𝙈𝙀𝘿𝘿𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙆𝙄𝘿𝙎━━━ 𝘖𝘉𝘟!

𝘬𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘢 (𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤-𝘣𝘧𝘧)

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𝗦𝗬𝗡𝗢𝗣𝗦𝗜𝗦(𝗦);
❝𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞.❞

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word count; 1282

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"Do you ever think about what your life would be like if we had never met?" I asked, eyes focused on the moon that was playing peek-a-boo above the tree leaves.

Kiara thoughtfully repositioned herself in the hammock to be facing me before answering, "Plenty of times. It would be so much more relaxing."

I scoffed dismissively, paying no attention to the cheeky smile aimed at me, "I think you mean boring."

The salty air was filled only with the sound of sloshing waves blanketing the beach for a few moments before Kiara spoke up again, "Have you ever thought about it?"

Truth be told, the thought hadn't crossed my mind before. Since the fateful day that I had met Kiara, we hadn't spent anymore time then necessary apart. When we were about six and Kiara had accidentally stepped on my sandcastle. I inherited my dad's anger issues, and nearly body slammed her, but instead, comforted her when she cried and apologized. We rebuilt my castle and have been practically joined at the hip ever since.

"Hey!"

I could almost hear the voice of six-year-old me shout at the girl who had fallen into my castle. She just stood there in silence, eyes wide and staring at the now squished pile of sand in between us.

"Look what you did! Weren't you looking where you were going?" I was infuriated.

Big brown glossy eyes stared back into my own, "I-I'm s-so sorry!" Tears flowed freely down the girl's plump cheeks and she apologized profusely.

It didn't take long for me to forgive her,"Don't cry! It's okay! I can always build a new one!"

A wide grin, spread across her face, revealing a few empty spots where her baby teeth were already missing, "R-really? C-can I help?" The question was shy and I smiled broadly as she plopped in the sand, already planning on helping either way.

"I'm y/n."

She grasped onto the little blue shovel I had extended out to her, "My name's Kiara."

I smiled at the memory. The next big event that I could think of was when I had wanted to lose my first tooth. We were around eight, and Kiara had already lost several of hers, she was even missing a few on the day we first met. I thought it was the coolest thing. We tried everything we could think of to get one of my teeth to come out.

"I bit into an apple and it just popped right out," Kiara explained, holding out an shiny red apple.

I had eaten so many apples, I had lost my appetite for them for the rest of the year.

"What if we do it like in movies? We can tie a string around your tooth and slam the door?" Kie suggested hopefully when I had given up on the apples.

"Let's do it."

Her parents had caught us early on when we asked for string and put an end to that plan right away, explaining that my tooth would come out when it was ready.

My first broken arm was quite possibly one of the best memories we had. We were ten when it happened and a kook had pushed me off of the playground.

Kiara immediately came to my defense, "Don't push her!"

Kie may or may not have shoved the other girl off of the playground as well, and needless to say, the rest of my broken bones were not caused by kooks.

Our first periods were the oddest things to go through together I think. At the age of thirteen, neither of us had any clue on what to do and didn't want to tell our parents.

"What do we do?" Kie asked frantically.

"I have no clue, this is my first too you know!"

We eventually said something to my mom and had gotten everything taken care of.

Neither of us had a boyfriend until Pope and JJ, I think mainly because everyone thought we were lesbian. I couldn't blame them, we held hands, we cuddled, we sat on each other's laps, we played with each other's hair, we shared food and drinks, we said "I love you" to each other frequently and it was more than once that we had pretended to be gay to escape an awkward date. All of which, we still do. Even the boys joke about it sometimes, on how were "soulmates" or say that was secretly dating and using Pope and JJ for cover.

It was odd to think about how similar we were to when we first met, but also how different. Our lives, in general, had changed, but not once did we let it affect our friendship. We were always together, through everything, bad and good. Every birthday, every school event, every period, every time we just needed to cry to the other, every time we laughed so hard we couldn't breathe, every time we did stupid things, every time we went on adventures, every time we tried to come up with new surfing tricks, every time there was a kegger, every time one of us couldn't sleep, it was always the two of us no matter what, no matter how deep of a hole one of us had dug ourselves, the other was there to pull us out, and every time one of us fell, the other gave us the push we needed to get back up. Even if you were at fault, you always had someone to turn to, to support you. There was no temporary, there was no, judgment, there was just unconditional love, and teasing, and memories. Now that I did think about it, I didn't want to think about it. Life without Kie, was simply pointless because she was my life.

After realizing how long I had remained silent, I turned to face my best friend again, "Yeah I have." She looked at me, curiosity showing through her facial features, "And it's impossible. My life without you isn't one I want to live, or even think about living."

With a warm smile, Kiara unfolded herself from the blanket she was hugging, and wrapped herself around me in replacement, resting her head against my shoulder, grabbing my hand in her own.

"Honestly, I think the whole island would fall apart if we weren't best friends. And to think, it all started with a sandcastle." That drew some tired laughs from us.

"I never want this to stop." Kiara sighed, and I waited silently for her to continue, "This. Even when we're married. I want our kids to see what a real best friend is. I want them to know that they should always be there for each other."

"We've got a future of our own Kie. Just because we'll be married doesn't mean you won't be my best friend anymore. Sleepovers will still be a thing, trust me." More laughs rippled through us us as we continued to reminisce, "And my kids will have the best auntie and godmother. I will have the best maid of honor at my wedding. And you will never have to fear losing me."

And I fell asleep in the hammock that night, in the arms of my best friend, knowing it was us against the world, for now, and forever.

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I am so honored to have been the writer chosen for this special present and I cannot thank you enough beastmode_annmarie for requesting. I'm sorry if it isn't what you had in mind but I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!