𝑳𝑰𝑻𝑻𝑳𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺, jmrf

22 • i like this

third person

the summer had gone by and they were already halfway through july. it was now the 15th, almost a week since aubrey and jeremy started dating.

jonah was out of the house again, but this time he wasn't alone. him and alyssa decided to go kayaking just the two of them. they had been under the sun, rowing the kayak together for what seemed like hours.

"i think it's time for lunch, don't you think?" jonah suggested. alyssa turned around, smiled and nodded her head at the boy as they looked for a nearby spot to stop.

finding a nearby forest to park the boat, jonah got out first and took the girl's hand, helping her get up. the two strapped their backpacks on as they walked through the woods in search of a place to sit and eat.

alyssa stopped her tracks in front of a big maple tree in the middle if the woods, "right here."

"here?"

"yes here." she laughed, tightening the straps on her backpack. jonah watched as she climbed up the tree trunk all the way up to the highest and most stable branch.

taking her seat at the top branch, alyssa looked down at the boy who was still on the ground. "well are you coming or not?"

"i guess i am now." jonah laughed as he climbed up the tree and took a seat next to her on the branch.

from where they were seated, it felt like they were on the top of the world. they even saw the river where they were on even though it looked like thousands of miles away.

jonah took out the sandwiches he packed that morning for the two of them while alyssa brought out some water bottles. they each started eating their lunch, talking about different topics from their pasts and their futures.

"so tell me," alyssa stuffed the saran wrap in her backpack and faced the boy in front of her, "why me?"

jonah looked up and chuckled, "what do you mean?"

"like why me? out of all the girls at the 4th party, why come to me?"

"oh well i don't know," he nervously laughed, "you were the only girl i knew, plus we were friends. and you were already kinda in the friend group with ky and hayden, and i don't know i-"

jonah felt her hand on his, making him stop talking. "jonah?"

"yeah?"

"you're rambling." she laughed, "for what it's worth, i'm glad you picked me." the two looked at their hands that were now intertwined. a smile curled up on both their faces.

"so what is this?" jonah asked her quietly.

"what is what?"

"this alys, are we just friends like we say we are or?" alyssa looked at him, unsure what to say. she wasn't expecting him to ask or even mention the topic. she was speechless.

"you know what i think?" jonah nodded for her to go on, giving her his undivided attention. "i think it's too soon to put a label on this. where we're at now, i like this."

a relieved laugh escaped her breath as she finally got to admit this, "i like it a lot actually, and i like you a lot too jo..."

"i sense a but coming." alyssa broke eye contact from him and shook her head.

"but i just think we should take things slow. and then one day, maybe who knows. we could be more than friends."

though it wasn't the answer he was expecting at all, jonah was actually relieved. "yeah, i can do that."

the dark haired girl smiled and tilted her head, "really? you're not mad or whatever?"

jonah shook his head, "no we're good." his gaze shifted to their intertwined hands. for the first time things didn't seem so tense or forced between them. for the first time jonah felt at peace and comfortable with her, like he could wait for the day she'd be ready to be official. and for the first time, he was okay with it all.

"c'mon, we should get going." alyssa nudged his arm as she started climbing down the tree. getting out of his thoughts, jonah followed the girl as they walked back to their kayak to continue their adventure.

"guess who's home!" aubrey turned around to the front door where esther was. she ran to the girl, tackling her into a hug.

"about time!" aubrey said happily, "i feel like i haven't seen you in forever."

"i know i know, but i'm here now." esther told her. ever since she got her new job, the frantzich girl found herself a new group of friends. most of them were her co-workers, all of them roughly the same age. on top of hanging out with them, she started working long hours that when aubrey woke up she was already out of the house and when she'd come home, she'd be so tired she'd fall asleep while aubrey would come home late.

"is this one of those rare moments where we're both awake and at home at the same time?" aubrey laughed.

"i believe so, so you better tell me everything." the two rushed down to the basement which was barely used anymore with everyone always out of the house.

"ok first, tell me if this is just a rumor or you're really mean for not telling me sooner," esther began, "are you and jeremy porter dating?"

a smile appeared on aubrey's face as she looked at the girl and nodded, "yeah just one week so far."

"one week and you never told me?! i don't even know who you are anymore." esther said jokingly, folding her arms and pouting sadly.

aubrey lied down, placing her head on esther's lap- just like old times. as if nothing's changed between them, "i know and that's my fault. but tell me, anyone special you got this summer?"

"pffftt i wish." esther told her, bur the look on her face said otherwise. "ok maybe there is this one guy." she admitted sheepishly.

"i knew it." aubrey grinned, "tell me everything." while esther started describing the cute boy who stops by her job every single day, aubrey turned on the tv and pulled up gilmore girls as the two went back to their old traditions just like how they did before everything changed on the 4th.

ˏ 𓏧 𓏲 𓏲 𓏲 𓋒 𓏲 𓏲 𓏲 𓏲 𓏧 ˎ

a/n

anyone else miss the beginning of the summer when jonah, aubrey, kyle, esther, and svea all hung out cus same </3

that could change doe ;p