Just Friends

Summary: After 3 years of being in love with her best friend she finally realises that all they're going to be is just friends. Response to LaPaige 101 forum.

Prompt 1 - friends.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

She picked up the box that she had been searching for, for over an hour, and smiled. This box was a box full of her childhood memories. Her first birthday candle, her first Christmas present, her first time on a plane, the first time on holiday, the first time she was in hospital and the list continues. Everything she did she took a picture of a put it in this box, but the only thing wrong was that everything in this box had some sort of connection to him. Her best friend. The one person she had been in love with for 3 years. The one person whom she has known since birth. Seriously.

She picked up the first photo. First birthday party.

"Sweetheart all your friends are here, please just look over mummy's shoulder" her mother whispered and the little girl peeked over her mothers shoulder at all the other 3 year olds in the garden. She smiled and jumped down from her mothers arms and ran into the garden to her friends.

"Hi" she said to everyone and then raced to the bouncy castle. All the girls followed and the boys sat down on the ground but one little boy stood out in the crowd of other boys. He had curly hair and a heart-warming smile. His birthday was tomorrow and he didn't want a party like his best friend was having today. His mother was taking him and Caitlyn to the zoo. He walked up to the bouncy castle and crawled in. He was caught off balance when a tall girl stopped him.

"Sorry. No boys allowed." she stated in a serious tone and his smiled faltered slightly until Caitlyn came bouncing over.

"It's ok Tess. Nate is my best friend. He is allowed in our castle" she said and Tess moved out of the way smiling at him.

It was 20 minutes of bouncing around for them all to finally come out and eat something and play some party games. For Caitlyn it was the best first party ever.

Caitlyn smiled and wiped her tears. She smiled as she brought out the next picture. First day at school.

"Nate, I'm scared. What if were not in the same class?" Caitlyn whispered gripping onto her best friends arm as they followed the rest of the group into a big hall.

"Welcome children, I know you are all very excited to be starting elementary school so if you could just listen out for your name as I separate you all into your different classes." the head teacher explained. "Alright. First class 1. Listen for your name children. Tess Tyler, Leon Redman, Dana Hamilton." he continued through the list and then stopped. "Alright now the rest of you are in class 1.2 with some of the children in the year above you and your teacher will be Miss George. If you could follow me." Caitlyn grinned and smiled at Nate who was in her class as they followed the teacher from the main hall and to their classrooms.

As the day passed Caitlyn and Nate sat together and went over their numbers and the alphabet with 2 other children at the table. Ella Edmunds and Shane Gray. They all soon became friends.

"So where do you live Caitlyn?" Ella asked as they watched the boys play soccer on the playing field at lunch.

"Just a few minutes away, what about you?"

"I live on a farm. Have you met Tess Tyler yet?" she asked and Caitlyn nodded.

"Yeah, she was one of my friends in pre-school" she explained and saw Ella roll her eyes.

"She is friends with Kalli and Zoe. They are in year 3. That's two years above us!" she said and I shrugged.

"We grew apart over the summer I guess" she whispered and Ella smiled before linking arms with her.

"You have us now" she giggled and the girl ran to join the two boys.

Caitlyn shook her head at the memory. Tess had become a Miss Popular as they made their way through elementary school and into Junior High and soon High School. Caitlyn remembered a certain day in High School. The day she met Mitchie Torres.

"So, new girl. What's up with the hair?" a blond teenager stared down at a brunette with glasses, her hair was tied up in a bun and she gulped.

"Um, nothing?" she questioned herself and the blonde laughed before pushing her then tossed her hair.

"Hey Tess" Caitlyn shouted and Tess turned around.

"What do you want loser?" she asked and Caitlyn rolled her eyes.

"You're a bitch Tess, just leave everyone alone" she said and Tess laughed before walking off and heading into the cafeteria. Caitlyn walked up to the girl who managed to get herself up off the floor.

"Hey you ok?" Caitlyn asked and the girl nodded.

"Yeah, um I'm Mitchie I'm new here" she introduced herself and Caitlyn smiled.

"Caitlyn, yeah I guessed as I've never seen you around here before. Come on and I'll introduce you to my friends" Mitchie smiled and walked closer to Caitlyn as they walked into the cafeteria.

"Hey Caitlyn" Nate called out and Caitlyn guided Mitchie over to their table.

"Nate, this is Mitchie and Mitch this is Nate. My best friend in the whole world" Caitlyn smiled at Nate who returned it.

"Hello Nate." she said sticking her hand out and Nate happily took it.

"Oh and this is Ella and Shane. Guys this is Mitchie, she is new here and is going to hang around with us"

Ella stood up and hugged Mitchie and Shane stood up and walked over to her. "Hello"

"Hi"

"So your new here?"

"Yeah. I just moved here two days ago" she explained to him and the others smiled and sat down to begin their lunch, leaving the two to talk.

"So what do you have next?" he asked and Mitchie looked at her schedule.

"English with Mr Harris. You?"

"Ha, that's a coincidence, I'm in that class next as well" he said and she laughed.

"Cool" she blushed when he leaned in to whisper something in her ear.

"You have such a cute laugh Mitchie"

Mitchie and Shane soon became a couple and Caitlyn wasn't surprised when he asked her to marry him 3 years after graduation in front of everyone at one of his concerts. Oh yeah. Shane, Nate and another guy called Jason, who joined high school shortly after Mitchie and started dating Ella, formed a band called Connect 3 and were soon discovered by a talent scout producer and flown to LA to create their first album. Caitlyn sighed and packed away the box and placed it back into the cupboard. She couldn't bare another look at it. Her and Nate continued to be friends and she even moved out to LA so they could spend more time together. Which they did. Then 3 years ago Caitlyn discovered that she seen Nate not only as a friend. But more. She never told him and felt her heart crack every time he came to her after a break-up with another girl. She spent 3 years pining for him and just now as she was looking through her past memories she finally realised that all they were going to be were just friends.

Thoughts? :)