Stella sat quietly in his truck as they hummed down the road. The wind captured her hair and sent it swirling out the window it a knarly heap. Brandon chuckled and sped up to the recreational park.

"I haven't been here in forever." He smiled and pulled in. Stella grinned, "Last time I was here, I was with you." She laughed. That was 4 years ago. He was 13 and she was 12. She remembers them jumping in holding hands becasue she was too scared that he would pretend to jump in and let her go in by herself.

She snapped out of her fantasy when his truck tires crunched up on the gravel by the dock. "Ready?" He said wildly and hopped out quickly.

She slid out to quickly and almost lost her balance and took a moment to settle. She was being too eager, needing to calm down so she didn't look like an idiot. She took a few steps then froze with awh. Brandon yanked off his shirt and smiled at her. Even though it wasn't a new sight, it was still amazing. She smiled back and pulled off her summery dress and Brandon couldn't help but look too. She wasn't too proud of her body but it would do for now. She bent over to pick up her flip flops but hesitated. Rolls she thought.

She bent over and balled her dress together and covered her stomach. Brandon chuckled, and she blushed. "I'm still chunky," She agreed. "No, You're perfect." He smiled charmingly and walked towards the dock.

She felt the butterflies in her stomach pull up and tickle her lungs, making breathing difficult. Brandon stood by the dock thinking about how to get into the cold water. Stella put her things down next to him and took a step towards him, tripping on his shoe, flinging her at her and toppling them into the freezing water. When she surfaced, she saw him smiling with his hair matted to his facce. He flipped it over and laughed lightly. "I'm sooo sorry!" She yelled and swam to him.

"It's okay," He laughed again and rubbed his eyes. When he stopped he pulled her in and wrapped her legs around his waist. "I'm a mess," She mumbled. "Not at all...your..." He though, she frowned. "You're beautiful." He murmured, right before he turned his head slightly to the side and pressing his lips to hers. Stella didn't kiss back at first because she didn't understand. She then registered that the guy that she loves lips were on hers. She pressed them back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he picked her up more. "Stella," He whispered into her lips. She felt the hair on her back stand up. It was the best kiss anyone has ever planted on her. She didn't know why but she didn't ever want to forget this moment.

She felt herself sliding but he readjusted her but kept the kiss going. She held him tighter but suddenly felt weird. This was Brandon, her best friend's brother. She slowly pulled away and the smack of the suction startled him. "Stella?" He said nervously. She frowned and looked away. He took one hand from her bottom that helped her stay afloat and tucked her hair behind her ears, "I'm sorry." He started. "I'm sorry that I made our whole friendship awkward with just one thing. I'm sorry Stella, you can be my friend first, always." He said with sad eyes. She smiled softly but they it flipped to a frown, "I'm sorry." She said through a deep breath. "You're a great guy Brandon." She slipped away and walked up the side and up the ladder leading to the dock. He sighed and climbed up to and she threw him a towel, "Can you take me to your house, I forgot my stuff." She said quietly. "Yeah," He said softly and walked to his truck. She slid in, buckled her seatbelt and glued her eyes out the window.

They rode in silence and Brandon felt the awkwardness. He turned up the radio and heard a soft Taylor Swift song and kept it.

She said, I was seven and you were nine
I looked at you like the stars that shined
In the sky, the pretty lights
And our daddies used to joke about the two of us
Growing up and falling in love and our mamas smiled
And rolled their eyes and said oh my my my
Took me back to the house in the backyard tree
Said you'd beat me up, you were bigger than me
You never did, you never did
Took me back when our world was one block wide
I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried
Just two kids, you and I...
Oh my my my my
I was sixteen when suddenly
I wasn't that little girl you used to see
But your eyes still shined like pretty lights-

Brandon quickly changed the station once here recognized the song was too true.

He surfed for minutes and then finally concluded that nothing was suitable. He pulled up to his drive way and Stella quickly slid out and walked through the front door. Brandon walked in and she was gathering her things and quickly if that. Her phone rang and she answered nervously, hoping it wasn't Bloom. "Hello?...Hey Mom...Where?...Well I'm at Bloom's, how will I get in if you took my car?...I'm not gonna stay here all day...whatever." Stella said then hung up, "My mom took my car which had my house keys so I can't go home." She said calmly.

"Okay," Brandon nodded and walked into the kitchen and leaned on the counter. Stella walked up next to him and mocked him. "Stella," He started. "Yeah." She said. "Why don't you like me like you did when you were younger?" He said casually. Her face was burning red. "I do." She said nervously. "Then why won't you kiss me?" He said turning to her. She watched his lips move as he talked and didn't want anything as much as another kiss. "I..I Just...I don't know." She said, he chucked. "Oh Stell." He laughed.

She leaned towards him and pressed her lips to his and she felt his smile. "Thank You," He murmured.