Billie and Brandon: It requires time

2

Zoe pulled Billie into her arms, rubbing her back gently as she laid her head on her shoulder, fighting her impending tears.

"That long, huh?"

"We even made a stupid friendship promise," Billie said, clutching the rusted silver locket around her neck in her hand "We promised to always stay friends no matter what"

Promised to be with each other no matter what.

_________________________

They'd remained best friends all through middle school.

It always amazed Billie, that in the face of all these middle school friendships turning into romances or attempts at two day relationships-or one week if they were particularly ambitious tweens-she and Brandon never fell to that pressure, though everyone kept teasing them and pressuring them to date since they were so close. Even teachers tried to play that game, making them partners for every project and assignment and no doubt having a betting pool to see how long it would take for them to "consummate" their relationship so to speak and try one of those quick fire, easily burning out middle school relationships.

But they never succumbed to such trends.

Sometimes, Billie wondered if their relationship had transcended something. If deep down they knew they didn't want to be in a relationship yet because they were possibly waiting for something more substantial between them in the future.

It was strange and hard to explain. She'd been with Brandon for so many years but there were times when she felt they were just getting to know each other for the first time. There were things she was finally noticing that she used to disregard, like how his eyes weren't just brown, but had hazel speckles in them and how much taller he was than her and how cute his smile was sometimes. He was starting to actually look like a boy to her, though she refused to think about the implications of said feeling as the years went on.

Certain times, things felt entirely different than how they used to be between them. There were times when Brandon would stare at her with his hazel eyes for way too damn long and she'd feel her stomach flutter and her heart flip in her chest. Times when their fingers would lace together when they were chilling on her bed and watching a movie. Times when their hugs would linger but neither would attempt to move. At time like those, a stray thought would pass through Billie's mind.

"This is the guy I'm going to marry."

A thought that would come few and far between, but each time would rattle Billie's mind and make her blast music in her ears to try to drive out the utterly inappropriate thought. Sometimes, Billie wondered if Brandon was thinking the same thing when his gaze would linger on her while they played video games at his house and she kicked major ass. He'd get this look on his face, like he was seeing her in a different light.

Regardless, for the three years of middle school, nothing ever changed between them. And honestly, Billie wasn't sure if she was disappointed or not though she did know that high school could change things. Above her possible romantic tensions with Brandon, she was worried about their friendship. She'd heard stories from her mother and Brandon's aunts and uncles about losing touch with best friends as high school passed. The new friends they would make, the old one that would become faded memories.

Billie didn't want that. She couldn't lose Brandon. Even though the intensity of her fears reflected a possibility of romantic feelings, overall, she didn't want to lose a constant in her life that had been a major factor in the way she'd grown as a person.

And clearly neither did Brandon.

The day before they were to start high school, Brandon suddenly showed up at her window, a shit eating grin on his face as he climbed in. It never ceased to amuse Billie year after year, it became harder for Brandon to go through her window. Her window had been a bit jammed for as long as she could remember and couldn't open any wider than she had it. Thus, Brandon really had to contort in order to get in and out of her room. She didn't know how he would keep that up in the future, especially since he kept growing.