Chapter One: A deal's a deal

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I was running through the lawn, screaming my head off, desperately trying to find something or even someone to hide behind. Yup, that's me. Public embarrassment has no effect on me.

"CANDACE COME BACK HERE!!!"

I wove in and out of trees and groups of people, trying to lose her and managed to spot a very tall person. I sprinted towards him and instantly duck down behind him.

Looking bewilderingly at me, his eyebrows raised but having lost my breath from yelling and running, I simply smile. Well, okay, I try to smile, but I know it looks more like a cringe because I'm so out of breath. His friends, and some of my friends who just happened to be standing with him, had different expressions. Most of the guys smiled at me in acknowledgment, some even winking. Others, however, (mostly the girls) seemed a bit weary of me. I was known for my "strange behavior" and outbursts. Jessica Knotch shot me a glare to which I returned a very large smile. I don't know why, but she decided that she hated me the first time she saw Mills and I together. She isn't important enough to get on my nerves though.

The kid that I ducked behind cocked an eyebrow at me, "Are you…..?"

I nod, "Yea…just…-gasp-…don't move!"

He looked unsure but a smile crept into his eyes and he nodded, turning back around and started talking to his friends again. Pretty soon a rather frantic-looking girl ran into the lawn as well, stopping right in the middle and taking in her surroundings.

I smiled. So she hadn't seen where I went! I frantically took a folded piece of paper out of my pocket and tapped on the guy who I was hiding behind. He turned around and I looked intently at him, taking in his appearance. I can't help but say that he was incredibly cute. You just notice these things without really noticing them. If that makes any sense at all…

He had dirty blond hair in that messy hairstyle that looked like the typical all-American boy look and he had a long face with an oddly small nose for a guy and baby blue eyes. He was tall and lean, standing more than a few inches taller than me. He had on faded jeans and a navy blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to complete that boy-next-door look.

He was undeniably a jock. And a prep. Could I trust a jock? Don't get me wrong, I'm friends with most of the jocks but they weren't the most reliable bunch. But seeing as I was desperate, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

"What's your name?" I ask him quietly, not wanting to attract the psychotic girl's attention.

"Uh…Jeremy Matthews."

I smiled easily. "Hey Jeremy. I'm Candace McMaven, but call me Dee, anything but Candace."

The smile from his eyes appeared on his lips. "Hey."

"You think you could do me a favor?" I glance behind him, seeing if Les has seen me yet. She hadn't. She was still desperately searching the lawn. She was even circling trees, making sure I wasn't on the other side of them. I stifled a laugh. That silly, adorable girl.

"Could you take this for me?" I showed him the folded up paper and gave him my most charming smile. "Just for a little while? But I really need for you not to read it." He still looked unsure but he nodded slightly, "Uh, yea...Ok." I paused and looked into his blue eyes. Definitely trustworthy. I don't know how I know, but something in his eyes tells me that I can trust him. He just looked so…innocent.

I know it sounds crazy but I swear, I can just notice these type of things.

Anyway, back to Jeremy. "I'll get it back from you tomorrow. Is that okay?" I hold out the folded up note expectantly. He nodded and took it, tucking it safely into his jeans pocket.

"Where should I meet you to give it back?"

One of the guys by the name of Vincent Clay, a finely toned, black-haired, greenish grey-eyed beauty spoke up, looking incredulous, "Wait, wait, wait Dee! There are sooo many of us here that you know and you ask Jeremy to keep something for you when you've never even talked to him before!?" Some of the other guys nodded in agreement, grunting 'yea' and the like.

"Sshhhh! Keep your voice down Vince!" I looked around Jeremy again to make sure Lessie hadn't spotted me yet. She hadn't. I turned back around to face him, "That's because I trust Jeremy more than you guys!"

Another big burly, brownish-blonde haired guy with bluish eyes who went as Rick, spoke up, "But you like, just met him!"

"Yes, and he hasn't tried to feel me up even once! Need I remind you of the day that I met you? You grabbed my ass and I kneed you in the.."

"OKAY!! Okay, fine, we get it!" I was happy to see that he cringed at the mere memory of that day.

Smiling wickidly at them, I add, "And besides, both of you, and probably the rest of you would use that note to your advantage and possibly attempt to blackmail me with it!"

