"First day of senior year!" I screamed in Hillary's ear. She laughed and looked around, smirking, "You mean, 'First day of going to school with senior hotties'", she smirked. I pushed her shoulder, "Nah there's only one on my mind", and I quickly glanced at where Ryan was standing. Hillary noticed and laughed, "Maybe, this year, you would get enough courage to go up to him and talk to him". I turned back to her with an incredulous look on my face. "Me, talk to him? You must be kidding! You already know how I get around him. I can barely say a sentence right", I turned back to him, "Besides, I already wrote him a letter about how I feel. I'm just...waiting for the perfect time to give it to him". I turned back to Hillary and caught her looking at me pitifully. "Don't look at me like that Hillary. I will give it to him, you know". She pointed over to them and I quickly pulled her finger down, "What about right now", she asked me. 

          I turned back and watched as the popular squad surrounded him, laughing and enjoying themselves. "No", I said, still facing them, "I'd rather not ruin what's left of my high school year by getting embarrassed by some pretty, preppy, rich people". Hillary smiled, "What? Who wouldn't like your geeky sheek look compared to pretty and preppy?" I shrugged, "Their just so pretty and preppy, it makes me sick. But I guess he loves it so, whatever".

          "Hey! I'm a preppy rich person!" Hillary said. "I know", and I punched her arm, "But you're different. You're my preppy rich person". We laughed and walked to our seats in the cafeteria. I couldn't stop myself from glancing every ten seconds at him, sitting across from us. Hillary caught me staring and laughed at me. "I'm gonna call him over if you don't stop staring at him", she smirked. "You wouldn't", I said between bites of my sandwich. "I would" Hillary challenged. I leaned back into my chair and shrugged, "Well I don't believe you", I said taking another bite of my sandwich. Hillary turned towards Ryan and screamed his name. I almost choked on the small piece of food in my mouth. Ryan looked up and came striding over.

          "What the fudge! Hillary!" I choked and she laughed. "You challenged. Well, challenge accepted". Ryan walked over and sat beside Hillary, right across from me. I wrapped what was left over from my sandwich, which was not a lot, just for something to do. Just so I didn't look like a stalking fool. "Hey Ryan. How's life", Hillary greeted him. "If this is about me helping you with Mandarin, I already said no. I'd rather keep my number one rank", he spoke in his deep but smooth voice. I was staring, and I knew I was staring, but I just couldn't stop myself. "Well, if you insist on helping me with Mandarin, we could meet at a library", Hillary said playfully. Ryan chuckled and took my water. My water! "You girls just never take no for an answer". He put down my bottle after drinking most of it. I needed to sneeze. Oh no, I needed to sneeze. I tried to keep it in. "So", Hillary carried on, "I don't think you have officially met my best friend Kelly".

          Ryan looked at me for the first time since he sat there. And then he turned back to Hillary. "This is the best friend you've been telling me about? All this time I thought she was your tutor student. Unlike you, I don't fraternize with anyone in the bottom fifty unless I'm tutoring them." He gave Hillary a reassuring look, pat her shoulder, and walked off.

          "I'm just gonna go home now" I said getting up, wiping my wet eyes with my sweater sleeves. The sneeze I had been keeping in had already disappeared. Hillary got up too, "I'm sure he didn't mean that". I nodded but walked out of the cafeteria anyway.

          I plugged my headphones into my ears once I had left the school and began my walk home. I wasn't in the mood for coffee so I just skipped my usual Starbucks trip. 

          I walked up my porch steps and searched my bag for my key. Bang! "Dad! Dad!" I unlocked the door as fast as I could and spotted my dad on the floor, placing his tools back into his toolbox. I sucked in a breath, "Dad, you scared the crap out of me!" He chuckled, "Well, I didn't know you had crap in you, honey. What are you doing home so early?" I sighed and collapsed onto the couch, "Guy trouble". My dad closed and locked his toolbox and carried it over to the table. "Oh, honey, how I wish I could talk to you about that right now. But I can't. I have so much to do". I sat up, "Yea, I noticed that. Why are you packing everything?" He sighed, "I got called into work today. But, this time, it was different. I'm going on another business trip". I stood up, "Well that's okay, and I can just stay with aunt and uncle for the weekend. I still don't get why you're packing though". He smiled, "It's not like the other business trips. This one's longer. A lot longer". I moved closer to him, "How long is it?"

          "A year, long Kelly. It's a year, long". I looked down at my feet, "Oh. Well, I guess I should help you pack". My dad looked up surprised, "You're not sad?" I sat back down, "Of course I'm sad dad. It's just that we need the money, so I can't really say no". My dad almost cried, but instead he pulled me into a big bear hug. "So, I'm gonna have to switch schools for a year?" My dad pulled away and looked down at my face. "No! Of course not! You know why you can't switch schools!" I looked down, "Well, it's okay honey. I have a friend who lives near the school. He and his family had already agreed on letting you stay at their home for a year". Wow, Dad sure has good friends. "Well then Dad, let us pack!"

          After five hours of packing and cleaning, my dad called his friend to tell them I would be arriving tonight. Then we loaded all of my things into the car and my dad gave me a key to the house just in case I forgot to pack anything important.

          My dad pulled up in front of a huge house. Like, it was like a castle, except it looked like a house. If that makes any sense. There was a man standing in the yard and I guessed that was my Dad's friend. My dad got out of the car and ran to hug the guy. I got out, too and stood there awkwardly, staring at them hugging. When they finally pulled away, I got a good look at the man's face. He looked oddly familiar but genuinely handsome. "Hello", he told me, with his hand stretched out, "You must be Kelly. You look just like your mother". I smiled and my dad patted me on the back. "I'm Marcus, your dad's best friend."

          My dad punched Marcus in the shoulder and gave me a hug. "I'm gonna miss you honey", he told me, kissing my forehead, "Have fun. If he gives you a hard time, just lick your pointer finger. I've given him so many wet willies, he's scared of licked fingers". Marcus laughed and Dad smiled at me before running off to his car.

          "Come on", Marcus beckoned me towards his house, "I want you to meet the rest of the family". I smiled shyly and followed him inside the house.

           "Wow". The house was huge. I could tell they had spent a lot of time designing it. From embroidered walls to decorated doorknobs. I followed him to the living room where everyone was sitting down. There was a woman and a little boy. The woman stood up and smiled, "Welcome Kelly! You look just like your mom". I smiled wider. I don't think I look like my mom. She was really pretty. I'm just... not. The boy smiled at me and I smiled back, "I'm Kevin and I'm fourteen". He stood up as well and stood next to his beaming mom.

           "Where's Ryan?" Marcus asked. Ryan? RYAN?? Ok, I have to calm down. There are so many Ryan's in this world. I let out the breath I was holding and mentally calmed down. "Ryan!" Marcus called out. Ryan ran into the room. "Is she here yet? Sorry I'm late". Then his eyes fell on me and I almost screamed. I would have if I wasn't so tongue tied around him.

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