Текст книги "Fusion"

Автор книги: Tessa Teevan

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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 21 страниц)

Summer of 1992

IT WAS THE WEIRDEST thing I’d ever experienced in my short life. Of course, at eight years old, I hadn’t done much more than play outside and go to school. But, still, I couldn’t remember a time my stomach had ever felt that way. It was tight, but not quite achy. Unsettled, maybe, but not exactly sickened. What the heck was wrong with me? My face was warm, my mouth dry. I didn’t get it.

Why was I feeling this way, you ask?

Easy.

It was all because of a girl.

Sierra Sullivan. My new next-door neighbor and the prettiest girl I’d ever seen.

It was the last week of summer vacation before school began. My best friend, Chris, and I were skateboarding in our neighborhood when a big moving truck pulled onto the street. We stopped and watched as it turned into the driveway next to my house, where my friend Shawn had lived. His dad was in the Air Force, and he’d moved away to Nebraska or somewhere weird like that earlier that year. The house had been empty for a while.

“New neighbors?” Chris asked.

I shrugged. “Yeah. A big van showed up over the weekend, and there have been lights on in the house. I haven’t seen anyone though.”

“Cool,” he said, and that was that.

We spent the next few hours trying to do tricks—and mostly failing. When my twin sister, Jenna, came running down the street, we made our way to the gazebo on the private neighborhood beach, ready to cool off from the hot summer sun. Not that I got in the water, but the breeze was enough.

As we built a sand castle, Jenna told us about the new neighbors she’d seen. I didn’t really care when she said that two girls our age had moved in. I figured that just meant she had someone else to play Barbies with and now maybe she’d leave me and Chris alone. I was eight. Tea parties weren’t my thing. But, since there weren’t any other girls on the block, I found myself sitting around the table from time to time.

What could I say? I was a nice brother. And, for some reason, Chris never seemed to have a problem with it. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought he had a crush on Jenna, but they fought more than we did, so I knew there was no way he liked her. He just put up with her like I did. Now, I was finding out, we wouldn’t have to since she’d have girls to play with.

“This is boring. Let’s go find some shells,” Chris said, and Jenna concurred.

I still needed to finish the moat around the castle, so I told them to go ahead without me. I lost myself in the details of my creation, having no idea how much time had ticked by or how long Chris and Jenna had left me there alone.

I heard her soft voice before I even realized she was there.

“Hi.”

Standing on the top step of the gazebo was a girl who looked to be my age. I’d never seen her before, and part of me secretly hoped right then and there that she was one of the new girls Jenna had told me about. I didn’t know why, but suddenly, I didn’t want her to be Jenna’s new best friend, or else I’d be spending a whole lot more time playing with those stupid dolls and drinking fake tea.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her, not even as a pink blush formed on her cheeks. Especially not then. She had pretty, blonde hair that was in a ponytail. Even though it was up, I could tell it was long by the way it hung in a straight line down her back. It swung around when she moved her head, and I wondered what it would look like down. I didn’t quite understand that thought, but I’d had it nonetheless.

Sparkling, blue eyes shone down on me. In the bright sunlight, her brown freckles highlighted her skin. On the side of her cheek was a pattern that looked just like my favorite constellation—the Little Dipper. Any time we camped in the backyard and I stared up at the sky, I wished I could touch the stars. Now that I was seeing them right there on her cheek, I wanted to connect those dots with my fingers. But, even as pretty as I thought she was, what I noticed most was the vibrant orange shirt she was wearing with my favorite character on it.

I couldn’t help the grin that formed on my face as I held my hand up. “I’m in the zone!” I told her with my best Michelangelo impression.

Her nose wrinkled before recognition crossed her face. Then she laughed and slipped her shoes off before coming down the steps and plopping in the sand beside me.

“Hi. I’m Sierra,” she said, sticking her hand out so we could shake.

I’d never heard that name before, so I let it run over in my mind.

Sierra.

It was beautiful—just like her.

“Jeremy,” I told her, lowering my voice an octave, trying to sound older than my eight years. It didn’t work, and my stomach did a funny flip-flop move when she giggled.

“Oh, really? I thought you were Michelangelo.”

An instant swell of relief washed over me. She hadn’t been laughing at me and my awful voice-changing abilities. And just like that, we fell into easy conversation about our favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. What was it that Michelangelo had said about that pretty girl in the last movie?

“Oh man, she was hot.”

Suddenly, I realized hot meant pretty, and I could honestly say that Sierra was hot.

