Out of His League: Book Two (18+)

Chapter One

Scarlett

Can you imagine growing up with your best friends since the day you came into the world? Living next to each other, having sleepovers and campouts, water balloon fights on the street, movie nights at everyone's house every week, and just being one giant family? That's been my life for the last eighteen years. My brother and I have grown up with Phoenix, Jackson, Luke, and the twins since forever. We were all built-in best friends. It was the dream life. Well, all except for one thing.

That "thing" being Phoenix Zeller. The guys in our group have always been like added sons to my mom and dad, but him? He might be more of a favorite to them than my actual brother. Ryder and Nix have been inseparable at the hip, doing everything together, and when I came along, I was deemed the little sis for both of them. Now, that wouldn't be a problem except for the fact that the guy I've been in love with for as long as I can remember saw me as a little sister. Every girl's dream, right? Wrong.

I remember the day I started crushing on him like it was yesterday. There I was, minding my own toddler business in the sandbox at the park, when a boy kept snatching every toy I had in my hands from me. Of course, sensitive me cried those big crocodile tears, but who came to my rescue? Phoenix. He got so mad at the snotty kid and even more so when he threw sand in our direction. So, with his compulsive decisions, Nix decided to dump sand down the boy's pants before taking my hand, dragging me away from behind him towards our parents. None of them were pleased or amused with how he chose to deal with the kid. Mind you, I was four, and he was six, but looking back on it, it was kind of badass of him. We ended up booking it out of the park so fast, and to this day, we have never been back. It didn't matter to me though because that day, as we held hands to run away from one of his many not so smart choices he would make in life, was the day that began the first crush I ever had on anyone.

Now that same little girl is finally eighteen, officially graduated from high school, and still crushing on the same boy. It's always been Phoenix. Even when I dated other guys, he always held a special place in my heart. There was no one else like him in my eyes, and even if he never sees me for more than the goofy little kid he grew up with, I'll always be lucky to have him in my life.

~~~

It was the first full week of summer, and tonight my parents were throwing me a little graduation party with some of our closest friends and family at our house.

Jackson, Luke, Mia, Lily, and I were all out in the backyard talking while lounging around in our gazebo lit up only by the white dangly lights that fell from the sides. I was on the patio sofa with my legs across Jackson's lap, and Luke was on the other side of him. Mia and Lily were across from us, sitting comfortably in their own chairs. The twins had just come back from college in California only a few days earlier.

"It's so weird thinking that you won't be walking the halls of hell hole high with us next year," Jackson said, looking at me with a subtle disappointment in his eyes.