STARLIGHT ･ﾟ✧ NESSY'S WRITING STORAGE

[BB. VAUGHAN]

[align=center][div style="background=transparent; borderwidth=0px; bordercolor=; font-size: 8.4pt; text-align:justify; line-height: 125%; width: 400px"]You didn't really have crushes when you were younger. You were more focused on other things, more important things like the soccer games that took place between your town and the neighboring one, your sister and parents, and poetry. You were the one kid that everyone prodded, cheeky grins as they asked who was your crush.

"No one." You said with a shrug. "You can tell me! I promise, I won't tell anyone." That always bothered you. Why did you have to like someone? There wasn't a rulebook that said you had to like anyone. So you shrugged them off, told them to leave you alone and eventually, they stopped asking. You guessed they assumed you'd never like anyone, ever, so you were never asked out on dates. You talked to people but it wasn't like you were friends with them.

The first time you met her, she was stealing, a long cape with a hood over her head. Your fifteen-year-old self watched, stunned, as she speedily shoved the apples into a cloth bag along with breads and pears. When she looked up and saw you, she stared. You stared back, entranced by just how pretty she was. You thought that thieves were grimy and dirty, the way everyone described them. "Please." She whispered, dark eyes wide with panic. You wanted to do the right thing, but the way she looked at you, pleading, made you hesitate. "It's for my family. Please."

That struck a chord. For my family. You blinked once, before nodding. She looked at you with gratitude and you could see her eyes shining. "Thank you." She walked past you, her side brushing yours. You looked over your shoulder and watched her form move briskly through the market, away from you. Then you looked down at your hand to find an apple in it, red and as shiny as a ruby.

The next time you met her, it had been at a celebration - someone's birthday or something, you suppose. Clinging to the frays of the crowd, you didn't dare walk in. It felt like you were intruding on something that didn't involve you but really, you were just nervous and a wallflower is all you'd ever be.

And then your arm was being gripped and you were being dragged, "Hey, let go—" But then she whipped around, facing you. You were struck again by that delicate face, which had a smudge of something across her cheek; it made her seem more real and not as ethereal as you thought. "Did you tell anyone?" She said. The grip on your arm tightened, eyes poring into your own with such intensity, you immediately shook your head. "Thank god." Her eyes closed and you watched her face, dark eyelashes a striking thing against her porcelain skin. The relief she felt seemed to make her face soften.

"What's your name?" You looked down at the ground when she'd opened her eyes. You glanced up at her through your lashes, shyly. She had this sort-of half smile on her face as she watched you.

"Burnabee."

"Well, you're not much of a talker, are you, Burnabee?" She smiled as you blushed. She was right about that. You weren't a talker. You want to apologize and say sorry for being such a disappointment. "It's alright. I can talk enough for the both of us. I'm Jade."

You wrote poetry about her but none of the words were right. None of them fit together to sum her up. She was beautiful, just like the stone she was named after. She was tall, with long and sleek raven-hair that made you want to run your hand through it. Calculating eyes. Intelligent and sly, but determined to take care of her family, just like you. She was a thief. She was your friend, and you were in love with her.

One night, the two of you were on the roof of your house, watching the stars. You've been friends for a while now and it's easy to talk around her.  "That one is the Big Dipper." She pointed up at the constellation and you grinned, shoving her shoulder with your own. "No offense, Jade, but everyone knows that one."

"Where did this sass come from?" She shook her head and you snorted, ducking your head. "Hey, come on. Lemme see that smile." She poked your side, and you arched an eyebrow as you looked up, not even attempting to stop the wide smile you gave her. 

"I wished you smiled more, BB."

Your heart raced. "Yeah, well. Maybe I will." You reply as smoothly as you can, and turn your eyes away from her, letting it slide over the roofs of other houses.

When you worked out the courage to ask her out, finally, laying your heart bare, she took it in her hands and held it so carefully, you'd think it was made of glass. You couldn't believe she agreed.

She held your hand and kissed the corners of your eyes. She looked over your poetry and told you it was the greatest thing she'd ever read.

It was during a party, where you found she had cheated on you. Horrified, you watched as she kissed a boy you didn't care to learn the name of. You didn't know that she'd seen you as you left, hands wiping at your eyes as you walked down the street. She ran after you, apologizing and begging for your forgiveness. You were hurt, and angry. You had kissed her with as much softness that you could muster up and reveal to her. Had you been too clingy?

You yelled at her that you loved her, that you loved her so much it hurt, it ached, and it burned in your chest. She was sobbing, wiping her tears and you resisted the urge to hold out your arms for her to walk into. She quietly said she never wanted to hurt you. You wanted so badly for all of this to just disappear, that somehow, she hadn't cheated on you. But you were not raised to have your heads in the cloud; even you knew you couldn't keep your relationship with her. You had more self-respect than that.

So you left her alone on that empty street by herself.

She had been your first love, and you vowed to yourself to guard your heart so no one would ever hurt you ever again.