A/N: Ok, hop on my lime green truck and join me for my next adventure! I’m really excited about this story guys, I actually have a plot! Go ahead and be amazed! Anyway, this chapter is going to be a little vague but it will all fall into place soon. The flashbacks aren’t in chronological order either but they still make enough sense. Like I said, it will all fall together soon. Hope you like it! Input is much appreciated. (In other words, please review people, I live off of reviews!)

The phone rings and I throw down with my pencil with a sigh. Standing and letting my Trigonometry book fall to the floor, I race down the stairs to the kitchen and try to catch my breath before answering on the last ring. “Hello?”

I hear a throat clear on the other end of the line. “Hello?” I try again, a bit louder and a bit less patiently.

“Maggie?” My heart thumps. I know this voice.

“Yeah?” I whisper, afraid to raise my voice any louder.

“It’s Nick.” My heart forgets to beat at all and I lean against the wall. I feel the lost feeling of adrenaline swooshing through my veins and burning a hole in my chest.

“Who?” I breathe.

“Nick Wade. Don’t you remember me?” My world tips sideways as I’m swept into the swirling sickness of memories. Remember you? How could I forget?

Flashback

Brown eyes are burning into mine and I step closer. Here he is, my forbidden fruit, and all I have to do is take one more step and I’m crossing the line. I gasp as he leans closer and captures my lips in a heated kiss. Melting into this feeling, I feel his arms wrap around me. And then, nothing matters. Nothing except this moment, this perfection.

But moments don’t last for long and the perfection gets left behind. ‘This is wrong’ screams in my ears. ‘This is really wrong’. He seems to realize it too because he stiffens and pulls back. My heart is crying for him to come back, to hold me again. But my legs are carrying me back through dimly lit hallways and out into the summer air. The humid weight presses down on me and I’m choking. Choking on all my sins.

I sink to my knees and let the hot tears trace pathways down my flushed cheeks, because I know now that I’m not worthy of living. I broke my promises and I betrayed my best friend. But I also cry because I know that if I could have that moment again,

I’d take it.

End Flashback

“Maggie? You there?”

“What? Oh, yeah. I’m here.” He clears his throat again and I can picture him in my mind exactly. His hand will be rubbing the back of his neck and he’ll have this goofy grin on his face and he’ll be shifting his weight from foot to foot, wondering what to say next, hoping I’ll fill the silence. But I’ve got nothing to say, nothing, and everything.

“It’s been a while.” He says. Almost six months.

“Yeah, it has.” I say, trying to sound casual. Trying to sound like he meant nothing to me. I wonder if he sees through me. He always could before.

“Listen, I um, I’m in town for the holidays and I just wondered if you wanted to meet up and talk.” He says it all in one breath and the words mix together into one long string and I have to replay them over in my head slowly so I can understand.

“Um, ok. When?” I ask.

“Well, you see,” he stops and I hear him laugh nervously. I don’t remember him ever being nervous about anything before. I wonder if anything else about him has changed. “I’m in your driveway right now.”

My eyes widen and I reach up to make sure my hair is still in place. Then I lean to the side and peek out the bay window in the front room. Sure enough, he’s standing there, waving at me with his goofy grin. The heat in me sends a new wave of emotion through me and I pull back so I can’t see him anymore.

I can’t do this.

“I’ll be right out.” My mouth says for me.

Flashback

“There he is.” I whisper to Jenna. She cranes her neck to see above the people in the pews in front of us.

“Where?” she whispers for everyone to hear. My face heats up and I sink lower in my seat.

“Not so loud! He’s right there, dress shirt, khakis, red tie.”

“Mags, I hate to break it to you, but they’re all wearing that. It’s the choir uniform.” She looks down at me with a raised eyebrow and a quirky grin.

“Oh shut up. I’m just nervous ok? Give me a break. Now, he’s just there, front row, dead center, blonde hair, kind of skinny looking.” I tilt my head to the side wondering why I can’t describe him right. The boy I just described was really pathetic.

But this one, he’s not pathetic. He’s, well, he’s perfect.

“Hmm, not bad.” Jenna whispers and nods. “He passes inspection. What’s his name?” I cough and look away. “Mags?”

“I, err, I don’t know.” I say quickly. I expect a fit of giggles from my best friend and when I’m greeted with silence I look up in confusion.

