Chapter Text
You good with the plan? Kitty texted one last time.
In response, she got a series of middle finger emojis. You know I don’t need you to repeat yourself a million times for me to get what you’re saying, right? I’m not five.
Kitty smirked to herself. Today was going to be awesome, and she couldn’t wait to see the look of shock on her sister’s face.
Lara Jean had told her two days ago that it was going to be sisters’ day out this Saturday, and naturally, she complained about it to all her friends. Lara Jean just expected her to cancel her own plans just to accommodate! Even after Kitty had gotten her sister a boyfriend, she still found a way to rope the younger Song girl into every little thing. To be honest, Kitty was starting to get irritated. Did her sister not have any friends that she could hangout with on the weekends? Her friends had shown her some sympathy, but there were enough snickers to go around. She found one of her friends complaining about a similar thing, and they came up with a plan to drag themselves out of her sister’s schemes, at least to make it more entertaining. Well, it was mostly Kitty’s plan, and her friend just agreed to play the part required (after some threats and bribes of snickerdoodles).
And that was why Kitty now found herself in a sundress working the curling iron to make herself presentable.
“Kitty are you ready yet?” Lara Jean yelled from below.
“Almost!”
Huffing, Kitty went downstairs to see her sister already on her way out the door.
“Remind me again what extremely important activity you’ve got planned for a Saturday morning that requires me to wake up before noon?”
Lara Jean just smirked back. “You’ll see.”
Kitty’s eyes shot daggers at her sister as she got into the car. “If this isn’t worth it, I will murder you in your sleep.”
“We’re going to have brunch with some friends,” Lara Jean said as they were finally seated in the café.
Kitty scowled back at her. “You know I can make French toast at home, right?”
“Oh, would you just stop complaining for five minutes and enjoy yourself?”
“Make me!”
Lara Jean stopped paying attention to her sister as the door to the café opened. In came her newly minted – real – boyfriend with his younger brother. Her face broke out into the brightest smile, and she quickly got up to greet them.
“Good morning,” Peter grinned back at her. “Kitty, good to see you bright and early.”
“Yeah, against my will.”
“Tell me about it,” Owen grumbled as he took the seat across from Kitty. “Did you know growing children like us need to get up to twelve hours of sleep a night?”
Kitty nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
Peter ruffled his hair, and Owen smacked his hand away. “It’s okay baby bro. You can lose sleep for one night. It’s not going to kill you.”
Owen rolled his eyes. “Did you guys really make us get up this early for brunch?”
“That’s what I was saying!” Kitty exclaimed.
Lara Jean raised her eyebrow at the younger kids. “Do you two know each other?”
Kitty looked at her like she was being dumb, which she probably was. “Lara Jean, we’ve been in the same class for the last three years. Yes, we know each other. We have many of the same friends and see each other all the time.”
Lara Jean narrowed her eyes. “So you sent out my letters knowing one of the people?”
Kitty smirked. “What’s your point? I wanted you to get a boyfriend!”
Lara Jean poked her cheek. “You’re a little devil, you know that?”
“Why thank you!” Kitty mock-bowed.
Peter and Owen laughed at their antics.
Someone coughed to their right, and the quartet turned to look at the waitress smiling and waiting on them. “May I get you some drinks?”
They gave their drinks order and turned back to each other.
“So what’s the point of this outing?” Owen demanded.
“Geez!” Peter pouted at him. “Can’t a high school couple just want to spend some quality bonding time with their younger siblings?”
Owen glared at him. “Alright, spill. What’s your actual plan?”
Peter smiled back at him and ruffled his hair again to which Owen scowled again. “I just thought you should get out of your cocoon of shyness and make a new friend! And Kitty is great at breaking people out of their shells!”
Peter gave him a cheeky grin as both Owen and Kitty glared daggers at him.
“So you two wanted to try to play friend matchmaker for me because you thought I am a loner.”
Peter shrugged. “Are we wrong?”
Owen slammed his head against the table. “Have I ever told you before that I hate you?”
Peter smirked. “You might have mentioned it once or twice.”
“We’re headed for a movie. You guys got any preference?” Lara Jean asked the younger siblings.
“As long as it isn’t a rom-com, I’m good,” Owen said.
“Agreed,” Kitty said.
