Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rachel Renee Russell. I'm just borrowing them.

Nikki's POV

I recognised him the moment I set eyes on him. The same shaggy hair and the same fingers clutching onto a camera hanging from his neck. The same tall built and the same gorgeous face. The face I fantasised about for the whole of eighth grade. The face I stared at from afar, the face I dreamt of at night. The face of Brandon Roberts, my middle school crush.

I haven't thought of Brandon in years! At the end of the year, we both left our middle school for separate high schools. Due to schoolwork and a much more active social life, I was very busy and I eventually forgot all about him. I had other crushes to obsess over and Brandon just became one of the many boys I once loved.

But that doesn't mean I forgot about him completely. After all, he was my first crush. Don't they say you never truly forget your firsts? Because, now, four years after we parted ways, I can still recongnise him from a mile away. Literally!

I must have been staring at him for too long as he turned back and spotted me. His curious expression morphed into one of surprise.

"Nikki?," he called out, grinning. I smiled and bent down in a fake curtesy. "Yup, that's right. It's me."

"God, I haven't seen you in ages. How are you? What have you been doing? Are you still drawing?" Questions poured out of Brandon like they have been trapped inside for years. And, you know what, they probably have been. As I mentioned before, I haven't seen him in four years!

"Yeah, I know, it has been a long time. I'm doing well. I'm actually taking art courses at a local college," I responded. I gestured towards his camera and remarked, "I'm assuming you still do photography."

Brandon nodded shyly and was there a pink tinge on his cheeks? Why was he blushing? Photography is nothing to be embarrassed of! He had no reason to be blushing. I was sure the reason was not photography. I wanted desperately to know why, but obviously, I couldn't just ask him. It would be too awkward.