Prologue:
When seven-year-old Jesse Karsh looked at nine-year-old Kaden Brooks across the picnic table her pale cheeks couldn't help heating up. Even as a seven year old, she thought he was pretty cute. But she couldn't stop thinking about the cooties boys have. Yuck.
Kaden turned his head from watching his mom spoon feed his baby sister, Angela, to see the girl from across the table that had her eyes on him. He thought she was really pretty and had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen. But he would save the embarrassment of ever telling her she's pretty.
For a nine year old boy like himself, all the girls except his mom were just plain gross!
Jesse's head snapped down when he turned to look at her. Her little cheeks blushed more in embarrassment. He caught her staring! Goodness, he must think she's such a little loser now.
"Why don't you guys go play?" Jesse's mother, Sarah, suggest when she notice both of them looking bored since the food aren't finished yet.
The Karsh and Brooks family became friends when the Brooks moved in three days ago. The Karsh family thought it'll be nice to have a picnic in their large back yard and get to know each other.
Jesse shrugged, "I'm okay, Mommy," she said, not wanting to play with the boy who made her feel so warmed up inside. She twirled her brown hair around on her index finger.
Jesse's father, John, patted her back, "Come on, Jess, be friendly. I know you're shy, but this will be a good way for you and Kaden to be friends." he said chuckling.
Jesse cheeks felt like they were on her fire because of her daddy's comment and she quickly shook her head. "No." she stubbornly said and got up and ran over to the swing set her daddy built for her once. She got on and just sat there, looking down at the grass.
Kaden watched the little girl, Jesse, just sitting there on the swing and stare at the ground. He felt hurt that she didn't want to play with him. Sure, girls are gross, but he thought it'll be nice to have a friend at least until school starts. He didn't want to be known as the boy who was friends with a first grader that was also a girl. How lame.
But Kaden had the urge to get up and go over to the little girl. He felt his father, Joe's, eyes on his back in confusion as he watched Kaden stride over to the little girl.
Kaden looked down at the girl and furrowed his eyebrows, "You don't want to play?" he asked. Jesse head snapped up to the little boy.
"Huh?" she questioned, a little confused. "No, you're a boy!" she said, sticking her tongue out at him. "You're gross."
Kaden pursed his lips down at the stubborn girl and snorted, "Well, you're a girl! But," he said, walking behind her and started pushing her back, making her swing on the swing set, "I still want to play, so deal."
Jesse breathed out her nose angrily, mad that the boy didn't listen to her, but she let Kaden swing her until she was so high up, she squealed. "Okay! No more! Make it stop!" she yelled. She had always been afraid of heights.
But Kaden thought it was funny and kept pushing her to make her go higher. "Come on, it's fun! Let's make you go higher!"
Jesse squeezed her eyes shut, hating the boy even more. "Daddy!" that made Kaden stops the swing.
"Yeesh! You're such a baby!" he said and stepped in front of her.
Jesse's eyes were watered up, but she refused to cry in front of the boy who her mad. She jumped off from the swing set and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not a baby! I told you to stop and you didn't listen!" she said lashing her arm out and pointed at him accusingly.
Kaden pushed her arm away and stepped towards her. "Well, I'm bigger than you and I can beat you up!"
Jesse mouth dropped, her front teeth weren't there, but she didn't care. She looked up at him in shock. She wondered if he'd really beat her up like he said. That made her shake and she clutch her white dress in distress.
She bit her lower lip and looked down at the ground, not wanting him to actually hit her. She knew he was right; he was bigger and taller. He intimidated her.
Kaden looked down at the little girl and realized that she was about to cry. He never meant it; he was just bluffing to scare her--which worked. But then he felt bad for doing so. He sighed and wrapped his arms around the little girl and rubbed her back. "I'm sorry, I was just kidding."
Kaden felt his father eyes on his back and Kaden turned his eyes towards his direction to see him smiling.
.....
Jesse was sitting on her porch, playing with her Barbie. She loved this doll, it was her favorite. She hoped of looking like Barbie one day; so pretty, blond, tall, and tan. So... perfect.
She wanted her own personal Ken, a real live boyfriend, one day. She wanted the perfect guy. For being seven, she was very smart and knew what she wanted for herself when she became a big girl. She wanted a guy who'd shower her with gifts and look after her.