“Avengers it is then!” Peter said.
Peter and Lara Jean started talking about their day, and the younger siblings just played on their phones, refusing to talk to each other.
“You know that the whole point of this was so that you two could talk and get to know each other, right?” Peter asked, looking into the rearview mirror.
Kitt and Owen exchanged brief looks of connivance, now was the time to put their earlier plan in action. Operation Embarrass Our Older Siblings For Making Us Wake Up Before Noon On Saturday was a go.
Kitty turned to Owen with faux sincerity. “Hey there, my name is Katherine Song Covey. I’m eleven and in sixth grade. I love The Golden Girls, rom-coms, and spending time with my sisters. I’m part of the middle school soccer team, and I enjoy hanging out with my friends when my sister isn’t around to bother me. What’s your name?”
Owen gave the same look of faux sincerity back at her. “Wow, that’s awesome, Katherine! Is it alright if I call you Katie? I like that name more.”
“Yes, you may call me Katie.”
“Thank you. Well, my name is Owen Kavinsky. I’m the younger brother of Peter Kavinsky who is the star player of the high school lacrosse team. I’m currently on the middle school swim team. My favorite stroke is the back. In my free time, I like to play video games and annoy my brother. Lately, he’s been acting all dopey and grinning goofily for some reason. I think it’s because he’s got a new girlfriend and just loves to talk about her.”
“Hey!” Peter protested, his cheeks a deep red. “I don’t act all dopey and talk about Lara Jean all the time!”
“Ugh, I know exactly what you mean, Owen! My sister Lara Jean is literally the exact same! She just got this new boyfriend, and she just can’t stop with the heart eyes and swooning every time he texts her. It’s kind of annoying.”
“Kitty!” Lara Jean screeched with her face red. “I don’t act like that!”
The younger kids continued to ignore them, having a field day at their discomfort.
“Isn’t it the worst?” Owen continued. “I wish there was a way to just put them in a locked room until their honeymoon phase is over.”
Kitty nodded. “Ditto.”
Both Peter and Lara Jean were screaming at their younger siblings now.
“Kitty, I don’t do that! And I’m not swooning!”
“Owen, I’m not in a honeymoon phase!”
“Jesus,” Owen said, “They even argue like a married couple, right, Katie?”
Kitty nodded.
“We don’t argue like a married couple! We’ve only been together for a few weeks!” Lara Jean said.
At this, the car went silent.
Kitty slowly turned to her sister. “I thought you guys got together in August.”
Peter and Lara Jean exchanged embarrassed glances.
Peter muttered something under his breath.
Owen narrowed his eyes at his brother. “You told me that you and Lara Jean got together the day after you broke up with Gen.”
Lara Jean and Peter seemed to be having a silent conversation with their eyes. Eventually, Lara Jean turned towards them.
“So, uh, when we first started ‘dating’, we were faking it.”
Kitty raised her eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘faking’?”
“It was a pretend relationship,” Lara Jean explained. “I needed to get Josh to stop thinking I liked him thanks to your sending out those letters, and Peter wanted to make Gen jealous.”
Owen frowned. “Why would he want to make Gen jealous?”
Peter seemed to shrink in his seat at his brother’s withering stare. “Uh… I kind of wanted her to get back with me at the time.”
Owen smacked his forehead. “Peter! Why on Earth would you want to get back together with that she-devil? Was it the sex?!”
An awkward silence fell in the car.
“We never had sex, Owen,” Peter whispered. “We only got as far as making out. That’s it.”
“…Oh.” Owen had the decency to look ashamed. “Right, sorry. I shouldn’t be assuming things.”
Peter gave a tight smile, “It’s fine.” He reached over to intertwine his fingers in Lara Jean’s. He brought her hand up to his face and kissed the back of it. “Uh… I’m sorry for what he said.”
Lara Jean gave him a wry look. “Peter, I’ve got Kitty remember? Believe me, she’s done more embarrassing things to me than telling my boyfriend that I’ve never had sex before. Namely, she sent out my love letters from seventh grade that were never supposed to see the light of day!”
At this, Peter burst out laughing. “Touché.”
Kitty had the decency to look down in abashment.
Owen smiled. “Hey, at least it got you two together! It can’t have been all that bad, right?”
