The exact moment I knew I was falling in love with her? Falling in love. What a silly expression, because falling requires landing (or crashing). When is that in a cycle of love? When they say 'I love you too' or when you realize you aren't in love anymore? Maybe it's called that because when you see them your stomach bottoms out like you're swan diving off the Chrysler building. 

The exact moment. We were walking home from a game at our school. Football, I think. It was barely raining, hardly enough to call it rain. Still enough that I could see the tiny drops tangled in Taylor's hair and clinging to her long eyelashes.

I was close enough to see the little beads of water. We were cramped on the sidewalk to avoid puddles in the field of never-ending, seemingly unfixable, potholes. We hurried to get home before the rain really started, but I liked it. The slight overcast and warm weather. The rain was refreshing.

We were laughing. I don't know why, but it's not important. I knew that was Taylor's real laugh. The kind that made your stomach warm with feeling. The kind that was infectious. 

A felt a fat raindrop plunk against my head. We shared a moment of realization as we looked up. 

It all came at once, the rain. Like someone poured a bucket from the sky. Taylor shrieked. Our clothes and hair were dripping within seconds of standing in the open. Taylor shrugged her hood higher over her head. I couldn't keep the smile from creeping onto my face as I looked up at her.

Despite the weather, she was still beaming bright enough to replace the sun. Or maybe that was just the warm feeling I got when I looked at her. 

As I glanced around I realized that there was no one. It was like one of those movie moments. The rain is pouring and the soon-to-be couple is standing there, They are alone. They lock eyes and lean in. A confession kiss, making them an official couple. Or at least that's what the TV says. I can't imagine that it's the same for girls crushing on their best friend scince pre-k.

The splash of a car in a puddle pulled me back to reality, or more like drowned me in it. Taylor smiled at the car. The window rolled down hardly an inch, just enough for us to see the driver. Taylor's mom beamed back at us.

"Thought you girls could use a ride." The locks on the doors popped. Taylor enthusiastically pulled open the door and sheltered herself from the rain. I forced a smile on my face. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. I was crushed. I swung into the car and shut the door. The a/c blew against my wet pant leg. 

"Thank you, Mrs. Stowe," I smiled, imagining what could have happened if we were out there a bit longer. If I were a bit more courageous. Maybe I would have leaned in and.. my imagination didn't get much farther than that. That's when I realized I was falling in love. Falling.