Ashiah's POV:
For as long as I can remember Lincoln and Von were my best friends and we all always did everything together. Von lived in the house to the right of my house and Lincoln lived to the left. The three of us became even closer when Lincoln's parents died in a tragic car accident when he was seven. After that his sister Nora moved back home from college to take care of him. Nora meant well but, taking care of anything didn't come naturally to her. It didn't help that she was young and wasn't ready for the responsibility of raising a kid. Their parents left them a huge inheritance which was helpful and at the same time not. Nora didn't waste a second before she began using the money to party and buy lavish things with. She was constantly traveling and leaving Lincoln alone with a nanny. However, nannies never stuck around long. They would always leave pretty soon, saying Lincoln had anger and behavioral issues. It didn't take long for my parents to basically adopt him. He spent most of his time at our house anyways, only sleeping at his house if his sister was home.
Every weekend the three of us would have a huge sleepover. My parents set us up in the theatre room with a soda and popcorn machine. The banisters were always lined with jars of our favorite candies and snacks. We always had piles of pillows and blankets and would make epic forts with them. Von spent the night a lot during the week as well. His parents were constantly traveling for work and they couldn't hold down a nanny either. Once Von figured out how Lincoln got rid of his, he quickly caught on and began being a little terror as well. My parents didn't seem to mind taking him in as well since I was an only child.
My mother had a condition called Endometriosis and it caused her to have constant chronic pain. She ended up having to have her uterus removed in a hysterectomy to alleviate the pain. It worked but, she couldn't have anymore children. I always thought she was sad to have only one child. She would reassure me and tell me I was a gift. My parents named me Ashiah because, it means life and hope. My mother tells me that during her and my fathers hardest time in life, was when she discovered she was carrying me. She was terrified that she was going to lose me and my father. Having me gave them life and hope again. They gave me the middle name Cadeau which means gift. Every year on my birthday they tell me this story and say that I'm too young to hear about that time in their lives. They always say all I need to know is that I'm their gift and their miracle. It makes me feel so special to be so cherished. Even if it does mean my parents are way too overprotective.
They always keep a close eye on me. I'm not allowed to go over friends houses or anywhere unsupervised. Our house is filled with cameras while, all of our windows and doors have multiple locks on them. We even have the best security system and safe room money can buy, according to my dad. I would hate all of this if it wasn't for my best friends and I don't know what I'd do without them.
In elementary school we would all hold hands and kiss each other's cheeks. I was always in the middle. Lincoln always said I was the glue that kept us together. We were inseparable at all times. Teachers eventually, gave up on even trying to split us up. Having three crying children to deal with is no match for any human being. They probably would have given us anything at that point just to shut us up.
Middle school was rough for me. The boys had become very popular but, I was the complete opposite. Girls hated me and would constantly tease me. They would tell me that I'm a loser and that Lincoln and Von were only friends with me because, they just felt bad for me. Lincoln and Von always stood by my side throughout it. They even refused to talk to the girls that bullied me. Sometimes guys would try to become my friend but, for some reason it never lasted very long. People would always give us strange looks. It never seemed to bother Lincoln and Von, they would still hold my hands and kiss me on my cheek.
In seventh grade a girl teased me and called me a slut for having two boyfriends. "They aren't my boyfriends!" I yelled as I ran out of the class crying. Everyone has friends. I couldn't understand why people didn't understand our relationship. It didn't help that I didn't entirely understand it myself.
I developed a crush on both of them when we were in the sixth grade. Every girl in school liked them and I just kept my feelings to myself. I couldn't choose one of them anyways because, I love them both. I didn't want to risk losing them over a crush. When I didn't know what to do, I told my mom about my feelings and she told me it was perfectly normal. She described my love for them as the kind of love you have for a family member. Telling me that when you're young feelings are too confusing and she described what could happen when those feelings aren't shared. That was enough to scare me away from doing anything. It was hard but, I chose to ignore my feelings for the greater good. Whenever, I got a sense that either of the boys was attracted to me or flirting with me I would clam up and nervously change the subject. I tried acting like I was just one of their guy friends. It worked really well for the most part, that is until we had our last sleepover of eighth grade.
