Chapter 1
Prologue:
[10 years ago]
“Don’t step on a crack… or you’ll fall and break your back…” I sang repeatedly to my mom as she held my small hand while we walked (and skipped) to the park. I was skipping on the concrete slabs purposely jumping over the lines between them, my pink and white flowery sandals making slapping sounds and my pig tails swishing back and forth with the breeze. I let out a squeal as I see the playground come into view and look up towards my mom pleading her with my eyes for me to go to the sand box.
“Oh, off you go then!” she chuckled and let go of my hand, “Don’t talk to strangers and I’ll be just over there ok Darling?” she called out after me, pointing to a metal bench under the shade of a huge oak tree.
“Ok Mommy!” I yelled back as I sprinted into the sand box getting tiny grains stuck between my toes.
After several sand castles and burying my feet twice I got bored and looked at what else I could play on. Swings! I run up and wriggle my bottom onto the swing seat making the metal clasps of my baby pink overalls jingle slightly. Once I finally got on properly I swung my little legs back and forth quickly getting nowhere.
“Ooh…” I mumbled as I glared at the ground. I couldn’t swing myself yet so I needed my mom’s help. I jumped off and after spotting my mom I half skipped and half ran to her and started pulling on her sleeve to get her attention. It was only when I heard an unfamiliar woman’s voice did I realize she wasn’t alone.
“Oh! Hello Sweetheart! You must be Roxanne! You are just too adorable!” She cooed. I looked at her shyly but grimace when she calls me Roxanne. Roxanne is my full name, but I believe that full names are only used when you’re in trouble and the other person wants you to realize that.
“Hello… my name’s Roxy” I murmured behind my mom’s elbow. The woman smiled sweetly at me, her brown eyes twinkling, instantly making me smile back. She had such a contagious smile.
“Roxy it is then” she nodded as she spoke, “My name is Marie, I’m a friend of your mothers. Roxy, this is my son Nathan and this little cherub is my daughter Arianna” she said to me as she leaned back showing a boy probably my age and a pram carrying a cute little baby.
“Mommy, my name is Nate!” the boy corrected, grimacing as well. Hmm, it looks like I have a fellow full-name-hater. I looked him over noticing that his brown eyes looked like warm melted chocolate and his hair that I originally thought was black was actually a dark brown but turned chocolate brown where the sunlight hit it. He smiled at me and I saw that he was missing a tooth, I smiled back and couldn’t help feeling a little comforted by his cute smile.
“Hello” we said at the same time, “Hi” we greeted each other in unison again. I giggled at this but then remembered why I came here in the first place.
“Mommy can you push me on the swing please? I can’t do it by myself yet” I asked.
“Oh Sweetheart, why don’t you let Nate push you and you two can play together?” Marie suggested.
“Ok then…” I shrugged and grabbed Nate’s hand running to the swings before they got taken. I wriggled on and readied myself for some swinging fun. Nate and I had become best friend instantly. We were joined at the hip and it took our parents almost half an hour trying to pry us apart so that we could go home. I was crying because I didn’t want to leave Nate but both my Mom and Marie told us that we were now next door neighbours. Nate’s family had moved into the house next to ours that day and was resting at the park.
“Yay!” I screamed clapping my hands, “Now I gets to see him everyday!”
[6 years later]
“I can’t… breathe!” I squeaked, gasping for air while literally flapping my arms like a chicken trying to slap Nate's back as he squashed me in a bear hug.
“Oops, sorry!” he said grinning cheekily showing off his dimples before his face fell and stared into my amethyst eyes. “Please Rox, don’t leave. Come stay with me. You know that my parents wouldn’t mind, they think of you as their daughter as it is. Don’t go…” he whispered the last part, making my heart clench.
“I wish I could Naddy” I sighed, “But it’s not like we’re moving out of state. Their company is opening another branch in Australia! I can’t just not go with them…” My parents were lawyers; the best of the best. Their law firm wanted to branch out and where else better than the other side of the freaking world! We were standing outside the airport and it took everything I had to not jump into their car and yell ‘Let’s get out of here!’ I took a deep breath, and looked anywhere else but his face.
