Brandon

If I told you I am excited to see what Lizzie will wear to prom, I am not lying. It's really playing on my mind that I will be close to her, holding her in my arms and dancing with her. Maybe it's going to be the perfect time to let her know how I feel about her. My main concern is that I could lose her. What if she tells me that I'm being an idiot and there's no way we can date? I think it'd kill me. My nerves are jangling, my stomach feels queasy. Shit, how did this all happen? One minute kids mucking about playing in the playground, the next I'm grown up and having a crush on her. Not only that, when I can't control my mind I am having dirty thoughts about her. It makes me feel so damn guilty.

I call Denver.

"Hey, what's up? Awesome game last night, right?" He says.

"Fantastic. You fancy going to shoot some hoops?" I'm currently back at my house, just lying on my bed with my long legs stretched out in front of me and one hand resting behind my head.

"Sure, why not. I'll meet you at the court in ten."

We hang up, and I swing my legs over the side of the bed. You know - I need someone to speak to. This is way too big for me to keep bottled up inside, and Denver, well, he's a solid guy. He and Lilly used to be friends, admittedly not quite besties like Lizzie and I, but nonetheless they were and look at them now. He's so into her, it's gooey. The way he looks adoringly at her and follows her around like a lost puppy is enough to make anyone's heart melt. Who'd have thought that mountain-man Denver would get so serious over a girl?

Hell, who'd have thought that I would get feelings for a girl. Shit. It's insane. I rake my hands through my hair. I mean, you all know, right? I like to fuck around. I don't do dating. I don't do second dates. I like the odd threesome sometimes; I'm a good time, non-serious, non-committing kind of guy.

He's standing with a basketball in his hand, flicking through his mobile when I arrive at the outside court not far from Atherton. There are kids on one of the other courts; in total, there are four courts, and some of the best basketball players for Cali have started out here. It makes me feel in awe and humbled to know this.

"You bored already?" Denver asks. He throws me the ball and pulls up his green board shorts that sit so low on his hips I can see the Ted Baker logo on his boxers.

"Stuff on my mind. But yeah, already I'm bored. Lizzie's gone shopping for her prom dress." His eyes twinkle.

"I know, she's with Lilly and Tammy. It's all top secret. You're taking her, right?" I throw the ball back at him.

"She had nobody to go with and left it to the last minute."

"I don't get it." Denver says as he begins to dribble the ball, lining it up for a shot. He's so tall, six-three, that he is practically on top of the damn hoop.

"What don't you get? That I'm taking her?"

"No, that no one asked her? It's insane; we all know how stunning Lizzie is." He shakes his head. "She must feel crap having to go with her bestie instead of a real date."

"Well." Should I tell him I put out an off-limits to most of the guys, mainly our hockey team since some were interested and the football guys? There was no fucking way I was letting any of them take Lizzie to prom. Could you imagine it? They'd be trying to pry her dress up and her panties to the side to get their fingers inside her.

"I told most of all everyone she was off limits." He stops dribbling the ball and raises his eyebrows.

"You fucking did what? Seriously? Man, that's bad. Poor Lizzie." I don't tell him I also wanted to take her. Is that so wrong?

"I was trying to protect her. You know what assholes they are. She deserves better than some jock at school."

"Yeah, but what about that kid with the glasses in her history class? I can't remember his friggin name; he's not like the jocks. He's been keen on her for ages." Exactly, I didn't want him taking my Lizzie-Baby either. Fuck that shit.

"Here's the thing." Denver starts dribbling again, lines the ball up and slam-dunks; he's got one in. Fucker.

I run towards him and grab the ball before it lands out of the next to the ground and start to dribble in the other direction, all the while he's running circles around me and reaching out to get it. I laugh.

"No fucking way you going to whoop my ass today, bro."

"We'll see about that." His reach is long, and his fingertips graze the ball, but I'm too quick for him and run it down the court, line it up and bingo. It's in.

"Hell yeah." I punch one arm up towards the sky. "1-1."

"Anyway, you were saying, here's the thing. What thing?" Denver plays around with the ball, bouncing it up and down in front of me, teasing me with it. He's such a shit, but he'd have made an awesome basketball player.

"I like her," I say plainly and shrug my shoulders. He dribbles the ball some; I try to get it from him. I suck at this.

"Sure, we all like Lizzie. She's the nicest person we know, along with Lilly and Tammy, of course."

I get the ball off him and laugh. He flicks me the bird.

"No, I mean. I like her, like her." He stops messing about trying to get the ball and runs his hands through his hair.

"What, like, you fancy her, like her? Shit." I nod. "Man, since when? Holy fuck, Brandon."

"I know, right? I have no idea it just kinda happened. One minute we're just besties, and then the next I want to be with her all the time; I want to kiss her; I can't stand it when she talks to other guys. Literally, Denver, I'm telling you. I want to punch their fucking faces in." He laughs.

"Shit, you've got it bad. And does she know? Wow, this is so fucking unreal." He looks surprised. Hell, even I'm surprised at how deep I feel for Lizzie.

"Nope. I've not said anything. What if she laughs at me or tells me I'm being stupid? What if it fucks up our friendship, man? Then what? I can't say anything. I'm going to have to suck it up that she'll go off to Texas to uni and meet some asshole." Denver holds the ball tucked under one arm.

"This is pretty heavy shit, dude. I feel for you." He looks like he's thinking. "So, this is why you're taking her to prom?"

"Pretty much. I couldn't stand for someone else to have their grubby fucking paws on her, or see her kiss someone else; it'd fucking break me."

"I can see that. I think, honestly, dude – you're gonna have to be upfront and honest with her. Lizzie deserves that. You never know, she may feel the same way about you. Most people who start out as good friends end up getting married."

We go and sit down on one of the wooden benches in the court. I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees, and place my head in my hands. Denver sits back, stretching his long muscular legs out in front of him. The ball rests on his groin.

"Yeah, maybe. I'm just twisted up in fucking side."

"Honestly, tell her. Or she knows how it goes at prom, but that could be a bit awkward, like if you kiss her or something. It'd probably give her such a shock and maybe even leave her feeling embarrassed."

"This is such a fucked-up situation. I've not even slept with a girl for weeks; I have no interest." Which is true; I haven't touched a girl. And the last one I did, I could only think of Lizzie.

Whilst my dick was ramming some other girl's wet pussy, all I could think of was Lizzie moving underneath me, her tits on display and sucking on her tight nipples, listening to her groan and moan my name. I want it to be my name that she calls out and begs for more. Not some other dudes.