✧ Flashback ✧

February 26th 2019:

Jameson and I really did start out as friends. I know it's hard to believe but I guess we were both just too dumb to realize the feelings we had for each other were not platonic in any way. 

"Hey, Betty, can I come in?" Jameson asks from outside my room, I fumble to try to zip up my new dress at the back.

"Yeah." I call back, jumping around like a mad woman. Emily and I were sleeping in the guest room of The Hawthorne House because we were all up late laughing and talking. Emily and I had been out shopping when the boys invited us over. I stay out too late, Jameson tells me to sleep in the guest room — long story short I told my parents I was at Emily's house, well technically her Grandparents place but she and Rebecca live there most of the time.

Emily and Grayson both have the tendency to wake up early and go to the gym, meaning i'm alone.

I'm trying on a new dress I bought with the hopes of wearing it today. It's a white sun dress with a blue floral pattern, the sleeves are puffed out and the stomach slides in above the hips in a sort of corset looking style.

Jameson steps inside and smirks as he watches me fumble to zip myself up.

"Need some help?" He chuckles, leaning on the doorframe menacingly. I sigh in defeat and nod, he swings the door shut and heads towards me. 

I turn around, he gathers all my hair in his hands and drops it over one side of my shoulder. His fingers gently brush over my tanned back. His warm fingertips purposely drawing over the tan line caused by my bikini.

"Your skin tans pretty easily doesn't it." He points out in a whisper, his warm breath tickling my cold skin.

"Mhm." I mutter, hoping he doesn't notice the goosebumps that spread across every inch of my skin. I'm suddenly very aware of the fact i'm not wearing a bra, or anything to cover my back at all.

He zips the dress up but stays behind me a moment longer before speaking up. "Where's your necklace?" Jameson asks me eventually.

"Which one?" I reply casually. "That gold one with the heart." He describes. I pick it up from my desk and he takes it in his hands, wrapping it around my neck.

Once he's done he pulls my hair back behind me and ruffles it around. "Is this new?" He questions with a cute grin as we make eye contact in the mirror. "Yeah, you like it?" I ask him carefully. 

"I'd like it a lot more on the floor." He grins and through the reflection of ourselves in my mirror I catch him wink.

"Stop it!" I laugh, snorting mid laugh. He just looks at me through the mirror with a proud smirk, "Can't stop won't stop." He teases. 

"I think you look gorgeous. You're literally glowing." He corrects himself, spinning me around like a ballerina to face him. We both giggle, our braces showing. He holds my arms in his hands to stabilise me. His hands find their way to my hips and mine go to his elbows, so we're super close.

"You're not so bad yourself." I tell him leering flirtatiously. I take this as a chance to trail every inch of his body with my eyes.

"Okay first of all, eyes are up here Florence. Second, you gotta quit hitting on me, i'm in a serious and committed relationship with your Mom." He says plainly, face not wavering.

I scoff and push his shoulder away gently, "You're such a loser. 'Your Mom' jokes are only funny when a 12 year old tells them. At your ripe age i'm sure you understand it is purely preposterous to pursue this choice of ridiculous humor." 

He laughs cutely and squeezes my hips until I squirm and burst into giggles. "You're such a dork, tryna use big words to sound smarter." Jameson teases.

"I gotta if I want to pass all these tests." I say remorsefully. 

"Listen, you'll do fine. Especially with me as your tutor. If you fail and have to retake all your classes next year then i'll flunk all of mine on purpose so we can do it together." He promises, sticking out his pinkie to mine, a promise we take very seriously.

"Hey uhh Bets, i've been meaning to ask you.. Would you wanna come to this party i'm throwing. The old man's making me have one, cause Nash and Gray both had one.. it's so dumb- maybe you don't want to bore yourself." Jameson laughs nervously.

"Calm the fuck down, it's not like you're asking me to marry you." I chuckle, he smiles and takes a small breath.

"Yeah it's just my birthday party, i'm turning sixteen. My birthdays on the 15th of March?" He informs me as if it's not already a fact noted down all over every square inch of my mind.

"Jay I know your birthday." I laugh at him. "Right, well you should wear white. It's an all white party.

"Almost sounds like you are asking me to marry you." I joke. He sighs and falls down to one knee, "can't believe you ruined it for me." He complains, reaching into his pocket.