Lara Jean smiled at Peter and nodded. “It wasn’t that bad after all, no. It brought Peter into my life after all these years, and that has been wonderful.”
Kitty looked up and smiled again. “So wait, how long were you guys faking it?”
Lara Jean smiled again. “We got together on the last day of the ski trip, for real. He took me to his favorite spot in the entire resort as the sun was setting, and he gave me a beautiful necklace. And then told me his real feelings.”
Peter blushed but had a very proud smile on his face. He squeezed Lara Jean’s hand and rubbed circles with his thumb.
“And when he asked me to be his girlfriend, for real, I said yes. And here we are today.”
Kitty grinned. “See, it wasn’t all bad!”
Owen was smiling, too. “Peter, that’s literally the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard.”
His elder brother shrugged and shot him a grin in the rearview. “Hey, it worked, didn’t it?”
Peter kissed Lara Jean’s hand again. “Thank you so much,” he said softly to her.
“For what?” Lara Jean asked, puzzled.
“For giving me a chance. I promise I’ll make it worth your time.”
Lara Jean just smiled at him. “I know you will. And thank you for giving me a chance, too.”
“Ugh, guys,” Kitty said, “you know that Owen and I are both just eleven and sitting right behind you, right? Can you potentially save the mushiness for the bedroom?”
“KITTY!” Lara Jean screeched, her face turning the shade of a tomato again.
Owen and Kitty burst out laughing as the other two tried their best to not look at them.
Peter and Owen were waiting outside the girls’ bathroom after the movie as Lara Jean and Kitty were inside.
“You really do like her, don’t you?” Owen asked. “I’ve never seen you act like this, not all those years you were with Gen.”
Peter’s face broke out into a bright smile. “I really do. I just wish I hadn’t waited for so long.”
Owen’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
Peter got a faraway look in his eyes. “Owen, I’ve liked Lara Jean since I was your age. I’ve dreamed about being with her forever. Honestly, I wish I had asked her out back in seventh grade.”
“Why didn’t you? If you liked her for so many years then.”
Peter frowned. “I guess I was always afraid. Also, Gen asked me out before I came to my senses.”
“Afraid that Lara jean would say no?”
Peter nodded. “Or worse, that she would just stop talking to me.” He got another look of bliss on his face. “Did I ever tell you that she was my first kiss?”
Owen shook his head. “Now, you didn’t.”
“Well, yeah, she was. We were playing spin-the-bottle with a few of our friends back in seventh grade. She pulled the short straw and spun first, and it landed on me. I always thought that I wanted to be with Gen; I mean, she was gorgeous even back then.” He gave a slight laugh. “Lara Jean even offered to spin again because Gen was glaring daggers at her; those two were still best friends then. I said she couldn’t cheat the bottle and crawled over. And she gave me a short peck. Honestly, I think I’ve been hooked since.”
Owen looked at his brother in wonder. “If you liked her for so long, why didn’t you ever do anything about it? You guys were friends anyway, right?”
Peter nodded. “I was scared.”
“Of what, though? That she would reject you?”
Peter nodded again. “I also didn’t want to ruin our friendship, which didn’t matter in the end because we stopped talking to each other the following year anyway. And I really didn’t know how to talk to girls or about my feelings back then.” Peter shook his head in amusement. “I still don’t, honestly,” he said ruefully.
Owen laughed. “You know that you’re known as the Cassanova of our whole school district, right?”
Peter snorted. “Yeah, we can blame the machinations of my oh-so-wonderful ex on that. Honestly, the furthest I’ve ever gone was making out with Gen. We talked about going further, but I just didn’t feel ready. And she didn’t, either. We’ve never even seen each other with our clothes off. But she wanted the whole school to think we were in heat all the time, so she started those stories.”
Owen looked confused. “Why would she want that?”
Peter snorted again. “Hell if I know. I honestly don’t know why I stayed with her so long. I knew a long time ago that I didn’t really have feelings for her anymore. I guess I was just too scared to pull away. She was just something familiar, and I was worried that getting away from it would make things worse for me.”
Owen nodded. “That makes sense. Did you always like Lara Jean through all that?”
Peter contemplated the question. Slowly, he nodded. “Yeah, I think so. I’ve always thought she was cute. And that kiss in seventh grade was pretty hot.”
