Protecting Her

Chapter one

You never realize what you have until its taken away from you. Or in my case, it almost slipped away from me. It almost slipped out of my hands. She was at the tips of my fingers. Slipping away.

Seventeen years ago, on May sixteenth, 1995 I was born. My mother and her mother just so happend to be best friends and pregnant at the same time. We were best friends ever since I can remember. From the play dates when we were five, to the after school study sessions when we were twelve.

Arial was my best friend. We never had that boyfriend-girlfriend kind of relationship, but the sister-brother type. She had golden blonde hair and the bluest eyes you had ever seen. Arial was pretty lean and loved to paint, she actually wanted to be a photographer.

Anyways, it all started when we turned sixteen. We never threw a huge birthday party because we felt, age is only a number, so why celebrate it? We had a simple party including me, her, our friend Jackson, and another friend, Jessica. We all decided to go mess around at the creek.

"Ok, whoever can jump from bank to bank and make it, without getting wet, wins!" Jackson said a little to excited, as usual.

"Cody! I'll jump if you do!" Arial said looking at me. She extended her arm out to me and offered me her hand. Next thing I know we have closed our eyes, counted to three, and landed safely on the bank, landing on our butts.

"Well they didn't get wet! Now it's my turn! Move out of the way, miss." Jess exclaimed lightly pushing Jackson aside. We all laugh at her little joke. I look down and realize my hand is still on Arials' . When I looked up she is looking in my eyes while I am doing the same to her. We paused for a long beat then stood up to help her up. She dusted off her jean shorts and moved out of the way with me so Jessica could jump.

Jess squealed as she jumped from bank to bank, soaking her old pair of Converses. "Wooow! Epic fail Jess!" I told her while she walked back up the bank were we stood watching and snickering at her.

"At least I landed on my feet and not my butt!" She said,pleased with herself.

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Chapter two

We headed back to the house and Arial gave me a little box. Inside was a leather bracelet she made. After we ate decided to watch horror movies (which nobody was scared of). Jackson and Jessica fell asleep,one one the couch and one on the floor, while Arial and I talked.

Every time in the past that we would get into a conversation, it felt normal. It felt like talking to anyone else. Normal. But lately, I get that warm liquid feeling the guy in the cheesy chick-flick gets. It's something special.

Arial and I never really talked about dating. To be honest we had never dated anyone else either. I hope it stays that way. But, how long can a now, sixteen year old girl wait for someone to come along thats perfect for her before she realizes that that he is right there sitting beside her every day? I am starting to all of a sudden be crazy about her. I don't want to tell her the way I feel because it might not stick around for long, and then what?

Even if we did go out, and something happend and we broke up. Best friend I have ever had, gone.

We talked and put on a comedy for background noise. That's when she suprised me. "Cody, if I tell you something, do you promise me you won't tell?"

"That's a dumb question." I whispered sarcastically. She new I kept all her secrets.

"Well don't tell any way. I am kinda...um...in a relationship." She said with a glow in her eye. No. Tell me she didn't just say that. What? Why? My face went completely blank. I mentally gathered what was going on the past thirty seconds, and then tried to see the face she was seeing in my head.