The Beginning: 

Bowie, Maryland- June 1991 

The treehouse hadn’t been used in many years. Remnants of Mina’s childhood were strewn across it. A worn poster of Jordan Knight was tacked on the wall, a milk crate bookcase stood in the corner- troll dolls, and cabbage patch kids, and a pretty large Baby-Sitters Club book collection filled it. Mina and her best friend Josh spent all their time there as kids and even though they had both outgrown it she still liked to come here and think. 

Mina lay in her bean bag chair, staring out the window of the treehouse at the sky. All year she had been waiting for summer and spending every moment with her best friend Josh but this summer was going to be a lot different. She just turned 15, her braces were off and her dad finally said she could practice for her permit, they had so many things planned but now Josh was leaving. He had ruined their whole summer. 

“Willie?” a voice calls from the down below “C’mon Willie… talk to me” the voice continues.

She hated that nickname but her dad and his sense of humor thought it was a great idea to name her Wilhemina. But she suffered through it, only Josh could call her that. 

“Go away Josh!” she calls down to the grass below where he waits. 

“Not until you talk to me! C'mon Wills…” 

She ignores him. “Fine, I’m coming up!” Josh yells and she hears his footsteps on the ladder. 

He has to duck a bit to walk over to her. She was taller than him for a while but he had grown up quite a lot in the past few years. Sometimes it was hard having a boy for a best friend that all the girls loved but she tried her best to ignore it. 

Josh chuckles as he lays on the beanbag next to her. “Aren’t we a little big for the treehouse now Mina?” he asks, glancing over at her. 

“I like it. You know I come here to think” she mumbles. Mina sits up and faces him, tears stain her cheeks. Josh sits up. His bright blue eyes meet her dark brown ones. Breaking the silence she finally asks “Why? Why do you have to leave?”

“Willie- it's a great opportunity! I’ll be on tv! Singing, dancing, acting with a ton of other kids. This is my shot!”

Josh and his family live next door to Mina and her mom & dad. Even though he had younger siblings, Josh and Mina were inseparable. She always figured it was because they were both shy and trusted in each other. Last year changed everything. A friend bet Josh $20 to enter the school talent show. They used to make up funny little dances together but suddenly Josh had $20 and a talent show trophy. Now his dream was to be an entertainer. 

“But Florida is so far away? We had so many plans remember?” 

“I know... but I’ll still go to school here too when I’m not in Orlando filming. I’ll be around Mina. I promise” Josh reassures her, running a hand through his dark hair. 

“Just promise you won’t make a new best friend?” Mina asks, wiping her tears away

“I promise. It will always be the two of us. You know that” he smiles. His smile always cheered her up. She nods in agreement and wraps him up in a hug. He pulls back and grins at her again. 

“Let’s go! My mom made pie, your favorite!” he says excitedly, moving towards the stairs. “I’ll be right there,” she calls after him. Mina pulls her dark hair back into a ponytail and sighs. She wanted to believe him but somehow she felt like their world was going to change.