"Ken! Wait up!" A 7 year old bluenette runs after the 9 year old brunette, a girl chasing a boy.
"You have to catch me first, Angel!" The boy calls, sticking his tongue out at his little friend.
"Ken. You're so mean." Angel, the little bluenette, pouts.
"You have to be faster!" Ken cheers encouragingly.
"But you're too fast." Angel wails, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Upon seeing the tears in his friend's eyes, Kentin Pantone immediately slowed down and jogged back to the little girl.
"Angel, you'll get faster when you get bigger." Kentin smiles as Angel looks up at him, eyes shimmering as she tackles him hugging him. In the background two fathers sit on the backyard porch, talking animatedly about their military positions.
"You know, Billy. I think your Angel is going to be my boy's wife one day." An older, much mature version of Kentin says, grinning as Billy chokes on his beer.
"Dare I say it, but I see it too." Billy replies, running a hand through his black hair.
"Angelica, marry Kentin?" A woman questions, walking out of the house. "My, my, my." She smiles as she stands behind Billy, pressing a kiss on his forehead with a smile.
"They're too young to know what love is." A brunette says, chuckling at her friend. "Don't you agree, Lina?"
Lina, Angel's mother, nods in agreement.
"If they were to fall in love, it would be when they are in their teens, Carol." Lina replies.
XxXxXXxXxXXxXxXXxXxX
"Angel, let's go. I have a surprise for you!" Kentin cheers, covering Angel's eyes as he walks her out of the house. "Our daddies helped me build it for you!" He adds gleefully.
"What is it, Ken?" Angel whines, attempting to uncover her eyes.
"If you keep trying to peek, I might have to beat you up." Kentin sniggers.
"You wouldn't." Angel says.
"I'm bigger than you, I could too beat you up." Kentin replies. "We're almost there." Kentin smiles, although Angel couldn't see it.
"Are we there yet?" Angel whines. "You're hands are stinky." She adds.
"Yes." Kentin replies, taking his hands off of Angel's eyes, wiping them on his cargo shorts.
"What's this?" Angel asks, pointing to the building.
"It's a tree house. Now we have our own base!" Kentin cheers, grinning at the girl who was two years younger than him.
"Awesome!" Angel cheers, running up to the ladder with a speed that surprised Kentin.
"See Angel! I told you that you'd get faster when you get bigger!" He says, following the 9 year old.
"Bet you can't catch me!" She says, sticking her tongue out at the 11 year old boy.
"..." Kentin says nothing as he lunges forward, arms out to catch his friend.
"Missed me, missed me. Now you gotta kiss me!" Angel sings. As Kentin takes a few steps towards, Angel shrieks and runs to the ladder and climbs up into the tree house, trying to find a spot to hide.
XxXxXXxXxXXxXxXXxXxX
"Happy Birthday, Angel!" Kentin cheers, smiling at the teen.
"But you're still bigger than me." Angel pouts.
'She's really changed. She looks like her Mom. I wonder if she knows.' Kentin thinks, smiling at the giggling bluenette. From inside the living room, their fathers talk, once again drinking a beer.
"I think Kentin's falling for my baby. At least she might get someone that we know." Lina says, kissing her husband on the cheek, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, those two become a couple." Dan laughs.
"It's quite possible dear." Carol chides him before stepping out of the living room, arms extended for a hug for the birthday girl.
"Happy Birthday, Angel. I have a special gift for you. I'll give it to you in private." Carol says, causing the girl to squeal and hug the woman she considered another mother.
XxXxXXxXxXXxXxXXxXxX
"Ken! Come on!" Angel whisper-shouts at her friend.
"We're going to get grounded." Kentin says, frowning at the bluenette.
"But it won't be long when they find out we were with each other!" Angel insists, referring to their other midnight excursions.
Kentin sighs as he unlocks his truck doors and ushering the bluenette in.
"You will be the death of me, I swear." Kentin says, chuckling as Angel starts singing excitedly.
"You love me though." Angel says, grinning at him, remembering an incident a week ago.
Flashback
"Hey Angel. Can I meet you after classes get out?" Kentin asks, wringing his hands nervously.
"Sure, Kentin. What's up though?" Angel questions.
"You'll see after class." Kentin smiles, thankful for his dense best friend.
"Okay!" Angel smiles. After hearing that, Angel began thing of different scenarios – none of which were acurate, they were all way far from the mark.
Ring Ring
Angel shoots up from her chair, running to her locker to put her books away. As she spots Kentin, she begins following him as he walks out to the back of the gymnasium.
"What's up, Kentin?" Angel asks.
