Only

one

I walked lazily towards the growing group of teens with my friend, Vicky. We both yawned in sync as our feet dragged along the sidewalk of the roundabout. We were headed to Redlands, California, for a church youth conference. There were almost thirty teens going from our church, most of which I knew, some I didn't. In total at the conference, there would be about two hundred. As we approached the group, pulling my tiny suitcase behind me, my favorite blanket around my neck, pillow in my left and guitar on my back, I heard my name called.

"Ray!" Holly shouted, a few eyes turned to look at me, but I shrugged them off.

"Hols, it's almost four forty-five in the morning, now is not the time for shouting," I muttered once I knew she'd be able to hear me.

She laughed and helped me put my stuff down with everyone else's before hugging me, "Is Kathy here yet?" I asked.

Holly nodded her head as she hugged Vicky, "Yeah, she had to go to the bathroom, she's inside."

I nodded as my eyes started shutting again slowly. Just as my mind began to drift off, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my neck, hugging me from behind. I already knew who it was. His name is Luca, he was, as my friends liked to call him, my unofficial official boyfriend. The only reason he isn't my official boyfriend is because I can't date until I'm eighteen. Which luckily, is only a short year away.

"Hey," he muttered into my neck.

I let out a hum as a reply, and I felt him turn his head to look at Vicky and Holly, "I'm guessing she didn't get much sleep?" He asked.

"Nope," Vicky chuckled, "Bucky kicked her off the bed a few times, and by the time she'd fallen asleep, it was time to wake up."

"Yeah, so until we get to Bridgeport, she's going to be practically dead," Holly said.

"Who's dead?" I heard Kathy ask as she approached.

I turned my body so my head was leaning against Luca's chest and he wrapped his arms around my body tighter, "She is," He said.

"Oh yeah, of course, she is. She can't function at this hour." Kathy laughed.

I pulled my hand out of my pocket and flipped her the bird before putting both my arms around Luca.

"Okay, roll call!" I heard a voice shout. I lifted my head from Luca's chest and found that it was Mr. Erickson, standing with a clipboard at the front of the bus. "When I call your name, just say something that lets me know you're here."

"Vicky Caughlin!"

"Existing!" Vicky shouted.

He continued yelling name's, calling out mine to which Luca replied, "She's here, but half asleep." And everyone laughed.

After he finished checking that everyone was here, he told the girls to get on the bus, and the guys to help load the bags into the bottom of the bus. I walked to the back with the girls and our other friends before getting the second to last row. The boys had finished getting everything in the bus and loaded into it, Luca sitting next to me, Vicky's boyfriend Alex with here, and Holly and Kathy were sitting together.

Mr. Erickson prayed and then the bus started moving.

"Did you text your mom that we were leaving the church?" Luca asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me closer to him.

"No," I muttered. I pulled my phone from my pocket and handed it to him.

He quickly got in, already having his fingerprint on it, and knowing the password. He texted my mom then unwrapped the blanket from my neck and covered me with it.

"Only twelve more months, love." He mumbled.

I smiled, "Twelve more months."

About two hours later, we came to a stop outside a donut shop in Bridgeport. We all got out, eager to eat free donuts. Luca got out of his seat, then stepped back a row and let me get out. I grabbed his hand and we both walked out of the bus. We joined our group of friends, conversing with them as we waited for the door of the shop to open.

"Wait, so how long have you guys been unofficially going out?" Our friend Lexi asked.

I scrunched my eyebrows as I thought about it, "Since about January, I think?"

Luca nodded, putting an arm around my shoulder, "Yeah about then."

"And you're waiting to officially date until she's eighteen?" She continued to prod, motioning towards me.

We both nodded and she laughed, "Wow that's kind of ridiculous. I mean you guys already do everything couples do anyway."

I rolled my eyes, "Hey, Lexi, it's still early and I'm too tired to hear about how you think it's ridiculous, so can we hold off talking about it until I die? Thanks."

I hear Luca stifle a laugh next to me as he pulled me closer to him. Lexi cleared her throat and excused herself to a different group of friends.

"I forgot how snarky you get when you're pissed off and tired," Vicky said laughing.

I shrugged nonchalantly, "It's a talent, I guess."

Pretty soon the door opened and we formed a line. I had gotten a glazed donut and some orange juice, Luca got a maple with water, Vicky got chocolate, Holly got filled, and Kathy got an old-fashioned.

In a small amount of time, we were back on the bus, hyper and excited to get to youth conference.

"I have to warn you," I began, getting Luca' s attention, who was currently munching on his donut, "of like two things."

"Okay," he smiled, making me smile. His smile was the most gorgeous thing I'd ever seen. It gave me butterflies every time I saw it.

"So one, expect me to get super crazy by four corners--"

"What's four corners?"

"Hell, but Heaven at the same time." Vicky chimed in.

He nodded and looked back at me, "Continue."

"So yeah, expect me to get excited pretty quickly. When we get there, there are two people you need to look out for. The first is a guy, his name is Luis, he kind of hates me because apparently, I'm not Christian enough to his standards, which is really dumb. And second is a girl, forgot her name, but she's got brown hair, really annoying and she comes with the Wyoming crew. She goes after the gorgeous guys--"

"It's true she does," Kathy said, taking a bite of her donut.

"Exactly, she goes after the gorgeous guys and well, you're one of them," I paused when he gave me a sheepish smile as he blushed. He hated when I called him gorgeous, "So just, don't pay attention to her..." I looked him in the eyes as I lowered my voice, "I don't want to lose you to her."

Something flashed in his eyes before shaking his head, putting his donut down, and holding my face in his hands, "No one is going to take me away from you, I promise." He said softly. Then he pressed a quick kiss to my lips and moved to grab my hand.

I smiled at him then heard a groan, "You guys are too adorable for your own good."

Luca chuckled, "Thanks."

"You guys still haven't told me the story of how you got together," Christian said, finally entering our conversation.

"Do you want the full story?" I asked

"Heck yeah!" He grins.

"All right so we met about a year and a half ago..."