Cotton Candy Kisses ✿ Baxter Radic

Chapter 11 💗 (Flashback)

2 years ago

It's late. The salty sea breeze tousled my hair as I sat with my friends around the crackling bonfire on the moonlit beach. The flames danced to the rhythm of our laughter and the strumming of a guitar. The sand beneath us was warm, and the ocean's gentle waves whispered secrets to the stars above. We were wrapped in the cozy embrace of hoodies and blankets, sharing stories of our dreams and fears. The bonfire illuminated our faces, painting them with a warm, orange glow, creating a moment of connection and belonging that felt as infinite as the ocean itself. This night, on the beach, under the stars, was a memory I knew I would cherish forever. My laughter is loud , I haven't laughed like that for along time. I am sitting in a towel wrapped in a blanket to keep the cold from getting to me. I am cuddling my best friend. He is talking to one of our friends and I am looking up at him admiring him while he talks.

Fezco and I met in 1st grade and have been best friends since.I remember it like it was yesterday - a sunny afternoon on the playground, where laughter  filled the air. There he was, a mischievous grin on his face, daring to climb the highest monkey bars. I watched in awe, both impressed and intrigued. Little did I know, that daredevil would become my partner-in-crime for life. Our friendship blossomed over crayon drawings and shared peanut butter sandwiches at lunch. We navigated the alphabet together, giggling over spelling tests and cheering each other on. From building imaginary castles in the sandbox to trading Pokémon cards, every adventure felt like a treasure hunt. And here we are, years later, still best friends.

Fezco is a rare gem in my life. He's the one who's always there, no matter what, offering a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on. With his infectious laughter and an unshakable sense of humor, he effortlessly brightens even the gloomiest of days. He's fiercely loyal, standing by my side through every up and down, and his advice is as honest as it is valuable. He's not just a friend; he's family, the one who understands me like no other. In his presence, I find comfort, support, and an unbreakable bond that I cherish more with each passing day

"You know Connor is looking at you right?" He wispers to me.

"Huh?" I ask confused.

"Connor." He points at the tall boy sitting next to Rue

We were a big friend group. First it was me Autumn. The mom of the group like Fezco said I care too much about everyone.

Then it's Fezco. My best friend he is kind the most kind person I have ever met. Even though I am not a fun of his job he has to provide for him and his brother. He doesn't let his job affect his personal life and I admire him so much for that.

Bailey is my girl best friend. I tell her everything and so does she. We both have and addiction on shopping and annoy everyone because we gossip all the time. She is amazing and the most gorgeous girl I have ever seen.

Rue is my baby. I adore her but she has a little drug problem. Fezco doesn't exactly help and I really hate him for that. She has the kindest soul and everyone loves her

Then there is Sarah. The good girl. She is really pretty and literally every guy is in love with her. Even though she is a pick me girl I love her to death.

The last girl is Rory. She is nice but in my opinion a little spoiled. Life hasn't been the easiest for her and her mom and I absolutely admire her strength.

Of course there is Connor. Well he is really complicated. I don't even now why he is hanging out with us. He has been coming to our friend group the last year. He is one of the popular kids. Everyone is literally afraid of him but I can see right through him. He is as broken as everyone else.

Kevin is amazing he is the best listener and has the best music taste and style. He is the person everyone goes for advise. Like a free therapist.

And Ian, well Ian is my husband. (Well no really) I adore him completely, he knows how to brighten the mood and how to make you smile. He is the smartest person I know, he even let's me copy his homework when I ask him. He is funny and hot at the same time. Although I am 100% sure that he is secretly in love with Kevin and vise versa.

And this is our group. My friends. My family.

Well back to the beach.

"He is not looking at me." I argue.

"He so is." He nudges me.

Turns out he really was and that night after a semi-drunk game of truth or dare we were making out laying in the sand. That night was one of the best of my life. Spending the night in the beach with my second family was everything I could ask for. I couldn't wait for summer to come and everything we planned would be true.

And of course my sister had to ruin it and I had to watch my friends do everything we planned from instagram.

That week I also got a boyfriend. At first he was a gentleman like flowers every day kind of gentleman and he was smarter than post guys plus Connor loved me. Did I too? Now that I think back I think I never did. I liked they idea of him. I never loved him. That is way I never said to him 'I love you'. I think that is why he started acting weird. 

Things started to change last year before I left for Australia. He started to drink and get into trouble. He became a jerk. He was completely toxic and  tryied to manipulate everyone around him. All of our fights were because he acteted so toxic that I wanted to break up with him. But he begged me, he promished he would change but even though he had hurt me endlessly I always hoped that he would change. This happend the day before we left and then we we left I thought that maybe this would be good for us. For our relationship. A little break, maybe this would be a good idea. Well newsflash it wasn't. It ruined us. Well he ruined us. He ruined me.

Bailey never liked Connor, she always wanted us to break up but since is my best friend and always wanted me to be happy she couldn't do anything about it. Only advise me and voice her concerns about him. She always said " When you get out of it, you realize how toxic it actually was. Sometimes the person you're most loyal to is the one who needs to go."

Our group was the popular one, the one in school that everyone wanted to be a part of. Everyone,like Rue always said, either wanted to be with us or be us. 

I always admired Rue she has gone through so much and is one of the strongest people I know even though she has relapsed multiple times and scared us all to death I still love her and look up to her kind and thoughtfull character. Well these are my friends me gang, my squad. Oh and how could I forget Asthray. He is the baby of the group, Fez's brother even though he is 4 yearn younger he is cooler than most of us. He always puts up a tough guy act but I know that deep inside he is a complete sweetheart. (I also know that he loves watching musicals and I use it against him every given opportunity.)