What Do the Kisses Between American Idol Winner Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina Mean?

Plus, what is the winner planning to do now that the show is over?

The grand finale of American Idol was full of surprises, but the one thing that raised eyebrows the most was runner-up Lauren Alaina's machine-gun kisses on Scotty McCreery when he was announced the winner of the TV's No. 1 singing competition.

So what's the deal with all the love? Are they something more than friends, and what is Scotty planning to do now that the show is over?

It was inevitable that Scotty and Lauren would would forge a close bond. Their age and country roots created an undeniable chemistry on and off-stage, but no one wasexpecting the outpouring of affection Lauren gave Scotty when he won.

When we caught up with the two after the show, Lauren explained the kisses were nothing more than platonic love for her best friend.

"I gave him a kiss, yes, in case anyone is worried," she laughed. "I love Scotty. I can't imagine being unhappy in this moment. Of course, I wanted to win. That's what I came here to do, but I feel like I did win even though I didn't get first place. I got second place to one of the most incredible people that I've ever met. He's my best friend, one of my best."

Scotty told us Lauren had been planning the smoochfest long before the confetti shower fell at the Nokia Theatre.

"She's a character isn't she?" he smiled. "We're really close friends. I met her day one of Hollywood Week, and we've grown really tight over the weeks when we've been in school together. Everybody keeps asking me about the smooch. She told me she was going to do that before the show. She's such a sweetheart. We've grown so close. It's a special relationship that we have."

The following months are sure to be crazy for Scotty, but the 17-year-old is looking forward to a little time off to relax and getting started on his first album.

"I'm just a normal kid I'm hoping to be on the couch watching Sports Center and eating some chips," he told us. "Also, I want to go to Nashville and get crackin' on this album. The fans want to hear my music. They kept me around so I think it's my duty to get them the music as quick as possible."