"Hello?" Joe Lucas asked picking up his cell phone.

"Joe? This is Stella's mom. Do you know where she is?" She asked in a panic.

"No. I haven't seen her since yesterday." Joe told Mrs. Malone

"Well if you see her can you tell her to come home?!" She asked still panicking

"Sure thing!" He said starting to get panicky as well.

"Thank you!" She said hangin up quickly. Joe dialed Stella's phone and got her answering machine. Where is she?! He paniced thinking of places. Only one seemed likely.

Flashback

There was a small blond haired gilr running around the playground as Sandy and a three year old Joseph arrived at the park. Suddenly the Blond fell and skinned her knee. Joe tore his hand out of his mothers and ran to help her up.

"I'm Joe." He said holding out his pudgy toddler hand to help her up.

She grabbed it fat tears running down her face. "I'm Stella." She said.

"Are you okay?" He asked wiping one of the tears away.

Stella nodded trying not to cry to much.

"You scraped your knee." He stated. She nodded trying to walk to her mother but wobbling.

"I'll help you." Joe said wrapping his arm around her waist and letting her lean on him.

Her mother met them halfway and picked her daughter up.

"This is Joe." Stella told her mom pointing to him as he followed his three year old self concerned.

"Are you okay?" Her mom asked kissing the scrape.

Stella nodded and went on wobbling knees over to Joe. "Do you want to swing?" She asked

"Sure." He said "Do you want me to push you?"

End Flashback

Joe decided to check the park where they first met. He got on his bike and pedled as fast as he could. When it was just in sight he could make out the shape of a girl slumped over on the swings. She looks sad. I wonder why.

"Stells!!" He called coasting down the hill. She looked up and he saw tears driping down her face.

Joe ran over to the girl he loved but never told. "You okay?" He asked rubbing her back.

"Not really." She said looking at those brown eyes she loved so much.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked

"No." She said as he began to push her just like old days.

"You know you can tell me anything right." He told her.

"Yes." She said uncertain as to where this was going.

"So what happened?" He asked.

"My mother got mad at me because I wasn't doing well in Spanish and she got worked up than I started yelling and I just had to get out of there so I came here." She explained. "Now what are you so worried about?"

"Your mother called to see if I knew where you were and she sounded really worried so I started worrying so I came to find you." Joe said slowly stopping the swing.

"Anything else you need to tell me?" She asked waiting for the moment he would finally tell her what she wanted to tell him so badly.

This is it. He thought. I only get one chance to do this and I need to do it now.

"Stella." He said his tone changing. She looked up with big eyes.

"Yes Joe?" She said tentivly.

"I love you. I don't know when it started or how but I just do and I really hope this doesn't kill our friendship." He confessed.

"No." She said "I love you too. More and more. Everytime I saw you kiss another girl I wanted to tell you so badly but-" Joe cut her off with a kiss.

One chance. He thought. And I got it right.