One who'd want to her hold her and tell her that he loved her.
Someone sat in front of Jesse and she looked up to see Kaden scowling down at the doll. "You play with dolls?"
Jesse shrugged. "Don't you?"
Kaden scuffed, "I play with action figures, there's a difference. Action figures are much cooler than silly Barbie."
"Nuh-uh!" Jesse said. "Barbie is way better! She's cooler!"
"Barbie dolls are for babies."
Jesse scowled at him, "No she's not! And stop being so annoying."
Kaden thought it was adorable when she got so defensive and decided to tease her more. He chuckled at her and took her doll from her. "Ooh, I'm Barbie and I'm for babies.", he said, making his voice high pitched, trying to act like a girl as he moved the hand of Barbie to seem like she was brushing her hair back.
Jesses reached out, "Give her back, stupid!" she said, getting mad when he didn't. Kaden got up and continued to tease her by using a girl voice and tormenting her while Jesse got up to try to get it back again. "Give me!" she said, stomping her foot. "She hates annoying boys like you!"
When she jumped forward to try to tackle him to get it, he ran away which caused her to fall on her knees. She ignored the stinging pain in her knees, got up and ran off the porch, running past her and Kaden's parents.
"Give her back!" she yelled after Kaden and she heard their parents laughing at them.
Kaden ran behind the tree in the yard and was laughing his butt off while doing it.
He thought it was funny how she tried to act all big as she attempted to tackle him. He saw Jesse come up in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest and her lips pressed tightly together, sending him death glare. "Give!" she demanded and held one hand out to him.
He shook his head. "No, she's mine!" he teased, brushing the fake hair backwards.
Jesse's hands went to her side and she balled them. "I want my doll, Kaden!"
Again, he shook his head. "Nope." he said, popping the 'p'.
Jesses scowled at the annoying nine year old. Goodness, she thought. He was so annoying and she definitely didn't care about his cuteness! He was just horrible! She then suddenly thought of something that would catch him off guard.
She crossed her arms over her chest again and grinned at him. "I dare you to kiss me."
Kaden stopped laughing and stared at her in shock. His mouth dropped open. "What?"
Her chin tilted up with a satisfied grin. "You heard me; I dare you to kiss me."
Kaden arched an eyebrow. "Why? You're a girl. Gross."
"Are you chicken?" she taunted.
This time it was Kaden who pressed his lips together angrily, hating that she was basically implying that he was a punk and weak. "No." he said.
"Good. Kiss me," she said, closing her eyes and leaned farther a little, puckering her lips out like how she had seen in movies.
Kaden was still shocked, but to show her that he weren't a chicken, he put both his hands on each side of her face, closed his eyes, and leaned down to kiss her like how he seen his father do to his mother.
When their lips almost made contact, Jesse reached out and snatched her Barbie out his hand and giggled as ran away towards the picnic table, hoping her mommy and daddy didn't seen it. She didn't want them to think she were a bad girl.
Kaden was angry! He was played--by a girl! A freaking girl! How could she play with his head like that? Ugh, he hated himself for falling for that!
Kaden angrily walked over to the picnic table and sat across from the she--devil as she had a satisfied grin on her pink lips while she brushed through her Barbie doll's hair with her fingers.
Minutes later, everyone joined the two kids at the picnic table to start eating. Jesse filled her plate with juicy watermelon, sour scream and onion chips. Kaden filled his plate with a cheese hamburger and two hot dogs.
Both ate in complete silence as both their fathers talk about business and grown up stuff while their moms gossiped about lady stuff.
Kaden's dad, Joe, nudged Jesse's dad, John, with his elbow and said "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if Jesse and Kaden grew up and fell in love with each other?" he laughed.
Jesse froze and stopped chewing her piece of watermelon as she stared at Kaden's daddy in horror while Kaden choked on his hamburger and started coughing. Kaden's mother chuckled as she patted his back and shook her head.
John laughed. "Yeah, it would be. They'll be going to school together anyway, so why not?" John sarcastically said and shrugged. "They'll grow old together, kiss each other and have little Kaden and Jesse babies." John teased and smirked at the two children as they stared at him in horror looking absolutely disgusted.
Both the mothers giggled and rolled their eyes saying, "Oh, my."
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Inspired by Taylor Swift Mary's Song (Oh My My My)