Fearful Love

Chapter 2-I Have My Reasons (Flashback)

"I'm so excited!" Kate squealed, tucking her boarding pass into her carry on.
"I know!" I cried as we walked through the terminal. Our sophomore class was going on a summer trip to Michigan. Our main attraction was Mackinac Island, and it was what I was most excited for.
Kate slid into the window seat, I took the middle, and Jessica sat in the aisle seat. Dave and his two guy friends, James and Leo. sat behind us.
Our 7 hour flight took off and the ground disappeared below us. Dave and his friends were loud, but so were mine.
The three of us chatted up a storm, but after many snacks and soda cans, Kate drifted off to sleep. Jessica and I shared my ear pods and watched a pre-downloaded movie.
I decided to sleep, so Jessica watched the rest of the movie alone. Kate got up to talk to our geometry teacher and I stole her window seat.
My face was warmed by the gentle sunshine and I felt sleepy, but I caught the tail end of Dave's conversation.
"It's obvious she likes you bro!" James said. I wondered if the girl was me.
"Yeah, she'll love it when you kiss her." Leo encouraged.
"I don't know. I've known her for so long, maybe we are just friends." Dave responded uncertainly.
Dave had been my next door neighbor for 10 years, and we'd become very close friends. I had had a crush on him for as long as I could remember.
"Just try to, okay? Maybe you'll be surprised." Leo said gently.
"Fine." Dave said.
"Now shut up so I can go to sleep!" James yelled. After a few minutes all three boys were out like a light. I nudged Jessica's shoulder.
"How long do we have now?" Jessica whined. She'd asked that question 5 times before already.
"About half an hour, so I got to make this quick." I answered annoyed.
"Is it about boys?" Kate grinned sliding back into her seat, pushing me into my original one.
I blushed. "Yeah..."
"Dave?" Jessica guessed.
"Obviously!" I smirked.
"Spill!" Kate cried.
"Well, I happened to overhear Dave, James, and Leo talking, and Dave said he was going to kiss somebody, and I think it's me because what other girl has he known for a long time?" I blurted out.
"Exact. Words. Shelly." Kate slowly criticised.
"Touchy much?" Jessica chuckled.
I recounted the conversation exactly to my friends, and they concluded the girl was me.
"He'll tell you he likes you! maybe on the beach?" Jessica grinned.
"No," Kate interrupted, "he will tell you he LOVES you."
Per the pilot's instructions, we exited the plane after we landed. Jessica, Kate and I were sharing a hotel room.
"I call a bed!" Kate yelled.
"I get the other one!" I shouted.
"Thanks," Jessica sarcastically drawled, "now I have to sleep on the couch."
I looked back at Dave and blushed. He smiled sweetly and I quickly turned away, taking the silent win.
* * *
I swatted my offender away as I was shaken awake.
"Shelly come ON! We need to leave right now and meet the boys at the beach, or we'll miss our chance to hang out before we leave for Mackinac!" a persistent Kate whined, shaking me again.
"Fine!" I mumbled sleepily, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. Kate was fully dressed in a jean skirt, black and white chevron shirt, and black Converse. Her strawberry blonde hair was curled.
Jessica walked out of the bathroom in her pajamas.
"You two better hurry!" Kate trilled, "One bathroom isn't big enough for two teenagers!"
I slipped into short bleached jean shorts, mint Converse, and a gray and white polka dot shirt. I pulled my hair out of its braid and applied some light makeup.
"Ready?" Jessica asked. Her yellow and pink summer dress rustled as she grabbed her keys.
"Yup!" I answered.
* * *
"Wanna take a walk?" Leo shyly asked Kate.
"Yeah..." Kate sheepishly responded. They walked off towards the pier.
"Jessica?" James confidently asked.
"Yes?" Jessica responded, matching his tone.
"You like me, right?" James boldly said.
"Yes sir. And vice versa, correct?" Jessica confirmed.
James planted a kiss on her forehead, and they walked in the other direction, hand in hand.
"Seems like everybody's matched up, huh?" Dave said.
"Yup..." I awkwardly answered as we climbed over dark rocks to get to the water's edge. Lake Huron was extremely beautiful and looked like an ocean. The sunrise sent streaks of orange across the rippling water. A balmy wind blew my hair into my face.
Dave and I stood very close facing each other. He brushed the hair from my face and leaned in to kiss me. I let him.
"Was that...good?" Dave worriedly asked.
"Yes." I grinned.
And he learned in again...