RILEY

“That’s a wrap, people.” Dez puts down his camera. His smile is contagious. After two months, he finally got his last shot.

We’re outside, in the park. I grab my jacket and zip it up. The air is cool and the sun is setting earlier in the day. You can almost smell the frost in the breeze.

Dez waves everyone over and we stand in a little huddle.

“Yeah, now the real work begins,” Lucas says, referring to the editing of the film.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there the entire time, bro.” Dez puts his arm around Lucas.

Wow, he’s in a good mood.

Dez turns to the group. “Lucas and I still have a lot of work to do in the cutting room, but I just want to thank everyone for their hard work getting us to this point. Our stars, Riley and Jonah, have been amazing, and the grips and PAs, everyone. It’s been stellar. Truly.”

He peeks over at me and my stomach tickles. I’m still mad at him, or jealous, or … I don’t know what it is, but I’m still something. He gets to me. I don’t want to think of Dez with Tori. Like I said, it’s none of my business. But like he said, maybe I want it to be your business.

Maybe I want that too.

“We’re only as good as the director,” Jonah chimes in. “Let’s hear it for our fearless leader.”

We all hoot and holler and give it up for Dez. Soon he’s surrounded, being showered with praise. I want him to have his moment.

“Nice work, Frost.” Stella smiles at me.

“You too,” I say. We give each other an awkward hug.

The goose bumps are back, just like I remember …

I’m thirteen. All my friends are crushing on the High School Musical guys. I don’t get what the big deal is—they do nothing for me. I’m more into Pink and Lady Gaga. But soon it isn’t just the Disney boys that capture my friends’ thoughts every waking moment. It’s the boys on the radio, the boys on TV, the boys at school.

Boys, boys, boys.

We start hanging at the skate park so my friends can gawk at the boys on skateboards. I’m not the least bit interested, until one day two girls come to the park on their own boards. The girls look like me: tomboy clothes, sneakers, messy hair. One girl wears a visor over her mop, the other has a baseball hat on backwards.

I’m in awe.

The next day, I beg my parents for a board.

I start hanging out with the skateboard girls, Heather and Brit, and spend less and less time with my other friends. They’re like idols to me. I want to be just like them, especially Heather.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that I didn’t just want to be like Heather. I wanted to be with her. With her with her.

Unfortunately, she moved away before anything happened. Of course, she did kiss me goodbye.

I don’t think anything’s ever compared.

“I’ll take one of those.” Dez pulls me from my memories and my clumsy embrace with Stella.

I blush.

“Oh, umm, just celebrating.” I move my eyes from Stella to Dez and try to wipe away the goose bumps.

Then I wrap my arms around Dez and give him what he asked for.