The Way I Loved You.

The Way I Loved You, C1

Chapter 1

"Nick, look! It's shooting stars." she cried, pointing to the dark, starry night sky. A shooting star flashed across the sky above us like a glowing snake, slithering as its tail burning brightly with flames and disappeared into the darkness. Soon it was all gone, like it was never here in the first place.

Just gone.

"Awww.... Now we wasted one wish. Wait, it's two wishes." she said and laughed half-heartedly as she turned to Nick, who was lying on the grass right next to her. She could barely see his face in the darkness, but his dark eyes shone under the dimmed moonlight.

His lips curled up into a small smile, and then it faded slightly. "Yeah... That's how our lives look like. The next second, it's all gone. Incredibly short and when it finally came to an end, you leave… Then the world will keep on living, moving on as if you were never there."

Nicholas Anderson, her best friend. He lives next door and they practically grew up together. She had seen him crying like a sissy when they were watching horror movies, and he was clinging onto her like a little monkey. She always threatens him with that --- just like he threatens to write a book on her embarrassing stories, like the time she peed when she was sleeping over at his house, and ended up having to wear his Mickey Mouse underwear.

Sometimes he could be so annoying and it just makes her wanted to strangle him with her own hair.

Yet she was the one who spent nights sneaking out into the darkness to play walkie-talkie with him, and by the time they went home, it was already 10PM, and for little kids, it was pretty late. So they stood there covered with sweat and random bugs bite as their parents greeted them with a long lecture about curfew, and took her teddy bear, Bobby away for one week.

There was a price for breaking rules, of course. They were both grounded for two weeks. And they seek for ways to "communicate" then, such as sticking big notes on the windows of their room, which was facing each other. They played secret codes with flashlights during night, and he was the first one on her speed dial.

So technically, they are best friends.

"Jeez, I get it, smart ass." She snorted and punched him slightly in the arm. "Why so moody tonight?" She asked absentmindedly as she ran her fingers through her brown strands. It was so chilly that she barely feels her fingers. It sent her wondering what were they doing out here in such a chilly night, but then it just reminded her how crazy they are.

Nick just snorted and stood up, patting the grass off his old blue jeans. She sat up reluctantly; staring up at him, suddenly realized how tall he was. His heights had been changing rapidly over the summer. Now he looked sort of... toned, she thought, with the whole basketball thing going on.

"Where are you going?" she said, still sitting on the floor. He shrugged, "Going inside. It's cold out here. Get your lazy butt up and let’s go. “He looked at his watch, and added, "It's late anyway. And you looked tired." His voice sounded strangely, if not a little, softer when he said that, she noticed.

"I'm fine. It's not cold, and I'm not tired----" she argued, but a yawn escaped from her lips. He smirked and grabbed her pale fingers, then started dragging her inside. "You're such a liar, Scarlet Brennan."

"Am not, Anderson." Scarlet said, as he opened the front door for her. She could hear her mom's footsteps on the staircase already, who was probably waiting for her to come back. She stuck her tongue out at him before going in, "Well ---" She opened her mouth to argue again, but he cut her off.

"Goodnight, Scar."

And then he left.