ria <3

                                    

                                          
emyy be back again. i lowkey hate this but whateverr

ryder pov
The first time I noticed Giana differently, we were sitting under the big oak tree in her backyard. She was talking a mile a minute about some idea she had for a video, her hands moving wildly as she explained. I don't even remember what she was saying, but I remember the way her brown eyes sparkled and how her laugh made the summer heat feel a little less suffocating.
It hit me like a soccer ball to the chest—I liked her. Not just as my best friend, but as something more.
Chapter One: Realization
I spent weeks trying to figure out if it was just a crush or something deeper. Giana, of course, didn't notice anything different. She still texted me memes at 2 a.m., asked me to help her rehearse lines, and stole fries off my plate when we hung out. She was Giana—funny, sweet, and completely unaware of how much space she took up in my head.
One day, we were walking home from school, and she was rambling about a math test. I wasn't really listening. I was too busy staring at the way her ponytail swung as she walked.
"Earth to Ryder?" she said, waving a hand in front of my face.
"Huh?" I snapped out of it.
"Were you even listening?"
"Yeah," I lied. "Something about... fractions?"
She rolled her eyes. "Close enough."
It was moments like that—simple, everyday moments—that made me realize I didn't just like Giana. I was falling for her.
Chapter Two: The Confession
It took me forever to work up the courage to tell her. I mean, what if she didn't feel the same? What if I ruined everything? But one Friday night, after a group hangout where we'd spent more time laughing together than paying attention to the movie, I couldn't keep it in anymore.
"Giana," I said as we walked to her front door.
"Yeah?" She turned to look at me, her face lit by the glow of the porch light.
"I like you," I blurted out. "Like... like you like you."
Her eyes widened, and for a second, I thought I'd made the biggest mistake of my life. Then she smiled—one of those big, genuine smiles that made her nose scrunch up.
"Took you long enough," she said, before standing on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. "I like you too."
Chapter Three: First Date
Our first official date was at the arcade. I figured it was the perfect place—fun, casual, and no pressure. Giana showed up wearing her favorite hoodie, her hair in a messy bun, and I couldn't stop staring.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"You're just... really pretty," I admitted.
She turned bright red but grinned. "Don't get all sappy on me now, Ryder."
We spent the evening battling each other at every game we could find. She destroyed me at air hockey but let me win at basketball—barely. At the claw machine, I managed to win her a stuffed panda, which she named "Ryder Jr."
By the end of the night, I walked her home, our hands brushing against each other until she finally just grabbed mine. It was such a small thing, but it felt like the most important moment of my life.
Chapter Four: Little Moments
Dating Giana was like a series of perfect little moments strung together.
There was the time we got caught in the rain walking back from the corner store, and she made me dance with her on the sidewalk. "Come on, Ryder," she said, laughing as she spun around. "Live a little!"
Or the time she fell asleep on my shoulder during movie night, and I sat there for two hours, too scared to move because I didn't want to wake her up.
Then there was the day I taught her how to skateboard. She was terrible at it, but she didn't care. "Stop laughing and help me, you dork!" she yelled, wobbling as I held onto her hands.
"You're doing great, Giana," I teased.
"You're the worst teacher ever," she shot back, but she was smiling the whole time.
Chapter Five: The Future
Sometimes, I wondered how long we'd have this—how long it would feel this perfect. We were young, and everyone said young love doesn't last. But every time I looked at her, I couldn't imagine feeling this way about anyone else.
"Do you think we'll still be friends when we're old?" she asked one night as we sat on her roof, staring up at the stars.
"Friends?" I echoed. "I'm planning on sticking around way longer than that."
She laughed, leaning her head against my shoulder. "Good. I don't think I could get rid of you even if I tried."
And in that moment, I knew—whether we were 13 and 15 or 80 and 82—I'd always want to be by her side.

ew this sucked lmaoo. anyways live laugh love ria <3 emyy outt. mwah