Holding Me Tight, Wherever You Go

"I like you. A lot. Just please, don't doubt it," he whispered once we pulled away from the kiss with his forehead on mine.

I just nodded my head and he knew I trusted him.

"Come on, let's go downstairs," he said grabbing my hand as we walked to the basement.

Once we got there the girls were giving me concerned looks and I just nodded my head to assure them that I was fine. Taylor and Luke moved to the ground so Tyler laid himself across the couch and brought me down in front of him leaving an arm around my waist. By this time they were watching Remember The Titans, my favorite movie.

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The next morning, I felt something heavy on my waist and my eyes fluttered open and saw an arm draped there. I turned my head a little and saw Ty. All the memories from last night began coming back and I smiled. I slowly got out from under his grip, careful not to wake him, and walked up the stairs and into the kitchen. I got upstairs and saw my mom making waffles. Slowly the girls came up the stairs.

We all sat around the island talking to my mom.

"So, what happened last night? I heard some yelling and it was very close to my room," my mom said pointedly at me.

"Please, please, tell me dad didn't hear," I said nervous.

"Believe me sweetie, you would've known if your dad heard cause he would've been in there within a second of the slammed door," she said calming my nerves. "But after a few minutes it got really quiet before you walk downstairs, what happened to all the yelling?" She said knowingly.

"Really? Yeah, what happened, Maddie?" Taylor asked.

"He may or may not have kissed me," I said. All the girls started freaking out.

"I knew he should've just been forward!" Mo said and we all laughed.

"I am gonna go get all my camera stuff ready," I said.

"Yeah, how are you guys getting there?"

"Not sure who yet, but we are gonna have to drive 2 cars," Mo said.

"And you are going to the beach?"

"Yup, Chapel Hill," I said.

"Alright, sounds good!" she approved.

After I got all my stuff together and the girls and I were already we went back to the kitchen to see the boys eating breakfast, already ready to leave.

"Hey guys, you ready?" I asked.

They all simultaneously responding 'yeah.'

"Make sure you guys are dressed warmly, it will be chillier at the beach," my mom said.

"Ok Mom, Bye," I said kissing her cheek.

Once we were all outside Kyle asked, "We are taking my car, right?"

"If that's ok, and one other,"

"Yeah, that's fine," he said.

"We can take my car," Luke said.

"Alright, let's go,"

In Kyle's car was: Kyle driving, Mo in the passenger side, Lainey and Josh in the middle, and Drew was in the back.

In Luke's car was: Luke driving, Taylor in the passenger side, and Tyler and I in the back.

Once we were on the road and the music was playing softly in the background we all started talking.

"So, Maddie, when did you start photography?" Luke asked.

"I always have been into it because my mom loves it. She does a lot of nature pictures but I like taking pictures of people or like action shots," I answered.

"You should take pictures of our games," he suggested.

"That's not a bad idea,"

"Yeah, just make sure when you get a picture of me that my muscles look flexed," he said with a smirk. Taylor playfully hit his arm and we all laughed.

"Awh, you two are so cute together," Tyler said.

"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked.

"Oh , don't deny it! We saw you two macking last night,"

They both blushed a little.

"I think you two are a pretty cute couple too!" Luke said like a girl. We all laughed and brushed it off. But Tyler did reach over and lace our fingers together and smiled at me.

I'm assuming Ty told the guys what happened last night just like I told the girls. As of now all we did was kiss last night, nothing is official between us still.

"Alright, here we are!" Luke yelled. We all got out of the car as everyone was getting out of Kyle's car as well. "You guys ready to become models?!" Luke yelled to them.

We all just laughed at him and I started unloading my stuff.

"Need some help?" Ty asked.

"Yes, please," I said handing him some of my stuff with a smile, "Thank you!"

We all walked out onto the beach and everyone was fooling around as I got my lenses situated and the camera ready. I took the radio and plugged in my iPod and started playing my beach music playlist. It had bands like: Foo Fighters, Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

"So what are we like supposed to do?" Taylor asked.

"Whatever you want, just have fun and be crazy. Pretend I'm not even here and I'm not taking pictures. Just listen to the music and dance, play in the water, run around, whatever," I told them.

It took them a little while to warm up but soon they were all having fun.

I got some really cute shots of Kyle and Mo in the water. There were some of him holding her and some of him kissing her.

I got one good picture of drew just standing in the water with black pants and no shirt on which came out pretty cool.

Josh was crazy he started doing flips and stuff right by the break of the waves which I got really cool shots of. All of the guys started playing football and Josh stayed by the water so I got some pictures of him catching the football there.

I got a couple of Lainey just playing in the water, not very high quality but they were ok.

I also got some couple shots of Taylor and Luke playing in the sand, cuddling, and on the top of his pathfinder.

I only got one picture of Tyler because he stayed by me most of the time. It was probably one of my favorite pictures I took though. He was just standing in front of the water with his jacket and scarf laughing. It turned out really well.

