Where We Began

prologue

It all started in 9th grade. Ms. Sullivan's civics class to be specific. It was probably a Wednesday because they love to torture us by starting the school year in the middle of the week. Fifth period after lunch I walked through the threshold and into the room that would introduce me to the one person who would change my life. I didn't notice him at first, not on purpose he just wasn't part of my friend group or so I thought. Wearing some shirt with a design I only had ever seen the stoner kids wear and DC shoes with baggy jeans he sat talking to my friend Zane who was a jock but for some reason they looked familiar like they had done this everyday. I walked over and sat across from Zane who ignored my presence until his friend stopped talking mid sentence.

"Would you look who it is," Zane said with a smirk on his face, "We will be passing this class after!"

"Hey I'm Cole," the new guy said.

Cole. The dark haired guy's name is Cole. I immediately wondered if it was short for something. Colton maybe? He seemed like the kind of guy who did not go by his whole name.

"Hi I'm Brooke," I said sheepishly. Trying not to stare at his green eyes.

"Great," Zane said, breaking my concentration, "Now that you know each other I can get back to what I was saying..."

Zane's conversation with Cole continued on as I tried to remember if I had ever seen him around school before. We live in a small town. There's no way I hadn't met him before if he wasn't new here.

"Are you new here?" I interrupted Zane yet again causing me to catch a glare.

"No I've been here since kindergarten," he smirked, " are you new here?"

Shit. How could I never have bumped into him in the hallway or at least passed him at lunch. My school didn't combine with his until 7th grade but that's still two years we've shared a campus. A small campus at that, there's only about 500 students total in the 7th-12th grade.

"No she's not new she just stuck up," Zane laughs and I swat his arm, "Ouch.'

"I am not stuck up Zane Taylor! I just don't hang out with many people because I'm busy studying unlike you you man whore!' I retort, calling him out in front of his friend.

"You know you could get some too, Brooke," Zane says looking down at my chest, licking his lips and blowing me an air kiss.

"You're a pig Zane," I laugh as he makes a small paper ball and attempts to throw it down my shirt. I swat it out of the air and throw a pencil at him.

Cole sits looking at us with a half smile on his face as Ms. Sullivan stands to finally start class.