Alex's childhood friend comes back

"Dude, you're never gonna guess who's back in town" Mark said, slamming the door open and dropping on the couch close to his best friend.

Alex looked up from his video game, curiosity piqued.

"Who?"

"It's Rachel" Mark revealed with a smirk. "You remember Rachel, right?"

Alex froze, his thumb hovering over the game controller. Rachel, that name brought a flood of memories from a past, of course Alex remembered his childhood friend. Rachel had moved away when they were eight years old and they had been inseparable until that day: they spent all the time together at school, after school and Sundays. The thought of seeing her after all these years made his heart race.

"Rachel" he echoed, trying to keep his voice steady. "Why did she come back?"

"Dunno" Mark shrugged. "I think her parents are here for a wedding or something, but get this" Mark grinned. "She wants to catch up with old friends and she asked about you specifically"

Alex felt his cheeks warm as he tried to process the news. He suffered a lot from Rachel moving away, but now she was back and she was asking for him. Will things go back like they were ten years ago?

"Uhm dude..." Mark continued a bit bashful. "She has changed... uh... she's really hot now, she isn't that tomboy girl anymore" Alex's eyes widened in shock.

"Like, seriously, you wouldn't even recognize her. She's got these amazing curves and these piercing blue eyes. She's like... grown up"

Alex swallowed hard, his thoughts racing. "It's normal, isn't it? We all kinda have grown" he murmured, trying to ignore his insecurities.

"Hey dude, don't worry about that. You will be fine, just be confident, like you are with me"

It was easy for him to talk like that, Alex thought. Mark had always been the more athletic one, towering over every guy at school, while Alex remained on the shorter side, his skinny frame never quite filling up despite his best efforts, even now it would take two of him to fit in Mark clothes.

"I'm throwing a little get-together tonight. Just a few of us from the old days, I can't pretend everybody will be free with just a few hours notice, even in summer" Mark clapped Alex on the back. "You must come, it'll be like old times"

Alex nodded, his stomach flipping at the thought of meeting Rachel.

"Yeah, sure" he said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

The evening rolled around and Alex found himself standing outside Mark's house, dressed in his best casual attire, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Just don't be an idiot" he whispered to himself.

The door swung open and Rachel stepped into the frame, looking every bit the picture of beauty Mark had described, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement as they landed on him. She was gorgeous. She had indeed grown up, her curves accentuated by a tight-fitting top and shorts. But it was her smile that took his breath away, the same smile that had brightened his childhood days.

"Alex!" Rachel squealed, throwing her arms around him. He stiffened for a moment before awkwardly returning the hug, his eyes darting down to her chest before snapping back up to meet hers. "It's been forever!"

Her embrace was warm and familiar, yet the feeling of her body against his was alien. He could smell her sweet scent, feel the softness of her skin, and hear her voice again. She really was a woman now, and it was hard for him to reconcile that with the image of a little girl he used to know. Alex, on the other hand, still felt like the same shy kid he had been, his voice not quite deep enough and his body not quite muscular enough to match his peers. Rachel had grown and changed, but it felt like he was stuck in the same old body, the same old awkwardness.

As the night wore on, the group of friends reminisced about their childhood, but when the party began to wind down, Rachel pulled Alex aside.

"Hey, Alex" she said, her voice softer than it had been all evening. "I know it's kind of late, but would you want to come back to my place? My parents are out, and we can you this time to catch up. It'll be like old times, just the two of us"

Alex's heart skipped a beat.