Intended

Chapter 1

The air was crisp and cool that morning, it stung my face and made my eyes water. I suddenly regretted wearing a skirt instead of jeans. But it was too late, as, at the top of the hill, Jess was already honking her car horn for me to hurry up.

I picked up my pace and sped walk over to her car. It was a second hand punch buggy with an awful mustard yellow paint job that was chipping at the edges. Jess smiles at me from behind the wheel and unlocks the doors.

As I climb into the passenger seat and toss my backpack into the backseat, my nostrils are assaulted by the smell of cigarette smoke - Jess was back with Kyle. I sigh and give her a look as I buckle myself in.

"What?" She asks and gives me that smile that I know too well.

"Really? Kyle?" I say and give her the most stern look I can muster.

"Hannah-" she starts, but I quickly interrupt her.

"You broke up with Charlie two days ago!"

"So?" She says, a mischievous glimmer in her bright green eyes. Jess was every guy's dream, she was stunning. Long blonde hair and long athletic legs, it was like she was Aphrodite in the flesh.

"So, you shouldn't be gallivanting around with some guy who, I remind you, cheated on you!" I scorn her, but her happy demeanor is no less bright.

"Hannah, you're overreacting!" She says and I roll my eyes, "I just gave him a ride home from practice last night!"

"Sure, and next week you'll be making out with him in the hallway!" I say.

"Calm down, Hannah!" She says.

"If he hurts you, Jessica!" I say, threatening violence against him.

"I know, I know," she says and grins again, "That's why you're my best friend."  And with that, she starts the ugly, mustard colored car and we roll out of her driveway towards Kent County High.

• • •

Jess and I were just barely inside when we were attacked by our other friend Maggie. Her eyes were gleaming with excitement. She's not the only one who's excited though, the entire school seems to be buzzing with excitement.

Kent County is a small town in southern Michigan, barely two-thousand residents and only one high school, KCH. We had no more than five-hundred students, so everyone knew each other and gossip spread quick.

"There's a new student, he's so hot," she says quickly, practically gasping for breath. She takes out her inhaler and takes a breath from it before her breathing starts to calm.

"Are you ok?" I ask, noticing out of the corner of my eye as Jess walks past me, apparently in search of this mysterious hot guy.

"He's amazing," She says quickly. I roll my eyes, this was pathetic. The entire school was in uproar because of one attractive guy.

I stand on the tips of my toes to see over the crowd. I see Jess's crown of magnificent blonde hair and quickly chase after her, dragging Maggie along with me. As I walk a hear bits of conversation.

"...some rich kid..."

"...half the cheerleaders..."

"...bet he's a model..."

I catch up to Jess fairly quickly. She's stood still and staring at the back who I can only guess is the boy the school is fawning over. His hair is a platinum blonde and he stands broad and tall. His arm muscles are visible as he's wearing only a pair of shorts and a shirt even though it's winter. They flex as he laughs, talking with a crowd who surround him, completely mesmerized. I find myself staring.

I snap myself out of it and shake my head quickly before I look up at Jess and sigh. She to is staring at the new guy.

"Jess..." I say and take her hand squeezing it gently, "Jessica!" As if he can hear us, the new kid turns and locks eyes with Jessica, the crowd goes silent. I glance between them as his gaze moves over to me and he gives a small smirk. His eyes are like the sea and his sharp angular face is like a cut out from a fashion magazine.

The bell rings suddenly and the students seem to be woken from a trance and quickly rush to class. His eyes break away from mine and I suddenly feel like I've just run a marathon, my heart is pounding.

Jess gives him what looks like a glare before squeezing my hand and pulling me along to our first period.