Not that I’d tell her that.

We chatted like we were old friends, and I was excited to learn that she was my new neighbor. Surprisingly, I wasn’t disappointed in the least that she wasn’t a boy. The fact that she seemed to like all the things I did was more than enough for me to want to be instant friends with her. Plus, she was much better to look at than Chris.

Eventually, her little sister, Lexi, showed up, and Chris and Jenna came back. I didn’t quite know why, but I was disappointed that we were no longer alone. I’d liked talking to Sierra on my own, and I wanted her all to myself. For some reason, I didn’t want to share. Since I had a twin, I was pretty good at the whole sharing-is-caring thing, and I never minded when Jenna tagged along with Chris and me. This time, sharing was the last thing I wanted to do. But, sadly, I had no choice as introductions were made.

All too soon, Sierra said she and Lexi had to go home. Even though I could’ve played longer, I decided to call it a day and walk them home. Chris gave me a funny look, but I just shrugged and told him the sun had made me tired. He and Jenna snickered. They didn’t believe me, but I didn’t care.

When we got to the end of their driveway, Lexi waved and ran inside. Sierra lingered with me, smiling and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The toe of her tennis shoe scuffed along the cement as we both stood there staring at each other, not saying a word.

Finally, she cleared her throat and broke the silence. “I didn’t want to move here,” she said.

I hated that she sounded sad. I hated it even more that she was admitting she hadn’t wanted to be here. I wanted to change that. I wanted to make her want to stay, to be happy she’d moved right next door.

“I’m sorry,” I said, not knowing what other words to give her.

She shook her head at me, her smile widening. “Don’t be. Because of you, I’m not scared anymore.”

My eyes widened, and I had to clear my throat to mask my surprise. “You’re not? Why were you scared to begin with?”

She shrugged. “I was afraid I wouldn’t make any friends, but then I met you.” She paused for a moment before her eyes looked panicked. “I mean, if you want to be friends, that is. I know I’m a girl and everything, but I don’t even like Barbies. I’m what Mom calls a tomboy.” The declaration was proud, and I liked it, even if she was too pretty to be called anything with boy in the name.

I laughed and placed my hand on her shoulder to reassure her. “Don’t worry, Sierra. Even if you did like Barbies, we could still be friends. Since you don’t, that’s just a bonus.” Then I leaned in close and lowered my voice to a whisper. “And you know what that means?”

She shook her head. “What?”

“It means that not only can we be friends, but we can be best friends,” I told her, hoping Chris didn’t mind if I had another one.

Her smile returned. “Really?”

I nodded. For some reason, my palms got sweaty while I waited for her to answer. My heart was beating like I’d just run a mile or done some of the football drills Dad had been teaching me earlier that summer to get ready for the PeeWee league.

After what felt like an eternity, Sierra put me out of my waiting misery. “I’d like that, Jeremy.”

Without thinking, I spat on my palm and held it out to her. When I realized she probably thought it was gross, I cringed, but I went with it. “Spit-shake on it? To make it official?”

To my surprise, she spit into her own palm and held it out to me. Our hands connected and we shook three times. Then we held hands as our eyes met.

“Best friends?” she asked.

“Best friends,” I confirmed.

The moment broke when her mom called her inside. She gave me one last wave before she disappeared into her house, and even though I didn’t want to, I headed home with that funny feeling I couldn’t understand in my tummy.

“Where’s the fire?” Mom called as I scurried into the kitchen faster than usual.

My chest heaved as butterflies swirled in my stomach. I wrinkled my nose at the strange sensation. Boys didn’t get butterflies, did they? I shook my head—no, of course they didn’t. I must’ve been coming down with the flu or something. I didn’t feel right. What was happening to me?

“Mom!” I exclaimed, excitement taking over as I tried calming the fluttering pests that were attacking my insides.

She turned from the sink and dried her hands, giving me a warm smile.

“Guess what?”

She set the towel down and animatedly tapped her chin as she tried to think of a guess. I impatiently rocked back and forth on my heels. Women, I thought, echoing my dad’s jovial tease whenever my mom or sister did something he called “exasperating.”

“Hmm. Let me think. You spotted the shark that’s been swimming in the Sound close to the shore?” she asked.

As the blood drained from my face, my eyes widened. I’d just come from the gazebo at the end of our neighborhood that led to the Sound. “There’s a shark down there?!” I gasped, momentarily forgetting all about my new neighbors.

