The event I describe occurred when my next-door neighbor and I were both teenagers in high school—I am 18, she is 16.
First, the basics. Shelley (her real name) and I live next door to each other. She is a pretty, petite brunette with dark eyes, olive skin and an awesome body. She is smart; she has a great sense of humor; and, she has a coquettish streak in her that confounds me. We’ve known each other for around six years. We’re very good friends, though I have developed a secret crush on her since I was 15. Both our parents are divorced, and we both live with our mothers, both of whom are also good friends. Her mom trusts me implicitly.
Shelley and I talk constantly. She tells me about her friends and shares her stresses and interests with me. We do homework together. She and I date, but we never date each other. We often hang out together and we sometimes pretend to be a couple just to be silly. When Shelley and I are together, one of our moms is almost always in the vicinity. We sense both women watch us–meaning, “me”–carefully, and so I behave myself… always.