A Path to Remember

CHAPTER 1: LIZZY

7 months ago today, I walked out of my house like it was a normal rainy day. Another day of school, another day of boring, another day of pretending to care. I walked through those double doors with rain dripping down my back, and a chill from my stringy wet hair. Next thing I know my so called 'best friend,' Mayson, is bombarding me with her cheery, annoying voice and the latest gossip traveling through the school.

"Did you hear!?!" she practically shrieks.

"Hear what May?" I reply with little care.

"Josh and Meagan broke up! He cheated on her at Matt Gilbert's party last night. Meagan found out and dumped his sorry ass faster than he could beg for forgiveness." Her positivity is really getting on my nerves now. But as much as she annoys me, I know she means well... Really I just don't have any interest in the drama. May and I have been best friends since 7th grade, but most the time I don't really see her as my best friend. I love her and will always be here for her, but she's not exactly the easiest person to confide in, so I usually just let her do the talking.

"That's cool May, how'd you find out?" I ask, pretending to care.

"Well, Reilly told me, who heard it from Meagan's best friend Jaci" She exclaims, way too hyper at 8 in the morning.

"Reliable sources I see" I say, looking around the hallway for something more interesting to talk about, and find it pretty soon after I bump into something tall and muscular as Mayson keeps walking to her first block like we never spoke.

I apologize as I lean down to pick up my bag and books, only to look up into the brightest green eyes I've ever seen before.

"I-I-I, um..." I stuttered "I'm sorry" I finally croak out.

Laughing and flashing me a smile of perfectly white teeth he says "Don't worry about it, it was my fault anyway. Still learning my way around."

"First day?" I ask, still at a loss for words.

"Ya, transferred here from Minnesota... Dad's in the military, so we move around alot" he exclaims, "I'm Ashe, and you are?"

"Elizabeth, nice to meet you" I say, taking hold of his extended hand, "My friends call me Lizzy."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Lizzy, mind telling me where I can find Mr. Daybeck's US History class?"

Of course he's transferred into my class, that's just my luck. As much as I love the sappy romance novels and movies where two people bump into each other and have an epic romance... it's not realistic. Stuff like that just doesn't happen to me. Putting a smile back on my face I look at Ashe and say "it's your lucky day, that happens to be my first block. You can walk with me if you want?"

"That sounds great, just let me grab my books from the office"

With a small smile he turns and walks to the front office, handing the administrator a slip of paper with his classes on it, and walking back out with his books seconds later.

"Wanna stop by your locker first?" I ask, hoping he'll say no and just want to go straight to class. He's the most attractive guy I've ever seen at this school and every girl I've passed has noticed it too. I don't care to be the center of attention, and right now every girl's eyes are on me.

"That would be great! School might as well be another version of weightlifting with all the crap they make us lug around."

I give a shy giggle and escort him to his locker, which funny enough happens to be a bottom one and he's about 6 feet too tall for it.

"So how long you been goin' to school here?" he asks.

"My entire life... Born and raised in North Carolina." I say leaning against the locker and staring off into space. He peers around his open locker to look at me and says " What you don't like it here?"

"It's not that I don't like it. In fact I've loved it! But I wanna travel, go see what's beyond these walls, this state, and this country."

"Aaaahhhh, you want to travel. Well take it from someone who has moved more times than he can count... sometimes, it sucks. No place to call a permanent home, and constantly making new friends."

I blush at his reply and nod with understanding. Two different people, from two different worlds. I've never considered the other side of it, but sometimes looking forward to getting out of this state is all that keeps me going.

We walk the rest of the way to first period in silence. I walk straight to my usual seat of every class in the front corner, while Ashe stops to talk to introduce himself to Mr. Daybeck. I open my notebook and begin to doodle in the margins of my notes when I feel a shift behind me. I peek over my shoulder to see Ashe claim the seat behind me. He catches my eye and gives me another blinding smile.