The weather was the total opposite of how I was feeling. Today was perfect. The sun beat down and the rays of light shone down on us kissing our faces with warmth. I looked at my best friend, trying to memorise every detail and locking it away in my mind. In the sun light his dark brown hair shone milk chocolate, it was slightly too long and kept falling into his eyes making him brush it away unconsciously.
I look back to his face and saw him giving me the most adorable puppy dog face. I smiled and he returned it with one of his own. This is how I will always remember him. I would always remember his amazing smile and remember how it could always brighten up the gloomiest day and would make his dimples pop out, his left dimple being more prominent.
His skin was sun kissed giving him a glowing tan but the thing that I’ll remember most is that he’s the closest thing to perfection… if he wasn’t perfect already. He’s my best friend. I shook my head, snapping myself out of my trance, noticing that he was staring at me too.
“Come on Roxy, we have to go. Say goodbye to Nate” my Mom called out to me while she Dad said their goodbyes to Nate’s parents.
“Come here!” I said grabbing Nate by the front of his shirt and wrapping my arms around him. I breathed in his citrusy smell knowing it would be the last time in who knows how long. “We’ll keep in touch. We’ll write emails everyday and call and everything. Don’t forget me Naddy.” I choked as I started to cry. He smiled a tight smile, making only his left dimple show and nodded. He raised his thumb to my amethyst eyes and wiped the tears away from my olive skin.
“I can’t ever forget you Rox” he whispered. He then took off his favourite necklace; a simple silver ring tied by a leather cord, and clipped it around my neck. “I want that back Rox, so you better come back to me ok?” I nodded, knowing I couldn’t talk and touched the warm ring with my fingers.
“I love you Naddy, don’t worry I’ll give it back.” He smiled and gave me one last bear hug.
“I love you, too, Rox” he replied. He gave me a final squeeze and a kiss in my hair. My last memory of my best friend was Nate is him giving me a watery smile, waving like a lunatic while pointing at his neck mouthing ‘Come back’.
[4 years later – Nate 17, Roxy 16]
"Mommm! Have you seen my leather jacket?!" I yelled downstairs to my mom.
"It's in your closet Darling, just where you left it" Her reply came. Oh right, I forgot. I grabbed out my fitted, black leather jacket and put it over my white tank top and faded blue, ripped jeans. I popped on my leather boots and gave myself a final glance in the mirror.
My straight jet black hair hung to my lower back and my side fringe just grazed over my amethyst eyes. They look violet today actually, I shrugged and applied a last coast of mascara on my long eyelashes and swiped on some peach lip gloss. I had a straight nose and my lip gloss made my lips look nice and plump.
I smacked my lips together and sprayed my favourite peach blossom perfume on my neck and wrists and was done. With my olive complexion I didn't really need any more makeup and I had a pretty good skin complexion so my face was free from blemishes and what not. I rushed downstairs, grabbed some toast off my dad’s plate and kissed him and mom on the cheek.
“Thanks Mom, I found it. I’m off now; I have to find my way without getting lost!” I joked before grabbing my helmet and bag before heading outside. I flipped my hair upside down and stuffed my helmet on leaving my visor up and walked over to my pride and joy; my cherry red motorbike. I swung my right leg over the seat, secured my bag so it wouldn’t fall off and revved my engine making me practically purr with satisfaction.
I hit my visor down and sped off towards Clearwater High, my new high school. I felt the vibrations of the bike as I sped down the road and focused on the wind hitting my neck and hands to calm my nerves. Today, I got to see Nate. I hadn’t seen him for four years, and yeah, we kept in touch everyday at the beginning, but obviously we couldn’t it up for 4 years and eventually we stopped emailing and calling and messaging.
Would I recognize him? Would he recognize me? Would things between us still be the same, or have we changed too much? Would Nate still be my best friend?
