Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong ding-dong ding-

"I'm coming! Calm down! Jesus!" I yelled, running down the stairs in my pajamas. I pulled my red hair into a messy ponytail and glanced at the clock.

2:04! It was only two in the afternoon! Everyone knew that I slept till at least 3:00 on Saturday. If whoever is behind that door, I thought, isn't holding a big ass check with my name on it…

I opened the door angrily, my evil glare set and ready to scare off the person who dared ring the doorbell so early. But all my anger dissolved in about three seconds when I saw who was at the door.

"Hello, Scarlett. Thought I'd drop by…"

I smiled at the handsome man (or boy, I guess, since he was 16) standing on my front steps. His brown hair was messy and his black swim trunks and shirt were obviously not recently washed. For some reason, this made me extremely happy. It was like he just couldn't wait to see me, so he'd grabbed the first clothes in sight and rushed over. I knew that that was probably not true, but it was a nice thought. It made me feel quite loved.

"Hello, Michael. What brings you here?"

He grinned. "Why, you, of course. What else?" He grabbed my hand, brought it to his mouth and kissed it. My heart fluttered.

"It's not the pool in your backyard," he said, "just waiting to be used. How long ago, did you say, was its last use? Two years?"

"I said two days."

"Oh my! You must really love swimming! I, too, enjoy this activity."

I laughed. "Then let's go swimming! I see you came prepared," I said, pointing to his shorts.

He frowned and stroked his chin, as if debating whether or not we should swim. I grinned and waited patiently.

Finally he spoke, "I suppose we could share this experience. It would be very gratifying."

I giggled. God! No guy had ever made me giggle. Ever.

"I'll go get changed. Meet me outside."

I dropped his hand and headed towards the stairs, skipping slightly.

"And Scarlett?"

"Yes?" I turned around. I hadn't realized he'd followed me, though the closeness of his voice should have been an indication. My breath caught in my throat. So… damn… beautiful…

He bent down and kissed the tip of my nose. I could hardly breathe.

"Hurry," he said, smiling.

I think I nodded, but I wasn't sure. All I knew was the his breath smelt like peppermint and that I could still see his face, though I knew he was already outside. I stood there for a good twenty seconds before I rushed upstairs. While doing so, I quickly made a list of what I had to do to make myself presentable.

1. Bathing suit (the black two piece that Michael had said I looked stunning in)

2. Brush hair (then put in a ponytail. Make sure there's some hair falling in the front. Looks best that way for some reason…)

3. Brush teeth (morning breath! Maybe chew some gum, too.)

4. Makeup (ah, wait. It'll come off. No makeup…)

5. Deodorant (no explanation needed there.)

Once I finished, I looked in the mirror. I looked… pretty. Beautiful, almost. I silently thanked Halley for making me shave my furry underarms and my legs.

I checked the clock, wondering how long I'd taken. Longer than I'd thought: eleven minutes. I ran downstairs.

"Hey, Michael, sorry I took so long," I said, stepping outside. I paused when I saw Michael crouched down on one knee, staring intently at a bird.

"It's alright. This creature," he told me, gesturing towards the bird, "is fascinating."

I knelt down beside him, my arm brushing against his. He was no longer wearing his shirt and I saw it discarded on a lawn chair. "We should feed it." I said.

He shook his head. "I don't think we need to. See, it's finding worms. It's eating the worms! How cool is that!?"

His voice had gotten louder with his last words, and the bird, startled, flew away.

Michael sighed and stood up. "Now that's a bird."

"It sure is." I agreed, standing also.

He looked at the pool, and then stared into my eyes. Then the pool again. When his gaze shifted back to me, it was on my lips. Then the pool and my chest. Pool, stomach. Pool, legs. Pool, pool, pool. Eyes.

He grinned and I blushed. "I see." He said.

"You see what?" I asked. I was slightly embarrassed by his wandering eyes, but I couldn't do what I wanted and look at the ground. It was like his eyes had mine in chains, or something.

"This is not going to be difficult. My mother said it would be one of the hardest things a person would do in their life, especially the first time. But I see now that it's not. It's the truth. A good truth, too. How hard can it be, telling someone a good truth?"

I raised my eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

He just smiled, brushed me cheek with his hand and said, "You'll find out soon enough."

"Can't you just tell me?" I pleaded.

"Oh, yes. I can."

I waited.

He rolled his eyes. "Not right now. In a bit."

Giving him my fine-be-that-way glare, I walked to the pool. Not really wanting to go in, I plopped down on the side, letting only my feet soak in the warm water.

Michael sat beside me, not seeming to mind that I was slightly angry with him.

He put his feet in the water also, bumping them against mine. This was supposed to be a comforting gesture, and oddly, it was.

Okay, so maybe I wasn't slightly angry. I was only frustrated.

But then he grabbed my hand, and I was no longer frustrated. I was only slightly frustrated.

He kissed my shoulder then, so maybe I was the teeniest, smallest, itty bittiest - oh my goodness! Why had I even tried to be mad at that guy?

I turned my head to look at him, my heart beating out of control. His eyes were perfect. His nose was perfect. His lips were…getting closer.

We kissed for at least ten minutes. Definitely one of the best make-outs we've had. How could it not be? By the pool on a not too hot, not too cold day. My mother gone (phew!), both of us half naked. It really doesn't get any better.

After pulling away, I closed my eyes and leaned back on my hands. I was so freaking happy.

Michael took a deep breath. "I'm reading to tell you a good truth now."

I didn't look at him. "Okay," I said warily, biting my lip. "What is it?"

He leaned over and kissed my ear. "I love you."

And there it was. A good truth. A wonderful truth. The best damn truth ever. Wow.

I was blushing and I knew my eyes weren't getting watery from the wind. I concentrated on saying four words.

"I love you, too." I said, letting my tears slide down my cheeks. Michael wiped them away, repeating that he loved me, again and again.


That's my first fanfic! Wow! I'm quite proud of myself for writing it. I hope you enjoyed it! R&R!