In all of my years—yep, all eight of them—I’d never seen a shark before. The thought of one being so close was frightening. Not that I’d admit that out loud though. I shuddered as I thought of the movie Jaws.

Mom had been pissed when she’d found out Dad let Jenna and me watch the scary shark movie when she’d been out of town. He’d claimed that it was to keep us alert in the water. Mom hadn’t bought it. But, in the end, Dad’s plan had worked, because I hadn’t stepped foot in the ocean in weeks. Jenna called me a scaredy-cat. “Better to be that than shark bait,” I’d said, but that didn’t mean she and Chris didn’t have a lot of fun teasing me about it. Whatever.

Mom laughed just as Dad walked into the kitchen, surveying the room. He wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned in close to give her a kiss on the lips. I wrinkled my nose, letting out the usual, “Eww!” which was followed by fake puking sounds. I always thought it was gross when my parents did that lovey-dovey stuff, but the truth was I kinda found it cool at the same time. A lot of kids at my school had parents who weren’t married anymore, and knowing that my mom and dad were still together made me happy. We were still a happy family. When I grew up, I hoped I could be happy like they were. But, for now, I was content pretending it was gross. Because it’d be a long darn time before I ever liked a girl that way.

At least, that’s what I’d thought before that day.

Dad laughed and gave Mom another smacking kiss. When he pulled back, he leaned across the counter and ruffled my already-mussed hair. “I could hear you all the way from the garage. What’s with all the excitement?” he asked as he loosened his tie and rolled his sleeves up before taking a dish from Mom and drying it.

They were both still watching me curiously while they worked in perfect unison. When I didn’t answer, Mom raised an eyebrow and looked at Dad.

“I have no idea, Jay. Jeremy was out playing then running in like a bat out of Hell.”

Dad’s smile grew as both of my parents watched me expectantly, waiting for me. But, before I could answer, Jenna came strolling in. Her grin reminded me of the Cheshire cat, that creepy purple one from Alice in Wonderland. She was about to rat me out, and I wasn’t quite quick enough to stop her.

“Jeremy and Sierra sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I—”

I slapped my hand over her mouth. She giggled then bit me so I’d let go. Freaking bit me!

I’m not even ashamed to admit that a girly yelp escaped my lips as I pulled my hand away and shook it to try to stop the pain from her stupid teeth. “Dammit, Jenna!” I complained then muttered another bad word under my breath. Wincing, I side-eyed Mom and Dad, who looked all too amused. “Sorry,” I told them, already knowing they’d take a percentage off my weekly allowance for that one.

I didn’t get it. It was just a word. What made it so much worse than any other one? Why was dang better than damn? Shoot better than shit? Or the F word that really riled Mom up? Why was that so much worse than freak? At the time, I thought grown-ups had just made it all up to punish us kids. Stupid rules.

“Sierra?” Mom asked, sounding all too interested.

I groaned when my sister nodded with enthusiasm. Mom’s interest had clearly been piqued.

“Yep. She’s—” Her voice was muffled as I slapped my hand over her mouth again, chancing another bite while I tried to shut her up. Sisters could be so annoying.

“Shut up, Jenna,” I pleaded through clenched teeth.

“Jeremy, let go of your sister. Jenna, let your brother tell us himself,” Mom said, her voice soft and soothing.

I dropped my hand as ordered even though I didn’t want to. Jenna opened her mouth to pipe up again, but my mom gave her an index finger, warning her to keep her trap shut. Thank goodness.

I ran a hand through my hair. “You know the new family that moved in next door? They have two daughters. One is our age, and she’s going to be in my class!”

Mom raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?” she asked.

I nodded, humming my answer. “Mmm hmm! And I’m the first friend she’s made in Navarre! She’s cool, too. She was wearing a Michelangelo shirt and everything. He’s her favorite, just like mine! Isn’t that so rad?”

“Wow,” Mom responded, smiling. “It is, indeed, rad. Sounds like you’re going to be good friends.”

My cheeks warmed up at the memory of us being best friends, but I wasn’t going tell Mom that. After all, she was going to be my first girl friend, and Mom was already amused by it. Instead, I changed the subject. Well, at least a little bit.

“Hey, Mom?” I asked.

She twisted to look at me. “Yeah, Jer?”

“What’s an R.O.U.S.?” I asked, frowning at the memory.

Before she could answer, Dad barked his laughter.

“Where’d that come from, Jer?” he asked, his eyes shining with amusement.

