Age Is Just A Number, Family Is Just Family

I ring Skyler's doorbell, I'm staying the night at his house. "'Cedes! My best friend!" Skyler has been my friend since I was 12 and he was 15. Now I'm 15 and he's 17, almost 18. It's December 23. My birthday is September 27 and his is February 24.

"Hey sweets" I say stretching up to hug his 6 foot 3 frame. "I missed you. I haven't talked to you in a while" he whines. We walk to his room and he closes the door behind us. "Sky....it's only been 3 days..." "Mercedes...3 days without you is like a month without brushing your teeth. It stinks like hell!"

Yeah, Skyler and I do have a thing but only thing we gotten as far as is hugging. He's been wanting to date me for years!!! But he has this no good down right dirty girlfriend, who claims to love him very much...

"Tonight's gonna be good", he says. "With Mallory..." I retort. "Why Don't You Like Her?" I don't answer his question. "Good Lord! I know that look...Mercedes Sapphire Arizmendi! What do you know?!" "Sky, it's best if you don't know"

It's silence for a minute. So I finally speak up and say, "She's cheating on you with Tyree"

He walks out the room and punches the closes room next to him, but doesn't damage it- surprisingly. I run after him, "Sky...come here..." "I can't believe how stupid I was."

"No, no, no Skyler. Stupid- No. But blind by love- yes. It's okay! Look at me; there are more girls out there then just Mallory. Those who are willing to not play games and one day you'll find her." He looks down and sighs. I walk to the bathroom to fix my hair in the mirror. He wraps hi arms around my stomach and kisses my cheek, "The perfect one has been here for 3 years..." I stop and look at him through the mirror. "Cedes...I just really like you. I don't know it's just everything about you. Will we ever even be one?"

I turn to him and sit on the bathroom counter. I shrug and we're at eye contact.

"Remember you told me the one you need could be staring you right in the face. I'm staring and wanting" he says flicking me chin. "Skyler, you're almost 18 and-"

He cuts me off, "It's okay just stop right there. Yeah blah blah I'm 18...it'll be illegal...blah blah. Yeah I hear I every time....story of my life". He walks to his room.

"I'll move on.....because it's whatever." "I have a boyfriend" I somewhat lie and tell the truth. I'm not going out with the boy yet, but we're working on it. He takes off his shirt and flops on his bed. "Goodnight, Mercedes! And if it was worth- I actually love you with all my heart. But it's ashamed we can't share our hearts together. Night."

Yeah, I and Skyler have sleepovers and our mamis don't mind because they always wanted us together. "Skyler, stop. You love me?" "With all my heart. To the moon and back" "But our difference" "isn't illegal! When I turn 18 in February, you'll be turning 16-the legal age- in September. You and I know both know that we like each other, so what's the problem?" I'm a sophomore, but I take junior classes because when I move to the United States, they had to bump me down a grade to get my English right. But now I'm too smart. So if I pass my junior/sophomore classes this year, I'll be a senior next year! I know I'm going to pass. I continue with my thought, "you're a senior. When you graduate, I'm still gonna be a senior in school. You're gonna wanna party, meet other girls, and I'm too young to get majorly heartbroken. Now I'm tired so I'm going to sleep. We'll talk about this later. Goodnight!"