing booth, dealing with the second year Slytherin. "D'ya think she might want well, a distraction?" A hint of a blush might have come to his cheeks with that, if his skin had been in better condition. Not that it really mattered, given Mo already knew stuff. And Benjy only had good intention, mmhmm.

Theo didn't even notice the girl approaching the booth, because he was too distracted by Alexa Cambridge, gosh, he never thought THAT could happen. But the girl got closer... and closer... and that's when Theo's eyes went wiiiiiiiiiiiide. Oh HEAVENS no, she was too young for him. He wasn't gonna have to kiss her on the lips, was he?

No... no... GOsh no.

"Errr..." Smile, Theodore. Be a good sport and smile. "Thanks. I just combed it." See that, Cambridge? Some girls DID have eyes. "You, errmm... want the..." She wanted to do the do and do the kissing, right? "Kiss. Okay." He laughed nervously, then twisted his head to once one side to crack his neck. Theo leaned forwards on his chair, and with his eyes open the whole time, he placed a very quick but... hmm... appreciative kiss on the girl's left cheek.

There. Done.

He sat back in his chair and staaaaaaared at her. "Was that okay, ma'am?" Really. Need. Some. Lip. Balm. Right. Now.

Interesting.

Nigel's motivation to go over to the kissing booth was to laugh. Laughing very hard to the two of them. But when he finally got over here it changed to just talking. Might have to due with the imbalance of customers between the two. Strange. But he did see Theo taking care of his hair. Very Nice.

Student Leaders Bros did need to help each other out. Especially if they had nice hair.

Which was basically all of them.

But seems like Mo had already figured that out and was here being Mo.

"Well.....looks like the two of you are having tons of fun. Do i get a kiss on the cheek Lex if i say i love your hair?"

Yaaay, she was going to get her kiss.

Eagerly, she waited for him, leaning forward and expecting a kiss on the lips. That was not what she got.

Confused, Lux blinked and then looked around. What was going on here? "I thought I was supposed to get a kiss on the lips." Wait, was he not doing it because he thought she was ugly? That made her sad. She was sure that other girls would get kisses on the lips from him.

How was... THAT? It turned out that Theo in a good mood was way scarier than him glaring at people. Mo's eyes went all round as he considered the best answer, before he opted for, "You look like a psychopath at a knife convention. Maybe a little less... of whatever that emotion is supposed to be. You're a good looking bloke, and you have more hair than anyone else in the room what with the aging thing. You don't have to over-impress. Save it for the second kiss."

But speaking of... Mo glanced around the room in search of the Ravenclaw girl in question. Black coat dress thing? What... oh. Huxley. "You have terrifying taste in women. I'll... round her this way all casual-like. Might send you some who aren't liable to bite a hole in your face while I'm at it. Warming up, y'know?" That's what mates did.

Bay walked up to this Kissing booth.. what was he supposed to do, he seemed a bit lost. Spotting Alexa he moved towards her.. "Hey Alexa…..errr hows it going?" he asked her, but looking above her he noticed that she was in the booth.. oh wait… wasn't he supposed to say something nice to her.. Thinking quickly on his feet he blurted out "You are a very Kind and amazing person" yup that sounded good right.. Bay hoped that it was enough for him to get a kiss so he could go find his friends.

Oh... NOW his friends came to help. Nigel was his friend, right? Right. Theo hoped that he had come over to swap places with him for a second, just to give a guy a break, but nooooooooooo, apparently he was here to snog Alexa Cambridge. Hey, wasn't he dating Blue?

Theo eyed him closely. That was his best friend, you know. Watching you, Barrington. "Yes, tons of fun." He said with a HUFF and a PUFF, just not quite a Hufflepuff.

Hehe.

So funny.

...

Theo half expected her to swoon and faint, or something.

Instead she looked... disappointed. Fabulous. "Oh." He cleared his throat as a way of stalling. He looked to MO for help, he looked at NIGEL for help, and then he looked at ALEXA... which actually didn't help at all. "Sure... my bad." He was just gonna have to do it, wasn't he? He did the same as before, and leaned slowly forward on his chair with his lips puckered. One eye peeked open just to make sure he was heading in the right direction. Didn't want to plant a wet one on her EAR or something. There. Her lips. Theo pecked them, made the kissy noises and everything, then pulled back and wiped his mouth.

"There, that's your lot." Technically she owed him another compliment because she TOTALLY just received two kisses.

Run along now.

Gasp. Rude.

"That was my happy face." He pointed to himself as his over-the-top grinning slowly faded back to his default grouchy one. Theo cleared his throat and shrugged coolly when Mo called him out for being a good looking bloke. He wasn't wrong. "Too right. None of that aging rubbish is gonna get through to these locks." No, seriously, Theo didn't have a grey hair on him. "Okay, what about this?" He leaned back on his chair, rested his feet on top of the booth table and smiled with a little less teeth.

Who wouldn't wanna kiss from this cool fella?

Terrifying taste? "Why? What's wrong with her? Do you know her? What's her name?" Theo asked all at once. He couldn't help but be a bit surprised that Mo was taking time out of his night to do this for him. It was something that he would expect from West, but no one else. Not that he was complaining, though. "Sure." He beamed. "Thanks, man."