Vince put a hand to his chest in mock hurt, although there was a gleam in his eye. "Of course we wouldn't!! How dare you doubt us!?"

The rest of the big oafs were guffawing in the back.

I scowled at them all, only half serious, "Trust me, I have good reason to."

I turn back toward Jeremy and smile at him.

"Don't worry, I'll find you. Don't disappoint me, I'm trusting you!" I squeezed his hand briefly and started walking away when I ran smack into someone's chest.

Familiar hands reached out and steadied me. I look around wildly, seeing as I've lost sight of Les and without even looking up, I muttered a distracted, "Hey Mills."

Without looking at him, I knew he smiled as his hands tightened briefly around my arms and he let me go but didn't step back. I took advantage of this and peaked around him so that I remained shielded from anyone who might be out to stab me. Les would do that, you know. She's not as innocent as she makes herself out to be.

"You could have just given the note to me, you know."

I gaped at him, "Are you kidding me? You're the first person she'll search and if she finds that note on you, she'll stab you with a spork and I just can't afford to loose the one person that would protect me from her."

I ducked under his arm and searched the lawns, still unable to see where Les had gotten to. I felt Mills rumble a bit as he chuckled.

"I think I'd live from a spork wound, don't worry."

"Oh, you'll live, you'll just be out of commission for a while and then I'd have to fend for myself."

Still, I couldn't see her. Where did she go!? I became more frantic in my search and Mills dropped an arm over my shoulder and steered me toward…more lawn. Our high school had a lot of land around it.

"So why Jeremy anyway? I didn't know you knew him." His voice seemed light to anyone who didn't know him, but I knew Mills. There was an edge just under the nice-guy act.

"I don't, Mills. He just happened to be the one really tall, built person around who would completely cover me if I ducked down behind him. So I did. I didn't stand there and pick and choose just who I was going to duck behind."

Mills arm became stiff over my shoulders and he grudgingly said, "Not that built."

I stopped short and stared at him.

And then I promptly began to laugh hysterically.

Mills flushed and dropped his arm from me. I grabbed it back and tried to calm myself, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to laugh, you just-ahHAH-you reminded me of Manny! Remember my cousin Manny? You sounded just like him!" I laughed a bit more but covered my mouth at the look on Mills face.

Deciding his ego was surely hurt, I patted his arm reassuringly, "You're the most built guy I know Mills, okay?"

He rolled his eyes, "Dee-"

"Candace Nicole McMaven!!!!!!!!!!!!"

My eyes bugged out unnaturally at Mills and he just smirked, giving me a little wave goodbye. I bolted for my life.

"YOU STOP THAT RUNNING CANDACE!!!!"

After I manage to get some distance between us, I glance back and blow a kiss at her, grinning evilly.

To my horror, it seems to enrage her even more and with a burst of renewed energy, she speeds up and catches up to me. "Stop! -Gasp- Running!"

I look at her, terrified with this new 'oh, I'm so gonna kick your ass' expression that she has on her usually sweet, angelic-now demonic-face and I yell back childishly.

"NO!!"

At this, she tackles me to the floor. Leslie, the girl who was the girliest girl that I've ever met, tackles me to the floor! And I let her!! Me! The tomboy who tackles guys all the time while we play football! I looked at her in combination or awe and horror. How did she do that!?

The guys who were still standing where I left them, heard the commotion and roared with laughter when lil' girlie Les tackles me. I couldn't help but notice Mills was chuckling too.

Traitor. I should have given him the note after all.

"Candace, you give that note back to me right now!!"

By now, most of the courtyard is watching us, some even pointing us out to others. However it doesn't faze Les who is now holding me down tightly and glaring at me. "Give it back!"

I waggle my finger in her face, arranging an amused smile on my own face just to aggravate her. I so love my Lessie. "Nuh uh, we had a deal! And I won, so you have to give it to him!"

Let me catch you up on a few things. Leslie wrote a note to her dear beloved Benjamin Stevens but she never intended to give it to him. I found said note and made a little bet with her. Ben's a friend of ours, has been for quite some time now. In fact, almost four years. For three of those years, my best friend Leslie has been (and is currently) completely infatuated with him. However, my little Les is rather shy and Bennie dear is rather dense. Don't get me wrong, he's a sweetie and everything but he can't tell that the most beautiful girl in the whole school has had a crush on him for the past three years. See? I'm not being mean, he's dense.

