-Age 6-
"Carlos, scoot closer to Brianna." Mrs. Pena said waving her hand to the young Carlos.
He groaned "Mom, just take the picture. He whined.
"Perfect. Now you kids go play, dinner is almost ready." She said.
"Bet I can beat you to the tree house." Brianna said.
Carlos gave her a big grin and the two sprinted off toward the big tree in his backyard.
"Beat that." He said sticking his tongue out.
Brianna flopped on the floor of the tree house pouting. "You never let me win."
"What? I always let you win.""No you don't."
"Ill let you win next time."
"Pinky promise?"
She stuck out her smiled and gladly took her pinky in his "Pinky promise."
-Age 8-
"Mom. People were teasing Brianna and I at school today."
"Teasing you how?"
"Said we were boyfriend and girlfriend and that we should get married."
"Well sweetie, that's what happens when your best friends with a girl. That's just how it is when your little. It'll get better once you get older."
"It better. What does it mean when they say were boyfriend and girlfriend and that we should get married?" Carlos asked extremely curious.
"Well it's a relationship. When you like someone you date them and they become your boyfriend or girlfriend. And the older you get, the more you start to like that person, you start to love them."
"Like I love you and dad?"
"A different kind of love sweetie. When you love someone, the way I love your father, you get married. You make a vow to each other to stay together."
"Are Brianna and I gonna get married."
His mother chuckled at her sons curiosity. He was only 8, why was he asking such questions. "I don't know. Maybe. You guys are best friends and usually the best marriages come out of that friendship."
"I wanna be with Brianna forever. She is my best friend."
"Well then maybe you guys will be together forever."
-Age 9-
"So my mom told me something last year." Carlos said sitting next to Brianna in the tree house.
"Oh yeah, what's that?" She asked.
"Well remember how kids are always teasing us at school?"
"Yes." She looked down sadly.
"Well my mom said that when you really like someone, you become boyfriend/girlfriend. And then maybe if we do that one day we could get married."
"Carlos, were to young to get married."
"I know that but I was wondering." He started fidgeting with his fingers.
"Wondering what?"
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
"Are we allowed to do that?"
"I think so. That's what two people do when they like each other a lot."
"Who said I liked you a lot?"
"I did."
"Well in that case, yes."
"You will?"
"Of course."
[Brianna's POV] Age -14-
I wish growing up wasn't so hard. I wish everything was just easy. Carlos and I started high school today. Which wouldn't really matter. We aren't really friends anymore. We had a huge fight at the end of the school year about high school and how we were going through the changes we were. It was horrible. He was my best friend, the only guy in this world I could trust and I lost him to a stupid fight. He lived right next door which was going to make things hard. I couldn't stand not talking to him.
[End Brianna's POV]
-Age 15-
"Brianna you should go talk to Carlos." Cyndie, Brianna's mom said as the family was eating dinner.
"He wont talk to me. What part of that don't you guys get?"
"You guys used to be best friends. I know you miss him." Matt, her dad said.
"I do miss him but he isn't the same."
"That's not true. He loves you." Her sister, Jessie said.
"He used to best friend love me. But now I'm nothing to him."
"Stop. You need to at least go try to talk to him."
"Fine. Ill try but he isn't going to talk to me." She stood up and walked away from the dinner table. She put on her shoes and jackets, opened the front door and went to face her fear.
She approached the front door of the Pena house and took a deep breath, ringing the door bell. "Brianna, what a surprise." Mr. Pena said opening the door.
"Hi." She said shyly.
"Come in, come in." He said urging her to come in. "How have you been my dear?"
"I've been alright."
"I've heard you've got big things in store for school."
"Working on it."
"Well come in the kitchen, were just finishing up dinner."
"Alright."
"Awh now there's that beautiful face I haven't seen in a while." Mrs. Pena said standing up to hug smiled.
She had missed this family that she had become so close with. She'd known them since she was a baby. "Hi Mrs. Pena."
"Sit dear." She pulled out the chair right next to Carlos who was staring angrily down at his food. Mrs. Pena took her seat again. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing really good."
"Heard your at the top of your class."
