Love Story (Oh my, my, my)

 I was only seven years old when I first fell in love. You may say that's crazy, but I'm telling the truth. He was nine, a family friend since we were babies. But it was at age seven that I realized I wanted him to be so much more. Suddenly, when I was playing princess and dolls with my friends, my husband always ended up being Jesse. 

 Their family came over to dinner every Saturday. When the adults sat in the house and talked, Jesse and I would be outside, talking, laughing, and playing. There was a tall tree in my backyard that my dad had built a ladder into and I was racing up the ladder, playing hide and seek. I could hear Jesse counting in the distance.

 "One, two, three, four..."

 I scrambled up the tree, careful to avoid the sticks that poked at my arms and legs and the leaves that swatted my face. I found a strong and sturdy branch, high above the ground and sat there carefully, waiting. The sun had started to set and there was a orange and pink glow over the tops of the trees. The birds had almost stopped singing entirely, and the crickets and frogs were coming out for their night time debut, when Jesse yelled out, breaking the silence.

 "Ready or not, here I come!"

 I froze, trying to not even breathe as I heard Jesse stomping around the backyard. 

 "Abz!" He called. "Where are you? I'm gonna find you!"

 Suddenly, my weight shifted and a twig cracked.

 "I heard that!" Jesse yelled, excited. "I heard you! You're in the tree, aren't you?"

 He ran over and soon I saw his face peering up at me, a huge toothy grin on his lips. "Ha! There you are!"

 I started climbing down. "How come you always find me?"

 "I'm older than you." He said with his arms crossed defiantly, as if that settled the matter. "Plus, I'm a boy."

 "That doesn't make a difference." I muttered as I swung down from one of the branches and landed nimbly on my feet. "I'm tired of hide and seek. Let's play something else."

 "Okay." He said. He walked over to me and sat down with his back to the tree. "I have a new game."

 "What?" I asked, sitting down beside him. Jesse always told me about new and fun games that he played with his older friends. 

 "It's called Truth or Dare."

 "It sounds stupid." I said, starting to get up. 

 "No, listen!" He grabbed my wrist to stop me from getting up. "It's fun." 

 I pouted. "Can't we play tag?"

 "Tag's a little kids game."

 "Is not!"

 "Is so!" Jesse said, matter-of-factly. "No big kids play tag."

 "But I'm not a little kid!" I complained. "And you're not much older than me."

 "Come on, let's just try it."

 "Fine." I said. "How do you play?"

 "Well, one person asks another 'Truth or dare?'" Jesse said. "Then if they answer truth, the person asks them a question. And if they answer dare, they tell them to do something."

 "Do something like what?" I asked, skeptical. 

 "Something embarrassing." Jesse said smiling. "Like go tell a girl she's pretty."

 "But what would we dare each other?"

 "I don't know." He said. "Let's just start."

 "Okay." 

 "So, truth or dare?" He asked.

 I blew hair out of my face, trying to decide which was better. "Truth."

 He looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to decide what to ask. Looking at him, you could tell he was older than me, but he looked like my older brother. He had blond, almost light brown, hair like mine. His was cut short and barely reached his eyebrows, while my hair flowed down well past my shoulders. He had the same light skin and lack of freckles. Our eyes were the biggest difference. His were a sparkling bright blue, while mine were a greenish brown hazel. 

 Finally, Jesse came up with a question. "What boy do you like, Abz?"

 I blushed. I didn't know who I liked really. Boys had cooties. And it was a rule that you never told a boy who you liked. You just didn't. And who would I say? There was a nagging voice in the back of my head. Him, it said, you like him.

 I shook myself. "I don't know. Boys are gross."

 Jesse laughed. "Not as gross as girls."

 I hit his arm, which just made him laugh harder. "Is it my turn now?" I asked. 

 "Uh-huh." 

 "Okay. Truth or dare?"

 "Dare."

 I sighed. I didn't know what to tell him to do. He had said it should be something embarrassing...suddenly I got an idea, something he'd never really do. That would end this stupid game once and for all so we could play tag. 

 "Kiss me."

 Jesse looked surprised. "Do what?"

 "Kiss me." I said, a smug smile on my face. 

 His brows were knit together as he tried to decide if he was going to. Just as I thought he was going to say no, his face broke into a smile. "Okay."

 "What?"

 "Okay."

 "No, I was kidding!"

 "You dared me to." He said. "Come here."

 "No!" I got up and ran.

 I could hear Jesse chasing after me, his feet falling heavily. I ran until I reached the fence and was trapped. Jesse caught me and suddenly his face was very close to mine. Then he kissed me, right on the lips. His lips were warm and the kiss was short. I pushed him away. 

 "Ew!" I said, wiping my mouth. "Now I'm gonna get cooties!"

 "I don't have cooties." Jesse said, defensively. "I'm clean."

 I ran toward the house as fast as I could. "Mom!" I yelled. "Mommy!"

 I burst through the doorway, Jesse close on my heels. All heads at the dining room table turned toward me. 

 "Yes, Abigail?" She asked.

 "Jesse kissed me!"

 "What?" My mom smiled incredulously. 

 Jesse ran in the open door. "She dared me to!" He defended himself. "It's her fault!"

 "But I never thought you'd do it!" I turned on him. "I just wanted to play tag!"

 "You kissed her, Jesse?" His father asked. 

 It was Jesse's turn to blush. "Maybe..."

 I blushed too. Only grown-ups kissed. Kissing was gross. Kissing gave you cooties. 

 Then they all started laughing. 

 "They're going to grow up and get married someday, I swear." My dad said.

 "They are so cute." His mother said to mine. "I hope they do. I'd love to be related to you, Helena!"

 "Wouldn't that be great, dear." His dad laughed. "They should."

 My faced turned redder and I glanced accusingly at Jesse. He gave me a sheepish grin. Then before I knew it, he reached out and pushed my shoulder. "Tag, you're it!"

 "Nuh-huh!" I yelled after him as he ran out the door. "We never started playing!"

 Jesse just laughed at me, and I followed quickly in pursuit. 

 I could hear my mom in the background. "Young love. Oh my, my, my."