Teen-Adulthood 101

Chapter One

"Beep, beep, beep!" rang my alarm clock at 6:15. Usually, I'd be annoyed by the blaring noise, but today is completely different because it is my first day of high school. So, I immediately jumped out of bed, got dressed, and ran downstairs for breakfast.

When I arrived in the kitchen, my mother was setting breakfast on the table while my sister, Laura had begun eating.

My mother smiled as I sat down. "Good morning, Haley. Ready for high school?"

"Yes, mommy!" I answered. "I was born ready."

Laura just laughed. "So, is Jake driving you to school, Hales?"

"Of course, hon! You want to ride with us?"

Mom shook her head. "I'm taking Laura to school, honey. I have to get her some notebooks!"

Just as I was about to reply, a black Honda Pilot pulled up.

"That's him!" I said, grabbing my stuff. "Bye, mom! Bye, Laura!"

When I entered his car, I noticed Rain Fuller and her boyfriend, Logan Hale in the backseat as we drove away.

"Hey, Rain, Logan!"

"Hey, Haley!" Logan winced. "It's your first day of high school. You excited?"

"Yeah, a little, but I won't be a freshman, remember?"

Rain just laughed. "Neither will I, Hales! We're both starting high school as juniors. I mean, we're practically women!

"Not yet, you're not!" retorted Logan. "But that will change, really soon!"

I just shook my head and sat back.

The driver is my boyfriend, Jake Richardson. He's seventeen and white with shaggy, dark hair and icy blue eyes. Unlike Rain and me, Jake does not attend school. He, along with Logan, received his GED last year and is now working offshore. He makes $2,500 every two weeks and is off for the rest of the month. He and Logan also have a house outside of town with a lot of land and it is awesome. They throw parties once a month and there is no trouble because there are no neighbors living nearby.

The other guy is Logan Hale, Jake's best friend, co-worker, and Rain's boyfriend. He's also seventeen and an auto mechanics expert with short, blonde hair and brown eyes. He wants to open a custom shop in two years and is saving up to do it.

The girl next to him is my best friend, Rain. She's fourteen and a talented artist with long, blonde hair and brown eyes. She's taken art lessons as a kid and won several awards. We've also been best friends since we were four and are now inseparable. She plans to go to Europe and study from the best one day and become famous. I know it will happen for her because her work is amazing.

Then, there's me, Haley Nowell, the only black person in the group. I'm fourteen, a rock music lover, and writer with light skin and waist-length, dark hair. I've written a lot of stories, poems, songs, and played guitar since I was six and fell in love with them all. After high school or sometime before, I plan to publish my work and become an official author.

Anyways, right now, I realized we had just passed the school, so I tapped Jake on the shoulder. "You just passed the school!"

"We know!" Logan smiled. "Be late, today, please? They don't count the first day."

"I'm in!" Rain replied! "Please, Hales? We can spend time with our boyfriends!"

Rolling my eyes, I smiled. "I can't argue with that!"

So, we went to Jake and Logan's and hung out in separate rooms. Jake and I went to his room, while Rain followed Logan to his.

"When are you leaving for work again?" I asked, sitting on his bed.

"Tomorrow afternoon, Hales! You know that!"

"I know that, babe! It just sucks that you have to travel from Louisville to Gulfport to work!"

He put in a Plumb CD and played the song "Cut." Then, he sat next to me. "It sucks for me, too. I don't get to see you as much as I want, but in two years, we'll be in college together and inseparable."

"I totally love that idea."

"And I love you."

Hearing that threw me for a loop and gave me butterflies. However, I managed to make eye contact and whisper. "I love you, too!"

Instantly, Jake pulled me towards him and we kissed slowly and passionately while we moved to the middle of the bed. Then, he began unbuttoning my dress and I froze.

"Are we about to...have sex?"

He just kissed my forehead and smiled. "Only if you want to, Haley."

To my surprise, I responded by taking off his shirt and kissing him intensely.

After two hours of making love twice and taking a shower afterwards, Jake and I went into the kitchen to get some chips and a soda.

"So, Jake?" I grinned shyly. "Was that your first time, as well?"

He handed me a cream soda. "Yes, and may I say for the first time, it was amazing! You were amazing!"

"So were you! I'm glad my first time was with you!"

We kissed again and he whispered in my ear. "I'm glad mine was with you!"

We just started munching on the chips when Rain and Logan came in.

"Hey, you two!" I replied.

Logan stared at me hard. "Change of clothes, damp hair, and you smell like strawberries. Only one solution comes to mind; you and Jake did it!"

"Funny, I can say the same for you and Rain, except she showered and you still stink!"

Jake laughed. "Logan, you really do stink, man!"

"So, what? I'm a man, therefore men stink!"

I just rolled my eyes and turned to Jake. "Sweetie, I hate to cut this short, but Rain and I need to get to school!"

"I know, baby!" He tossed me his car keys. "Don't wreck it!"

I gave him a huge kiss. "Thanks, honey! Come on, Rain!"

We hopped in Jake's car and headed for school.