Owen laughed. “Didn’t you say that was your first kiss?”
Peter poked his stomach. “What’s your point?” He asked playfully.
Owen just shook his head in amusement.
“So enough about me. What about you? Any girl in class caught your eye?”
Owen blushed and violently shook his head. “No! I don’t like any girl!”
Peter raised his eyebrow.
“Or guy!” Owen retorted while rolling his eyes.
Peter laughed. “Are you sure?”
Owen’s face plunged into an even darker shade of red.
Peter smirked. “You know the wall between our room is very thin, and I’m usually up until like 1 am doing homework, right? I can hear all the stuff you want and wish for at night.”
“Peter!” Owen screeched.
Peter doubled over in laughter. Owen smacked him in response. Peter grinned and ruffled his hair again.
“I don’t like anyone,” Owen crossed his arms and pouted.
Peter smiled again. “Well when you do, don’t do what I did.” He stared into the distance, his face tinged with regret. “When you have feelings for someone, tell them. Or do something about it. Don’t do what I did, and certainly don’t do what Lara Jean did. Don’t write love letters that you’re never going to send out. Tell people how you feel when you feel it.”
Owen looked up at his brother. Peter was staring off into the distance with a smile of pure bliss on his face. It was obvious that he was thinking of Lara Jean. Owen watched on in admiration and slight envy. One day, he hoped that he, too, would be in a relationship with a girl he liked as much as Peter liked Lara Jean. After all, who didn’t want to find love?
They were in the park. Peter and Lara Jean had gone off for a walk hand in hand leaving Owen and Kitty at the playground. Kitty was taking a break after having worked the monkey bars several times. Her body was aching.
She watched as Owen swung effortlessly across and among the jungle gym, his young, pre-pubescent muscles rippling as his face glistened with sweat. She had listened often to when her friends said that he was the most attractive boy in their grade. Usually, she would just roll their eyes, but she could see it now. He had clearly already hit puberty, and she could see that the baby fat in his face was starting to recede. His arms were already quite defined from the years in the pool. His back was taut and straight, and she could see all the work he put into his back stroke coming out.
He looked at her and met her eyes. He raised his eyebrows, and she grinned back with a wave. He jogged over to her and plopped down next to her.
“Water?” She offered.
Owen nodded and took the proffered bottle. He drank half of it before pouring the remainder on his head and shaking his head like a dog to dry his hair.
“Owen!” Kitty shrieked.
Owen laughed. “What, can’t deal with a little wetness, Katie?” He teased.
She glared at him. He gave her a cheeky grin in response, and she couldn’t help but notice the similarities between him and his brother. Up close, she could see the same golden flecks that Lara Jean had seen in Peter’s eyes. He even had the same irresistible pout that made every girl in their grade swoon and the playful spark of youthful amusement that made every high schooler want to be Peter’s friend.
Kitty softened her glare, and Owen poked her shoulder. She gave him an innocent look before pushing him off the bench and into the sand.
He yelped on contact and flailed, getting sand all over his clothes and into his hair.
“What was that for?” He exclaimed.
Kitty laughed. “That was for making me wet, you loser!”
He pouted, and she smirked back at him. She extended a hand to help him up. He took it and yanked her down so that she was lying in the sand next to him. She shrieked.
“Bet you weren’t expecting that, were you?” He grinned at her.
She glared at him. “Have I ever told you that I hate you?”
He laughed. “No, you don’t. You know you don’t.”
Kitty packed some wet sand into a ball and threw it at his chest. It made contact, and Owen gave her a challenging look. “Oh, it is on. You better watch out, Katie.”
When Lara Jean and Peter had come back to the playground, they saw Owen and Kitty covered in sand and chasing each other. The two exchanged amused looks before approaching the playground.
“Um, guys,” Peter said once they within earshot, “Why are you wrestling in the playground?”
Kitty spit the sand out of her face before turning to Peter with a smirk. “Because we felt like it. Why, you want to join?”
Peter shook his head. “I’ll pass, thanks for the offer though.”
He doubled over in laughter. Suddenly, a ball of sand hit his shoulder. He turned around quickly to see Owen making another sand-ball with a smirk of challenge on his face. “You scared of losing, Peter?”
“Oh, it’s on!” Peter exclaimed before jumping into the fight.