"I like you Angel. A lot. I could even say I love you, and that wouldn't be accurate enough." Kentin says, looking at the ground before glancing up to see a red-faced Angel.
"You...Prove it." Angel demands. Tossing away any hesitation, Kentin steps up to Angel, causing her to take a step back, resting his palms on the cement wall of the school building.
"You really want me to prove it?" Kentin asks, his voice taking a deeper tone, sending shivers down Angel's spine. Angel nods meekly, unable to say anything in fear her voice would squeak. "Your choice." Was all Kentin says before pressing his lips gently to hers, allowing her time to get used to the feeling and motions until she starts kissing him back, hesitantly.
"I love you, Angel." Kentin says after pulling back. Angel blushes and nods, accepting this as the truth.
XxXxXXxXxXXxXxXXxXxX
"I can't believe you, Kentin!" Angel shrieks, glaring at the male in front of her.
"I didn't do anything!" Kentin exclaims.
"You kissed Amber!" Angel screams, tears stinging her eyes.
"She kissed me! I didn't do anything!" Kentin says, pleading with his girlfriend.
"She told me you've been seeing her for half the time we've been together. That's six months she said she's been seeing you!" Angel shouts, tears falling over.
"She's been stalking me. I push her away but she keeps stalking me!" Kentin says, going to wipe the tears from Angel's eyes.
"Go away! I don't want to see you ever again!" Angel screams, slamming the doors on Kentin's hands.
"Angel." Kentin whispers, tears of his own falling. Kentin leaves to get a boquet of his girlfriend's favorite flowers, blue roses. He also grabs a small box of chocolates and sits on her parent's front steps, falling asleep in the late hours of the night.
"Kentin?" Lina questions, shaking the boy awake. "What's wrong?" She asks as Kentin starts crying, dropping all barriers.
"Angel left me because of a girl that was jealous that I love Angel. This girl, Amber, told Angel that I've been cheating and seeing Amber behind Angel's back for the past six months and Angel won't listen to me." Kentin says, tears falling steadily.
"Angel came in the house last night, crying but she wouldn't say anything. Did this happen last night?" Lina questions. The only answer she got was a sob from Kentin and a small nod.
"Ken...tin?" Angel chokes, looking out of her window and down at the porch.
"Angel! What Amber told you wasn't true! I wouldn't cheat on you! I love you too much to even consider doing that!" Kentin calls up to her.
"But the pictures she showed me?" Angel questions.
"She was stalking me, baby! I couldn't get her to leave me alone." Kentin replies.
"You really stayed outside all night?" Angel questions.
"My numb ass is proof enough." Kentin replies, a small, yet hopeful, smile on his face.
XxXxXXxXxXXxXxXXxXxX
"Hey beautiful." Kentin says, smiling as he is greeted with a kiss.
"Hello yourself, handsome." Angel giggles as she curls up next to him.
"Angel, I have a question." Kentin looks up at the bluenette with hopeful eyes.
"Is there anything wrong?" Angel asks, tilting her head to the right.
"Shhh." Kentin shushes her as he get down on one knee and reaching into his jacket pocket.
"..." Angel says nothing as she watches with wide eyes.
"Angel Diamond, I have loved you since the day we first met. I love you now and will forever love you. Will you do me the honors of becoming my wife?" Kentin recites as he opens a velvet box, containing a golden ring with a single sapphire diamond in it.
"Yes!" Angel breaths, holding her hands to her mouth, mentally reminding herself to breath.
XxXxXXxXxXXxXxXXxXxX
"Angel, are you sure you want to do this?" Billy questions, looking at his only daughter.
"I'm positive, Daddy. I love Kentin and I want to marry him." Angel says as her friends walk ahead of her, down the isle.
"I'm glad it was Kentin." Billy says as they walk, arm in arm, down the isle, away from her past, and towards her future. Her future as Mrs. Kentin Pantone.
"Angel, I have a surprise for you. Hold the twins." Kentin smiles as he closes Angel's eyes with his hands, guiding her towards their new home.
"What is it, Kentin?" Angel asks. "I just want to go home and rest." She adds.
"You will be able to in three...two...one." Kentin releases his hold, dsisplaying a sign that says 'Welcome home!'
"Did you..." Angel trails off, seeing her husband nod.
"Do you like it?" Kentin asks nervously.
"No. I love it." Angel smiles as she kisses Kentin on the threshold.
"Your parents gave it to us as a wedding present. Only they wanted to refurnish it for us, so they only told me." Kentin admits sheepishly, unlocking the door.
"It's perfect." Angel smiles.