We'll Always Be Friends...Won't We?

Josh got up from the couch after hearing a voice outside. “I think that's the girls” he said walking towards the door. A car horn beeped as he opened the door. “Caitlyn!” he said hugging his best friend tightly lifting her off her feet. “Hey!” she laughed.

He put her down. “Hey Jess” he said smiling. Jess nodded and held up the two grocery bags she held in her hands. “Kitchen” he said. Jess wandered off. “Hey Britt” he said smiling at Caitlyn's cousin. She was gorgeous. “Oh, Hey Josh” she said shutting the door behind herself. They all wandered into the living room where Luke and Sam were waiting. “Hey guys” they said. Jess came back in and sat on Caitlyn's lap. They sat there all chatting for a second before Josh looked at Caitlyn. “Hey, you look good today” he said softly. Caitlyn smiled. “Thanks” she whispered. Britt looked at them and Caitlyn could see a look in her face that she associated with Britt's occasional bitchiness. Of course Josh was oblivious to it, he loved Britt. “You should thank me, I told her what to wear” she said loud enough for the others to hear but having everyone else think she was joking. “Well, you look pretty good yourself” he said laughing. Caitlyn nudged Jess off her lap. “I'm gonna go cook for us” she said, disguising her hurt. Josh glanced at  her, knowing how she hated Britt continuously being in the spotlight. Caitlyn wandered off into the kitchen shutting the door behind her with a final sounding click.

Josh put on some random movie smelling nice smells from the kitchen. He wanted to go see how Caitlyn was doing but something told him not to. He sat on the couch with Luke and Sam pretending to be oblivious to Britt right at his feet. About ten minutes before the end of the movie Caitlyn came out. “Anyone hungry?” she asked, all traces of her hurt from before gone. They all jumped up except Britt. “I wanna see the end” she said with a whiny tone to her voice. The guys sat back down to watch it with her. Britt had a way of winning people over, whether it was because of her looks or so that she would shut up, or maybe because they found the whiny voice cute, Caitlyn had no idea. She threw up her arms and pushed back into the kitchen to wait for everyone.

Caitlyn stayed quiet while they ate, mainly because everyone was still talking about the movie and Caitlyn had no input into it so there wasn't much for her to say. After they finished, Caitlyn cleared everyone's plates into the sink and Josh came in. “You okay?” he asked, concerned. Caitlyn smiled slipping her shoes off. “I'm fine, honestly, just a little sensitive tonight” she said. Josh smiled at her before hugging her. “C'mon” he said pulling her out to the others, “You are forbidden from cleaning up the kitchen” Josh said laughing. “We'll do it later” he shrugged. She plopped back down at the table listening again to everyone's conversation and not being able to contribute. She got up and wandered back into the lounge-room flopping onto the couch. It was about five minutes before the others wandered in. Jess looked at her. “I'm bored, lets play....” she paused dramatically. “Truth or Dare”. Caitlyn laughed as everyone else agreed with Jess's suggestion.

Caitlyn wasn't paying attention because everyone was mainly choosing 'Truth' and the questions were getting boring. “After Caitlyn's we all have to do a dare” Britt said out of boredom. Caitlyn looked up, interested. “Alright” she said sitting up more. “Caitlyn, out of the circle, who would you kiss?” Sam asked her. Caitlyn shrugged. “just cause it makes sense, probably Josh” she said casually. Britt sat up a bit. “How does that work?” she asked. Caitlyn couldn't help smiling, it sounded so childish coming out of her mouth but kinda cute. “Well, I can't kiss you, your my cousin, I wouldn't kiss Jess, kissing Luke or Sam would be really awkward and I knew none of you would let me get away with saying nobody so I said Josh” she said. She turned to Luke. “Dare you to sing 'Baby'” she laughed. Luke shrugged and sang the chorus and everyone cracked up laughing.

Luke turned to Britt “I dare you....to....kiss Josh” he said slowly. Britt turned bright red, Josh turned bright red and Jess and Sam automatically glanced at Caitlyn. “On the cheek?” Britt said firmly but making it also sound like a question. Luke shook his head. “Nope, has to be lips” he said cheekily. Caitlyn tucked a stand of hair behind her ear, about to say that it wasn't that big of a deal when Josh stood up “I have to go to the bathroom” he said walking out of the room not looking at Britt. Britt stood up too, “I'm gonna go clean up that mess in the kitchen” she said and stumbled out of the room.

