I’ll start off by telling you a bit about myself. My name is Jennica Hayes. Yes, Jennica. Not Jennifer. Not Jessica. My mother likes combining names. My older sister’s name is Marianda, named for two of our ancestors, Marie and Amanda.

Back to myself. Or, rather, myself as I was in the summer after eighth grade. I was 14. I’d never had a boyfriend, but I wasn’t concerned, because my friends were all I needed. They were real friends, the kind that didn’t pretend to be buddy-buddy and then talked behind each other’s backs. The only times a guy ever liked me were Kevin in third grade, and my neighbor Robert, who was crazy about me for years. I’d always disliked him, but I never expected to fall so hard for him. And “never expected” is a huge understatement.

Robert Granola - I’m not kidding, it was really Granola - used to be a bratty, annoying crybaby. But I began to notice that he’d grown up. He was a flirt, a good athlete, and he knew how to dress. Plus he’d gotten pretty hot, with his gorgeous blue eyes and long sandy hair. I still can’t believe I never noticed until that summer.

That is where the real story began.

Part of this really happened to me, and a lot of it didn't. What did happen to me would make an excellent story, if the events weren't so spanned out in time. It's difficult to write about it, not because I'm emotional about it anymore, but because it might be hard to keep interesting. That's why I made up a lot.

I hope you enjoy the story!