Chapter One-Making Friends

I hugged Tye around the waist. "I'll call you when I get there, 'kay? And don't ask out any girl without telling me who she is first, got it?" You see, Tye has a little problem with lounging around on a Friday or Saturday. He needs, and loves, to be occupied by a girl's company. I help him pick out a girl that isn't trashy, and will actually give him a good time.

…Not that way! Like, will make him laugh, and not stand around checking herself out in any reflective surface…gosh, get you minds out of the gutter.

He laughed, and released me from his arms so he can bend down to my eye-level. And, let me tell you, it was a pretty substantial bend. "I, Tyler Walters, promise to not go out with any woman until I have my best friend, Cira Bianchi's, permission."

I nodded, satisfied. "Good." I just don't want his good looks to go to waste. And before you even think of what I know you want to think, let me just say, I DON'T LIKE HIM IN ANY OTHER WAY THAN PLATONIC. Whew, glad to get that out of the way…But, yes, I am allowed to say that he is good-looking. You know Warrick, from CSI? Well, he kind of resembles him. The only differences between the two would be that Tye has smaller lips, a lower hairline, and bigger eyes. And the girls are probably just as crazy about Tye as they are about Gary Dourdan.

Tye glanced at the moving truck, currently where the driver was closing the back. "How much more time?"

"Ten minutes, probably." I looked away from my house, opting instead to study the flowers planted in neat rows lining our driveway. It won't be my driveway or my house soon...Not that I was that upset. I'm just going to have my senior year in a new school, have to make new friends, then go to another new environment when I go to college, but I'm cool.

"Cee!" I heard a little boy squeak. I turned around just in time to see my seven year old brother barrel into my stomach. I know what's going through your mind. I'm seventeen and Noah's seven, you are correct-ten year age difference. What happened was that after my parents had me, the doctor told them my mom wouldn't be able to have kids anymore. But, surprise surprise, I was ten when Noah was welcomed into the world. I love him though, he is just too cute.

I ruffled his dark brown hair. "Hey, Noah."

"Mommy said I'm gonna have a big room!" Yippee.

"Cool!" I made sure to put enthusiasm into it, even if it was fake.

"Yeah, and I bet your room is gonna be big, too!"

"Yup." I rocked back on my heels as my mom came out of the house with her purse, my dad behind her with two cardboard boxes. I was going to have to leave Long Island and move to Connecticut very soon. When mom had her purse, she meant business.

Not to disappoint, five seconds later she called, "Okay guys, in the car!"

I bit my lip and stared forlornly at Tye. "Guess this is it."

Tye hugged me again. "Oh, shut up, you know I'll be down almost every weekend."

That comment almost brought me to tears. "Yeah, but before, you could have just walked to my house any day!" He lived two houses down.

"I'll call you, sugar lips." Our little thing was to call each other ridiculous pet names.

I shot him a smile. "Okay, sweet and sour."

I waved to him as our car left the driveway, the moving van following behind.

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A week later, the house was basically all set. It was bigger than our other home, painted white with big black shutters adorning the windows. My room had a private bathroom (which I loved! No more dinosaur shampoo in the bathtub) and a huge window overlooking the backyard. Instead of hanging out at home, my mother forced me to go to the pool club she joined and make new friends.

So here I was, sitting in a lounge chair, observing the whole 'pool scene.' First I saw a huge pool, and a good sized hot tub(If it's not open in the winter, why the hell is there a need for a hot tub?), all of that surrounded by chairs, which is where I was. A few seats down was a woman talking on her cell phone, and a guy listening to music. What a lively bunch! Then I saw the kiddy pool by the playground in the back, where a game of tetherball was going on. To reach the snack shack, you had to go down a path that went by the swing set, and you would walk right past the showers and changing area. Fun, fun.

I sighed to myself and closed my eyes, blocking out the sun. (In my mother's rush to get me out of the house, I forgot my sunglasses). I plugged in my iPod and contented myself with Taylor Swift until I was absolutely sweltering hot. I didn't put on my bathing suit at home (again, my mom's fault!) so I had to go change in the stalls. I stuffed my iPod in my bag, exchanging it for my tankini. I was a wee bit self conscious about wearing a bikini around strangers. I rose from my chair and started to make my way around the line of loungers so I could reach the path that would take me to the stalls. My eyes abruptly caught sight of a pudgy little girl with her own suit in hand, probably going to the same place I was. I cut over to the changing area and saw that there was only one not occupied. Yes, I know this is juvenile and I could just wait until another one opened, but, forgive me for acting the same age as the girl, I want to beat her!

I decided to take a short-cut. Keeping my eyes on the girl, I made my way between two chairs. I'm gonna get here first! Take that-

My breath whooshed out of me as I started plummeting to the ground, only to fall on something…different. I tentatively opened my eyes and discovered I was half-splayed on a guy. My boobs were squished against his chest awkwardly and my-my lips! My lips were touching his! I shrieked and tried to stand up, only to kind of rock against him like a worm. I heard the guy's music stopped and he suddenly became animate, gasping as he took me by the arms to push me firmly but gently off his seat. I was too shocked to try and regain my balance, and just decided to sit on the ground while the dude whipped of his sunglasses to stare at me. Oh why me? Why could I have just fallen on some ugly person? This god had the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, maybe better then Tye's! I couldn't even discern what color they were because they where such a mixture. All I know is that they just enhanced his dirty blond hair.

I nervously patted down my own honey-brown locks. "I-er…Hi?"

He didn't respond, deciding to scratch behind his neck. I noticed a huge blush coat his cheeks.

"Listen," I said, "I am so sorry.I tripped and I landed, um, well…on you.

"It's okay," He said slowly in a deliciously deep voice. "I understand." He stood up, and I think we both became matching tomatoes when I realized he had no shirt on! I couldn't stop my eyes from looking at his muscle-y chest. He became redder when he saw me doing this, but didn't comment. My eyes met his as he came around to me, and offered me his hand.

I looked at it confusedly. "Uh."

He cleared his throat. "I'll help you up?" It came out sounding like a question.

"Oh…" I became aware that I was still on the cement. "Oh!" I placed my hand in his, ignoring the feelings that arose. "Thanks!" I said, looking up, way up, at him when I was on my feet. I was four eleven, people, cut me some slack.

"You're welcome."He looked away uneasily.

Wow, I started my new life off with a bang…or uh- a whoosh!

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Please tell me what you think of this story! I came up with this idea months ago and have finally put it on paper. I do not own M&Ms or iPod.

-kanders