Chapter 1

                     Winterfield

       Waking to the heavy beat of my brother’s drums I could have killed him, I swear I would have. My eyes rolled and landed on my alarm clock, I was a morning person... I was usually a morning person, but if you tried to wake me up before 7 o’clock I was not a happy camper.

        "Chris! SHUT UP!" I shouted and pounded on the wall, my room sharing that wall with his. My parents rarely came upstairs so they never heard his music. "Especially not at 6:30 IN THE MORNING!" My voice rose again, throwing the sheets off of me. Hit with a draft of cold air I realized the air had been left on, probably because of Christian. On my way to his room, my bare feet hit icy wood floors with every step and turned off the air. A slow, malicious grin danced it’s way over my lips before I moved quickly. Bursting into his room I seized his drumsticks, before running out and down the stairs.

         "Hey! Bring those back! That’s my last pair!" He takes off flying down the stairs after me.

         "I know!" I laughed, noticing him catching up to me I continued out the front door. Sprinting down the paved road, past a line of houses with a shirtless and pajama pant clad Christian followed, not far behind. When I reached the bridge I quickly pitched the sticks over the edge, watching them land with a splash and be quickly carried down the stream and never to be seen again.

       "NO!" Christian shouted, watching them float away. "Dad won’t give me the car until 4:00 Adin! And you have the car today!" He glared, mumbling as they disappeared in the current.

       "I’ll bring you to get new ones Chris." I replied, eliciting a look of confusion from him. "At noon, when they should be played." I grinned lightly as he began walking back to the house. And ran up behind him jumping on his back. He held me up as if it were a chore, like a piggy back ride.

       "Cheer up bro! I’ll even drive you there!" I smiled pitifully feeling slightly bad for my rash actions... But that was always one of my downfalls, never taking the time to think over what I was about to do before I actually did it.

       "Ha-ha," He rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically. On our right, a sapphire suburban drove about 5 miles an hour beside us the rising sun gleaming along it’s surface. Through the dark tinted windows I could barely see the faces of a family. The father behind the wheel, a mother glancing back into the back seat, speaking about the neighborhood no less, and three faces in the back seat. First, there was a boy, about Christian and my age, and behind him a little girl probably 12, and behind her a boy about 16.

      "Ooo, new neighbors," I said in Christian’s ear as they pulled ahead and turned into the house across from ours.

      "Great..." Christian said in a mono-tone completely contradictory to his real attitude. I glanced back to the family as they filed out of the car, the mother first, and she waved to me. Heh, me still in my pajama pants and a boxing shirt.

      It was chilly from the prospect of rain, and probably would be chillier tomorrow after it rained. That was one thing that made Winterfield unique...The weather, it seemed we were on an island when it came to our weather. The next town could be in a month drought, while we were getting inches of rain every day. Once we, well once Christian walked inside he immediately dropped me, and from the pretty big height different it almost hurt. I lightly smacked him on the upper arm before bounding up the stairs.

       At noon, just as I had figured Chris appeared in our outside training room. I lifted my eyed from the well beaten punching bag my fingers flexing, straining the tape around my hands and wrists. I turned around and turned off the stereo before waiting to see what he would say.

       "Can we go now?" He inquired drumming his fingers on the wooden posts of the wall-less shelter our training equipment was contained under. I boxed and swam, where Christian boxed, swam, played soccer and wrestled, always a step or two ahead of me. I nodded slowly, unraveling the tape and tossing it all in the trash. I really didn’t feel like driving there and driving back home only to return when he was finished at the store. So I figured I would drive him to the store, and head over to Hayden’s after.

      I wiped my face with a towel, and then tossed it on a table. We left the shelter just in time to catch a downpour of rain. I squinted up at the sky, taking it as a sign. I waited until I was completely soaked, which considering how much rain that was pouring down didn’t take long.

      "Adin! Hurry up! Now you have to go change! You are not getting my car wet!"

