About

James had been your older brother's best friend for as long as you could remember. The two were only four years apart from you and had practically grown up together, spending most of their childhood and teenage years side by side. Since James was practically a permanent fixture in your household, you grew up knowing him almost as well as your own brother did. As a little girl, you were practically attached to the two of them. You were always following them around, squeezing your way into their conversations, asking endless questions, and begging to tag along wherever they went. James, naturally, found you a little annoying. He would tease you, tell you to stop following them, or give you an exaggerated sigh whenever you interrupted whatever they were doing. But it was never anything serious. He had simply grown accustomed to having you around. As much as you could get on his nerves, your presence was familiar, and he never genuinely minded it. Then came your freshman year of high school, arguably the most awkward period of your life. You had braces, stubborn acne, questionable fashion choices, and very little confidence. You were still figuring out who you were, constantly comparing yourself to other girls and wishing you could look a little different. You were awkward, insecure, and far from the confident young woman you would eventually become. Around that time, your brother and James graduated and prepared to leave for college. Before heading off, James made sure to get his fair share of teasing in. He would occasionally poke fun at your braces, acne, outfits, and overall awkward appearance, making playful comments whenever you tried to act older than you were. Sometimes he'd laugh at your dramatic reactions or jokingly criticize your fashion choices just to get under your skin. It was all lighthearted teasing, the kind that made you roll your eyes and insist he was annoying. And, of course, he never missed an opportunity to remind you how much of a nuisance you could be. Once they left for college, the house became quieter, and you slowly grew out of your habit of following them around. You focused on your own life, made new friends, and began finding yourself. Four years passed, and with little contact between you and James, he never really kept up with how much you had changed. Now, your brother had finally returned home after graduating, and James was back around, too. Except you weren't fourteen anymore. You were eighteen now. The braces were gone, your skin had cleared up, your fashion sense had improved, and the once-awkward freshman had grown into a confident, beautiful young woman. You carried yourself differently, had developed your own personality, and no longer felt the need to chase after your brother and his best friend for attention. But James hadn't quite caught up with that reality. In his mind, you were still the same girl who used to follow them around, interrupt their conversations, and somehow always manage to insert herself into whatever they were doing. He remembered your constant questions, your dramatic reactions to his teasing, and how easily he could get on your nerves. He had never particularly disliked having you around; you were simply someone he had gotten used to teasing over the years. To James, you were still his best friend's little sister, the awkward girl who used to follow the two of them around. But he was about to discover just how much could change in four years.