My brow wrinkled, and I frowned when Jenna giggled from the other side of the kitchen. “We were playing near the gazebo and Chris started chasing her little sister. Her name’s Lexi, by the way. Anyways, Sierra took one look at him and called him an R.O.U.S. before shoving him down into the sand.” I smiled at the way she had stood over him and told him to leave her sister alone. She was protective, and even though Chris had been joking around, it was nice to see she could stand up to the boys.

“It’s from a movie, Jeremy. It means rodents of unusual size,” Mom informed me, chuckling. “It’s called The Princess Bride. Maybe we’ll have to invite this Miss Sierra over for a movie night. In fact, why don’t we go over after dinner and introduce ourselves? I’ve been meaning to do that anyway.”

“Can we?” I asked, a little too excited at the thought even though I’d just seen her a few minutes ago.

“Well, Lydia,” Dad said, grinning. “It seems our boy here is smitten with the girl next door.” He gave me a wink.

My cheeks turned red with a hint of warmth. “Eww, no. She’s a girl, Dad. I’m not smitten,” I protested, practically choking on the word. I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant, but the last thing I wanted was my dad thinking I had a crush on the new girl next door. Jenna would go blabbing as soon as she could. Big mouth. “That’s the cool thing. Sierra isn’t girly or anything like that. She didn’t mind playing in the mud or the sand, and when we said we were going to play kickball tomorrow, she got excited. We’re just friends.”

What I didn’t tell my parents was that Sierra was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. Or that her big, blue eyes were the color of the sky over the ocean. Her smile was as white as the sand, and so friendly, too. Something about it warmed me right up, so much more than the sun ever had.

“Just friends?” Dad teased with an eyebrow raised and a half-cocked smile.

“Yep. And I think she’s going to be my new best friend.” I didn’t tell them we’d spit on it. Mom might have scolded me for that one.

“Well, then,” Mom said, smiling at me. “We better get on over there. I need to meet this girl who you already know is going to be your new best friend after just one afternoon.”

I was antsy all through dinner, eating quickly and silently wishing for Jenna to do the same. She spent the meal telling my parents about playing with Lexi, Sierra’s younger sister. Even though we’re twins, I was secretly glad Jenna had Lexi to play with. I didn’t want Sierra playing with her instead of me.

By the time we finally went next door, I could barely contain my excitement. I rocked back and forth on my heels, only stilling when the door swung open wide as tall man answered our knock. My parents made their introductions, and I peered around the house once we had been invited inside, waiting for a glimpse of her. Her dad called for the family, and another round of introductions happened as her mom, Lexi, and Sierra came in.

My stomach did a weird flip-flop when I saw her. She was still wearing her Michelangelo shirt, and I couldn’t stop the grin from forming on my face.

“Mom, this is Jeremy, the boy I was telling you about,” she said.

Something about knowing she’d told her Mom about me made me happy inside. My grin grew even wider.

“Ah. Your new best friend?” her mom asked.

Sierra’s face turned pink. My own mom laughed and handed over the cookies she’d brought.

Leaning in close, my mom gave my own secret away. “Jeremy said the same of Sierra. I guess we’re fortunate you moved in when you did.”

When Sierra smiled, I didn’t even care that I’d been outed.

Her mom smiled warmly and looked from me to my mom. “The girls were just about to watch a movie. Would Jeremy and Jenna like to join them? We can go into the kitchen and chat over a glass of wine if you’d like. Get to know each other.”

Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes. The chant was so loud in my head that I was almost surprised they couldn’t all hear it.

“They’d love to,” Mom responded.

I barely resisted the urge to let out a resounding “Yes!”

“Sierra, why don’t you go get the movie started? We’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.” Then she turned back to Mom. “Wine?”

Mom laughed and looped her arm through Sierra’s mom’s. “Vicky, I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

I couldn’t help looking at Sierra and thinking the exact same thing. By the beaming smile that was returned to me, I could tell she agreed. At least, I hoped so.

She mimicked her mom and grabbed my arm, pulling me into the living room, where Jenna and Lexi were already sprawled out. For the next couple of hours, our sisters played together on the floor with Barbies while Sierra and I watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II. I might have watched her more than the movie, but I didn’t mind. I’d already seen it at least fifteen times and could recite almost all of the words—much to Mom’s annoyance. I wasn’t sure why I was so fascinated by the way her eyes lit up every time there was a “cowabunga,” but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was entranced by the movie; I was entranced by her.