"Elizabeth Octavia Florence. Will you make me the happiest man alive and go out to fancy restaurants with me so we can fake propose and get free dessert?" Jameson says sincerely.

"I would be honoured." I blush as he kisses my hand and starts walking me out of my room. "How do you know my middle name?" I demand as we walk out hand in hand.

"I know stuff." He hums mysteriously. 

"Well don't tell anyone, it's embarrassing." I hiss. "I think it's cute. Milady Octavia." He mocks. I smack his arm mid walk.

And just as promised that afternoon, the two of us went to a fancy restaurant for lunch, he got on one knee and I squealed. Dessert was free and I had never been more in love.

We spent the whole day together. At first we went to the store and bought snacks, then we went to a drive in movie, we ate m&m's and watched the notebook. I ended up sobbing over our shared bag of popcorn and Jameson felt bad so he let me finish the movie in his arms. We got coffees in the early hours of the evening, he usually gets a latte with oat milk because he likes the sweetness of the oat milk more but today he tried a pistachio latte. I had a cinnamon hot cocoa and we ended up trading because both of us hated our drink. 

When it got too late to stay out any longer we drove to the pier to watch the sunset.

As we sit side by side on the long wooden boardwalk, feet dangling inside, we both stay quiet. The only sounds are the gentle waves created as we slowly kick our feet, the birds and the trees.

"Did you realize we spent the whole day together?" Jameson asks me in a calm and serene voice.

"I had a good day." I reply in the same volume and tone.

As the sun meets the horizon the water becomes a glowing golden shade.

"We should swim." I suggest softly. "It'll be freezing." He replies with a mocking laugh.

"Skinny dip with me Jay?" I practically beg. He looks at me like i'm crazy. The sun sets quickly, making the waters darker along with the skies.

"C'mon." I encourage boldly, starting to unzip my dress until I can no longer reach it.

He thinks about it a moment then jumps to his feet and unzips my dress the rest of the way for me. It drops to the ground as I stare out to the ocean, fully aware my boobs are completely bare. He is too busy pulling his own clothes off to notice.

When he's in his boxers and i'm in my underpants we stare out at the ocean instead of at each other, pulling off our underwear. Either one of us could easily look at the other but there is something just so special about the trust that we won't.

And on the count of three we jump in. My whole body submerges and everything goes quiet.

Under water we look towards each other, connecting our hands, in the dark water at night under water all I see is a blur. But that blur grins at me, caressing my cheek.

We float up to the top, our hand still connected and his hand on my cheek.

"It's so cold." He shivers. 

"Well now that we've done it we can get out and leave before I stay out too late. I just wanted to say i've skinny dipped before." I giggle.

His smile grows as he watches my features. "I love it when you smile." He grins.

"I smile like all the time." I scoff, "Well I guess I just like you all the time." He shrugs.

I look down to the water to avoid his stare as a deep crimson spreads all over my cheeks.

"You're so corny, you know that?" I dismiss, swimming back to shore, he chases me trying to grab me. When he inevitably catches up with me he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me back to him as I squeal. 

We head back to Hawthorne House that night with wet hair and high spirits, laughing the whole way. Emily and Grayson are both still hanging out when we get back.

"Hey guys." I smile brightly. "Yous have had a nice day then I see?" Emily tries her best to smile. "Nothing exciting." I dismiss.

"Mhm. Looks like it. Lizzie, dear would you speak to me?" Emily says with a cheeky smirk. I nod sheepishly and follow her outside the room, the two boys left confused. 

"You slept with him didn't you?" She says excitedly, squealing and squeezing my hand. "What! No! Gross! We just went swimming." I screwed my face up with disgust.

"Yeah, sure." She rolls her eyes dramatically. "We didn't. I'm still a virgin." I hissed. "You're a virgin!?" She shouts, purposely being loud so both boys look at us, Jameson flushing red and Grayson raising a brow.

"Em!" I yelp, folding my arms around myself insecurely. 

Just shake it off Betty. 

"Look, Lizzie. Jameson and I are together. We haven't told anyone yet because we're so in love that we'd just prefer to keep things private." Emily informs me.

Those words make my heart shatter, I would never have shown it but it hurt. I swallowed my resentment and faux'ed my reaction, squealing and hugging her.

"I'm just so glad you understand. Cause if you ever go near him you know I have to slit your throat whilst you sleep." She says with such a beaming smile.

I laugh nervously, swallowing a gulp and recomposing myself.