The last question hung in the air and I mentally shook myself. ‘Calm down, Roxanne!’ I yelled at myself using my full name to make sure I listened to my brain. ‘This is Nate we’re talking about! Our Naddy!’ I smiled, realizing I was being stupid.
“Oh crap!” I hissed when I nearly passed the school, too lost in my own head, and I slowed down turning into the high school car park. It seemed as though I was the only one with a motorbike and therefore earned myself stares and whispers from… one… two… three, four, five…um everyone.
This is not how I wanted to start my life here. I found a spot and cut off the engine. My fingers found the simple silver ring hanging from my necklace that hung in my cleavage and I rubbed the warm metal, breathing in. I always did this when I was nervous or thinking about something. Taking a deep breath, I swung my leg over the seat and stood up noticing EVERYONE was still gawking as I had just swooped down from the sky riding a giant yellow pig.
I mean… really? I leaned forward and took my helmet forward, flicked my hair back and ran my fingers through it to get rid of my helmet hair. Immediately, I heard gasps from girls and guys which turned to scoffs from girls and whistling from guys. Honestly, have they never seen a girl ride a motorbike before?
After I was sure I didn’t look like I had a permanently attached helmet to my scalp I tucked my helmet under my arm and walked towards where I thought the office would be. You see, due to the school year in Australia starting and finishing differently to the ones in America I was starting late, but luckily I was in advanced programs and I had no doubt I’d have no trouble keeping up.
I was too busy looking around the school grounds and all its students chatting and laughing that I didn’t notice the guy in front of me and basically face planted into his sturdy back. This is not how I wanted to start my life here.
“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” My Australian accent leaking into my speech, this happened when I got nervous and started to babble.
“S’all good. Are you all right? Are you new her-…” The guy replied but stopped mid speech when he saw me properly. His brown eyes looked as though they were trying to escape his face and at first I thought I might’ve had a giant spider or something crawling on my head but then I stopped breathing and felt my eyes copying his.
“Holy crap! Rox! Roxy Cruz?!”He practically screamed in my face.
“Naddy?! Holy hell look at you!” I screamed back at the same decibel getting a strong urge to squeeze his bicep. I barely had the time to register that he had grown to 6 foot 1 (which towered over my 5 foot 5) and that his lanky body had grown into the body of a Greek god; he had drool worthy muscles and abs that were oh too easy to see through his white t-shirt.
He was still tanned as always and his eyes danced in excitement. I looked at his giant smile which carried nothing less than perfect straight white teeth that sat cozily between his trademark dimples. I took all this in, in the two seconds it took him to scoop me up into his strong arms and giving me a bear hug that I realized I’d missed from the bottom of my heart. I breathed him in and greedily drank in his citrusy smell and returned his bear hug with one of my own.
After what seemed like only a few short seconds, but in reality was probably a few minutes, we let go and just stared at each other holding the others waist much to the entertainment of everyone else in the school.
Nate was gorgeous, I couldn’t believe it. I mean not that he wasn’t good looking before, he was always handsome, but now he was ‘phwoar! let me rip off my clothes while you ravish me right here right now!’ gorgeous. Not that I was thinking of ripping off my clothes and letting him ravish me… I’m just saying.
“Rox! Wow you look… you look…uh…you-“ He spluttered. Smooth. He scratched the back of his neck and frowned. Hmm, this is awkward.
“Thanks?” I said jokingly before I reached into my cleavage and took out the ring rubbing it again. I couldn’t help feel a slight blush warm my cheeks when I noticed his chocolate eyes follow my fingers to my cleavage and stay there.
I was a D cup verging ever so slightly to a DD (but to be honest I didn’t want them any bigger. Honestly, they just got in the way) so I cleared my throat to hopefully rid myself of this awkward flattery. His eyes snapped to mine before he gave me a cheeky crooked smile popping his left dimple out. Oh, that dimple. He then looked at my fingers that were playing with the ring on its silver chain.
“Hey! My ring! I can’t believe you kept it.” He said as he took over my spot rubbing it.
