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I remember the promise we made to one another. Those many days we spent together and the many nights we spent together wishing. I remember the sound of your youthful laughter and the way you smiled. I remember it all.

"What about that one?"

"It looks like a Ox." Christian

"Sike. You thought. That's a gofer's ass." Lucky

"And you wonder why you'll die alone?" Chris'

"It's my destiny. The wicked don't do love. We do your mom." Lucky

"Lucky you bitch!" Chris'

"Come at me bro!" Lucky

Only those two would turn something as peaceful as stargazing into a fiasco. They are so annoying. Turning to face my baby I draped my arm around her shoulders pulling her closer as she sat beside me with a small smile upon her pretty face.

My baby is so gorgeous. I can never fathom how lucky I am to have her. Sometimes the things we want are exactly what we need. I have wanted this girl every since I laid eyes on her. From her radiant smiles down to her little stubby toes. I adore everything about her.

"Hey, let's go for a walk", my baby suggested.

Easily I agreed. I was over hearing Lucky and Christian bickering that led to them slap boxing as usual. Goodness those two were annoying at times.

Taking her hand in mine we snuck away from the rest of our group of friends. We walked for a short while in complete silence enjoying one another's presence as we walked hand-in-hand. A soft smile was on my lips as I glanced her way seeing her with her own content smile.

"What?", she asked breaking the silence.

I shrugged my shoulders shyly. "Nothing", I muttered looking anywhere but her.

This girl made me nervous. A good kind of nervous that made me all fluttery inside. I thought about what I said to her often and I found myself unable to hold down a smile when I think of her. She is special.

Gently bumping against me as we fell into step with one another she let out a little squeak. "Come on. Tell me. What's on your mind, Nathan?", she encouraged me to speak my mind.

With a sigh I began trying to explain what I was thinking.

"I was thinking about you and how I get all nervous around you. You make me smile like a helluva lot and I really like you Naomi. You make me feel like I can really fuck it up, you know? You're like my serotonin. You're special, babe", I said.

She giggled. I was shook. Naomi does not giggle.

"I make you nervous, good. Because you make me nervous too. You make me laugh and smile. I really like you too, Nathaniel. I feel like for once a boy is really seeing me for more than my chubby body. So thank you. I'm glad to know that I am someone special to you too", she said with a grin.

"You are very special to me. You make me happy", I confessed a light blush dusting my cheeks.

It was embarrassing. I never really talk about my feelings. There is nothing wrong with expressing your feelings. I just was never that type of person myself. I have never been the overly emotional type, but Naomi just does something to me man.

"Awe, Nathaniel!", she gushed before lowering her voice to a whisper. "My baby is blushing", she cooed using her free hand to pinch my cheek.

My blush deepened as I swatted her hand away from my face. "Stahp", I groaned.

"No, it's just too cute", she gushed pinching my cheek again.

"No", I whined.

"Look at that pretty blush", she cooed teasingly.

"Naomi, stahp!", I grumbled shaking my head to avoid her hand, all the while never letting go of her hand.

"Nathaniel, no!", she retorted crossing her eyes.

Despite myself I found myself chuckling. "Naomi", I said trying to be stern, but failing as another chuckle slipped pass my lips.

"Nathaniel", she mocked letting out a giggle.

I found myself staring at her, studying her face.

Her big brown eyes.

Her chubby cheeks.

Her button nose.

Her plump lips.

The way that she smiles and her eyes crinkles.

Her nose scrunches slightly.

Her eyes sparkles.

She is so pretty.

Slowly her giggles died down and she slowly released my cheek. Her eyes met mine. Her hand that was once used to pinch my cheeks was now cupping my cheek. Leaning my head into her touch I let out a sigh in contentment. Our eyes bore into one another's.

Then slowly, we both leaned in. I was in a trance.

"Nathaniel?", she whispered.

"Yeah?", I breathed feeling breathless as I sunk deeper into those chocolate orbs.

"I really really like you", she said.

"I really really really like you too", I whispered.

"Well, I really really really really like you", she said with a teasing smile upon her face.

"I re-", she placed her lips on mine silencing me.

Sure, we have definitely kissed before. However, this one just felt a bit different. I cannot explain it. It just felt more emotional. It was sweeter than usual.

I melted giving her hand a gentle squeeze. I was falling for her even more. I was falling and did not want to be stopped. Releasing her hand I wrapped my arms around her waist pulling her flush against my body. There was nothing rushed about the kiss. I had just felt an urge, no a need for her to be closer to me.

"Get it!"

"That's disgusting!"

"Okay! I see you guys!"

"Ooh, I'm snitching!"

Of course our friends had to try to make their presence known as if we could forget about those annoying shits.

"Ignore them", I murmured into the kiss tightening my hold on Naomi.

I was determined not to let them ruin this moment for us. However, the buttholes were persistent. Unfortunately for them, so were we. We were successfully ignoring them until a cool liquid came cascading down our bodies from up above. I had used my body to shield Naomi as best I could taking the brunt of everything.

I growled turning ready to murder our assailant.

"You both seemed like you needed some water. You know with how thirsty you were over here", Lucky blandly said before turning his back to us to face the others. "You're fucking welcome!", he shouted over to them.

