it's just a crush

chapter 1 - september 2010

Meg Rennell was 12 years old the first time she saw Bobby McKenzie. She was walking down the hallway of her new school and he was leaning on a locker, laughing along with a group of other boys. He had brown skin with freckles dotting his cheeks, and short dreadlocks that flopped over his forehead. His amber eyes sparkled with mirth, his mouth curved into a smile as he told a joke that caused his friends to burst into raucous laughter.

She thought he was perfect.

He was obviously a few years older than her, and she knew that a guy like him would never notice a girl like her. She was skinny, her body still clinging to its childish form – bony, awkward, and flat. Her skin was pale, even this late in the summer. Her hair was straight and dirty blonde – boring – her features were average, and her eyes were a kind of blue-grey that wasn't all that interesting. There was nothing about her appearance that would attract attention from anyone, let alone from the most gorgeous boy she had ever seen. She was used to being invisible, and felt even more so walking through a strange school, where everyone seemed to know everyone else, and nobody even noticed the new girl.

She walked past the group of boys, her eyes downcast as she focused on putting one foot in front of the other and getting past them without making a fool of herself. Although she wasn't typically prone to clumsiness, she was so drawn to the golden-eyed boy that she was certain that she would trip right in front of him if she dared to look anywhere but at her feet.

It only took a few steps to pass them, but it felt like she was walking on a treadmill, going nowhere. She realized she was holding her breath, and only released it once they were safely out of view. A few steps more, and she reached an intersection in the hallway and quickly ducked around the corner, gasping for breath as she leaned against the wall.

Never in her life had she had this type of reaction to the sight of a boy. Granted, it was only recently that she had even started noticing boys as anything more than cootie-carrying brats. But for some reason, the mere sight of this one had her feeling something new – not just emotionally, but physically. Her skin was tingling, and her stomach flipping. Love at first sight? Hardly. Meg read her fair share of romance novels, but she didn't believe love at first sight existed in the real world. No, that was something that existed only in books and the movies.

She suddenly realized she needed to get moving if she was going to make it to form on time. Her first class of her first day at her new school, and she didn't want to make a bad impression – she was a good girl, always showing up to class on time, never skipping school, always getting good grades. She wasn't about to let the sight of a cute boy get in the way of that.

She ran down the hallway, thankful that she'd come in for a tour ahead of time so she knew where her classes were. She found the right classroom and dropped into an empty seat just as the bell rang.

The girl in the desk in front of hers turned, giving Meg a big smile.

"Hi! I'm Chelsea! You must be new!"

Chelsea was cute, in a girlish way. She had big, sparkling blue eyes that took up most of her round face, and her hair was tied up in two space buns, a few loose pieces hanging out where they were too short to stay secured. She was on the petite side, with a head that seemed too large for her body, but she made up for it with her exuberance.

Meg looked up in surprise, still catching her breath from her morning run. She hadn't expected to be noticed, let alone for someone to make a point to say hello.

"Hi, I'm new. I mean, I'm Meg, and yes, I am new."

Chelsea grinned broadly. "Well, Meg, it's nice to meet you! Where are you from? Did you just move here? Do you know anyone yet?"