The other four sat there for a few minutes before Sam beckoned to Caitlyn. “Come on, lets go be spies” he laughed. Caitlyn got up and they tiptoed into the kitchen area as Josh entered from the bathroom side of the room. “Sorry about that” he said to Britt not seeing Caitlyn and Sam hiding.

Britt turned around from putting the plates in the dishwasher. “The funny thing is, I would have done it too. Not in front of the others though” she said softly, her voice having a distorted sound to it. Josh stood next to her. “Seriously?” he asked her, not even daring to look at her. He didn't want to break the spell that seemed to have been placed over them. Britt nodded. “Yeah” she said softly. Josh turned to her, softly lifting her face towards his. She stared at him for a moment before closing her eyes. Josh kissed her, it was soft and hesitant for a moment before becoming deeper and stronger. Britt wrapped her arms around him, forgetting everything around her. She could see fireworks going off in her head.  They pulled apart and suddenly there was a noise and Sam and Caitlyn burst around the corner. Josh and Britt just looked at each other.

They all wandered back out to the lounge-room, sitting on the couch watching the New Years Eve countdown. There were fifteen minutes left until midnight. Suddenly Jess glanced up from her spot on the couch. “Oh My God! Britt! Josh!” she squealed. They all glanced at them, confused. Caitlyn had a puzzled expression, “What?” she said. Britt went bright red and Josh stared her straight in the eyes. “They're holding hands” Sam laughed. Caitlyn pushed her emotions back down. She was going to be happy for Josh if it killed her.  His happiness was more important to her than her love for him.

Sam waited till Caitlyn went into the kitchen to get a drink. “Are you okay?” he asked, looking at her. Caitlyn shrugged. “On one level, I'm scared shitless for what this means for me and Britt, and me and Josh, but on another...their both happy, who am I to ruin that with my hurt and pain?” she asked staring out the window. Sam smiled at her, coming over and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “They're your friends, and Britt's your cousin. Nobody's gonna ditch you” he said hugging her tightly. Caitlyn smiled. “I hope your right” she said softly.

Britt wandered in. “Hey, Sam, can I steal Caitie?” she asked. Sam shrugged and walked out after smiling at Caitlyn. “I never meant to hurt you” Britt began. Caitlyn held up her hand to interrupt her cousin. “Your not hurting me, your happy, and that makes me happy...me and Josh are just friends, and as long as it can stay that way, then I'm perfectly fine with your relationship” she said smiling before hugging her cousin. “it doesn't hurt you?” Britt said, searching Caitlyn's star bright blue eyes. Caitlyn shook her head. “Not at all love, not at all”

Caitlyn whirled out to the lounge-room, there was less than a minute before the New Year. She was happy now, that she knew that everything would be okay. She plonked herself down on Jess's lap. Things were gonna be different this year, Josh and Britt. Their names sounded perfect together. Sam smiled at her. “Change can be good” he said to the group.

“Live life, kiss slowly, forgive quickly” Jess said quoting some chain email she had received the day before. “Friends are like Bras, good fitting and close to your heart” Britt offered.

“Life is short, why bother with pain” Luke said shrugging. Josh held Britt's hand on one side and Caitlyn's hand on the other. “Together and apart, near and far, friends forever” Caitlyn quoted from a movie she liked. Josh looked at them all, laughing at Caitlyn's quote. “Treasure this moment, and this year, and the rest of our lives” he said as the fireworks started.

He leaned over and kissed Britt softly as Jess turned and hugged Caitlyn. Then Josh grabbed Caitlyn and kissed her cheek “Thank-you” he whispered. Caitlyn turned and kissed his cheek back as they all got ready for a group hug and photo. “I'd go to the end of the world to make you smile...” she whispered. “We'll always be friends forever won't we?” she whispered with tears in her eyes as she quoted her favorite childhood movie “The Fox And The Hound” “Yeah...forever” Josh said as the automatic flash went off, with them all in a heap smiling for each other.