Just for Kicks

Summer, 1965. There are some things a girl never questions. The sun will rise over Main Street. The jukebox at the diner will always be playing somebody's favorite song. And the boy you've known your whole life will always be there. You've spent years at his side. Years of summer afternoons and moonlit evenings. Years of scraped knees, whispered secrets, and laughter shared beneath endless blue skies. Everyone in town knows the two of you belong together. Everyone except the two of you. So when a silly joke convinces half the town that you're finally going steady, it seems easier to laugh and play along than tell the truth. After all, what's the harm in a little make-believe? A walk through town with your arm in his. A dance beneath the stars. A kiss on the cheek when someone's watching. It's only pretend. Just for kicks. At least, that's what you tell yourself. But summer has a way of changing things. The days grow longer. The nights grow warmer. And suddenly you're noticing things you've never noticed before. The way his smile can steal the breath from your lungs. The way your heart races whenever he's near. The way every touch lingers just a moment longer than it should. Before long, the game isn't so funny anymore. Because the trouble with pretending to be in love is that sometimes your heart forgets it's only supposed to be acting. Now, with the summer slipping away and the whole town convinced you've found your happily ever after, you're faced with a question more frightening than any rumor. What happens if the boy you've always called your best friend becomes the one man you can't imagine living without?