Pinky Promise?

Chapter 1- June 2017

"Finally, you're here!" exclaimed Stella and Katelynn as Charlotte walked through the door. It was Stella's 15th birthday party, and they had been worried that their other best friend, Charlotte, wouldn't be able to come. Charlotte's mom was very protective and had never met Stella's mom, so the chances had seemed slim.

"I'm so happy that my mom actually let me come over!" Charlotte squealed, wrapping Stella and Katelynn in a huge hug. "So... what are we gonna do tonight?" she asked, flipping her shoulder-length curly brown hair over her shoulder.

"Oh, I was just thinking we could hang out, watch movies in the tent, and maybe go in the hot tub for a bit," Stella said, leading Charlotte and Katelynn to her room.

Charlotte had never been to Stella's house before, so she didn't know that Stella's mom and soon-to-be stepdad, Colby, liked the house quiet. In hindsight, they probably should have told her that before she arrived. Katelynn had been best friends with Stella for eight years. Despite coming from a loud family, she knew how to tone it down when staying with Stella. She had only been best friends with Charlotte since seventh grade, so that's about three years now. Charlotte and Stella had met at Katelynn's 12th birthday party, and they had been inseparable ever since.

"So, Kati, what do you want to do? Should we save the Oreos and stuff until later?" Stella asked after they had watched about three movies in her room.

"I think we should set up the tent; it's going to get dark soon," Katelynn said, grabbing the tent bag.

"Okay. Sounds good." Charlotte and Stella followed her outside. They set up the tent and put all their blankets and pillows inside.

"Wow. It looks great," Charlotte said as they stood back to admire their work.

For the next couple of hours, they went in the hot tub, played hide and seek with Stella's brother Bradley, and then got into their PJs and went into the tent to watch a movie on Stella's laptop.

After Charlotte and Stella fell asleep, Katelynn lay there, reminiscing about when she and Stella first met in third grade. Stella had been a huge jerk, telling Katelynn that she couldn't be friends with Stella Stevenson because they didn't share the same name. Stella S and Katelynn had been friends since kindergarten, so the new girl's attitude was a shock. Stella tormented her, and soon, Stella S wouldn't hang out with either of them until they resolved their issues. They hated each other through September and most of October. Then, on October 20th, Stella left school early and didn't return for a week. When she did, she was distant, almost broken. Instead of playing tetherball or four square at recess, she leaned against a tree, staring off into the distance.

Katelynn decided to ask her what was wrong. Stella told her that her dad had passed away. At the time, Katelynn couldn't even fathom the pain. She helped Stella up and made her laugh, providing a small comfort.

Over the summer, they hung out and soon declared themselves BFFs. "Kati, will we be friends forever?" Stella asked one summer day.

"Yes, we will. I promise."

She smiled. "Pinky promise?"

Katelynn nodded. "Pinky promise." They linked pinkies, sealing their promise in the most important way they knew.

From that day, their lives were never the same again.

Katelynn awoke early the next morning, the first rays of sunlight filtering through the tent. The peaceful sound of birds chirping outside contrasted sharply with her friends' soft snores. She groaned; although it was a beautiful morning, she wasn't a morning person and did not want to be awake after staying up late the night before

"Morning, Kati," mumbled Stella, still half-asleep.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?" Katelynn whispered back.

Stella nodded with a smile. "Yes, best birthday ever!"

Charlotte stirred, sitting up slowly. "Is it already morning? What time is it?" She asked groggily.

"Too early," Katelynn replied, tugging her sleeping bag over her head in protest.

Stella sat up and faced Charlotte, brimming with energy. "Char, want to watch Friends? My laptop's fully charged, and once I'm up, I can't go back to sleep," She glanced towards Katelynn's cocooned form and chuckled at her friend's antics, "Don't worry, Kati; we'll keep it quiet." Charlotte eagerly nodded, and they settled into watching the show in the corner of the tent. Their soft laughter intertwined with the sounds of the show and the peaceful morning outside, creating a soothing atmosphere that gently lulled Katelynn back to sleep.