The neon glow of rollercoasters lit up the night sky, their tracks weaving intimate patterns in the air. Families wandered through the streets, eyes wide with wonder as they immersed themselves in the magical world around them. Laughter and faint screams filled the air, while the aroma of popcorn and cotton candy wafted through the air, creating an intoxicating blend that was uniquely Disney.

"What are you thinking about?"

Char jumped, startled by the sound of his voice. His breath against her ear caused the hairs on the back of her neck to rise. "Oh my gosh Josh! You scared the crap out of me!" She turned to face him, his cobalt blue eyes sending shockwaves through her.

JC gave her an apologetic smile as he handed her an ice cream cone. "My bad."

"Thanks," she replied, taking the butter pecan ice cream filled waffle cone from him.

"Long enough to see you standing there, staring off into space," JC answered, taking a lick of his own ice cream. He began walking, and Char fell into step alongside him. "So, what were you thinking about?"

Char shrugged. "Nothing really. Well, everything I guess."

"Which is it?" JC snorted.

"Everything and nothing," she replied. "About how normal this is all for us," she explained, waving a hand around in the air. "Ya know, Disney World every day, living close to the beach. Getting to do what we love most in the world and getting paid to do it. And we're still kids! We're so lucky, you know that?"

JC nodded in agreement. "I think about that every day."

"It's just that... this is sort of our normal now. And when I go back home, and back to school, and see my friends, I'm just reminded all the more of just how not normal this all really is. And then seeing families here on vacation, and how amazed they are at everything, it's really grounding in a way. They're completely in awe of something that we get to experience all the time."

Her words hung in the air, punctuated by the distant sounds of upbeat traditional pop standards. As they weaved their way through the crowd, JC thought about what she said. The last two and half years had swept him into a whirlwind of change. Taking him from the ordinary life of a teenager in Bowie, Maryland, and thrusting him into the spotlight as a cast member on a national television show. The transition had been as swift as it was unexpected. Taking his mom up on the offer to audition in lieu of going to school had been a completely life altering decision.

Being a part of the MMC had changed his life in ways he'd never could've imagined, and he'd grown in ways he never would've had he stayed in Bowie. A new world had opened up to him, giving him amazing opportunities, and putting amazing people in his life. Like Char. Glancing over at her a smile tugged at his lips.

Char arched an eyebrow, her playful gaze fixed on him. "Okay... Now you're the one being all weird and quiet! What's going on in that head of yours?" she asked, playfully nudging him. As they passed a trash can, she discarded her empty cone, and JC did the same.

"Yeah, well, sometimes the happiest place on Earth makes you think about life," JC said.

Char's eyebrows furrowed. "Wow! Are we having a shared existential crisis that's essentially a rite of passage for all teenagers? You know, if you were a girl, our cycles would probably be synched. But I think with us... it's like our consciousness' is like synched or something!"

"Okay wow!" JC exclaimed, looking up at the night sky, illuminated with dazzling stars. "Only you would say something like that!" Despite her conventional beauty, she was quirky, witty, had an off-colored sense of humor, and spoke as if John Hughes had especially written a script just for her.

"Yeah, and you love me for it!" She quipped.

Her words echoing in his mind, JC's heart raced as he tried to navigate the swirl of emotions Char's presence evoked within him. His heart started to flutter. An involuntary action that seemed to happen more frequently. How had things changed so subtly between them? He pondered the question, his thoughts swirling. It was jarring in a way; the adrenaline rush that overwhelmed him when they kissed, or how the rest of the world seemed to dissolve whenever she was around. She was his best friend, and somehow, at some point, the line between them had blurred, and he wasn't exactly sure when or how. It just sort of... happened. "Well, I can say there's truly never a dull moment with you," he retorted.

