CHAPTER FOUR

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(Narrator's Pov)

"Higher, Lucas! Higher!" The brunette giggled, living for the way her stomach did a little back flip as her best friend pushed her forwards into the air, defying gravity for just a few seconds before she came back down.

"I'm pushing, laces!" Lucas called back, laughing. He enjoyed the way his best friend freely laughed, excited and happy as she'd always be like when eating strawberry laces. Her giggles filled his ears and the sound became a beautiful melody he didn't ever want to forget.

"Are your arms getting tired or what?" She taunted with a laugh.

"Oh, that's it." And with an extra force of push, Nina went the highest she'd ever gone, squealing as she held on tightly to the swings chain. 

"Lucas!" She exclaimed, shocked at how far he had pushed her.

"You asked for it, laces." Was his smug response.

Eventually, Lucas really did get tired of pushing and Nina felt a little dizzy after all that swinging. She hopped off it and giggled when she felt her world spin for a second. Lucas grinned, shaking his head at how adorable and silly his best friend could be at times.

"Come on, laces." The fifteen year old boy reached out and grabbed Nina's hand, and instantly her world stopped spinning. That strange, unfamiliar feeling of a warm fire grew inside of her stomach and she bit her lip, silently sparing a glance at her older best friend.

There were some new differences to him, one that she found herself appreciating. His jaw had grown more defined, his hair was still the same but trimmed slightly, his muscles were slowly becoming more larger and he had grown a few inches taller.

Lucas, her best friend that was two years older than her, was slowly becoming a man. For her it felt like a milestone when she turned thirteen a few months ago, but now as she noticed her best friend going through puberty and slowly reaching closer to the age of eighteen - thirteen felt like nothing. She still felt like a baby.

To add onto the feeling, was Catherine. The older girl who was longing for Lucas' attention. As Nina had thought last summer when Lucas had brushed Catherine off, she came back around, unaffected and almost determined to make Lucas like her.

At first, Lucas didn't show her any attention towards her whatsoever. Nina was left to inwardly laugh at Catherine's attempts to capture his attention but only to be ignored. Such as when she tried sitting next to him at dinner on the other side of him, or when she would to share some of her stash of candies and snacks (that Lucas would take but share with Nina) even her pathetic attempts at hugging him on his birthday and other special days.

For a long time, Lucas ignored her. But then suddenly, a few weeks ago, it was like he suddenly changed and he began returning the attention Catherine lovingly handed him. He would talk to her, sometimes even start conversations of his own, he would laugh with her like he laughed with Nina (even if it wasn't as much) and he even let her into his room last night because Catherine was 'upset' and needed some comfort.

Nina's stomach churned in an unwelcoming manner. She glanced down at their hands locked before dragging her gaze up towards her maturing best friend. Lucas was a good guy with an even greater heart. It didn't surprise her that Catherine and even other girls at school had some sort of crush on him. He was undeniably good looking and though it made her feel sick when girls would simply blush from him breathing, she sympathized, knowing why they felt that way.

However, she felt even more sorry for the other girls because she had a feeling nobody would be able to really get him other than Catherine. It seemed a lot these days that they were each others boyfriend and girlfriend. Even a little kid that lived in the group home the other day asked if they were married. Catherine giggled while Lucas shook his head, eyes amused from the question. Nina was left to feel uncomfortable and abruptly sick.

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