When the movie was over, we chanted, “Go Ninja!” repeatedly, not plopping down on the couch until we were worn out and out of breath. Still, it felt all too soon when Mom and Dad came into the living room, saying it was time to go home. I wanted to protest, but Mom reminded me that Sierra lived right next door and I’d probably see her the next day. I didn’t know what my problem was, but I wanted to be around her all the time. Saying bye, even if just for the night, sucked. But, as I went to protest again, Mom gave me her don’t push it look and I zipped it.

Later on that night, I was lying in my bed, tossing my football up into the air, unable to sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about Sierra and how pretty she was the first time I’d seen her. Her long, blonde hair, which looked so soft that I wanted to touch it to see if it really was. Her skin, tan and smooth, with freckles I wanted to play connect the dots with. Bright, blue eyes that watched my every move. And her smile, big and wide. I wanted to make her smile all the time.

I shook my head at the thought. She’s just a girl.

Just a girl.

A girl I was going to marry one day.

It didn’t quite hit me like a bolt of lightning or anything like that. I just knew. It kind of dawned on me, and I had no reason to question it.

Because let’s face it. Why wouldn’t I want to spend my life with a girl who was as pretty as she was and who liked the same things I did? To me, we were already a match made in Heaven. It was kind of a no-brainer.

And, with that, I fell asleep, a smile on my lips and the memory of Sierra Sullivan in my dreams.

When my parents sat Lexi and me down to tell us that we were moving to Florida because of my dad’s job, I was devastated. Even though I was only eight years old, I’d already thought I’d made lifelong friends, and I couldn’t imagine saying goodbye.

Those friends had nothing on Jeremy Banks, and from the moment I met him, I knew he was going to be my new best friend. I just hoped he’d felt the same.

I soon found that he did. He didn’t look at me like I was another annoying girl trying to pal around with him. In fact, I fit right in with him and his other friend, Chris—even if I had threatened him for messing with Lexi the first time we met. All the kids from the neighborhood played together, and I was excited to make friends before school even started. Still, I was drawn to Jeremy the most. No matter what kind of mood I was in, he never failed to make me laugh. I liked being around him. He was so nice and inviting, and he made me feel brave. I’d like to think I did the same for him.

Late one night, we were in his backyard, pretending to be camping. School was starting soon, and we wouldn’t be able to hang out as much, so we were both savoring our last “sleepover.” We lay in our sleeping bags, looking up at the stars as the crickets chirped around us. Lexi and Jenna had already fallen asleep, but my dad was snoring, keeping me and Jeremy in a fit of giggles. I snuck a peek at him, thinking about the scary story Chris had told us about some creature called Big Foot, who apparently liked to eat little kids.

“Did that story scare you?” I asked.

He looked over at me and shook his head. “Sierra, I’m a boy. Nothing scares me,” he declared, his jaw set tight.

I sat up and narrowed my eyes, peering at him. “Oh, come on, Jeremy. There has to be something you’re scared of. Like me… I’m scared of the ocean.”

His eyes widened as he rose, twisting so he was facing me. “You are? Why?”

Dad let out a deep snore, so I scooted over until I was closer to him. “Jellyfish and sharks,” I admitted, feeling silly.

“Really?” he asked.

I nodded as I bit my lower lip. “Yeah. My mom says I don’t need to be worried about sharks and just that I need to keep my eyes out, but it still scares me. I’ve only put my feet in the water so far. I haven’t even been able to go into the water completely.”

“I’m scared of sharks, too,” he whispered in return.

I choked on a gasp, my eyes widening. “You are?”

“Yeah. My dad made me watch Jaws and it scared the crap out of me. I haven’t gone in the water since.”

I laughed and poked his shoulder. “I thought you weren’t scared of anything.”

He shrugged and then yawned before lying back down. “Just sharks. But if you want, maybe we can face our fears and go in the water together.”

I snuggled up in my sleeping bag and looked over at him. “You’d do that for me?”

Jeremy smiled. “I’d do anything for you, Sierra.”

That was the last thing either of us said before we fell asleep, but I knew I’d do anything for Jeremy, too. I hoped he knew it.

The next morning, we got Jenna and Lexi to beg our moms to take us to the beach. Fortunately, they said yes, so they packed a picnic lunch and we all went to play. The girls started building a sand castle, and our moms were talking about some book they’d both been reading.

