Twelve Reasons.

Chapter One.

Monday 12th September.

It was raining, it was cold, and it was Autumn. Just a typical Monday. I was walking to work, my headphones blaring music from the ninety's. The rain was hitting my face, but I didn't care, I found it peaceful.

I wasn't due at work for another hour or so but I really wanted to finish this chapter of my favourite book before I started my shift, and there was only one place I wanted to do that, and that was Starbucks. It was my Monday morning routine, I always worked nine to five, maybe six at the latest, anything for the peace and quiet of the library.

As I walked down the street I was watching the rain hit the puddles on the floor, listening and humming along to the music filling my ears, not particularly bothered where I was walking, the pathways were never busy this time in a morning, it was always quiet, even though it was the busy highstreets of Essex.

I take a deep breath and skip up the steps of Starbucks, instantly ending up on my bum, falling back down the steps, hitting my head off the last step. "Ow" I mutter, rubbing my head, looking up.

Brown eyes, curly hair swept back into a bun, a bright orange jumper, topped with grey trackies and orange crocs, you think I would of seen him considering he was brighter than the grey skies. "Shit, are you okay?" He murmurs, walking towards me. "My foot" I groan, trying to stand up, my legs giving way. "Fuck sake" I mutter, running my hands through my wet hair, getting wetter as the rain gets heavier. "Did you even look where you was going" He mutters, crouching down and looking at my foot that was throbbing, what was he a doctor? "Was you?" I retort back, rolling my eyes. "You walked into me" He mutters back, touching my foot. "Ouch" I shout, hitting his arm. "Hey, I know what i'm doing" He scoffs, touching my foot again. I look at him giving him daggers "What exactly are you doing?" I ask, looking up at him. "I'm used to having physiotherapy, it's not broke" He says, standing up, offering his hand out for me to take to steady myself.

I take his hand, he pulls me up, grabbing on to my left arm with his other hand, steadying me.  "Not broke but I would still head to the hospital to be safe, you can walk on a broken bone for a few hours till the adrenaline stops" He whispers, looking at my face, and that's when I realise how brown his eyes are, but they had speckles of gold running through them. "Are you expecting me to walk to a hospital or something?" I smirk at him, seriously who did he think he was? like thank you for sticking around and helping me, but his advice right now wasn't helping me. "I can drive you" He whispers. I shake my head. "It's fine, I want my coffee and I have to go to work, i'll just sit down, I will be fine" I mutter, pushing past him slightly, trying to walk back up the steps, but it isn't long until i'm falling back into the handsome strangers arms. 

"You was saying?" He smirks. I roll my eyes, standing up properly and leaning on the railing for support. "I'll ring my friend, but thank you" I whisper, pulling my phone out of my pocket. "At least let me help you inside, you're soaking wet" He states, grabbing my arm to place around his shoulders, he smelt nice. He wraps his right arm around my waist and pulls me into his side. I literally just take in the smell of him, how tall he was now that I was looking at him, how muscular he looked. Oh snap out of it Emily, you've just met him. "Are you going to walk or just stare at me weirdly?" He chuckles, looking down at me making me blush, I look away, and use the railing to support me whilst I hobble up the steps. "Thanks" I mutter before opening the door and walking in, standing in the queue to be served. I take a quick glance at the door, seeing if he was still stood there, but he wasn't.

I get served and sit down at a table, picking me phone up and ringing Sam, he always offered me lifts to places, and with it being a Monday I didn't think he would be that busy. He picks up after the second ring. "Em, what's up why are you calling me before nine in the morning?" He mutters, I just woke him up then. "Shit, sorry" I whisper. "Erm, can you take me to the hospital?" I ask, stirring my coffee around the cup. "Why whats up?" He asks, sounding more awake now. "I've hurt my foot, i'm at starbucks" I whisper. "Give me ten minutes" He murmurs before hanging up the phone.
I text Anna, the other librarian and say that I wont be able to make it in this morning and explain that I've hurt my foot, she texts back straight away saying to take the whole day off and rest it up ready for my next shift. I smile, she was a lot older than me, older enough to be my mum, but she was like an older best friend, she really cared about me.

I look up and see Sam walk into Starbucks, smiling at me. He had a beanie over his head, a jumper that looked too big for him and his black trackies. "Emmie" He chuckles, hugging me whilst I stay sat down. "Sammy" I chuckle, as he takes a seat opposite me, "What happened then?" He asks, taking a sip of my coffee, which was a brave move, but I loved Sam, he was one of my best friends. "Some idiot knocked me over outside, he checked me over" I say using air quotes when I say 'checked me over'. Sam rolls his eyes. "At least he helped" He murmurs. "He said he didn't think it was broke" I whisper. "It better not be, I have plans for a party Wednesday, there's some college party going on and you owe me a party" He states, his eyebrows wiggling. "Sam, I just I don't want to think about parties right now" I mutter. "No, you cant think of an excuse right now" He chuckles. "Can we just go to the hospital?" I ask, he nods his head, standing up and helping me down the steps into his car that was parked in the car park. "Do you not have anywhere to be today?" I ask, looking up at him as he slips into the drivers seat. "Not really, just a dance thing" He chuckles.

Sam always had a dance thing. He was part of this dancing group, he was a great dancer, he could land a flip clean slate, he didn't even wobble. But outside of dancing Sam was a plumber, but dancing was his hobby, that's what he really lived for. I had been to a few shows they had done in the mall, the group was great, something new, something interesting and I honestly wanted big things for them. "Well, I guess I could always come to your dance thing after the hospital?" I ask, looking over at him whilst he was driving. "I guess you could yeah, plus if you end up on crutches you can stay at mine" He chuckles.

Me and Sam had always been a 'will they or wont they' but we was too close for a relationship, he was like my bigger older brother. I always used to super close with his brother Mitchell, we was best friends the whole way through high school until I transferred schools when my Mum and Dad split up. Me and Mitchell lost contact, we tried to stay in contact, and we did for a few months, but trying to grow up with friends you didn't see all the time anymore didn't work out very well. Then one day I was food shopping for my dad and I bumped into Sam when he was dancing at the mall with the dance group, it was weird that I had recognised him, but we had been inseparable ever since.

After a while at the hospital I was lucky enough for a bad sprain, meaning I would be on crutches for a few days, which meant I was going to move into Sam's for a few days, which meant there was no avoiding the party he was dragging me to on Wednesday. I wasn't a party person, I didn't even drink and Sam knew this, I was a lot more happier sitting reading a book, but Sam was adamant he was getting me out of my shell more, making me experience things people my age did, which meant partys and drinking.

"Ash said there was a new guy coming today, he seen him dancing at some show and said we just needed him" Sam states as he helps me out of the car, i wobble slightly on the crutches, still getting used to them. "But, if you want to go and shove your head in a book i'll open up the back room for you" He smiles. I nod my head smiling back. "Please" I smile, as Sam walks to the studio he trains in, as i hobble a few steps behind.

As i finally make it into the studio, Sam holding the door for me, i look around and see everyone stood around. "Ah Sam, Oh, Hey Emmie" Ash chuckles, waving over at me, i try and wave, but end up nearly falling back over, if it wasn't for Sam still standing near me. "Yeah, this happened" Sam chuckles, as everyone smiles and laughs at me, i roll my eyes. "Just means i have a weapon now" I smirk, shutting them all up. "Sam, this is Pel, Pel this is Sam" Ash smiles at us both, as the curly haired afro boy from this morning walks out of the circle. How did i not spot his bright orange jumper for the second time?

"Starbucks girl?" He chuckles. "Afro?" I mutter.