As they continued to walk, the magic of Disney World enveloping them, Char found herself reaching for his hand. Feeling his fingers interlock with hers, his hand grasping hers securely. Holding his hand became a source of comfort for her, and she desperately missed him every time she went back home. Not having his hand to hold, or his body to keep her warm left a huge void for six months of her life. As silence fell between them, she contemplated whether she should tell him that. "Josh I-" she began, before stopping herself. Her heart raced as the words got stuck in her throat. Things were already perfect as they were. Why ruin it?

"You, what?" JC asked curiously.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she wracked her brain for words to say. "I love... this night!" she finally said. "It's perfect!" And it wasn't a lie. It was the perfect night, spent with her favorite person in her favorite place.

"It is the perfect night," JC replied, his heart pounding louder in his chest. As he traced back the path of their friendship, he was swept up in a tide of emotion. Reminiscing about the moments they'd shared, the inside jokes, the late-night conversations that lasted until the early morning. He recalled their first kiss, on the balcony of their apartment complex after his birthday party the year before, the electric current that had surged between them, the unspoken promise of connection. "And it's perfect... because I'm with you," he confessed.

Char looked up at him, caught off guard by what he'd said. "Huh?"

"I-" JC hesitated, choosing his words carefully. He stopped walking, gently dropped her hand, and turned to face her. "You know how you were saying how all of this is our normal now?"

"Yeah," she nodded, totally disarmed by how intensely he was staring at her.

"I just... what I'm trying to say is that you've become a part of my normal," he finally said. "You're my friend. My best friend, but like, you're more than that, you know?"

Char swallowed, trying to steady her shaking hand. "What are you saying?" she asked, watching as he began to pace back and forth.

"It's like this. I love spending time with you, and whenever we're not together, I'm constantly thinking about you, and when we'll be spending time together again. And I know I don't say anything, but it kinda bothers me when you go on dates and-"

"It bothers you when I go on dates?" Char interjected, her voice laced with surprise.

"Yeah, it does." JC admitted.

"Are you jealous?" Char shifted her weight from one foot to the next, and bit down on her bottom lip to fight off the smile that was tugging at her lips. 

"I know I have no right to be-"

"I am so insanely jealous of every single girl that gets to go out with you!" Char confessed, feeling a giant weight lift from her shoulders.

"Wait, you are?" JC asked, his eyes widening.

"Yes!" Char exclaimed. "Are you freakin' kidding me. Watching you date other girls is torture for me! It makes me wanna rip my hair out! Or their hair out!" 

"Why didn't you say anything?" JC asked incredulously.

"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked back.

"Because... I didn't wanna ruin things between us." JC answered. "I didn't wanna lose you as a friend."

Char's heart raced and her throat tightened as her eyes locked with JC's. His vulnerability caught her off guard, and yet, it resonated deeply within her. His confession echoed her own unspoken sentiments, revealing a shared journey of emotions. A soft breeze blew, carrying with it a sense of anticipation. Char took a moment to collect her thoughts, her eyes never leaving JC's. "Josh, you could never lose me," she whispered.

JC's smile softened, a mix of relief and understanding crossing his features, as he felt a rush of relief. "I think I have a solution to our jealousy problem."

"Oh yeah?" Char quirked an eyebrow, her heart leaping in her chest.

JC took a step closer to her, and leaned his head down, their noses just a hairsbreadth apart. "How about from now on, we only date each other?"

As JC's words hung in the air, Char's heart danced to a melody of pure elation. The anxiety that had once gripped her had dissolved into pure bliss. She met his gaze, her smile radiant and unrestrained. "I say that's a really sweet deal."

"Then it's settled," JC said definitively. "From now on, it's just you and me."

With a gentle tenderness, JC leaned down slowly, his lips finding hers. Electricity surged between them, a current of emotions that mingled with the distant sounds of celebration.

Slowly pulling away, Char stopped to catch her breath. Leaning against him, she watched as fireworks illuminated the night sky, their radiant bursts a mirror to the spark that had ignited their hearts. "You know something?" she asked, pressed up against his chest.

"Yeah?"

"I really do think this is the happiest place on earth."