cherry flavoured

40

Ten months later.

The air is warm and so so crisp as we sit on a picnic blanket in the middle of a field. The grass is tickling my calves and I pull my hair forward to expose my neck. This summer has been heavenly. It's been exactly one year since Parker Ashford infiltrated my life, quite frankly the best year of my life.

College starts next month, but none of us are thinking about it, simply living in the present. Bela, Neki, James, Parker and I have spent every day of the past 3 months together, spare the day that Bela had the flu.

The entire summer has felt like a movie.

"Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Bela takes the lollipop from her mouth to speak, resting back on Neki.

"No. We're eighteen years old Bela, I'm not marrying him." I laugh as Parker fastens the necklace he bought me around my neck.

Parker feigns hurt and I pout.

"Yet. I'm not marrying you yet." I correct myself and he pulls me in by my waist, leaning down and snuggling his face in to my neck. I giggle uncontrollably, trying to free myself from his grip.

"You all disgust me." James pulls his cap down over his eyes, slouching down in his seat, but the hint of humour in his voice shows he's joking.

"You're voluntarily joined us bro." Neki reminds us, playing with one of Bela's curls.

"Because I have no other friends." he mumbles from beneath his hat. "I'm gonna invest in some. Fifth wheeling sucks."

I lay back and rest my head on Parker's lap. He brushes the hair from my face, leaning down and planting an upside down kiss on my lips, making my body warm.

"I love you." he whispers, planting another kiss on the tip of my nose and another on my forehead.

"I love you more." I reach up, pulling him down and kissing his lips again.

James gags loudly, making us all laugh, before picking up the soccer ball and running further on to the field. The boys move almost instinctively. Parker lifts my head gently, resting it back on a cushion before sprinting off. Since his ACL healed early this year, it's practically impossible to keep him off his feet.

Neki gets up too, forgetting Bela is laying on him, making her fall on to her back.

"Ouch," she breathes as if she's been winded.

"Shit, sorry babe!" he calls back as he sprints off to join them. "Love you!"

I laugh as I swivel my body around to lay beside my best friend. The warm breeze glides through my hair and I take a deep breath, filling the entirety of my lungs. The boys are shouting somewhere on our far left, kids are playing somewhere to the right, and the sky is a bright cloudless blue.

Summer was coming to an end, and everything was about to change.

Well, I'd better savour it.