Flashback!

It was early summer. Just a hint of spring remained, and the closer one got to the grass there might even be an inkling of winter still around. At least Kyle thought so.

"Do you feel it?" He asked his girlfriend Kelsey. They were thirteen, and they'd just decided this would be the date to say it. Only they hadn't told anyone of it. They were going steady. She was wearing his pucca shells.

She laid next to him on the damp grass in the back yard at Roger's sleepover. He guessed, Kelsey wasn't suppose to be here, but she couldn't have been having any fun over at Stacey's. But this was Stacy's last slumber party of eighth grade, her Dad got orders to some military base in Texas, and she would only be here for six more weeks. Kelsey had reminded him he had to be nice to Stacey. Of course he smiled right back saying, "Not if I can help it."

Just a few minutes before this momentous occasion, Kyle sneaked in to the girl's tent and made them all scream to his delight. He pulled a grass snake out of his pocket. It was then that he announced, "I'm pleased to invite each and everyone of you to our summer sleepover." He didn't dare mention Roger since Roger definitely tried too hard with the girls. Every girl back in Roger's sixth grade class had all gone steady with Roger at least for a day. Although, not many would admit it. Not even Ellie who seemed the most perturbed that Kyle intruded the party.

"What gives? You girls have already done all your girly stuff. Now its dark, and its time for some real fun." He knew from the get go that he annoyed her. In fact everyone annoyed her. "If you don't watch it, El, you're gonna be a party pooper." He didn't want to go so far and tell her that everyone thought she was becoming.... a real bitch, and she might be down right evil by ninth grade. He might get wrestled to the ground. And even if he might have liked it, it just wouldn't be right to have a tall blond like Ellie messing up his hair or his face for that matter, especially in front of Kelsey.

Ellie backed down from telling on him and went to Stacey. Evidently, she was probably Stacey's one true friend.

And now, here he was with Kelsey, trying to decide the sleeping the arrangement.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind if we left all together, believe me, I can think of lots of places to hide." He winked, but he doubt if she could tell in the dark. She seemed a bit aloof to him.

"We can't do that." She sat up on her elbows. Her dark hair had come undone from the ponytail on top of her head, and she looked as if something fascinating might happen tonight. But he didn't kiss her then. He wanted to.

Damn, he thought to himself. Why couldn't he have just gotten her to come over alone, not all the other girls, but it was the boys in the tent he'd done this far. He was the only one who had the balls to do it.

About that time, Roger ran out of the guy's tent.

"The girls are too loud! They won't shut up!" Roger's eyes were lit, and he looked to be on the brink of trouble.

"Well, we gotta keep them busy. We should put the tents together." Kyle mentioned.

"Are you crazy?"

"You don't know what crazy is?" Kyle jumped up thinking of all the crazy, possibly harmful stuff he could come up with. Everything from finding cough syrup in the bathroom cabinet to trading out water for vodka in his Dad's stash in the garage. But he wouldn't. Kelsey was here. And he would protect her from all the evils in the world. Even if he was probably younger than anyone here. But Kelsey was a very young thirteen as well. He dreamed of the day he could carve, "Kelsey and Kyle FOREVER" on the oak tree in his back yard.

So everybody got out of the tent. First order of business was to shut up. Did anybody really want to get in trouble?

"And everybody should keep their clothes on." Ellie was still the police.

Kyle looked at her and shook his head. She was something. "You'd think you were all going to the nunnery tomorrow." But he couldn't stop himself from adding. "You know, when you talk like that, it just makes every one of us want to strip down and go streaking. So maybe you should shut up."

She huffed away. Kyle turned back and took Kelsey's hand. "While they move the tents, we should go to the park for a little while. Its gonna be a war here."

She just smiled. A part of him really wished she talked more, but then the moment might be spoiled. They took off running into the night with only a path of golden streetlights to guide them to the little park. It was a rush just getting there. He grabbed a foot scooter from someones back yard and told her to get on. It was big enough for both of them, and he peddled by foot on the smooth concrete. They coasted most of the way down to the park. Finally, he stopped the scooter once it hit the grass.