We had built a fort like we always did. Lincoln and Von were inside of it waiting for me while I was in the bathroom. When I came back I heard them arguing. I was taken back for a moment by the aggressive tones of their voices because, I couldn't recall a time they ever fought before.
"No! I get to kiss, Ash! I'm closer to her!" Lincoln whisper yelled to Von. I held my mouth closed tightly as I was sure a gasp was going to come out at any moment.
"No you, f*****g aren't!" Von replied harshly. I didn't know if I should just walk in and pretend like I didn't hear anything or if I should wait longer until they stopped talking. Deciding it was better to let my curiosity kill the cat, I entered the fort slowly and cautiously.
"What's going on?" I asked stunned by the possibility that this was about me as I sat in the middle of them.
"We want to kiss you!" Von blurted out with frustration as his face flushed red.
"You both do?" I questioned with uncertainty, looking back and forth between the two of them for answers.
"Yes! We want you to be our first kiss. We want to be your first kiss." Lincoln confirmed that what I had heard was in fact what they wanted. My mind felt like a tornado spinning out of control while, I desperately tried to hold onto just one thought at a time.
"How can you both be my first kiss?" I asked, finally getting out one of the many questions swirling around in my head.
"I know! You can spin this bottle. Whoever it lands on gets to kiss you first." Von suggested eagerly as he grabbed the bottle and handed it over to me.
"Okay, that seems fair." I agreed as I took the bottle and gave it a spin around. It spun and spun until it stopped and landed on Lincoln. My nerves quickly rose to the surface as I looked up at him shyly.
"Oh, man!" Von yelled breaking some of the tension up between Lincoln and I.
"Shut up, man! Fair is fair!" Lincoln declared as he scooted closer to me until our faces were only mere centimeters away. He held my cheeks, softly pulling me in closer to his body. His warm lips pressed passionately against mine as I felt his tongue graze my bottom lip. Before I knew it his tongue was devouring my mouth with its exploration. He twirled his tongue in circles sensually around mine. I felt like I was dreaming until I became alert from hearing Von clear his throat loudly from becoming impatient for his turn.
"Now, it's time for a real kiss!" Von told me huskily as he moved to my side and Lincoln backed away slightly. Von quickly grabbed my head with one hand and my waist with his other right before his lips crashed to mine. I let out a moan that I didn't realizing I was holding in. He kissed me wildly and I felt dizzy. I thought I might even faint until, I felt him biting down on my lower lip, bringing me back to my senses.
"Mmm." I softly mewled out instinctively. Von broke our closeness to gaze into my eyes with a huge grin laced on his engorged lips.
"So, who was better?" Von asked me in a cocky tone with his signature smirk still glued on.
"Hmmm, it's impossible to compare them. They were both so different yet, they were both so amazing!" I stated thoughtfully and honestly. They both thankfully seemed pretty content with my answer.
Lincoln stole some liquor from Nora and brought it over. My parents kept the alcohol locked up and I could never find the key to it. We had never had alcohol before but, we talked about trying it a lot. We all agreed we would wait and drink to celebrate the end of middle school. This was the night we agreed on drinking it. The dark whiskey burned our throats and we shook our heads around from disgust after every shot. We were having the best time as we laughed hysterically at everything.
"Ash, I want you to be my girlfriend." Lincoln blurted out ending our laughter into complete silence. My attention went straight to Lincoln as I looked at him puzzled with his question.
"She can't be your girlfriend! She is already my girlfriend! Isn't that right, Ash?" Von declared possessively as his eyes filled with hope as they met mine.
"You both know that I could never choose between you two. I love both of you!" I confessed feeling scared and sad from the outcome of this conversation as my hands trembled slightly from nerves.
"I guess we will just keep sharing you, then." Von stated nonchalantly before smashing his lips sweetly to mine. I gently broke from the kiss, looking over at Lincoln for an indication on what he was thinking or how he was feeling.
Lincoln tenderly cupped his hands around my cheeks, stroking my chin soothingly with his thumb. Before I knew it his tongue was lustfully caressing my tongue as we got lost in each other. Between the alcohol and that scorching kiss I could have sworn I was floating. Lincoln pulled back slowly from our fiery moment and looked at me with a deep intensity.
"You're our girl, Ash! You've always been our girl and that will never change!" Lincoln exclaimed, before returning his swollen lips tenderly upon mine.