P.S. I Pinky Promise

Chapter 1: No Place Like Home

"Liam Tucker, you give that back!"

"Or what?"

"Or...or I'm gonna tell!"

"No, you won't." The confidence oozed off of him as he held my stare, calling my bluff.

"I will, I mean it!" I huffed, crossing my arms and stomping my feet.

"Nah, you won't. And you wanna know why?" He leaned toward me, pulling on my pigtail. "It's because you like me."

My mouth dropped open and in the same moment, the annoying nine-year-old who had stolen my cookie and held it hostage, pushed it right in my gaping mouth. My eyes went wide and then narrowed in on his smug look. He looked ridiculous with his dirt-stained cheeks and messy hair, and I wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off his face.

I bit my cookie and chunked the rest at his head, but he ducked just in time, missing the assault. I eyed my now ruined cookie laying in the dirt and looked back up to see mischief sparkling in those emerald eyes.

"Guess what?" He leaned closer, the smell of strawberries and chocolate chips on his breath tickled my nose. "You missed me."

"Yeah. So?"

"So now you gotta kiss me."

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The sound of my alarm clock blaring woke me up. I punched the annoying thing off and groaned, pulling the covers over my head. The dream of a memory long ago slowly slipping from my consciousness.

Ugh, just five more minutes.

The pull of my covers and a slap on my butt had me rolling over and cursing under my breath.

"Rise and shine!"

"Seriously Kat? Was stripping me of my essentials necessary?"

My way too bright-eyed, chipper, bronzed best friend quirked her eyebrow at me. "Your essentials?"

I reached down and pulled my sacred blankets back up around me. "Yes. These are commodities this early in the morning."

She shook her head and nodded to my nightstand where a mug was placed. "I brought you coffee as a truce."

She doesn't play fair.

Sitting up, I reached over and grabbed the cup, bringing it up to my lips for a sip. It was a warm, creamy, sugary sip of perfection. "You're lucky this is a great cup of coffee. You are forgiven." I took another sip then stood up, putting it back on my nightstand. Turning toward her, the heavy realization of what today meant settled on me. "Oh, Kat, what am I going to do without you?"