“STOP IT, ANDREW!”Lacey squealed at the top of her lungs.

Andrew’s tan, long fingers tickled Lacey’s ribs. With both hands, she pushed Andrew off of her with all the strength she had left. The shove did the trick, because there was instant relief to her right side.

Andrew laid on the itchy grass, chuckling. “I told you not to make fun of me, Lacey. Every time you do, I have to tickle the meanness right out of you.”

Lacey stuck her tongue out in an un-ladylike fashion. Andrew got on her nerves so much, but he was such a good best friend.

They lived on the corner of Wallace and Harris. Both were born and raised in modest suburban homes. Lacey was born in April of 2002 and Andrew followed a month later in May. Sporting curly blonde hair, Lacey, with her soft, chocolate-brown eyes, arrived as a force to be reckoned with. Andrew, on the other hand, entered the world mirroring the looks of his father with a matching mop of black hair and piercing blue eyes.

Lacey and Andrew met when they were babies. Both sets of parents were great friends. Before the two were born, their parents would do tons of things together like bowling, pizza, amusement parks and of course, the famous ice cream runs. Lacey and Andrew were destined to be best friends before their lives even began.

Lacey’s dad was a private contractor and her mom was an accountant. Her parents met each other in college during a mutual business class they had to take. It wasn’t love at first sight, but you would never know it based on the love you saw now. She loved watching her mom write little notes and stick them in her dad’s lunch pail. Sure, they had their moments of anger and unkindness, but Lacey wished for a relationship just like theirs to happen to her someday.

Andrew’s dad worked as a paralegal in the city, only 20 minutes from their home. Andrew however, lost his mom three years ago after a ferocious fight against breast cancer. He watched his dad those last three years sacrifice and care for his wife. He had never admired a man so much like his father. He would hold her hand as she lay in the hospital bed, reading her favorite stories and sharing many of his favorite memories of them. The memories didn’t fade when she died, but together father and son dealt each day with the ache of missing her.

It’s April 24, 2017. Lacey’s sweet sixteen was in a few short days and there was much planning to do if it was going to be the best party of the year. After catching her breath from the tickle attack, she reminded Andrew of why they were talking.

“Andrew, I wouldn’t make fun of you if you'd just help me plan my party. I need to know what snacks and decorations I should have. Focus!”

Andrew followed the flame flickering in her eyes. She was serious. Andrew sent sorry eyes in Lacey’s directions. Those clear, blue eyes.

“Alright, Alright. I will be serious this time.”

Lacey pulled out her notebook and grabbed her sparkly, neon gel pens and in different colors categorized what they would need for the party. Chips and snacks went under a flashy purple color. Candy and sweets went under a bright pink color. Drinks were labeled with a lightning green color. They sat there for two hours making a list of food, drinks, decorations and music. It was going to be the party of the year.

Watching Lacey swirl her letters on the page, Andrew noticed the clouds above take an elephant shape. It was a beautiful spring day. The temperature seemed to beckon everyone outside with its warm wind and crystal blue sky. Time with Lacey was never wasted. Soon they would be graduating high school and deciding what they wanted to do with their lives.

He had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do. Ever since his mom died, he could think of nothing else than becoming an oncologist. The disease eluded him until he came face to face with its perilous effects. He and his dad talked extensively about the schooling required, but those talks only served to fuel the fire. Andrew wanted nothing more than to aid people in finding the cure for cancer. No one should have to go through it.

His gaze swung from the sky to rest on sweet Lacey. They had gone through so much together in their short lives. She was his best friend. Whenever Andrew had a softball game or a tennis match, Lacey was there cheering him on, and the same was true of Andrew when Lacey had a volleyball game or an art program.

They were each other’s cheerleaders not only on the court and field, but in life. Lacey stuck by him through some of the hardest trials with his mom’s passing. He would never forget the way she outlined his homework assignments with little doodles of giraffes, his favorite animal, at the top of the page. He cut those out and saved them in a box underneath his bed. She always knew when to get him candy or give him a hug.

Lacey glanced up to see Andrew looking at the sky. His hair was tousled by the soft breeze. He seemed to be in deep thought. She knew that look. Whenever his lip would curl into a scowl and his eyebrows formed a “v” shape, the boy was nine times out of ten always distracted by something serious.

“Andrew, are you okay?” Lacey’s soft voice was barely recognizable amid all the other thoughts floating around in his head. It took him a few seconds to respond.

He cleared his throat, “Yep, just stuck in my own head. Where were we?”

Lacey closed her notebook. He wasn’t telling her something, but she was sure he would tell her where his mind was wandering whenever he was ready.

Andrew stood up. He reached a hand out to Lacey so he could pull her up. Lacey’s slender hand reached for his. Saying goodbye, they said they would see each other in school tomorrow. Andrew watched Lacey stroll towards her house, curls bouncing. One day, one day he would let her know how much she meant to him. He turned and headed towards his own house. Time to shake it off.

Phew. He was off the hook. Lacey was incredibly perceptive of his facial expressions and that was going to get him in trouble if he wasn’t careful. Lacey was his best friend, but he found that his feelings were growing more and more for her.

She wasn’t just “like a sister” to him. He respected her character and cherished her ideas and thoughts. She was a dreamer. The girl was destined to change the world and he wanted to be a part of it.

He wouldn’t tell her his feelings. The tension of losing a friend, destroying the relationship and totally obliterating his confidence were heavy on his mind. But on the other hand there was the hope for a new, deeper relationship. Both options were strangled with fear. Maybe at the party he could tell her. No. That was a stupid plan, but part of him supported the endeavor. What a perfect gift, right?

Lacey turned around to see Andrew walking back to his house. He seemed off, but she couldn’t put a finger on what could have caused his attitude to change so swiftly. Oh well. Hopefully, he would either get over it or tell her so she could help. Heading to the kitchen, she sought out her parents to tell her all the plans for her party.