Sierra and Aiden: Anthology

Almosts - part 2

"What the hell Sierra?"

She screamed at her reflection in the mirror. She knew she did the right thing. She couldn't kiss him. She couldn't do that to another girl.

It was all because of Diana. She and her boyfriend just broke up because of... a whole lot of things, really, but among that, it was because his friends didn't respect her as a girlfriend.

Sierra spent nights talking to her, until yesterday night, when she said something that stuck inside Sierra's brain.

"You know, I wish his friends would've given me the space I deserved as his girlfriend."

Damn, Sierra thought. She's right. We all want that as girlfriends (she supposed). She's the bad friend in another story, not the damsel in distress.

Damn.

Sierra wanted to wash her face, but her make up still looked good. She sighed at her pathetic reflection and walked out.

She was looking for Gwen and Clara, but she found Joe instead. Her eyes were halfway closed and her smile was lost. Sierra took her arm and walked her where her sister was. She was sitting on a corner table, talking to some guys.

That's when Sierra saw him.

Of all the people Sierra expected to be sitting there, Joshua was not even in the top ten. Not even top fifty.

She stopped so suddenly, Joe tumbled to the floor. Marianne stood up and helped them get Joe to a seat. Sierra was consciously avoiding the look she was sure Joshua was giving her. What was he doing here? With Marianne and Joe? Panic rose up her throat.

"Sierra?" he said slightly brushing her shoulder. Over all the noise, she found it curious how she could hear him so clearly.

Sierra tumbled a little backwards. She wasn't used to have him so close.

Again.

She remembered Joshua so clearly, it was sad. They met when she was seven years old. He was a year older, always bossing her around until she found out she could boss him around the playground too.

They were cops, thiefs, doctors, husband and wife, vets, astronauts, explorers, hunters... they were everything their imagination allowed them to be. They were next door neighbors for a couple of years before Sierra moved.

She was so smitten with him. She remembers walking into his room as if she was entering a different world. A different galaxy.

It was all shades of blue, covered in Pokemon posters. His bed was tall and adult-looking, different from her small girly pinky bed she loved. He had toys all over the floor. Lego, action figures, a Spiderman mask she stole from him some months later, and lots and lots of race cars.

They raced all types of cars with all types of drivers. She didn't get the game, but she loved spending time with him.

He came to her room too. He said he hated it, but she knows he secretly loved playing the handsome knight or the mighty prince. She had a castle made out of cardboard where she could hide. That's where he kissed her.

They were pretending to hide from the dragon that stole their treasure.

"Shhhh be quiet" he said, covering her mouth with his hand. She licked him. "IUGH why do you have to be so gross!"

"Girls aren't gross!" she answered "boys are gross!" and then he burped.

They laughed and fell backwards. He offered her his hand to stand up and when she did, he kissed her. Just a peck on the lips. Enough to leave a mark for the rest of her life.

Sierra never thought she'll see him again when she left.

And now, he's there. Standing two feet away from her. Same devilish smile, same sparkling brown eyes, same toasted skin. Same Joshua. Only taller, more handsome.

Sierra blushed.

"Do you remember me?"

"Yes! Oh my God, Joshua, what are you doing here?"

"Joe's my cousin!" he said. Holy shit.

"You're kidding!" Sierra screamed. "What a small world!"

"Yeah! How about you?"

"Joe's one of my best friends."

"Really? How did we not run into each other sooner?" He read her mind.

"I have no idea"

Joshua asked about her life. How were her parents, was she done with school already. Joshua told her he's a chef at a restaurant uptown. Impressive, Sierra thought.

Joshua asked her to dance and she said yes because hey, it's freaking Joshua.

It would be a lie to say Sierra hasn't thought of this moment for years. She's been dreaming of finding Joshua again and realizing he's the love of her life. More like, him realizing she's the love of his. She's been waiting for this moment for...oh God, 12 years. 12 long years.

Joshua tried to talk but they couldn't listen to each other, so they just danced. Sierra wished they were somewhere else. That she ran into him in a coffee shop or a bookstore instead of a dance floor. Although this did gave him the perfect excuse to hold her closer to him.

Joshua was nervous. He thought he was drunk and seeing things when he saw Sierra walk towards him. He was sure it was her, even if they haven't seen each other in almost 13 years. She had the same beautiful black hair he always found an excuse to touch, the same dark eyes that made him follow her around anywhere she wanted him to, the same way of holding herself that made him jealous.

He was already drunk, that's why it was so easy to go up to her and talk and actually ask her to dance. He was glad they met on a dance floor.

He moved his hands along her arms and grabbed hers, placing them around his neck. How was he doing this? thank you alcohol, he thought before pulling her closer.

She wanted to kiss him. She totally wanted to. Sierra has been wanted to kiss him again for years. She realized she's been wanting to kiss him all this time. Always wondering what a real kiss from him would taste like. Would it compare to others?

He closed the space between.

Sierra felt sparks. Music felt silent as she let herself fall against his lips.

What was she doing? Sierra didn't do this. She didn't kiss random guys in discos. That's not her at all.

But then, this was no random guy. This was who she once thought was the love of her life. The one that got away. He's her first kiss. Her first best friend. Her first loss. Heartbreak.

She didn't even remember she felt all those things.

Joshua kept pushing and Sierra didn't stop him. She moved her hands to his hair and ran her fingers all the way to his neck.

Joshua liked it.

When he let go, their foreheads were touching.

"I've been wanting to do that for years" he admitted. Joshua was scared of how easily he could let go with Sierra. Let go of everything. They haven't even talked about anything important yet. He didn't know if she had a boyfriend.

"Me, too" she lowered her head.

Joshua hugged her.

How could this happen, she wondered. How could they just feel what they were feeling 12 years ago as if it was yesterday? How could they let themselves fall into each other as if they already knew the other would catch them?

He traced her face with his fingers and was about to kiss her again, when she was pulled away from him.

A guy was holding her arm.

Joshua didn't know what to do.

The other guy glared at him and Joshua froze. Was that her boyfriend?