"Yeah."
"And your just a sophomore. Definitely a great thing for college applications and what not."
"That's what my parents said."
"Its good that your doing so well in school." Mr. Pena said.
"Thanks."
"So what brings you over here? Mrs. Pena asked. "You have been over here in years."
"Well I actually came to talk to Carlos."
"Oh. Is something wrong?"
"No, just really miss him. Thought we could play catch up."
Everyone at the table looked at Carlos who was still angrily glaring at his food. "Carlos hunny."
"Yeah I know and honestly." He stopped thinking about his family sitting at the table with him. "We should go up in my room and talk."
"Sounds good." Brianna said.
"Mom may I please be excused from the table?"
"Of course dear, just rinse off your plate and put it in the dish washer."
"Thank you. Go on up, ill meet you up there."
"Alright." Brianna got up and went up the stairs to his room. She opened the door to see the changes. He had different posters on his wall now. I guess everyone has to grow up. She noticed a familiar set of pictures on his nightstand. She sat on the side of the bed and grabbed the frame. There was their first picture together where Mrs. Pena had to shove Carlos closer to Brianna to get an adorable picture, but the smiles were huge. Then there was one of the two up in the tree house waving down at the camera. The last one was her favorite. She ran her fingers over it and closed her eyes.
*Flashback*
"Brianna!" Her mother called from downstairs.
"Coming." She yelled back. Brianna, only 7 years old, jumped up off the floor and ran down the stairs. "Yes mom?"
"The Pena's are here for dinner, remember?"
"Oh yeah. Hi Carlos."
"Hi."
"Go wash your hands then come to the table." Brianna's mother told her.
"Yes mam."
After dinner Brianna and Carlos were outside running around. Brianna, being clumsy as she was tripped and scrapped her knee. While her mom was fixing up her knee Carlos was holing her hand trying to make her stop crying, mostly because he hated it when she cried. Mrs. Pena whispered something in his ear. Before Brianna knew it Carlos had kissed her on the cheek, hoping that would make her feel better and Mr. Pena had gotten a picture of it. There sat Brianna with a shocked face and Carlos's lips against her cheek.
*End Flashback*
"Good times." Carlos said closing the door.
Brianna sniffled and wiped the tear from her cheek. "Yeah."
"Are you crying?"
"No. I'm fine."
He sat next to her on the bed. "Why exactly are you here?"
"To find out what happened to us. Why you don't talk to me anymore."
"Because were not best friends like we were when we were little. We went our own ways Brianna. I thought you had accepted that."
"No I haven't. Your still my best friend. I miss you."
"Well…"
"You cant tell me you don't miss me too."
"I don't."
"Then why is this by your bed?" She said still holding the picture frame
."Because…"
"You miss me. Were alone so why are you being your jerky self? I know you miss me."
"Ok fine I miss you. But…
""Why does there have to be a but Carlos? Were best friends. Why is that so wrong?"
"Because you're the smartest girl in our grade, everyone likes you."
"And…?"
"No one even notices me. That's why after we started high school I stopped talking to you. I'm like invisible to everyone in your little group. I don't fit in. Plus I'm a cheerleader."
"And your doing something you enjoy, what's wrong with that?"
"Everything. I'm trying to do my thing and grow up away from this place."
"I know. I've seen the commercial. I know your trying out Broadway."
"That's why we cant be best friends anymore."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Carlos, you're the only real friend I have in that school, everyone else is my "friend" because I'm smart and they think ill help them cheat. Which I never do, I just tutor people."
"It's the status quo of the school. I cant be best friends with you."
"Look, stop with the status quo crap. What did our parents teach us growing up?"
"That we are our own people."
"And that we are special and unique in our own way. That we should never let anyone or anything in this world try to tell us who we are or who we can be friends with."
"You know there is a reason you were always my best friend."
"I know, now can we get back to that?"
"Only if you can forgive me for being such an idiot this whole time."
"Of course I can."
They stood up and shared a nice, tight, much needed hug. "So ill see you at school tomorrow?"
"Ill see you at the bus stop." She smiled.
"Good."