      "Don’t you mean our car?" I quirked an eyebrow picking up a couple steps and running to my room to change. Trotting down the stairs, finally, Christian sat waiting on the bottom step. His visage displaying nothing but boredom which quickly faded away at the jingle of car keys. Adjusting my navy boxing shirt, and a pair of khaki cargos I bounded out the door before Christian.

       Winterfield... is a town like no other. It’s full of old town charm with the touches of technology everywhere. In a town like Winterfield, everyone knew everyone. If we didn’t know you, you were the talk of the town until everyone did. And you better be on guard about who saw you do what... Because who ever saw you doing something you weren’t supposed to would tell someone else, and so on and so on until it reached your parents. I pulled into the parking spots along the sidewalk waiting for Chris to exit the car so  I could be on my way.

      "Hey Chris, can you do me a favor and get a ride home?"

      "Probably, why? You going over to Hayden’s?" He lifted the corners of his mouth in a small smirk. I nodded softly in reply, Chris knew me and Hayden were just friends, and we always have been since we first met each other about 10 years ago.

      "Call me if you can’t get a ride though." My voice rose over the heavy pounding of the rain. With a deferring wave from my brother as he walked away I sped off towards Hayden’s. His house was on the other side of town, but with in a town like Winterfield. It was not great length to reach his home from my own.

      Slowly I pulled down the driveway towards a ranch style home. One of the most beautiful I thought I’ve ever seen in any magazine. But that’s how Hayden’s family was, everything was the best of the best. His parents were both wealthy without even working, but they were successful stock brokers. Not that they needed the money, but they used what they earned to pay for their home, and their ranch. They had something close to 20 horses, some race horses, others just to have. They of course had many people working in the stables to keep the horses maintained. This made me over the top jealous! I love horses, but dad would never allow me to get a horse. He says they are to much responsibility and we don’t have the land for it. And it’s not exactly like we are to poor to own a horse... But we don’t have the money that much money to spare. Mom runs her own restaurant, which does quite well, and dad is one of the town doctors.

      I parked the car and trotted to the door my knuckles playing on the wood rhythmically. A familiar face smiled brightly upon opening the door. Mrs. McCain, Hayden’s mother was a part time stock broker so someone would be home with Hayden sometimes. She took a step back with a welcome into the warm home, the rain taking a break which would surely not last.

      "He’s in his room," She nodded to the stairs. I smelled the beginnings of dinner sizzling, seasonings and smells filling the air. It was making my stomach growl, even though I knew I wasn’t hungry. I climbed the steps entering the large top floor that Hayden shared with his little sister. The hall was the only thing that divided the massive rooms. Again my fingers danced over the wood and I received another response.

      "Come in!" A deep voice shouted from inside, and I did. I found Hayden walking into his main room from the bathroom, adjusting the hem of an old track shirt after pulling it over his head. Golden locks slicked and wet, plastered to his head. He rubbed his hair through it quickly a couple times, half trying to dry it, half trying to style it. "Bout time you got here," He stuck his tongue out at me and pinching at my stomach with a laugh.

       "Had to drop off Chris," I returned the gesture before walking towards his large selection of movies.

       "So what will be her selection today?" Hayden questioned walking towards the TV nonchalantly. He sported a pair of slightly baggy jeans and a well worn-in soft navy athletics shirt. He sprawled himself on a the floor on his stomach limbs stretching widely taking up as much room as possible.

       I picked up three movies pushing one in and not allowing him to see what it was. Turning around I placed one foot on the center of his back as to not hurt him and stepped over him, eliciting a grunt of pain. I crawled down to the floor next to him, and he flipped on his back facing the wall, head turned to view the tv. I smirked lightly and laid down, my head using his stomach as a pillow.

       "If I didn’t know any better.. I’d say you just some over here for the movies and to use me as a pillow." he said in a tone where for once I wasn’t sure if he was joking or serious. I quickly spun around to face him my jaw dropping in disbelief.

