Freshman

April

Dani's POV

Screw it, I'm done. I'm so done. I walk out of the mall parking lot and kick a trashcan. You think I'm a skank in Lizzy's group? Oh I'll go total skank. Ha! You'll pay for that one Abby! I could ruin you!

Well, that's not true. I don't want to ruin her.In fact, I just sort of want to go home and wrap myself up in blanket. I just want to watch cartoons and lay on the couch. Lizzy's not responsible for this change.Is she?

I take the bus home and put in my earphones as I watch the city pass by me.Who am I? Maybe I could just, go a little crazy. People do change in High school.

I'm looking out the window, when I get a text from Will.

"Hey project partners?" He wants to be partners? With me??? Okay, be cool about this. Will's quarterback, super cute and I think he really likes me. Maybe something will happen. Be cool, be cool.

'Sounds fun, sure" Nice!

__________________________

"We're supposed to be filming!" I tell Will as we tear through the woods, we had to film our video there. It was a french "horror" story, about a boy killed by a psychotic teddy bear. This is what I love about Will, the way we joke around together, and how he's only like that with me. I think I really like him.

"Follow me!" He yells out and I follow him to a hill. There's a fallen tree at the bottom, and it's covered in dry leaves and mud. "This'll be perfect for the murder scene, where I fall of a cliff" He adds and I raise an eyebrow.

"You think?" I ask and he nods. "We'll toss that scarecrow off there, and I'll pretend to be dead on that log." he points to the tree I was looking at before. "Sounds good" I tell him and get out the camera.

He takes the scarecrow he brought out and puts it in his arms, I set up the camera so we'll only see it flying and the shot looks awesome. Will jogs till he's beside me again.

"Well" he says. "Now we need to go and get it"

"I'm not going down there" I tell him and he raises an eyebrow. "How will you get the shot? It doesn't zoom in that far"

I grumble and head down the hill with him, careful not to drop my Dad's camera.

I got a pretty good shot of him laying awkwardly on the log, and was about to head up. It was a bit challenging to try and grab onto the tree, I lost my footing and fell flat on my back.

"Ellie!"he yelled from the top of the hill and carefully climbed down to help me up.

"Are you okay?" he asked and I nodded. "My head hurts" I moaned and he handed me his arm.I took it, and grabbed a seat on the log.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asks and I nod again. "Good" he says and his face twists into a grin, and he starts to laugh.

"Hey!" I protest. "It's not that funny!" I hit him with my hat.

"I'm sorry" he laughs "It's just you've got mud all over your backside"

I hit him with the hat again, and he almost falls off the log.

"I don't like it when people laugh at me" I mutter and he looks at me with wide eyes."I'm sorry, I didn't meant too hurt your feelings"

"No you didn't, it's a long story is all" I tell him and wipe away a tear that's sliding down my cheek. The fall really hurt.

"I've got time" He says and wipes away another tear. "Tell me"

That is how I ended up telling Will Hansen my life story, top to bottom. I never told anyone about what Rachel did to me, and when I told him he looked so angry.

"I didn't know" he said and I shrugged. "Doesn't matter, it's over now.Sometimes she re-appears in my nightmares, but I just ignore it"

He does something completely un-expected and reaches over to hug me. I suddenly feel very, warm.

"I've done enough talking" I tell him."What's your story?"

"You don't want to know" he says and looks away. "Sure I do, I won't tell" He sighs and fiddles with my hat, which somehow ended up in his hands.

"Well when I was younger, I watched my brother drown at our cottage, I didn't understand what was happening. I yelled for my parents...and I couldn't get to him in time. I was four years old" Will chokes. "I didn't think that...I just... we weren't supposed to be swimming without my parents but it was so hot outside..." Will says and I can see the tears forming in his eyes.

"Will, I" I start but he cuts me off. "It's fine, I got over it and all but I sometimes still get nightmares. I could've done something, and he'd be alive"

"Will there was nothing you could've done. You were four, you had no clue. Don't feel guilty"

"You think?" he asks as if no one's ever told him that before.

"I know" I answered. "Tragedy sucks." I tell him and put my head on his shoulder.

"You know Ellie, I didn't think someone like you would ever hang out with me"

"Why?" I asked him and he shrugged."I don't know, you're so nice. Too nice for Lizzy anyway.And you're cool, and you're the only one I told my secret too. I'm surprised you want to be near me" I'm a little taken back by his words, he really feels that way?

"Will" I whisper and look into his sad eyes. "You're amazing"

Then suddenly, I feel something start to boil up inside me. Something causing me to lean a little closer, and he's doing the same. I feel my eyes shut, and my lips press up against his. He puts a little more movement into it, and I feel him pull closer to me.

Oh my god, this is my first kiss.

When I let go first, he looks into my eyes.

"Are we dating now?" he asks and I look at him, wide eyed. "I think so"