𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑮𝑰𝑹𝑳 | ᵍʳᵉʸˢ ᵃⁿᵃᵗᵒᵐʸ

⁰³¹ 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭

𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄, 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟓

The night surrounded us like a warm blanket, and the atmosphere in the park was charged with youthful exuberance and the faint haze of alcohol and cannabis.

A bottle of vodka was being passed around, accompanied by a hand-rolled joint being carefully passed from person to person.

Noah and I sat close together, our shoulders lightly touching, and I could feel the warmth of his body through my jacket.

His friends, obviously happy and chatty, began to watch us with curiosity. It didn't take long for the teasing comments to begin.

"So how did you two meet?" asked Michael, who was dressed as the Joker, with a curious look.

Noah looked at me and grinned. "Missy almost ran me over as she came out of the dressing rooms."

"It was love at first sight," I added sarcastically.

"Typical Noah, always standing in the way," a dark-haired guy named Liam teased. "But tell me, Missy, what do you see in our Noah? Is it his irresistible way of shooting pucks at little girls or his charming smile?"

"Maybe both," I said cheekily, giving Noah a sideways glance. "He's just irresistible."

Noah grinned broadly and put an arm around my shoulders. "You hear that? Missy knows what's good."

"Oh, now it's serious," Jake said, nudging him with his elbow. "When are you going to kiss her?"

"Shut up, Jake," Noah said, this time with a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "We're just friends."

"Friends," Michael repeated in a mocking tone. "Sure, Noah, and I'm the King of Narnia."

"Oh, come on, Captain. You two are so cute together," another guy who had been introduced to me as Ethan chimed in.

"When's the wedding? And which one of us gets to be the ring bearer?"

"Me, of course!" Cal declared indignantly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"No offense, Cal, but may I remind you how you dropped our Pacific Northwest Championship trophy last year?" Liam interjected with a grin.

"It was heavy!" Cal defended himself. "And I had too much adrenaline!"

I felt my own cheeks heat up and tried to play it off with a laugh. "You guys are unbelievable," I said, but my heart was racing.

"No, seriously," Andrew, who was dressed as Superman, interrupted. "We have eyes. You look at each other like you're going to throw yourselves at each other any second."

Noah rolled his eyes but couldn't hide a smile. "You guys are such idiots."

"Well then, just kiss her," Jake shouted, nudging Noah again. "Come on, what do you have to lose?"

I laughed nervously and looked at Noah.
"Yeah Noah, what do you have to lose?"

He looked me straight in the eye, his gaze intense and serious. "Maybe I have something to win," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. The tension between us was suddenly palpable, and the world around us seemed to blur for a moment.

The others stopped laughing and watched us intently. I felt my heart pounding in my chest, knowing this was a pivotal moment.

Noah slowly leaned in and I did the same.

Our lips met gently, hesitantly at first, then more confidently. The world seemed to freeze, and for a moment there was just the two of us.

As we pulled away, the group erupted in cheers and applause. "Finally!" Superman exclaimed, and Jake patted Noah on the shoulder.

He laughed and put his arm around me again. "Are you all happy now?"

"'Look at this, guys," Ethan said, pretending to cry with joy. "Noah finally has a girlfriend. I always hoped this day would come."

"You're such an idiot," Noah muttered, pulling me a little closer. I grinned and decided to play along.

"Yes, Noah and I are already planning our life together. We just need a good babysitting team for our future children."

"Oh, I'll volunteer!" Cal shouted, raising his hand.

"You can't even take care of a trophy, how are you going to look after kids?" Liam chimed in.

"You guys are such clowns," Noah said, rolling his eyes but unable to suppress a smile.

"I can't wait to see Missy in a wedding dress," Jake said, winking at me. "And Noah in a suit. It'll be quite a show."

"Maybe we won't invite you to the wedding," Noah suggested, pretending to be serious.

"Oh, you wouldn't dare," Ethan said dramatically, placing a hand on his chest. "But really, Missy, you're the first one to have Noah wrapped around your finger."

I felt myself blush again and looked at Noah, who smiled and squeezed my hand.

"Oh, you're just jealous because you don't have dates," I quickly replied.

"Touché," Liam said with a laugh. "She's got us figured out, guys."

The night went on, the alcohol and laughter keeping us warm despite the dropping temperature. It was one of those nights you don't forget - full of joy, friendship, and the subtle thrill of budding love.

"Here, take another puff," Noah said, handing me the joint. I took it, hesitated for a moment, and then, with a determined inhale, let the last remnants of my doubts dissolve in the smoke.

The music, the cool night air, the soft voices around me, all melded into a soothing background hum.

"Thanks. You're pretty cool for someone who shot a puck at my feet last week."

He laughed, his eyes sparkling in the dim light of the streetlamps. "I hope I can make it up to you."

"You will," I said quietly feeling the magic of the night envelop us.

"You will."