Saturday night comes by, and I spend it catching up on my homework. I write my essay for Psychology on humanism and plan out my one for English about writing in the Renaissance.

I feel productive and proud of my work and kind of existential, and I'm thinking of going for a walk to get some fresh air and ponder existence when my phone buzzes, signaling a text from Annabelle.

can u open your door

I look at the message, confused, then shrug even though no one can see me and swing it open.

Annabelle's standing there, bouncing slightly on the tiptoes of her worn sneakers with the most adorably excited smile on her face. Her hands are behind her back, and she's wearing a flowy white tank top and a white skirt with pink flowers that goes down to her calves.

"Hey," I say softly. It's around seven now, and I wonder what she's doing here, looking a 'lil bit nervous but still psyched for something. I don't have to wonder for that long, though.

She sweeps her hands from behind her back and pushes a bouquet of sunflowers and orchids and flowers into my left hand and a warm box from Insomnia into my right.

She then takes me by the elbow and I'm blushing like crazy. She leads me outside. I look at the flowers and smile because they're so beautiful and then I look at her and smile because she's so beautiful.

The next thing I know, we're in front of a blue pickup truck. She opens the door for me, then goes around and swings into the driver's seat.

I put the box in the backseat, and put the flowers in the cupholder. Annabelle looks at me, then takes an orchid from the bundle and sticks it through one of the buns on top of my head.

I blush and laugh, and she smiles.

She starts driving. The moon lights up her skin through the dashboard, and her eyes are sparkling.

She puts in a CD, and presses a button. She twists a knob, and the beginning of Hometown blares through the air.

Then, she pushes another button, and the windows slide open. The wind whips a couple of stray strands of my hair into my face, and Annabelle's dark, dark curls are going everywhere.

I turn up the volume so anyone passing by would be able to hear it. When I place my hand back on the center console, Annabelle takes it and intertwines our fingers as the music surrounds us. She has her eyes on the road, so she can't see the brilliant crimson I expect my cheeks have turned. I wonder if she can hear my heartbeat.

Where we're from, there's no sun

Our hometown's in the dark

We both kind of hum along, but are mostly letting the music envelope us because what else could we possibly need?

She takes us up a road surrounded by trees. I can see a glow on the pavement and the grass from the millions of stars making an appearance.

It's so peaceful in the moment. I take a deep breath and inhale the fresh air, my heart pounding and my cheeks flushed.

When she finally slows down, it's when the song is over. She turns the ignition off and opens her door just as the intro to Paris comes on.

Annabelle comes around and opens my door for me. She grabs a blue blanket and the box of cookies from the backseat. When she joins me, she leaves the doors open so we can still hear the music.

We walk up a small steepened part of the hill, then sit on the blanket for a while, listening to the music blaring from her stereo and feeding each other cookies. After Paris it's Daydreamer, then a song she says is called Heartlines, then a Fall Out Boy song that I don't know the name of.

As the Fall Out Boy song comes to an end, I lay down on my back to get a better view of the sky. It really is spectacular. The beginning of Is There Somewhere comes on.

I feel Annabelle shift beside me and situate herself so she's laying down with her head on my stomach. I'm glad she can't see my face, for there's a blush spreading across it at the contact.

When I hum along, I hear her laugh. And I swear it's one of the best sounds I've ever heard.

"I can feel you humming," she says. I laugh. "I felt that, too."

We watch the stars. This time last year, they would have been the most beautiful thing I'd laid eyes on. Now Annabelle is here. And she's changed everything.

A couple more songs pass, and we just lay there, enjoying the view and each other's presence.

Suddenly Annabelle sits up, leaving my stomach a bit cold, and takes me by the hand. She pulls me up until we're both standing, and pulls me closer until I can feel her breath. Another song comes on.

I don't recognize it, but I can tell by the extra sparkle in Annabelle's eyes that she both knows and loves it.

One look, dark room

Meant just for you

Time moved too fast

You played it back

She takes me by the waist and shoulder and suddenly we're even closer, and we're dancing.

We sway and move together on top of that hill. We're on top of the world; we're untouchable. In the moment, nothing matters except Annabelle and me and it's a feeling I want to get lost in.

You can hear it in the silence

You can feel it on the way home

You can say it with the lights out

You are in love

True love

And I really am, aren't I?

And despite all that I said about Annabelle not loving me romantically, I can see something in her eyes that tells me otherwise.

I think of how Jacob and Jenna look at each other. I think of how Jenna's parents look at each other.

I think of how I feel when Annabelle looks at me, smiles at me, or even touches me.

And I think of how Annabelle deserves to know the effect she has on me.

And with her hand suddenly on my cheek, I get the courage to say what's been on my mind for much too long.

"I love you."

a/n: hi and also i'm sorry to end the chapter on this note pls don't kill me

also thanks to HappyFeeet14 for making this incredible fanart (messymermer on tumblr) olivia you're le mellieur