“Yeah, of course I did Naddy. I had to replace the leather cord though because it was worn out. It’s the only jewelry I wear besides earrings” I stated, “I love it. It reminded me of you and made you seem as though you weren’t so far away.”
“Well, in that case you can keep it Rox, the important thing is that you came back to me” he smiled sweetly making my toes curl, “Besides, I like its hiding spot” He chuckled as he slyly dropped it back into my cleavage. Whoa… is he flirting me? Best friends don’t flirt, do they? Can we? Hmm… It wouldn’t hurt; I mean it’s all just for fun. I snapped out of my thoughts and bent down picking up my forgotten helmet off the ground and tucking it under my arm again.
“Oh! So you’re Miss Bad Ass who came rolling in on a motorbike” Nate joked as he grabbed my hand and brought me over to two insanely hot guys, though none as hot as Nate; I think I’m going to like this school. I rolled my eyes but laughed anyway.
“Miss Bad Ass? That’s what I’m going to be known as? Greeaattt.” I replied sarcastically. He snickered.
“Rox, this is Chase and Rome” He introduced waving towards a tanned guy with spikey blonde hair and emerald bedroom eyes then a guy with dark skin who looked like an islander with short brown hair but bright ocean blue eyes.
“Hey” they both greeted me, giving me a not so subtle, slow once over. Nate seeing this tensed and gave a kind of sexy growl before hissing “Her eyes are up here” pointing his finger to my eyes nearly stabbing one of them out.
“And what beautiful eyes they are” Rome purred, “I’ve never met anyone with violet eyes before. You could be my first” he winked and wiggled his eyebrows at me suggestively.
“Err, lovely, but I highly doubt that I’ll be your first or next anything Stud” I retorted, smiling sweetly and emphasizing the ‘anything’. All three laughed and Nate gave me a side hug, smiling proudly at me.
“I like her already, Nate” said Rome, Chase agreed and gave Rome a playful punch to his shoulder.
“Well, not that it hasn’t been fun boys, but I gotta run off to the office to get my schedule before the bell” I said.
“I’ll come, plus I can’t have you getting lost like a damsel in distress” Nate said with mock horror, widening his eyes and placing a hand to his chest.
“Moi? A damsel in distress?” I said pointing to myself. I press myself up to him, my breasts up against his chest and I whispered coyly into his ear, “Naddy darling, I’m Miss Bad Ass remember?”
My voice came out a lot huskier than I thought it would and I chuckled as his breath hitched and he groaned. I grazed my teeth and lips from his ear down to the corner of his jaw and bit it lightly before sliding it to the corner of his lips.
“Besides, if I do get lost I’m sure someone will gladly help little old me”. I felt him grip my hip tightly as he groaned again. I looked up at him and saw his eyes half closed and glazed over his teeth biting his lower lip.
I was only joking around the same as he was earlier but I had to say I felt a little flattered. I cleared my throat and moved away noticing we were alone. I wonder where the guys went?
I looked around and felt a little embarrassed that they left while I was teasing Nate. I spotted them over by a group of skinny girls with a little too much make up for daylight and clothes that I would think twice about going clubbing in. These barbies must be the popular cliché group, I bet they were even cheerleaders. I rolled my eyes. Nate was still zoned out, so I snapped my fingers in his face and grabbed his hand.
“Come on my Knight in Shining Armour, let’s go before we’re late!” I sighed, he snapped out of whatever he was day dreaming about (I don’t think I want to know) and shook his head. He grinned and dragged me towards the office where I was handed my schedule.
“Okayyy… let see, you have." Nate read my classes out after snatching my schedule from me. “Awesome, we’re in every class besides French and art. I asked for you to have a locker close to mine and voila! Here we are” He said stopping at locker 103, “Mine is locker 110 so we’re pretty close”
“Thanks Naddy. It’s good to even have a locker. I didn’t have a locker back in Australia, everyone just carried their bags and books around” I told him. The bell rang and we hurried off to home room making it just in time. After homeroom was my first class which so happened to be without Nate. I was getting nervous once again and Nate realizing this wrapped his muscle arms around me and squeezed me tight. Citruses filled my lungs and it helped me calm down.
