falling deeper

Chapter 4: Falling Deeper

Months went by, and Marie and I talked nonstop. We'd sit together at church, and I'd bring her pudding, which she'd always appreciate. We'd hang out often, and I'd learned so much about her. She loved to draw, write, and play video games, just like me. But what really surprised me was her huge collection of stuffed animals. She had them everywhere – on her bed, on her shelves, even on her desk.

As I got to know her better, I found myself growing more and more attracted to her. She was smart, funny, and kind, and she had this spark in her eyes that I couldn't resist. But being around her also made me nervous all the time. I'd stumble over my words, or forget what I was saying, and she'd just laugh and smile.

Despite my nerves, I loved spending time with her. We'd talk for hours about our favorite books, movies, and TV shows. We'd play video games together, and I'd marvel at her skills. She was an amazing player, and I'd often find myself getting beat by her.

As the months went by, I started to notice little things about her that I hadn't seen before. The way she'd smile when she was concentrating on a game, the way her eyes would light up when she was excited about something, the way she'd laugh when I did something silly.

I found myself looking forward to our hangouts more and more. I'd count down the days until we could see each other again, and I'd spend hours thinking about what we'd do, what we'd talk about, and what we'd laugh about.

Marie seemed to feel the same way. She'd always be smiling when I saw her, and she'd light up when I walked into the room. We'd talk about our days, our hopes, and our dreams, and I'd feel like I could tell her anything.

One day, as we were walking out of church, Marie turned to me and said, "I'm so glad we're friends."

I smiled, feeling a warmth in my chest. "Me too," I said. "You're one of my best friends."

Marie smiled back, and we continued walking. I didn't realize it at the time, but that moment was the start of something more. Something special.

As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, I found myself falling deeper and deeper in love with Marie. I didn't know if she felt the same way, but I couldn't help how I felt. And I knew that I'd always treasure our friendship, no matter what.