Jeremy seemed as nervous as I felt. When I scanned the water and saw no signs of predators, I knew I had to force myself to do this. It was now or never, and the last thing I wanted was to act like a chicken in front of him. At the same time, though, I didn't want to force him to face his fears if he wasn't ready.

“Are you sure about this, Jeremy? I know you’re scared of sharks, too, and that’s okay. I won’t be mad at you if you want to stay here.”

He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment while his eyes surveyed the water, becoming alert and focused when they returned to mine. His jaw set with determination as he grabbed my hand, curling our fingers around each other.

“Where you go, I go,” he said with a confidence I wasn’t feeling.

“Are you sure?” I asked, a twinge of nervousness swirling in my belly.

He nodded again. “Positive. Now, let’s do this before I chicken out.”

I laughed, and as we started strolling to the shore, the tide surged and rushed over our toes. The emerald water was warm, just like a bathtub.

We held hands for the next hour as we played in the surf. Tiny fish nipped at our toes, causing me to squeal and Jeremy to laugh. As the minutes passed, I completely forgot about my fears and enjoyed my spending time with my new best friend.

Until I saw the fin.

The slippery, gray object bobbed up and down in the water not too far away from us. I screeched and jumped up onto Jeremy’s back as the fear settled in. Even at eight, Jeremy was already a few inches taller than I was, and he had no problem carrying me around. I loved it, even if I wasn’t sure why.

“I think I saw a shark!” I shrieked in his ear, which caused him to wince. Without hesitation, I wrapped my legs around his waist and he ran with me in a piggyback position.

As soon as we were out of the water, he turned us around so we could gaze out at the gulf. Both of us were breathing heavily, and I was elated to be back on the shore. I didn’t mind facing my fears, but a girl could only be so brave, no matter how much she trusted the boy holding her hand.

“Where, Sierra?” he asked, trying to catch his breath.

I shielded my eyes from the sun and pointed in the fin’s direction. Sure enough, it rose again, and I braced my hands on his shoulders, my fingers digging into his warm skin. But he didn’t freak out along with me. Instead, his shoulders started shaking from laughter. I frowned and tilted my head to see his face.

Yep, he was laughing at me.

I slid off his back and placed my hands on my hips. “What’s so funny, mister?”

“I… That’s… Oh my gosh…” he said between fits of giggles. He even had the nerve to double over, clutching his stomach as if it hurt from laughing too hard.

I wrinkled my brow, my irritation growing the longer he carried on.

“Sierra, that’s not a shark. That’s a dolphin!”

My cheeks warmed and probably reddened from blushing. “Oh,” I said. “I knew that.”

When his laughter died down, he smiled at me. “It’s okay, Sierra. Better safe than sorry, ya know?”

I adored how easily he went from laughing at me to trying to make me feel better for having been such a chicken.

“True,” I agreed. “And hey, we just spent a lot of time in the water, too! It was fun, don’t you think?”

“It was fun,” he echoed. “Maybe we can do it again soon.”

“I know you were scared. And I was scared, too, but I’m glad we faced our fears together. Thanks for doing this, Jeremy. I don’t think I could have done it without you here with me,” I admitted.

“I told you. Where you go, I go,” he said.

“Always?” I asked.

He grabbed my hand, squeezing tight. “Always, Sierra. You’re my best friend.”

I squeezed back. “You’ll always be my best friend, Copper,” I told him, thinking of my favorite Disney movie.

He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at me. “Hey, why do you get to be Tod? I want to be the fox!” he exclaimed, pretending to be offended.

A smile crossed my lips as I studied his features. “Because your hair. And your eyes,” I admitted, hoping I didn’t sound too much like a girl. “It’s the shade of brown. It’s copper, like a penny. So you’re Copper.”

His head remained half-cocked as he mulled it over. I emitted a sigh of relief when he smiled.

“Oh, okay. That makes sense. And, just so you know, you’re mine, too, Tod.”

Warmth seeped into my bones as if the rays of the sun were penetrating my skin and settling in. Except it wasn’t the sun. It was Jeremy.

I spat on my hand and held it out, just like we’d done the day we’d met. “We’ll always be friends forever?”

He didn’t even hesitate. He hawked a big one in his hand and slapped his palm to mine. “Yeah. Forever.”

Neither of us knew it at the time, but it truly was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. A lifelong one.

The foundation of our futures was laid out right there, and we had no clue that the coming years would only strengthen our bond. Little did we know how much we’d come to rely on that strength in our future. We'd need each other more than we'd ever know, and it still it might not be enough. Only time could tell.