•Star gazing• jtb

2

Somehow, Isabella and I stayed friends all the way to middle school, where we are now. We're currently 8th Graders, and I couldn't be more grateful for my best friend. We've been through a lot together, our friend group going their own ways for high school, fights between us, but we overcame all those obstacles.

"Wait, you're still in love with Flynn Rider?" Isabella asks me as she looks through my refrigerator. "I mean he's attractive for an animated character, but I'm actually starting to like guys in our school." I shrugged. "Oh! Who?" She exclaims, flipping around, almost knocking some toppings out of the fridge. "Be careful, would you?" I laughed.

"Follow me to the garage, I need to know who this guy is." She motions for me to follow her to my garage, probably for a soda. I straightened my posture and followed her out to the garage, where my older brother was, working on his truck. "Hey, Noah." We greeted. "Hey girls." He nods, looking up briefly before returning to his work.

"Anyways-." Isabella starts, but I stop her because of my brother a few feet away. "Shut up. We'll continue this in my room." I whispered. She nods before following me back inside our house.

Sabrina, my little sister, darts out of the game room. "Where's mom?" She excitedly asks. "Folding clothes in her room." I pointed down the hall, pass the stairs.

After Sabrina was gone, the two of us walked upstairs and into my room. When she closed the door, she paused to look at all the photos of us I had taped to the back of it in an organized way. My room was a light gray color, and it had fairy lights above my bed with a few pictures of family and friends attached to it. My keyboard was propped up on its stand next to my guitars, they were all next to my desk.

My bed was positioned in the corner of the room, stray water bottles on the nightstand along with my diary. My vinyl player was sitting on my dresser a few feet away, the vinyls right next to it.

"If Apple juice didn't exist, neither would our friendship." Isabella shrugs before sitting down at my desk, pushing my laptop to the back in the process.

"Eh, we would have became friends of grape juice or something." I shrugged, sitting on my bed. Isabella glances up at my TV, which was playing Stuck in the Middle. "I haven't watched this show in forever." I told her, moving so I was laying flat on my stomach and watching the show.

"Yeah, me too." She agrees. The screen flips to a really attractive guy. The guy had brown hair, brown eyes, and he seemed tall. Apparently his characters name was Aidan.

"Woah." I gasped. "When did he join this show? I've never seen him before?" I continued. "Dunno. Anyways! Who's this guy at school?" She asks, taking a sip of her soda, ignoring the guy on the show. "Ugh, you never give up do you?" I chuckled, looking at her. "Nope, now tell me!" She exclaims, swiveling in my chair and looking at me.

"It's Austin." I blushed as I looked down at my comforter. Butterflies erupted in my stomach as his face flashed through my mind. "No way!" She screeched. "Isabella! Shut up!" I laughed, looking back up at her.

"I heard a rumor he likes you too, bitch." She replies, taking a sip of her drink. "Doubt it." I looked back up at the screen. "Don't say that, there's a chance." Isabella says. Shrugging, I continue to watch whatever was going on in the show.

•••

"I swear to god, I almost lost my mind in third period." I told Isabella as we walked to the car rider area. "Ugh, relatable. At least it's almost over, we got one more week. Oh! There was almost a fight between-." Isabella started, but then Austin approaches. My cheeks begin to heat up as I see him near. She noticed it too, cutting herself off. "Hey." He greets, a smile present on his face. "Hey." I greeted. "Hey, I'll tell your mom you're using the bathroom real quick. Don't be too long." Isabella starts to leave. "Alright, thanks." I nodded, waving as she began to leave. Auston waves as she leaves. Isabella points to her eyes with her index finger and middle finger before moving them to Austin, telling us she's watching him.

Laughing, I watched her leave. "Sorry about her, she's a bit crazy." I laughed. "It's fine. Can we talk?" He laughs. Nodding, I followed him off to the side of the hallway. "Um, I'm sure you've heard the rumors." He starts. "What rumors?" I asked. His eyebrows furrowed as he processed what I said.

"Oh, I'm guessing you haven't heard them." He rubs his palms over his jeans, probably to wipe away sweat. "Are you okay?" I laughed, but genuinely asking.

"I need to get something off my chest." He sighs. Nodding, I looked into his eyes. "I really like you. Like, really like you. You're just so sweet, the way you help me with math in Mrs Hampton's class. It's okay if you don't feel the same-."

"Austin. I feel the same. Relax." I beamed as my stomach turned out of happiness. He visibly relaxes as he hears my words.

"Um, you should probably get going, your moms waiting." He points behind him. "Oh, yeah! I forgot. Um, I'll text you later." I smiled, noticing he was opening his arms for a hug. Smiling, I leaned into his arms cautiously. Over his shoulder, I saw Isabella's face pressed against the glass. Stifling a laugh, I pulled away from Austin's frame.

"I'll see you later." I smiled before stepping away from him and towards Isabella.

"What happened!" Isabella says as soon as I opened the door. "I'll tell you when we get to my place. We can be freaking out in front of my brother." I laughed.