The others stood mouth gaping open with wide eyes. Lucky was just too cocky for his own good. He had made a fetal mistake turning his back to me. Slowly I released Naomi before leaping onto his back. He let out a squeal as the added weight of my body sent us tumbling to the ground where I immediately began forcefully mushing his face into the ground repeatedly.

"You little fucking shit!", I spat.

We had to be pulled apart by everyone because I was going to kill his evil ass. My baby literally had to pry my fingers from around his thick ass neck. To keep me from going after him again Naomi had taken perch on my lap. I honestly had no complaints as I nuzzled my face into her hair and inhaled the scent of her shampoo. Her hair smelled like vanilla and honeysuckle, delicious.

"How you holding up? Am I hurting you?", my baby asked lowly.

I shook my head in denial before resting my head on top of hers. I was more than comfortable and I told her as much.

"I'm great. You feel so good sitting in my lap. I like being your chair", I admitted giving her little tummy a squeeze.

She pinched my hand letting out a small hum. Thanks to Lucky she was in one of my forgotten sweaters I had in the car while I was shirtless beneath my bomber jacket. My sweater had fit a little snug on her, but in my opinion she wore it best. The temperature had dropped as the sun made its descend for the ascend of the moon so it was a bit chilly out.

"It's so pretty out. Like man, there isn't too many nights like this", LaLa commented gazing up at the stars.

"Yeah, but this is pretty cool. To just be able to stop and take a breather while you enjoy what God created", added Tristian in agreement.

"Since when are you Christian?", asked jackass Lucky.

"Since always, demon", he retorted smartly.

"But you're gayer than a unicorn", was Lucky's brilliant response.

"And I still be praising it up on Sundays, Wednesday, and Thursday, heathen. Your point being?", Tris' drily challenged.

"You're weird", Lucky said in a childlike manner.

"We were doing so good, but it's always the ass of a donkey that ruins everything. Child, I'm a gay child of God. Gayer than your life will ever be, double meaning, but I am and will always be a child of God. My religion and sexuality are two separate pieces to my puzzle. Please stop being ignorant and educate yourself. Google is free, but being an ignorant jackass comes with a price, honey", Tris' briefly read him causing the rest of cackle at Lucky's expense.

He was embarrassed as he should have been. We were teenagers and he had the ignorance of a child at times still. I am not knocking him for it, but there are times that he really needed to think more before he spoke. If Tristian were not so well-rounded and patient I would have beat his ass myself. Friend to true family be damned, no-one was picking on my cousin with me around. Even if I know for a fact that he can hold his own even more so than the rest of us.

Tristian was not a black belt for nothing. I learned that one too many times. My cousin was a pretty boy but he was far from pretty when angered. I found him to be the most amusing when he was angered.

"Church!", laughed LaLa falling over against Christian.

I am not saying anything, but I think those two may have something going on. The both of them deny anything happening between them more than friendship. However, I am not that gullible. I see the way that my cousin looks at her when he thinks no-one is looking. Not to mention that those two are way too close with one another. I mean, their own group chat with just them close. Like what do they have to talk about that none of the rest of us can know?

"Shut up, Lelita", grumbled Lucky scrolling through his phone.

We all cackled like hyenas. He was actually googling how someone can be gay and religious. It was not rocket science, but I could respect the fact that he was genuinely trying to educate himself.

"The meteor shower is about to start", I said looking at my watch.

"Don't forget to make a wish everyone", Naomi said in excitement.

"You actually believe in that stuff?", asked Tristian.

She shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "I don't know. I just think it would be fun to make a wish on a shooting star. I believe that if it's meant to be then ultimately it will be regardless of what we wish for. All we can honestly do is hope for the best and pray for patience when deal with the things we cannot change", Naomi wisely said with a soft smile upon her face.

I knew what I was wishing for instantly the moment I saw her face. Her. Naomi is what I wished for. I wished for us to last and for us to continue to find happiness with one another as time passes. Already, she has made me so happy and I wanted for the happiness she provided me with to last as long as possible.

I did not know what the future held for any of us. That is life itself, unpredictable. We cannot predict where tomorrow may take us, yet alone years from now. All we can do is hope for a better tomorrow than we had today and play our parts. As uncertain as the future was, I was certain that I wanted Naomi Lopez to still around. Hopefully she was had wished the same.

We all stood side by side gazing up at the sky watching as stars and meteors shot across the sky in fiery glory. My wish had been obvious. So obvious that Naomi and I had been teased by our friends for it. Although they could be a pain in the ass, they were our friends. They were family so I had made another wish secretly on my own.

'I wish that I never lose these dorks. We may bicker and may even fight, but they are my friends, my family. I cannot imagine not having either one of them a part of my life and hopefully I never have to find out what it's like. May all our dreams come true and we never drift apart. I'm counting on you big guy', I wished silently with my eyes closed before slowing opening them again to finish watching the meteor shower with part of my family.

And look at us now. Some of us are starting a families or already have one. Some of us lost and found a new love. Some of us are graduating soon. We have all come a long way from the kids we were in high school. Although life has taken all of us in different directions we all never lost sight of one another. So I would like to think that my wish came true.

"To the future", I said raising my beer for a toast.

"To the future, cheers!", everyone cheered with a smile as we all clinked drinks.

'Definitely to the future', I thought while fondly watching everyone enjoy being together under the stars once again along side our new additions to back then.