"What are you talking about?" "God, Christin, are you demented all of a sudden?" Nick said, while sitting on the edge of her bed.

Nick and Christin had been next door neighbors since they were 4. They shared everything with each other, but this was a very interesting conversation they shared today.

"No, but ok, let me get this straight. You had a crush on me when I was 10, then when I was 12, then when I was 14, then when I was 16?"

"Yes, and you did on the odd years."

"How could you like me when I was 10?!? I had a serious problem with chewing my pencil!"

"I know, I thought that was the cutest thing I had ever seen. But when I was 11, I gave you this thing I made overnight for you for Christmas. I didn't think you'd like it."

"I didn't. I mean, I loved it in the sense that it came from you. I still have it actually."

She pulled a picture off her bullitin board and handed it to Nick. He gave a killer smile. She couldn't help staring at her friend as he glistened over the paper. On it, was a girl and a boy, stick figures, holding hands by a blue house. As Nick started to look up, she shifted her eyes to the wall beside him.

"I can't believe you still have this."

"Yeah, I'm a pack rat as you know already!"

"Yeah, when we were 12, we had just entered 8th grade. Remember that graduation dance?!"

She shook her head, and flashed him a smile. He almost died. He looked into her deep brown eyes for a second, then snapped back into reality.

"Well, I wanted to ask you so bad. When I finally got the nerve to ask you, you took it as just going as friends. I was so upset!"

"I was wondering why you were acting weird at the dance..."

"I was so happy when the slow dance came up. That was such a happy time for me."

"I just took it as we were friends, but now that I think of it, you did hold me kinda close. But it wasn't till we were 13 and had just entered high school that I started to wish I had danced with you a little closer. I was so jealous of Becca."

"God, Becca?! Don't bring up insident."

"I am. I was so upset that you would go out with that slut. I know you liked her because you would always come to me for advice. Being a good friend, I told you what to do. I was so happy when you broke up with her."

"I wasn't!! I was so sad the next few weeks."

"I know. I used to just sit there, hugging you, to comfort you. I loved every second of it."

"I remember that. The next day, when you turned 14, I started to like you."

"Oh man, I started to get over you that night!!"

They both laughed. Nick got up and got his drink and took a long gulp. Christin watched him, intently, as if him taking a drink of his coke was the most important event of her life. Nick offered her some, and she took a sip. Nick sat there, staring at her silky brown hair he always teases around with to get her angry. She gave him back his drink and he sat it on the coffee table next to the bed he was sitting on.

"Christin, I would look through my window every night and see you through your drapes. I wished that you would love me in return, but I knew we'd just stay friends. Something in the back of my head told me that, so I never actually tried making moves on you."

"About 20 girlfriends later, when you were 15, I started to like you again."

"No, not my break dancing phase..."

"Yes!! I thought those white pants you used to wear were so adorable!"

"You liked me then? Geez...that was also the year I started to really like Sarah."

"Yes, I know. I didn't like her. She seemed...too...fake."

"Yeah, but she was a senior and beautiful. I could have cared less about her personality."

"A little older, a little wiser, aren't we?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Last year, when you wore those tight pants and that little black shirt, I about died. I wanted you so bad..."

"That was the most uncomfortable day of my entire life. As soon as I pried those off, I gave them to Goodwill."

"I wish you hadn't. You did look good in them."

"Whatever, Nicky. I guess we just always missed the boat of love, didn't we?

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Want to play a little basketball? Ya know, some one-on-one like we used to before you went on tour?"

Nick had just come back from a 1 year tour in Europe with his group, the Backstreet Boys. They had missed each other terribly, but had kept in touch everyday with Nick's cellular phone.

They both went outside to the basketball court. Christin took the ball and threw it to Nick.

"You start. I've had lots of practice."

"Are you so confident you can beat me, Nickolas Gene Carter?!"

"I can beat any sissy with the middle name Gene."

"Hey! That's it...this means war."

The game started with Christin stealing the ball from Nick and scoring an awesome 3 pointer. She laughed in his face and took the ball to the other side of the court. Nick watched her run, amused by every movement in her body. He soon snapped out of it and stole it back from her and took it in to score a remarkable 3. Just then, it started to rain. Nick ran for the porch, but Christin yelled, "Come on, it's a tie, Nick! You know I can't stand to tie!"

Nick ran back out, and scored another 2 pointer. They sat a mini timer for 2 minutes and said when that rings that it was the end of the game. Just before Christin was about to take the ball in again, Nick called a quick pause in the game. He then pulled his bangs off of his forehead and took off his shirt, sexily.

"What do you think you're doing, Nick?"

"I have a right to take off my shirt. It's soaked and it's sticking to my body, have a problem?"

Christin stared at his chest. Then snapped back, "Whatever, Nick. Time in!"

She took the ball to the hoop and looked at the time. 1 minute left on the clock and still a tie game! "He's getting better," she thought to herself.

As the clock wound down to the final seconds, it was Nick's ball. The game was still tied at 5. Nick had the advantage. Nick leaped for the easy lay- up, but Christin knocked down his arm. "FOUL!" Nick screamed after the buzzer rang. Christin agreed, reluctantly and he walked to the foul line. She sat down on the steps to the porch nervously. She pulled her hair down from the ponytail it was in and started to fix it. Nick stood there, dribbling the ball in place, watching her. Then he took his first shot. It was a miss. Christin stood up and cheered. Nick gave her a mean look. She sat back down and noticed Nick's wet body. A mixture of sweat and rain poured off his chest. Nick then took the last shot and it went into the basket. She ran to him, screaming, and then started hitting him. He grabbed her arms. He ran his hands along her arm till he reached her hands. He looked her square in the eyes. She did the same. He lowered his lips to meet hers and gave a warming kiss. He moved his hands to her waist and her hands went to his face. While still kissing, Nick's hands moved up her body and then down to her behind. Her hands felt his face, through his thoroughly soaked hair, and down along his back.

When they stopped kissing, they both felt relieved. They stood there in silence.

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't hold back the urge..."

"I wanted you to do that, Nick. I was just too shy to do it myself. That kiss was great."

"Yeah, I want more of them kisses."

"Then why did you stop?"

He gave her a killer smile and went back to kissing her. Later, she fell asleep in his arms on the front porch, with the rain softly pounding on the roof. He kept looking at her as if she were the most precious thing on earth and soon fell asleep with her, after he kissed her forehead softly. He said this before he fell asleep, "I love you, Christin. I always have and always will."