Lara Jean watched the trio goof around for a bit before she, too, was dragged in by a stray sand-ball from her sister.
When the quartet finally left the playground, they were all grinning and laughing in camaraderie after a day of shared youthful bliss.
“Here,” Lara Jean gave Kitty a gym bag.
Kitty opened it in confusion. Inside it were her toiletries, a towel, and a change of clothes. She gave Lara Jean a grateful hug, and the two ran off to get cleaned up in the locker rooms.
“I’m really happy you’re with Peter.”
Lara Jean heard Kitty’s voice from the next stall over, her voice louder than usual in order to be heard above the shower. She smiled to herself.
“Thank you. I never really got to thank you. Thanks for sending out those letters. I should have told him a long time ago.”
“You think?” Kitty said wryly.
Lara Jean laughed. “Yeah probably.”
“How long have you liked him?”
Lara Jean pondered the question before answering. “I think since seventh grade. We’d been in the same friend circle back then because we both knew Gen. I think I always found him cute, but Gen was into him so I ignored him.”
“What changed?”
Lara Jean snorted. “You read my letters. Shouldn’t you know by now?”
Kitty laughed. “True. Damn, that must have been a hell of a kiss for you to remember all these years.”
Lara Jean laughed. “I think it was just that it was my first kiss. And he was really sweet and adorable about it, not letting me spin again. I never really thought of him like that until that night, really.”
“How long have you liked him?” Kitty asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I think those feelings just went dormant until a few weeks ago when they just came rushing back.” She smiled at herself. “I forgot how funny and caring he was. He’s amazing.”
Kitty gave a soft laugh. “You’re smitten, you know that?”
“Yup, and I don’t care!”
“I never thought I would ever see my older sister Lara Jean fall head over heels for the biggest jock in the school,” Kitty mocked.
Lara Jean laughed again. “So what about you? Any guys gotten your fancy lately? Any teammates or boys in your class?”
“Having seen you in a relationship and all the stupidity you act out, I don’t want anything to do with love or boys or relationships,” Kitty shot back drily.
“It’s fun! You should try it sometime!”
Kitty snorted. “We’ll see.”
Laura Jean smirked to herself. “Well, don’t do what I did, Kitty. If you feel something for someone, tell them. Don’t wait years and keep it bottled up in a hat box in the top of your closet.”
Kitty laughed.
The four were sitting by the lake, watching the sun set. Peter had his arm around Lara Jean’s waist, and she was resting her head on his shoulder with her arm reaching around his middle. Owen and Kitty sat on either side of the couple. The bright orange hues of the sun crowned the lake with an other-worldly aura, elevating it from their plane of existence.
Lara Jean fingered her locket and looked back up at Peter with a smile. She gave him a quick peck on his cheek, and he turned to her with a grin. They shared a kiss.
“Can you two get a room?” Kitty complained.
“I’m with Katie,” Owen said as he pretended to vomit.
Peter and Lara Jean just laughed. “Just wait until you guys get in relationships,” Peter said, “you’ll do the exact same thing.”
Owen rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’m going to get ice cream.”
He rose and started walking towards the concession stand.
“I’m going, too,” Kitty said and jogged up to meet him.
The two walked in silence for a bit.
“Do they have to be so mushy around us?” Owen complained.
Kitty shook her head. “I know. Seriously, it’s kind of nauseating. I swear to god, when I get a boyfriend, I will never be so obnoxious.”
“Same,” Owen muttered. “Like, seriously, don’t they get embarrassed from all the PDA? He wasn’t even this bad with Gen. It’s like he’s grown an extra set of heart eyes for Lara Jean.”
“She’s just as bad. You should have seen her the night they got back from the ski trip. She kept looking at her phone every ten seconds and had this ridiculous grin on her face the whole time.”
“Oh believe me, Peter was the same. We were playing Call of Duty that night, and he got a text from Lara Jean. And he literally just lost it. He dropped the controller and spent the next twenty minutes just texting her looking like a complete dope.”
“Ah, young love,” Kitty said sardonically, and both of them laughed.
They got their ice cream and started towards where their siblings were still seated. Even from this distance, they could see that Peter and Lara Jean were exchanging intermittent kisses and whispering sweet-nothings to each other.