I’m even more confused when I see she’s got her hand raised. The choir director turns around and does a double take. “Um, yes ma’am can I help you?” Jenna smiles politely and extends her finger towards the blonde in the center.

“My friend here would like to know his name.” I gasp and bury my red face in my hands. She elbows me harshly and I peek through my fingers at the boy.

He points at himself and raises his eyebrows, “Me?” he asks and Jenna nods. “I’m Nick.” He says.

“Thanks babe,” Jenna says, “Sorry about that Mr. erm, Choir Guy. On with the singing then.” She nods at the conductor and he sniffs with distaste but then turns back to the choir to continue practice. “See, that wasn’t so hard.” Jenna whispers proudly.

“Have I told you lately how much I hate you?” I whisper back fiercely.

“Right. I’ll be maid of honor at the wedding then?” She says more as a statement then a question. I growl and bravely look back up at the choir.

Brown eyes are looking back at me and pale lips are turned up into a smirk. “Nick,” I say quietly to myself testing the way it feels bubbling up from my throat and slipping past my lips. It tastes like vanilla.

End Flashback

I push open the door and the winter breeze slices through my skin. I immediately regret not putting on a coat as I watch goose bumps spread over my bare arms. I wrap my arms around myself and force my teeth not to chatter.

“Hey,” he says when I get closer. He’s leaning against his car with his ankles crossed and his hands are fiddling near his stomach.

“Hey.” I say back, watching the snow melt under the toe of my shoe.

“It’s a cold one.” He says. I wince. I had forgotten how awkward things always were between us after that night.

“How’s school?” I ask, not bothering to agree with his comment about the weather.

“Good,” he says with a nod, “It’s, well, good.” He chuckles and I look up at him. I feel my eyebrows furrowing together as if I’m searching for something.

But I don’t find anything. This is still the same old Nick. For some reason that makes me smile. He tilts his head and grins, “What?” he asks.

“Nothing. Just good to see you.” I say.

His grin spreads into a smile. “Yeah, it really is.” He laughs, “Good to see you I mean, not good to see myself.” I laugh too and I remember how good it feels. I haven’t really laughed in a long time. It’s nice to hear the sound echoing through the air around me.

“I’ve missed you.” I say suddenly, surprising myself.

Emotion floods his eyes and his smile is replaced with a serious expression. “I’ve missed you too Mags.” He whispers.

Suddenly I realize I’ve drifted closer and I feel his arm warming mine. I shiver and lean closer to the warmth before I can stop myself. He stiffens and I jump back. “Sorry,” we both say at the same time and then we look away.

I look at the sky. It’s pale gray and soft snowflakes are drifting down. I watch one land on the tip of my thumb and I look at it closer as it melts into me. On impulse, I stick my tongue out to catch a flake. Then I catch Nick looking over at me with this faraway look in his eyes and I blush. “What?”

“Nothing.” He says with a shadow of a smile. Then he looks up, shocked, “Holy crap, aren’t you cold?” I laugh again. Soon, I’m laughing so hard that you can’t hear it, I’m just shaking with joy and I can’t breath. I slouch into him and bury my face in his shoulder. A hazy voice in my head asks me what’s so funny but I don’t even care. This feels right.

“Yeah,” he laughs nervously, “I guess that was funny?” he ventures and I only laugh more. Then he’s laughing too and I feel like flying because I’m the one who made him laugh, me.

“Let’s go somewhere,” I choke out through my giggles. He nods and opens the passenger door for me. I slide in and wipe the tears of laughter away from my cheeks. I decide that I need to laugh like this more often. I’ve forgotten what it feels like.

He shuts the door and walks around and climbs in, quickly turning on the heat. I sigh as the warm blast of air melts my numb limbs and a tingling sensation nips at my fingers. When I look up, he’s smiling at me and I know it’s not the heater that’s making me warm.

Flashback

The rain is pelting me and I’m spinning in circles under its thunderous song. My tears are mixing with the drops and I’m not sure which is which. But it’s all the same anyway. The mud slides through my toes and my hair plasters itself to my forehead. I look awful but I don’t care.

I spin until I forget what I’m crying for. But then a silky tenor voice floods my senses. “I love you Jenna, forever.” And then my sobs are drowning the words but I can still feel them bouncing around inside me, ripping me apart.

I remember why I’m crying then.