Love Story (Oh my, my, my)

Fifteen

 "I'm so nervous, Jess!" I said. "What if I'm late to all my classes? What if I can't find my friends? What if-?"

 "Don't worry, Abz." Jesse said, leaning back in the porch swing with his hands behind his head. "High school is a piece of cake."

 "For you! But you've already been there two years! You're going to be a Junior and I'm just starting Freshman year. Plus your parents don't expect you to be the next Mother Teresa or Albert Einstein."

 Jesse laughed. "You'll be fine, Mother Abigail. Don't worry about it. I'll talk to you, so you'll always have at least one friend."

 "So...you're not going to ignore me because I'm a freshman?" I asked hopefully.

 He looked offended. "Of course not! We've known each other since we were little!" 

 I smiled. "Good."

 "You didn't really think I'd ditch you, did you?"

 "It crossed my mind." I said evasively. 

 "Come on, Abz!" He said, the smile returning to his face. "I should beat you up just for saying that."

 "What are you going to do? Put me in a trash can?"

 "Maybe I will."

 I laughed. "Yeah right! You said you would beat me up when we were little too. But you never did."

 "You know what they say..." He said, putting me in a sudden headlock and messing up my hair. "It's never too late to start."

 I laughed. "Let go of me, you big bully!"

 "I'm a Junior. It's in my job description." I could hear the smile in his voice. 

 I pushed against his chest, trying to free myself from the headlock, but Jesse had a firm grip. 

 "You know," I said, "a sixteen year old picking on a fifteen year old is hardly fair."

 He let go of me and rolled his eyes. "You're not fifteen yet, Abz."

 "Almost..." I said. My birthday was the next month, but I insisted on saying I was fifteen, so Jessse would only be a year older than me, instead of two. 

 "Well then I'm seventeen."

 "Nuh-uh!" I said. "You're birthday's not until December!"

 "And yours is in September. Your point being?"

 "Mine's closer."

 "Whatever, Abigail." Jesse smiled. "Enjoy your time of only being a year younger, because in the end I'm still older and wiser than you."

 "Older, yes. Wiser..."

 Jesse laughed. "You're asking for it girl."

 "You'll have to catch me first!" I yelled, jumping off the porch swing and flying down the stairs. I could hear Jesse in hot pursuit behind me and I was reminded of when I had been only seven and he had chased me down and kissed me. I smiled. I wouldn't mind as much now. 

 He chased me around the backyard, up a the same tree I had hid in when I was seven, and into the house. 

 "Run outside!" My mom yelled at us from inside the kitchen as we sped through the front door and out the back. 

 It was dark by the time Jesse caught me. I had gotten faster and more clever since our games of tag as little kids. In reality, I let him catch me. I turned around as he went to tackle me and we ended up hugging and falling down. I laughed as we rolled over each other and ended up, side by side, at the base of the tree. 

 We sat up and leaned against the tree, shoulders touching, and looked up at the sky. Stars were starting to come out. 

 "Star light, star bright..." I muttered. "First star I see tonight..."

 Jesse chuckled. "I wish I may..."

 "I wish I might..." I said.

 "Have the wish I wish tonight." We said together. 

 I laughed. It had been so long since we had recited that rhyme together, since we were at least seven and nine, if not five and seven. 

 "What did you wish for?" Jesse asked quietly.

 I paused to think for a moment. "A smooth first day of school."

 "Nice."

 "You?"

 "I don't wish."

 "Liar." I smiled. "Come on, tell me."

 "It's a secret."

 "You wished for a new car, didn't you?"

 "Maybe..."

 I laughed and shrugged it off. It wasn't a big deal and I knew Jesse wouldn't tell me if he didn't want to. I'd just have to find a way to figure out the answer later. 

 "Abigail! Jesse! Time to come inside!" My mom yelled from the back screen. 

 "Coming Mom!" I yelled back. 

 Jesse got up and reached down to help me up. We walked inside together, talking about what my schedule was and how to make sure I wouldn't get lost. The frogs and crickets were in full swing and a cacophony of sound filled the night. 

 "Your parents want you home, Jesse." My mom told him when we reached the screen.

 "Okay. See you tomorrow, Mom."

 My mom smiled. "Bye, Jesse."

 "I'll walk him out." I said following him out the front door and to the special spot he always parked his car in front of our house. "Do you think my mom finds it weird that you call her mom, are over here every day, and have a parking space in front of our house?"

 "Not at all." Jesse smiled. "I'm like family."

 We completed our handshake we made up when we were kids and I gave him a big hug, which he returned. 

 "See you tomorrow, Jess."

 "Okay, Abz. But just a warning, I'm going to call you short stuff."

 "Then I'll call you Bigfoot."

 He laughed and climbed into his car. "Bye."

 "Bye."

 He drove away and I waved until he rounded the corner and was out of sight. I walked slowly back inside the house. The next morning, I knew what I'd have to do. Just take a deep breath and walk though the doors, the morning of my very first day in high school.