break the heartbreaker : luke

best friend

8 DAYS BEFORE PROM

VADA & ASHTON AT 6 YEARS OLD

"do you promise i can tell you everything starting now?" i ask, extending my pinky, "and you'll never judge me for it?"

"i promise," ashton nods, extending his pinky, "we can call it the safe zone."

"safe zone?" i ask, my eyebrows furrowing.

"yeah, the safe zone," he smiles, "whenever we need to have a serious conversation, and whenever one of us needs to get something out of their chest. whenever one of us has a deep, dark secret we wanna get out. we can enter the safe zone."

"that's nice," i smile, "the safe zone."

"can we go to the safe zone now?" ashton asks, "i have something i need to say."

"sure," i nod, "but how do we get in the safe zone, exactly?"

"first, we build a fort," ashton say as he gets up from the floor, "c'mon."

we proceed to build a fort out of my blankets and pillows, and we enter it.

"this is how we enter the safe zone," he says, "we're in our own little world now. we can talk about anything."

"cool." i smile, then look around our fort.

"as the first secret to be said in the safe zone, i have something to say." ashton says.

"alright." i nod, "i'm listening."

ashton closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, as though he's really nervous to get his words out.

"iateyourlastchickennugget." he says quickly, then opens one eye to peek at my reaction.

"what?!" i exclaim, "you're such a rat! i knew it!" i slap him playfully on the arm as he grins cheekily.

"hey!" ashton says, smiling playfully, "no judging, remember? we're in the safe zone!"

"i hate you." i say, then stick my tongue out playfully.

–

ashton's parents and my parents have been close friends ever since they were in high school, up until now.

which is why, ever since ashton and i entered this world, we've been joined to the hip. and i mean we are inseparable.

ashton was my first ever friend. maurine came along when we were in elementary school, but i'll have to admit, ashton's really my main best friend.

as i stare up at the ceiling recalling when the safe zone started, i start to hear fast and heavy footsteps running up the stairs of my apartment.

"i'm here!" ashton shrieks as he barges in my room, "what's up? what's going on? how are you?"

despite his series of questions, i stay planted on my position on the bed which is, of course, me lying down and facing the ceiling.