Hold My Hand

18

*VANESSA*

"You know what I really want for my birthday?" He asked me.

I shook my head. "What?"

He took a deep breath as if he was nervous. "A kiss."

I felt pathetic at the realization I made. "Juwany I've never kissed anyone before. You don't wanna kiss me."

"Actually I do. I really do."

I shook my head and avoided making eye contact with him. "Well I'm too scared."

I looked down at the new warmth I felt. Juwany locked our fingers together. He was holding my hand just like he used to when I was scared as a child.

"Still afraid?" He asked.

I just looked at him and he smiled. I took a small breath and we leaned slowly towards eachother.

"Happy Birthday!" Cat yelled, walking out of the house. I pulled away and Juwany laughed quietly.

"Thanks Cat." He smiled.

"Oh hey." Cat said to me. "What are you guys doing?"

"We were about to go in the pool. C'mon." I grabbed Cat's hand and walked to the pool at the back of the house. As we walked I could hear Juwany laughing.

Cat was wearing a baby blue bikini. "I love your bathing suit." I told her.

"Thanks. I love your hair!" She said back.

"Thank you."

Cat and I stayed in the pool for about an hour, Juwany never joined us. Then we went inside and took showers. Everyone got dressed to go out for breakfast, and it was a chance to show Cat our matching outfits, but I decided to wait for a better opportunity. Who cares what we wear at iHop?

During the car ride I sat in the middle row of the van with Cat and Mario, the rest of the guys were in the back row.

"I wanna be in your first Instagram picture!" Cat announced.

"Ok." I laughed.

"Uh uh, I wanna be in it!" Jovani whined.

"Me too!" Said Juwany.

"Me three!" Julian laughed.

"Forget all of you. I'm who needs to be in it!" Mario declared.

"Ok, ok." I laughed.

I opened up my Instagram and clicked the camera. I held my arm out as far as I could and everyone squeezed into the frame and made a funny face. Our moms yelled for everyone to put their seatbelts back on, so we did.

"Here." Mario said, reaching for my phone. "Let me tag everyone so you can follow us. And ya'll better follow her back! Don't be Hollywood."

I let Mario take my phone and turned to Cat. "Hollywood?"

Cat laughed. "To be Hollywood means like--"

"You get some fans and think you run the world so you act like an a**hole." Julian finished.

"Ooooh." I nodded. "Ok."

When Mario handed me back my phone I still had the option to add a caption, so after thinking for a moment, I typed.

Caption: Some memories are better when you make them with other people <3

I posted the photo and got the notifactions of everyone liking it and following me, I followed them all back.

When we got to iHop I ended up sitting across from Juwany and every time he looked at me I'd stiffen and hold my fork a little tighter. I've never had a crush on a boy because I've never allowed any to get close enough to me. But Juwany knows everything there is to know...and yet he still likes me.