“I’ll meet you in our next class ok, Rox? Don’t worry, there’s nothing to be nervous about” He kissed my hair and watched me walk in. I looked around the class and saw that the majority of the girls were staring at me enviously before they noticed me looking and averted their gaze and started whispering.
Uh… ok? I tried to see if there were any spare seats and had the choice of either sitting next to a boy who looks like he bathes in a tub of dirty oil or a pretty girl with a kind smile. I went for the cleaner option.
“Hi, my name’s Brooklyn. You must the new girl” she said watching me take my seat. Huh, ‘New girl?’, I think I prefer Miss Bad Ass better.
“Hi, I’m Roxy” I replied, and just like that we hit it off talking whenever the teacher wasn’t looking and it turns out she’s a lot like me. She loves sports and photography and apparently is a shopping maniac. Excluding the latter we held common hobbies and interests. She looked at my schedule and stated that we also had the same classes except for science and gym. She walked with me to my next class before saying she’d meet me in the break.
I spotted Nate and sat next to him grinning like a crazy person while he winked at me. I could see all the girls giving me evil stares and pouting pulling their tops down trying to show what they could offer Nate but he never saw any of it because he was asking me how my class went.
Classes became better because Nate kept throwing notes to me with funny pictures or making faces at me. On the break I even introduced him to Brooklyn who blushed like a virgin on her wedding night and before I knew it, it was time for gym.
I loved gym! I never knew why other girls hated it. Anything physical and you could me in, but my favourite was running and volleyball. Today, however, we were playing touch football. Apparently it was something totally different for everyone but having spent 4 years in Australia, I understood the game pretty well. I wasn’t sure if it was just me, but I swear the teacher was sexist seeing as he made it girls versus boys.
“Don’t worry baby, I’ll be gentle” Rome yelled to me, earning a slap to the back of the head from Nate.
“Who said I liked it gentle? Maybe I like it hard and fast!” I yelled back grinning. Obviously I yelled it too loud seeing as half the guys started cat calling to me and the other half started humping the air. I rolled my eyes, what weirdos. As I stretched out my long, toned legs in front of me I noticed the majority of the girls sitting down or huddled around the teacher trying to get out of playing.
“Let’s go!” The teacher screamed blowing his whistle and I grinned evilly at Nate and his friends before showing them what girls can do.
“It’s called TOUCH football Roxy! TOUCH football!” Rome groaned after school holding onto his shoulder.
“Well if you didn’t TOUCH me inappropriately then I wouldn’t have tackled you” I shrugged looking at my nails feigning nonchalance but really was purring like a cat in the inside.
“If you really wanted to be on top all you had to do was ask Roxy baby” he grinned licking his lips. Just as I was about to reply Nate turned to Rome with a heated gaze.
“Rome! Didn’t I tell you to stop flirting with my girl? Rox isn’t interested so fucking piss off already!” He spat to his friend. My jaw dropped.
“We weren’t flirting, we were just playing around. Rome knows I’m not interested” I wrapped my arms around Nate and hugged him tight. I kissed him on the cheek before looking straight into his eyes. “Please don’t be angry Naddy. I don’t like seeing you like, I love the smiley Naddy.”
He sighed and nodded, “Sorry Rome, I don’t know what came over me.” All apologies were made and accepted then Nate grabbed my hand engulfing it completely in his big, rough one and we walked to the car park. He leaned against my bike with a thoughtful expression. “Hey Rox, fancy a race?” He grinned.
“Hmm, I would but I already but I know I’ll kick your sorry ass” I laughed flipping my hair over and stuffing my helmet on.
“First one to enter your house sleeps on the floor!” He shouted before running to his sports car and revving the engine.
“Naddy baby you have no idea what you got yourself into!” I smirked before revving my bikes and speeding away.