Anyway, on with our little deal. I told her that Ben needed a little push in the right direction. In order to do this, I told Les that she had to flirt a tiny bit with him. The deal was if he showed any interest at all, she would have to give the note to him. Well, that day during lunch I managed to coax Les into doing just that. At first she was terrified but once she got started, she just kept getting better. I couldn't believe that it was actually my shy little Les! Of course, I couldn't hear what they were saying but I'm not blind. She started out standing pretty close, normal for us since we're all friends but then she got really close. I'm talking way 'in your bubble' close, absolutely no room for personal space. At first this seemed to startle and confuse him but he didn't attempt to back up. Then, he smiled and joked with her as well. By the end of the conversation, he had put his arm around her waist! Which, you know, at first made me want to kill him but Les liked him so it made all the difference. Maybe he wasn't as dense as he appeared? Then again, Les is a gorgeous, adorable brunette with a button nose, full lips and light brown eyes so maybe he just couldn't resist. I saw a flash of panic in Les's eyes as she looked over at me but I could tell it was the good kind of panic. The panic that makes you have butterflies in your stomach that are fighting a losing battle to come out.

And it hit me right then that they were perfect for each other.

"Dee, you better give me back that note!"

"No can do Lessie dear, I don't have it anymore."

She blanched, "You're lying!" Her voice rising several notches in panic.

I grinned at her, "Would I lie to my best friend in the whole world whom I love very, very much?"

Collapsing next to me, she laid down on her back with her hands over her face. "No, no, no, ohhh no!!!"

I burst out in laughter and turn on my side to face her. "Ahaha, Les, I'm not that evil! Don't worry, I didn't give it to Ben…yet."

"You…you…didn't!? Then…its still with you?"

She eyes my pockets with a gleam in her eye. Sensing that she was about to pounce again, I jump up out of her reach. "Heeey, don't look at me like that! It's not on me at the moment… but I can get it back anytime."

Her eyes became round and wide as she looked at me, "But…you're not gonna give it to him…right?"

"Hey, now, I never said that! We did, after all, have a deal…"

"Dee, come on, pleaaaase!!! You can't give it to him!! Do you know how embarrassing that is!? Please! I'll do anything!!"

Sitting back down, I stare up into the clear blue sky (much like Jeremy's eye color, I couldn't help but notice), and begin tapping my finger against my chin, thinking.

"Anything?"

Giving me big huge puppy eyes, she nodded eagerly.

"Ok, I'll tell ya what. Since you've already flirted with Bennie-and very well I might add" Les blush's but couldn't keep back a smile. Smiling back, I continue, "Well, it seems to me that he just might have gotten the hint about you liking him. All I'm asking is that you continue flirting until he has enough sense to ask you out," at that, she frowned slightly at me. Awww! She was already defending him! "And that note will go poof! I swear, you'll never see it again. Do we have a deal?"

She thinks about it for nearly a half a second and nods happily. "Deal!"

"Alrighty then, we should go get our stuff and head home. And if we run into Ben? What are you going to do?"

Blushing slightly, she says promptly, "I flirt as if my life depends on it."

"Good girl. I've taught you well young grasshopper. Now, shall we?"

Linking arms, we start walking back up to the school. We pass right by Jeremy and his friends. He looks at me and smiling back, I wink at him. He smiles back and I turned back around and start chatting happily with Les.


AN: Wow. I can't believe I have the first chapter up. Lol it's so surreal after all this time. I didn't change all that much from this particular chapter but you might notice little subtle changes in Dee if you read the original. Oh and you even got to see Les and Mills in the very first chapter! Hope this first chapter is alright, be honest with the reviews please! If it isn't up to par, tell me and I'll rewrite it again if need be.

Thank you all sosoSO much for sticking with WASL for so long!

Oh and it's a given that I'll be making edits and revisions in that story but I owe it to you all to continue and finish this one first. Like I said before, this story is the one story that I'm reallyreally trying to make as much time for so if I neglect my other stories, I'm really sorry.

On that note though, who all, from those who have been reading it, thinks His Guardian Angel is worth continuing? Because I'm not entirely sure if I should or not. It's not all that fun to write anymore but if anyone wants me to continue it then I could probably manage to make it a bit more interesting...let me know please!

Once again, thanks so much for reading and reviewing!