5 Rules about Crushes.

“You’re crazy, Val!” Brooks' eyes widened.

“I know! Isn’t it great?!” Valentia laughed.

All the twelve year old kids had met up at the playground in the neighborhood again. Valentia was doing risky stunts, while everyone else watched. 

She had her hair up in Space Buns. Her black hair and hazel eyes were defining. She had on a gray and white striped oversized sweatshirt and ripped shorts. Out of all the kids at the playground, she had the best fashion sense. Everyone looked up to her, even though she was short for her age.

She backflipped off of the structure. Cheers and applause from the crowd of kids below. 

“Alright, alright. Can we talk about why we all really met up here?” Weston rolled his eyes. He wasn't easily impressed, and found Valentia’s skills annoying. He thought she was always showing off, (which she was).

“Don’t be such a wet blanket, Westie Bestie,” Valentia twirled a strand of her hair. 

“You know I hate it when you call me that!” Weston hissed.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever bossman. Let the meeting commence!” Brooks announced. 

Brooks whipped his curly brown hair out of his dark eyes. The freckles on his nose had tripled since summer began. 

All the kids gathered in a circle. Some of them had no idea what the meeting would be about. Brooks had a gut feeling that no one would like it. He looked at Valentia, and she nodded her head encouragingly. Brooks stepped up onto the first step of the play structure while everyone else sat below, watching with curious eyes.

“Okay… I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we are getting older. Some troubling times are coming. Can I get a Hoya?” 

“Hoya!” The crowd agreed, nodding their heads.

It was as if a pastor at a church said, “Can I get an amen?”. 

Everyone's eyes lingered on Brooks as he continued, “As many of you know, school is right around the corner. It feels like summer just started! But the real reason that I gathered you all here today is to talk about the subject of…” He hesitated, “Crushes.”

The crowd of children’s expressions changed distinctly. From blushing to snarling, everyone was all ears. Brooks tried to read his audience. There were too many different opinions to keep in mind.

“Hey now. I’m just saying. We’ve all been living in this neighborhood for a while now, and we all know each other's names, each other's faults… Some of us even know each other's middle names! That’s a strong bond right there. But I think since we’ve all been friends this whole time, well, I think we can all agree. We don’t want any funny business going on here. In order to keep the peace, I don’t want any ‘secret crushes’ or gossip about ‘someone likes so-in-so’. When my brother went into the seventh grade, his life was almost destroyed by that nonsense.”

“Hoya,” Someone muttered.

“So. That being said, I’d like to ask some of your guys’ opinions on what we should do.”

For a moment everyone just stared at each other. Valentia’s gaze caught his eye, and she quickly looked away. Brooks swallowed his awkward blush.

What was that…? 

Suddenly a guy said, “Maybe the girls should separate from the guys?” 

“Oh, please, you know forbidden love is the best kind of love.”

After that the meeting broke into chaos. All the kids talking at once. Brooks sat and watched for a few moments. Valentia stayed silent. Weston just wanted the guys to separate from the girls. Everyone knew that would never happen, though.

“Hey! Listen to me!” Everyone stopped and looked at a girl named Piper. She didn't talk too much, but was still kind and always laughed at people's jokes. She straightened her glasses. “Brooks, you don’t want any gossip happening right? You just don't want us to be torn apart. I get that. I have an idea. What if we just made some rules, like: If you like someone for more than three days, you can tell them. But don't tell your friends first.”

“Or if two people like the same person, then let that person decide who they like,” Samantha added.

“And if they don’t like anyone…?” Brooks raised a brow.

“Then they don’t like either and those two people can move on,” She said, “That happened to my older sister and her best friend once.”

“So what you guys are saying, to avoid arguments, we should make a set of rules?” Brooks confirmed. “If you agree with this idea, say ‘aye’.”

“Aye!” Everyone said. 

“Great. Anyone got a piece of paper to write this stuff down?”

“That’s my job,” Piper pulled out a tiny notebook.

It took them thirty minutes but finally everyone agreed on the rules. In the end the notebook page looked like this:

Rules:

1. Don’t tell your friends/family that you like someone before you tell them.
2. If someone tells you that they like you, don’t tell everyone unless they say that you can.
3. If two people like the same person ask the person who they like:

a) Neither: That’s fine, move on.

b) One of the people: No hard feelings.

c) They like them both: Give them a little while to get their feelings straight.

4. Don’t do anything that you'd want to be kept a secret.

5.Don’t make someone feel bad for rejecting you.

“There. The rules are simple. I think it's time to go home,” Brooks noted the setting sun, “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Everyone said their goodbyes until it was just Brooks and Valentina cleaning up the markers that Piper accidentally left. Thoughts swirled through Brooks’ mind. I hope I didn't accidentally start something horrible. Maybe I shouldn’t have even mentioned it. Val was surprisingly quiet the whole time.

“Hey, earth to Brooks!” Valentia snickered, “Watchya thinkin’ ‘bout?

“How silent you were that whole time. Do you think I shouldn't have mentioned it?”

She hesitated and sighed, “Listen. I don’t question your leadership abilities, and I’m glad you did this and all…”

“...But?”

“But I think you may have accidentally given some kids the impression that they should have a crush in order to be more mature or to fit in with the group. I know that you’re just doing this to protect us and all, but at the same time I feel like you could have gone about it a little differently. Especially seeing as some of us have liked someone in the group ever since they moved here.”

“Oh, really? Val, is there something you want to tell me?” Brooks joked, staring at the setting sun on the green leaves.

“Yes. Brooks,” Valentia pushed his face to turn to hers. She was blushing profusely.

“... Val?”

“I like you Brooks. I have ever since I met you.”

“Val… I…” He stammered, feeling hot, “Same.”

With her hands already on her face, she kissed him lightly. His phone rang.

Brooks pulled away, “I have to go…” He hesitated, “But before I do…”

He leaned in and kissed her.

“Well, go on then. I'll... talk to you tomorrow.”

Brooks’ eyes lingered on her for a moment, but he turned away and walked into the setting sun. A swirl of thoughts in his mind. His heart pounded restlessly. Before he knew it he'd already broken his own rule. Rule four. And yet...

 He wanted to do it again.