“I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to go see a real life rom-com right now,” Kitty said drily. “My sister forces me to watch enough of them on the screen.”
Owen snorted. “Well at least I don’t have to deal with that. How about we go for a walk then? Just let them live in their bliss for a bit.”
Kitty nodded. They started on the trail towards the thicket while enjoying their ice cream cones.
They got to a clearing in the wood on the lake shore far enough away from their siblings. They sat on the bench and just enjoyed watching the sunset.
“Did you know how much that locket cost?” Owen asked Kitty suddenly. “I know my brother asked you to help him pick one out.”
With a small frown, Kitty shook her head. “No, he never let me see the price tag or the receipt. I just knew Lara Jean would love it, and it looked really pretty.”
Owen gave a small smile. “It does look really pretty on her, doesn’t it? Honestly, your sister is pretty hot, not going to lie.”
“Owen!” Kitty screeched. “You can’t say that stuff about my sister to me!” She smacked his arm.
“Ow!” He protested. “What? It’s not like I want to date her or anything! It’s just an objective observation.”
“Either way, you didn’t have to tell me!”
Owen shrugged. “Well it’s true. My brother really hit the jackpot with her. She’s been wonderful to him.”
Kitty shoved him. “Just don’t ever say that to me again. It’s pretty weird to hear your friend saying that your older sister is hot, especially when said older sister is currently dating the friend’s older brother.” She gave him a pointed look.
He laughed in return. “Alright, alright! Don’t pretend you haven’t been checking out my brother, though. I know what you and the girls talk about in the locker rooms for PE.”
Kitty’s face flushed. “That’s different,” she meekly protested.
Owen raised an eyebrow at her. “And how on earth is that different?”
She glared at him. “Peter is the star lacrosse player and has a freaking amazing body. Everybody in the whole world knows that! Like objectively, those abs can get it… Also, why does he love taking his shirt off so much?”
Owen snorted. “Your guess is as good as mine. I think he likes to pretend he’s some big-shot Hollywood actor who’s been newly dubbed the King of Teen Rom-Com, the New Zac Efron!”
Kitty looked at him in amusement. “And I’m sure you’re not jealous at all.”
Owen raised an eyebrow. “Please, I have no reason to be jealous. Everyone knows that swimmers have the best bodies of any athletes, anyway! Just give me five years to grow into it.” He shouldered her with a smirk, and Kitty turned away with a cough.
“Well, he can definitely give Zac Efron a run for his money on looks.”
“Okay, okay! I get it, my brother is attractive! Can we stop talking about this now? It’s getting weird.”
Kitty turned back to him with a smirk. “And now you see what I meant.”
“Okay truce. Neither of us will talk about how attractive the other’s older sibling is from now on. Good?”
“Deal,” Kitty said, offering her hand in mock seriousness.
Owen gave an exaggerated bow before shaking her hand. After a moment, they both burst out laughing.
They spent a few minutes just watching the sunset over the lake in comfortable silence.
“You know, I kind of wish I could have what they have,” Kitty said softly.
Owen turned to her in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Just the affection and feeling of being loved and desired by someone else? I would love to feel like that, too.”
Owen’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Didn’t we just spend all day complaining at how mushy they were being.”
Kitty gave him a laugh. “That doesn’t mean I can’t wish that I had romance, Owen.”
Owen laughed. “Fair enough, Katie.” He turned back to the lake. “You know we’re only eleven, right? We’ve got our whole lives ahead of us to find someone to be with.”
“Yeah, but still, I would like to have my first love, too. It would be nice. First loves are sweet, especially when we’re this young.”
Owen looked at her out of the corner of his eye, “I can understand that. Do you have a crush on anyone right now?” He asked in amusement.
Kitty snorted. “Believe me, no guy in our grade thinks I’m cute enough to ask out.”
Owen raised an eyebrow at her. “And what makes you say that?”
She gave him an amused look. “I don’t think any guys like a girl who can beat them in school and on the soccer field, Owen. You know this.”
“Not all of us are like that!” He protested.
“Most of you are, though. It’s okay, though. I’ll just find a guy for me when I grow older. I mean, like you said, I am only eleven.”
Owen nodded. “Exactly, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
“So what about you? Do you have any girl you like right now?”
