Freshman year flew by, like blink of an eye fast. I wish all of high school were that fast…Swimming is going awesome now. I'm captain of the team and my parents are super proud which makes me proud. I still haven't told them I'm gay but I do have a girlfriend now. Since we live in a small town, no one knows we're dating but Aria and some of Maya's friends.

I met Maya over the summer. She moved in across the street from my house and when I went over to introduce myself to her, I fell for her. There was just something about her…something so free and light. I needed that in my life and when she kissed me, I knew I'd finally have that.

We've been together six months now and she's amazing. There's one issue though…she wants me to come out to my parents. Maya doesn't really want to hide and I get that…I'm just not ready…

Maya doesn't push it too much…so we're in a good place. I'm happy with her. As I walk down the hallway I look for her by her locker but she isn't there. We normally meet there right after class. I continue walking and then text Maya asking where she is. Before I reach her locker I smash into someone and my phone flies out of my hands along with papers flying in the air.

"Shit! Sorry." I hear from above me. I reach down and grab my phone and help the girl grab her papers.

"No problem it was my fault. There should be a law against people texting and walking." I hear her giggle as I grab the last of her papers.

"I don't want to live in a world where texting while walking is a crime. I don't think I'll look good in orange." I chuckle as I stand and put my arm out to hand…HANNA MARIN! I was talking to Hanna Marin! I bumped into Hanna Marin! Hanna chuckles and I feel my heart melt as I look at those beautifully deep dimples. I smile shyly as she takes the papers from my hands.

"Sorry." She shakes her head.

"It's fine. Thanks…um…it's Emily right?" She asks and I nod my head.

"Thanks Emily. I'll see you around." She says then walks off.

She knows my name? She knows…My name?! She knows my name! She knows my name! SHE KNOWS MY NAME! I want to do backflips, jump up and down, run all over the school and yell Hanna Marin knows my name! But I settle for a smile and an erratic heartbeat. God, today is a good day…

Summer

I'm so glad I can finally relax, swim and spend time with Aria without having to worry about homework. Maya and I didn't last very long. Only about seven and a half months. I can't say I didn't see it coming. Maya couldn't hide and I didn't want to make her to we decided to end it, though we're still friends. It still hurts…pretty bad but it might be the right thing to do. We were just too different…and I still have feelings for Hanna. I'm starting to think I may need professional help. I don't even KNOW her…why am I so stuck on her? Whatever, I'll get over it…I hope.

After I bumped into Hanna, she'd say hi to me in the hall or wave but we haven't actually talked. Hanna's dating some guy named Caleb anyway so I definitely stand no chance. Hanna's straight and I should just face it.

"What are you thinking about?" I hear Aria ask me. We're outside sitting on my porch trying to figure out what to do today.

"Nothing." I shake my head and Aria rolls her eyes.

"Everything okay? Is it Maya?" I shake my head again.

"Your parents?" Wrong again. Aria grabs my legs and turns me towards her.

"What's up Em?" I just shake my head again and she sighs.

"Let's go to the beach. Plenty eye candy." I shrug and stand.

"I'll go get our swim suits." Yes Aria has clothes at my house. She practically moved in this summer.

Before I turn to walk in the house I hear laughter and look to my left to see Hanna and Spencer walking and laughing about something. Just what I need…to see Hanna.

"Hey look who it is!" I hear Hanna say and I avert eye contact. Is she…is she talking to me?

"Emily!" She says and I start to lose feeling in my legs. I smile at her and wave. Hanna smiles and waves me over to her. I look at Aria and Aria looks at me. I gulp. I don't even need to tell Aria to follow me because as I leave the porch, she's two feet behind me.

When I reach Hanna and Spencer I smile at them again.

"Hey." I say and Spencer looks at me and smiles.

"What are you guys up to today?" Hanna asks.

"We were going to just hang out at the beach." Hanna's eyes light up and she flashes me a smile.

"Mind if we join?" she asks.

"The more the merrier." Aria says.

"Cool. We'll just go grab our stuff and be back in 30. That work?" Spencer asks and I nod my head. They walk away to leave and I look at Aria dumbfounded.

"What just happened?" I ask and Aria just smirks at me.

"What you just witnessed was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Now come on, we're going to the beach!" Aria runs off to the house and follow behind. Why would Hanna want to even come with us? With me? Anywhere….?

We caught up with some other people from school at the beach and the next thing you know, it's a bonfire. Well…that escalated quickly. Everyone's dancing and having fun and I'm sitting by the fire drinking water and thinking.

I'm not too sure how much of this is reality. Hanna has been….talking to me. Like actually talking to me and it's so surprising. I don't get why…I go to the other side of the fire and sit in the sand. Now, I'm not sure I can have a friendship with Hanna until I'm over her. I love that we've been together but hearing her talk about boys is driving me insane. She and Caleb aren't together anymore so I don't have to hear about that but…I don't know…I'd rather stay away from her which doesn't make sense because I've been dreaming of this moment since…forever.

"What are you thinking about?" I hear someone say next to me. I look over to see Hanna sitting down next to me in the sand.

"Nothing." I tell her and she rolls her eyes.

"Is it something serious?" I shake my head.

"Well…if you want to talk, I'm here." I give her a small smile and she moves closer to me.

"You wanna know something?" She says but I can barely hear her over the blood rushing to my ears. Hanna is still in her bathing suit and so am I…and our thighs are touching.

"We don't know each other very well at all but…I feel like I can talk to you. Confide in you. And to be honest…it's creeping me out." She laughs a bit at the end.

"I do know how to keep a secret." I say. Hanna smiles and stares at the fire.

"Do you ever feel like you fade into the background?" She asks and I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion as she looks back at me.

"Like…do you feel like no one ever…knows you. Like…you're Emily, overall good girl, captain of the swim team…you know…labels…" I get what she's getting at now.

"Yeah…I know how that feels. Like…people just expect thing from you because of your title and don't know or care if that's what you want to do, how you really feel, or even if it's something you even care about." Hanna nods.

"I'm not the bitch people make me out to be. They think because I'm friends with Allison that'll I'll kill them socially or something. I just…I'm tired of being looked at as a minion. I want to be Hanna Marin…the aspiring fashion designer who has a brain of her own…you know?" I nod my head because I have nothing to say.

I never thought I'd have a deep conversation like the one I just had with Hanna. We honestly just talked for hours about the deepest things. Normally I would say this was weird but it felt right. I felt like I could confide in her just like she felt she could confide in me. Aria may have been right…this may be the start of a beautiful friendship.