"Get any good pictures?" Tyler asked sitting down next to me as I looked through my camera.

"Yup!" I said smiling.

"So, I have a question," he said grabbing my hand.

"Ok,"

"I know I should be asking this in some creative corny way but will you go to homecoming with me?"

"Of course!" I smiled, "And by the way you ask creatively to prom," I said.

"I will keep that in mind," he said leaning to to kiss me.

"WOAH!" Luke yelled and Tyler and I jumped apart before our lips even met. I watched as Taylor hit him on the back of his head. "OW! What was that for?!" he yelled.

"For ruining their moment, they didn't ruin ours last night!" she said.

"Oh whoops, sorry! Continue," he said to us.

"Yeah, it's kinda too awkward now man," Tyler said.

"I think the rain is about to start do you guys wanna head back?" I asked. Everyone agreed so we called over everyone to leave.

"Hey, instead of the girls going home why don't we just go shopping for homecoming dresses?" Mo suggested.

"Whose car can we take though?" I asked.

"I would let you take mine but I don't know if I trust any of you driving," Luke said.

"I will drive it then," Taylor said. "And since I live next to Ty's mom why don't you guys just go hang there until we get back?" she suggested.

"Ok, I do not want anyone especially Mo getting near the steering wheel, Tay," he said.

"Don't worry, I got it,"

We all got situated with the guys in one car and the girls in the other. I texted my mom telling her that we were going shopping for homecoming and she said it was fine.

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A few hours later all four of us had picked out and bought our dresses.

I got a magenta colored dress by Marc Jacobs. Taylor got a strapless, drape, silk, green dress. Lainey got a simple black strapless tight fitted dress and Mo got an Emilio Pucci dress that had all different kinds of prints.

We all got out of the car with our dresses and walked into Tyler's house. The boys immediately flocked over to us.

"Let us see!" The boys yelled trying to see our dresses.

"Nope! It's a surprise," I said looking around at them, "Hey, where'd Drew go?"

"He went home," Ty said.

"Awh, I felt so bad for him cause we were all kinda coupled up the whole night," I said.

"Nah, he doesn't get bothered by stuff like that," Tyler said.

"Alright, I think we are going to leave," Kyle said pulling Mo with him.

"Us too," Josh and Lainey said.

"I'm gonna head home too," Luke said kissing Taylor on the cheek and leaving.

After that it was just Taylor, Tyler, and me.

"Mrs. Johnson!" Taylor yelled.

"Taylor, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Julia?" she said laughing.

I watched as Mrs. Johnson my school counselor walked in the door with a little girl trailing behind her. I grew immediately confused as to why she was here.

"Hey Mom," Tyler said.

"Hi sweetie," she said going and giving him a hug.

"TY!" The little girl yelled running up to him with her arms open.

"Hey Luce!" he said with a huge smile, lifting her into his arms. "Luce can you say hi to my friend Maddie?"

"Hi Maddie," she said quietly.

"Hi Lucy," I said back with a smile.

"Maddie! Your the girl that Tyler always tells me about?" Mrs. Johnson said.

"I guess?" I said unsure.

"Tyler, I liked her from the moment she stepped into my office. You picked a good one," she winked at him as we both blushed. "Would you girls like to stay for dinner?" She asked.

"I have to get home actually," Taylor said.

"I do too, my parents asked me to come home after shopping," I told her.

"Well maybe another time then?" Mrs. Johnson asked.

"Of course, thank you for the invite though," I said.

"Your very welcome,"

"Mom, I'm gonna take Maddie home," Tyler said.

"It's ok, I can have my parents come," I said.

"No, it's fine let me take you, I want to," he said smiling.

"Ok," with that the three of us walked out the door.

"Bye guys!" Taylor said and we replied before she started walking across the yard to her house.

Tyler opened the door for me before walking to the drivers side and starting the car.

"Did you have fun shopping?" Tyler asked.

"Yup!" I said.

"What's your dress look like?" he asked with a smirk.

"Nice try," I said.

"Ah, I thought I got you. Can you at least tell me the color? So I can match you?" he asked sweetly.

"You don't have to match me but it's magenta," I said.

"Good to know," he smiled. "I'm excited to see how the pictures turned out,"

"I know! I am going to go home and upload them and edit them if need be," I said. "Then I will email them to y'all. You can tell me which ones you want and I will print them."

"Sounds good, are there any pictures of you?" he asked.

"Nope," I said.

"Then I don't think I will want any," he said.

"So you want a picture of me?" I asked.

"Yup! I will put it on my nightstand so every night before I go to sleep I will see it and think of you and have the best night sleep then wake up and see it and have the best day ever," he said with a smile.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

"Dead serious," he said.

"Well, maybe you can have one that my mom took but you will have to earn it," I said.

"Ok, I'm up for it," he said with a smile as we got to my house. He opened my door for me and walked me to the front. "Bye Madds,"

"Bye Ty," I said.

He gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek then walked back to his car and drove away.