A five year old Zander was on the playground have the time of his life when he saw a little girl sitting all by herself. Zander thought she looked sad so he went over to talk to her. When he got closer he saw that she had curly brown hair and really beat-up shoes, like she played a lot outside.
"Hi! I'm Zander. What's your name?" The curls on the girls head bounced as she looked up at him.
"I'm Stevie."
"Why are you sitting by yourself?"
"I don't have anybody to play with."
"Well where are all your friends?"
"I don't have any."
"Oh." Zander looked at his shoes for a moment. "Then I'll be your friend."
Stevie looked up, almost like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her eyes got as big as dinner plates and her smile went from ear to ear.
"Really! You'll be my friend?"
"I'll be your best friend."
"Forever?"
"Forever." Zander said solemnly.
An eight year old Zander and Stevie are playing in Stevie's backyard. It's almost time for Zander to go home, but he has something to tell her.
"Stevie, I have something I have to tell you."
"What is it Zander?" She cocked her head to the side to show that she was listening. Zander looked at her sadly.
"My family is moving in two days." Stevie gave him a confused look.
"Where will you stay if your family moves?" She knew the answer, but she was hoping that he would prove her wrong and say that he was staying there. She didn't want to lose her best friend, her only friend. Zander looked even sadder.
"I'm going with them. I'm moving too."
At this point she was trying her best not to cry. "But you can't move! You said that you would be my best friend forever!"
"I know and I meant it, but I have to go with them. They're my parents. They can't just leave me."
"You can't go. You can stay with us."
"Stevie. You know I can't do that."
"I know." By now the tears were sliding down her cheeks.
"Oh Stevie, please don't cry."
"I can't help it." She said as she swiped at her face. Zander pulled her into a bear hug. Stevie cried on his shoulder for a few moments.
"I'm going to miss you, Zander." She said into his shirt. They could hear Zander's mom calling that it was time for him to go home.
"I'll miss you too, Stevie. Remember best friends forever. I mean that."
Zander walked away holding back tears of his own, but he knew that he had to be strong for Stevie. As he walked away that eight year old boy swore to himself that he would see his best friend again someday, even if it wasn't soon.
A sixteen year old Zander walks through his front door to find his parents sitting on the couch, looking like they wanted to tell him something. He sat down across from them and asked what was going on. His parents looked at each other and then back at him. His mother spoke first.
"Zander, honey, we have some exciting news."
"What is it?" He asked with confusion in his voice.
"We're moving back to Chicago!" His father told him happily. Zander looked at them dumbstruck. His first thought was of the friend he left behind when they moved away eight years ago. He had lost touch with Stevie over the years, but they were still best friends forever. They would be if he had anything to say about it anyway.
Zander was walking down the hall of his new school looking for his next class when he walked by a door that was cracked open. He could hear music coming from the room, but to him it only sounded like half a band and like they were just messing around. He walked up to the window. What he saw was a girl with curly brown hair sitting on a couch and two guys goofing off in the back of the room. What really caught his eye though was the girl. When he looked at her the only thing he could think of was a little five year old girl sitting alone at recess. He walked into the room and stood in front of the girl.
"Hi. I'm Zander. What's your name?"
Without looking up the girl responded "I'm Stevie."
"Why are you sitting by yourself?" He asked with a huge smile on his face.
"My friends are back there goofing around." Stevie was staring at her shoes, like she was afraid of looking up at him. If they had been paying attention they would know that the two boys in the back had gotten very quiet.
"Well then I'll be your friend and sit with you." Stevie finally looked up and saw Zander standing there like he did all those years ago.
"Oh my god! It is you!" She yelled as she jumped into his arms to give him a huge bear hug and Zander held her just as tight.
"I didn't know that you were the new kid! Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"
"I wanted to surprise you." He shrugged as they both sat down on the couch to talk.
"I thought you had forgotten about me. I hadn't heard from you in so long."
"I could never forget about you, life was just really crazy for a while. Best friend forever, remember?" This was when the boys in the back joined the conversation.
"So Stevie, this is the eight year old kid you told us everything about?" The one with blond hair asked.
"The one that acted like a girl?" The one with black hair asked. Zander looked at Stevie.
"You told them I acted like a girl?" She just shrugged.
They talked for the rest of the free period, catching up. The two boys introduced themselves as Nelson and Kevin. By the end of the all four of them were acting like the best of friends.
A nineteen year old Zander is sitting in an ice cream shop with his best friend Stevie. It's one of their favorite places to be because it' a little hole in the wall shop and they get a discount (the owners had become good friends over the years) It was the beginning of their last summer of freedom, in the fall they would both be going to college. Stevie was sitting in front of the window and Zander was across from her. Zander looked up just as the sun shone through the window.
"You know in this light you look like an angel." He told her smiling.
"Is that a good thing?"
"Very good. I think it suites you." Stevie blushed at the comment.
"Thanks." She told him while looking down.
They finished their ice cream and goodbye as they left the shop, promising to come back soon.
They were walking through the park when Zander stopped.
"Stevie there's something I have to tell you. It's been bothering me for a really long time." Stevie cocked her head to the side to show that she was listening. Zander to a few steps closer to her.
"Well I can show you better than I can tell you." Stevie took a step closer to him as well.
"Then show me." So he did.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."
"Not as long as I've wanted you to." He smiled at her and leaned in for another kiss.
"Best friends forever?" He asked when they broke apart.
"Forever, but I think I would be much happier with being more than friends." They smiled at each other and went on with their day.
"And that dear, is how you grandpa Zander and I met."
"Wow grandma, I wish I had a friend like that." The six year old told her grandmother. Stevie just smiled at her.
"Don't worry darling, someday you will and you'll be best friends forever."
A/N This is the longest one-shot I have written for any couple ever. I ship them so hard. So anyway, please tell me what you think. Your reviews always help to make my writing better. See you guys soon!