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I remember when you were here,
Chris and Rease had grown up in on the same street in the same neighborhood. They had the same group of friends and went to the same parties throughout their schooling -- however, that's where the sameness began and ended.
Chris could be found anywhere and everywhere with his bubbly personality and roaring laughter, often being able to be heard from another room. He went out of his way to make anyone smile when they were feeling low and made it a point to show up to any and all social gatherings that he could.
Rease was quieter, a little softer even. She liked making people smile, but was oftentimes awkward. It was endearing, though, and people found her to be a delight. She was happiest when curled up with a good book in a quiet room, but her friends often dragged her out of her shell and into the lion's den.
This particular lion's den being Chris Archer's Christmas party.
Rease couldn't help but roll her eyes as she walked along the sidewalk from her house and down the street to Chris' house. It wasn't a very long walk -- he lived four doors down -- but she was annoyed at the entire situation.
When they were younger, Chris and Rease butted heads often. It was almost like their personalities were made to conflict with one another and someone always went home crying. (It was usually Chris; Rease was a biter when she was younger).
As they grew up, however, things changed and their dynamic was turned on its head. They stopped screaming at each other and started talking about, well, anything. The secrets of the universe, history, what they wanted to be and where they wanted to be. As they started really getting to know each other, and ignoring their past, there was a genuine friendship that had bloomed from the foundation of fighting and biting.
That being said, Chris knew that Rease didn't like Christmas parties, yet here she was -- going to his. Ugh.
Chris did know that was the case, but he had a little bit of an ulterior motive. You see, while the two of them were growing closer and closer, Chris had started to look at Rease in a completely new way. He didn't see her as the little girl from down the street who tormented him in his younger days.
No, Chris saw her as a beautiful and bright girl with her whole future ahead of her -- a future that Chris wanted so desperately to be a part of.
In short, Chris had fallen in love with Rease and figured, judging by the way that she looked at him (when he was looking back at her the exact same way), that she felt the same. He'd talked himself up into believing it to be true, but it took a lot of convincing, and hoping, and praying, and -- oh please, God.