“You didn’t even give me a straight answer!”
Kitty smirked. “Welcome to talking to a woman: Never give a straight answer even when we say a thousand words. So do you like anyone right now?”
Owen grumbled but responded anyway. “I don’t know. I’m eleven, what do I know about having feelings for someone? I mean, yeah, there are some girls I think are cute, but what would any of that even mean for me right now?”
Kitty shrugged. “It doesn’t have to mean anything. I think you can fall for someone else whenever. Whether you act on it or not, and whether it has any meaning or timeliness to it, that’s something different.”
Owen raised an eyebrow. “You’ve given this way too much thought.”
Kitty laughed. “Lara Jean was telling me earlier today about how I should just tell people how I feel when I feel it, not hide it away for years like she did.”
Owen looked at her in surprise. “Peter basically said the same thing to me!”
“So are you going to take his advice?” She asked in amusement.
Owen turned to look at her fully. He had always thought Katherine Song Covey was cute. And right now, with the setting sun accentuating her complexion and brown eyes, she almost looked like a princess. He could feel his heart beat faster in his chest, just like it did after he finished a 100-meter back stroke. He could feel his face flush just as she turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
“Why are you looking – ”
Without giving himself enough time to chicken out, Owen leaned forward and cut her off by quickly brushing his lips against Kitty’s. The peck lasted barely a half second, but he could feel himself turn as bright red as a tomato and quickly turned away, unable to look at her anymore. His heart continued pounding in his chest. He pretty much just wanted to drown in the lake right now. Why had he done that?
Kitty leaned back in shock and stared at Owen. Whatever she had been expecting, this was not it. She smiled though, watching as he quickly shut his eyes and refused to look at anything. His face was beet red, and she thought that he had never looked cuter. Slowly, she put her hand on his chin and turned his face towards her. He kept his eyes closed tight, still unable to look at her. Kitty internally laughed before leaning forward and softly placing her lips on his. She could feel him reel back in shock and felt rather than saw his eyes flash open. He quickly recovered though and briefly kissed her back. She giggled to herself before pulling back.
They looked at each other in shock, both of their faces scarlet but with stupid grins gracing their features.
“Well, I guess you have your answer now,” Owen said with a nervous laugh.
Kitty smiled. “And you have mine.”
“Well that was unexpected,” a deep voice said from behind them. They both jumped and turned around to see their siblings watching them with amused looks on their faces. Lara Jean was putting her phone away, and Peter was grinning at them.
“How long have you been there?” Owen demanded, his voice at least three octaves higher than normal.
“Long enough,” Lara Jean laughed. “So what’s this? You two spend all day complaining about us being mushy gushy, and then we walk in on you making out on the same lakeshore we were on?”
“We weren’t making out!” Kitty screeched, her face becoming even redder than before.
“Sure, you were just having a very sweet first kiss with a cute boy. And I’m assuming it’s his first kiss, too,” Lara Jean grinned.
They both reluctantly nodded.
“Well at least it was with someone you liked and cared about,” Peter said with a smile. “Now come on kids, it’s double date time! What do you say to Italian for dinner tonight?”
“I’m in,” Kitty said, standing up. She offered her hand to Owen who took it with an embarrassed smile. By the time the younger siblings had made it onto the trail, the older ones were further down.
Kitty and Owen shared one more quick kiss.
“Thanks,” Kitty said to him softly.
He grinned at her. “I like you, Katie. Would you like to go out with me sometime?”
Kitty laughed. “I thought you would never ask,” she said playfully. “Yes, Owen, I will. I like you, too.”
The two shared another shy smile before walking towards the car where their older siblings were making out.
Dinner that night at Via Italia between the four was a fun affair with plenty of laughs, stories, and jokes to go around.
Once Kitty had gone to bed, Lara Jean went back to her room and opened Instagram on her phone with a conspiratorial grin. She uploaded the photo she had taken earlier of Owen and Kitty sharing the most chaste kiss. She captioned it with #Covinsky2.0 followed by several heart eyes emojis and tagged the three others involved in today’s fun.
The next morning, she would wake up to hundreds of likes and comments. She was going to have fun teasing Kitty about everything that had happened. With that happy thought, she drifted off to a peaceful sleep, dreaming of what the universe now held in store for her.