They went for the merry-go-round. Kelsey got on. Her thin legs dangling, hanging off the bars, while he pushed. She was a fine sight to see in her pink shorts and pink dock shoes. She really liked pink, he guessed. He'd have to remember that.

He forged on as if he had to get the action going, pushing the merry-go-around forward. She watched. He wasn't sure if she liked what she saw or maybe she was thinking he was a total idiot. However, she hadn't moved.

Kyle jumped up on the very bar where she was. He felt the merry-go-round turning, but slowing. He leaned in for a kiss. She laughed. He wondered if she'd always be laughing at him.
He wanted to tell her she was beautiful. He wanted to tell her he'd marry her when they were older. But instead, he caught her from falling off the bars, and they went down together near the center of the merry-go-round as it moved.

He looked up at stars with her in his arms. It was the best feeling ever. He just wished it was enough. He wished he didn't have to go home. He wished nothing had to change. But Kyle knew it wasn't like that.

"I'm gonna try my hardest to be the best boyfriend you'll ever have," he told her with confidence.

"I never had a boyfriend before," Kelsey said, smiling.

"Then, I guess I don't have to try very hard." He bit his bottom lip from laughing.

"Stop it." She nudged him, but he nudged back with a kiss on the lips. He pushed his fingers through her baby fine hair. His other hand rested on her belly. The merry-go-around was at a creak.

He wanted to stay dizzy with her, but he stayed still, kissing her lips more, finding her tongue with his. It was the slow kiss that got him the most. It was addictive. And there really wasn't a thought in his head to move on with something new. This was new enough. This was Kelsey.
Just then the rest of the party found them. He could have heard them coming, but he didn't want too.

"What is it?" They pushed themselves up.

"You are such a jerk, Kyle Anderson!" Leave it to Ellie to be the first one to jump in about how he had abandoned the whole tent move when it was his idea.

"Sorry, there were enough of you." Kyle noticed a few had paired up. Even Stacey was with Roger. Maybe they drew names.

"It doesn't matter." Some hyper boy named Ryan was pulling Ellie away by the hand. Kyle really couldn't see any compatibility there.

"Don't touch me!" She pushed him away.

"See, you are missing the whole point of this sleepover, Ellie." He didn't even know why he made the effort to explain this to her. "Someday, you'll remember this night. I know I will. And I'm just going to remember that annoying girl. Don't let that annoying girl be you, Ellie."

She crossed her arms and walked off.

"You shouldn't have said that, Kyle." But Kelsey didn't ask for an answer she just pulled him back in for a kiss.

Finally, Roger brought out the fireworks from last year. Some of the girls had brought quilts and blankets to sit on.

"Wait, the cops could catch us." Kyle advised. "We better go on down to the high school parking lot."

"We could get in trouble there, too," Ellie remarked.

"Never have before. And believe me I've been around that school enough to know." He sighed taking the box of fireworks from Roger. They walked on.

"This is really making me tired, " Stacey said after they'd walked a few blocks to the high school.

"We're on a mission, you can't be tired, Stacey." Roger had his arm around Stacey's neck like he was a gangster.

"You might be choking her," Kyle said.

Roger let go, and she went over to walk with Ellie who was never going to hold hands with Ryan.
Everyone was yawning when they got there, but the blankets were all in place. The group scooted together, waiting for the rockets to ignite.

First Kyle got out a cigarette, lit it and took a drag. Then he lit a string of firecrackers. The girls weren't so amused. Kyle looked over at Kelsey who kept smiling at him. Then the bottle rockets started, lighting the sky as smoke sank all around them like a war zone. It was a small show. July was right around the corner.

"We gotta get back here then," Roger said. "All of us. Just light the sky."

Kyle nodded, maybe by then Kelsey would be telling everyone that she was Kyle's girl.

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I got tagged by Alayna. This was the best I could do. I'd written this for a friend. I was trying to think of all the good times I used to have with my friends on our 'sleepovers'. Yeah, guys were at most of those sleepovers. We never told our mother until we were older. She kind of flipped out. But it really was an innocent time.