Know thyself.

Bree. -N

"Hey, man!" I hear Alex's voice from across the parking lot. "You comin' to play at the 'burbs?"

I stop looking for my keys and face him. He was walking towards me, so I'd rather not answer him back with a shout and continue to look for 'em keys. There're a lot of people around and when they'd hear the excuse I'm giving Alex for ditching him, the guys and the hoops, a lot of stories would come up and I'm not big on attention givers.

"Yo, Nate." he says - with his gangster black accent I find awesome - stopping in front of me. "It's Friday. Game day, remember? Where you goin' anyways?"

"Alex, man, I'm skippin today." I offer him a shrug and a smile, "It's our anniversary." 

"Oh." He says, rolling his eyeballs. "C'mon man! What happened to bros before ----"

I give him a look that shuts him up. "You know that Bree always comes first. I mean, I'd play with you anytime, man, but we promised eachother that we're first in eachother's priority list when it comes to people besides family." I say, giving him an excuse both Bree and I found cheesy and somewhat unrealistic but still find adhering to. 

"Fine, man." he says, giving up. "See you 'round." And starts walking away. 

But stops and looks back for a while, "Oh, and say "hi" to Bree for me, Nate. See ya!"

I smile.

Even when Bree sometimes ruins my plans with the guys, they still like her. I mean, what's not to like? Bree is most definitely likeable. Perhaps the most likeable person I know. People say that I'm biased because I've known her for 7 years before we made it official, but that's just the thing - we instantly became best friends! And that's because she is the awesomest person I know and I'm so lucky that Icall her mine - even if she almost voices out that it's the other way around.

She, to me, is perfection. She is so, so beautiful and it's impossible to believe that she doesn't know this, but she really doesn't. She doesn't bother to fix her hair much like the other girls in school. She doesn't put much make-up - just that cherry lip balm (but she swears it's not counted as make-up) she always keeps in handy that makes me want to nibble on her lips even more.

Her brown tousselled hair, her long sexy lashes, her warm brown eyes and her lips that does wonders - they all make me want her more each passing day. But what got me that very first day I saw her in the neighborhood park was her smile. I was just six years old back then, but her smile made me want to be her friend. And since then it had been my goal to make her smile - to be the very reason behind it. And I'm glad that I sometimes am.

I see her just in time. She wouldv'e walked home because I haven't brought up the topic of our anniversary the whole day today even though we texted through classes. And I was caught up by Alex's convo that maybe she thought I went to game friday and forgot all our plans. But I didn't. And I had our after-classes anniversary celebration all planned out. 

I hop out of the car and sprint silently towards her.

"Hello, luv." I say, hugging her from behind. I smell her chlorine tinged strawberry hair and bury my face in it. 

"Nateee" she giggles. That laugh so innocent, so melodic that I forget the rest that happened.

Nate off, autopilot on.

I just hope I don't forget our reservations.

Most especially Ciao Bella.

That was a routine to be treated with utmost reverence.

A routine with the very Bree I worship.