       He had to be kidding... This from the guy whom switched all the mail around in the teachers mail boxes, and when he got caught...I took the blame. Who rolled the school with me and when he was accused I turned myself in as well!? I had thrown him a surprise birthday party! And I liked him...I’ve liked him so long you could say I love him. But I know he doesn’t feel the same and there is no use in destroying one of my best friendships. We had been through everything, well... just about everything.

      "You’re kidding, right?" I questioned.

        "No, I’m totally serious..." He replied straight-faced. I watched him for a moment before he began grinning uncontrollably.

       "I knew it! You’re such a liar!" I laughed and began tickling him unmercifully.

        "Ahh, stop it! I’m not a liar!" He squirmed trying to escape before retaliating and jumping at me.

        "No! No, no, no!" I jumped as he stalked towards me, but that didn’t stop him. He dove at my sides tickling and dragging me back towards him by my feet. "Ah...hahaha... no!" I continued to try and crawl away before I began to plead. I turned to him giving my best puppy dog eyes between him trying to drag me back. He rolled his eyes and I chuckled a little more knowing it was the one thing he couldn’t say ‘no’ to. I stuck my tongue out, grinning before I settled back down resting my head on his stomach to watch to movie. We both slowly drifted off into sleep, comforted by the warmth of the room and the comfort each found in the other.

*                                                                       *                                                                         *

       I watched her quietly, her breathing slowing, her eyelids drifting and snapping open again as she fought sleep. Her eyes finally fell shut and didn’t open again. I glanced to the movie upon the screen, heh, her favorite scene. The Majestic when Jim Carey kissed the blonde to make her stop hiccuping. I chuckled lightly my hand trailing down her arm to her limp hand. I lightly brushed my fingertips across her palm and over her fingertips. I quickly pulled my hand away as if I had been burned and placed it across my rib-cage before drifting off to sleep as well.

*                                                                *                                                                   *

       I was pulled into consciousness by the vibrating of my cell phone in my jacket pocket. I sat up slowly as to not awaken Hayden.

       "Hello?" I whispered to the caller.

        "Hey, Adin... Mom wants you home, it’s dinner time."

        "Already? Ok I’m on my way." I yawned, glancing at the clock, surprised to see it was 7:00 already. I grabbed my shoes, gently brushed my lips across Hayden’s cheek so not to wake him and dashed out the door.

         "Pass the mashed potatoes please..." Chris asked holding out his hand for the bowl. We had just sat down to eat and he was already shoveling seconds into his mouth, but I complied passing him the bowl of potatoes. He sure couldn’t cook...but that boy could eat!

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Consciousness beckoned to me with the ring of my cell phone, and a noisy dance across the table with it’s vibrating. I snatched it up from it’s current position before it would tumble from the table and the battery most likely pop off.

"H-hello?" I inquired with a yawn and a stretch.

"Hey Adin, it’s me Airic." My friend announced.

"Hey, what’s up?"

"Usual, but everyone’s going to the movies at four. I was just calling to tell you and Christian.

"Yeah, I’ll be there," I replied before hanging up. I dragged my lazy butt out of bed and over to Christian’s open door. "Hey Chris," I teased, "Your girlfriend just called.... she invited us to the movies with the gang."

"She’s not my girlfriend!" He growled hurdling a pillow at me. I ducked and bust out laughing and nodded lightly... Only because he was to afraid to ask her out!

"Oh, ok... then I guess you don’t want to know what time she invited us..." I smirked lightly before rolling my eyes at his face. "Four O’clock...you got some time lover boy..." I left to go downstairs seeing who was home. I knew Dad wouldn’t be home... He usually didn’t get home until the afternoon.

The usual clanging and clatter of pots and pans pulled me to the kitchen. Mom, of course, cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Mom, loved to cook... And well, it was her profession, she owned her own restaurant in town, a semi formal restaurant by the name of Jacs. Named after the family, each letter represented a member, Juliet, Adin, Christian, and Stephen. It was fairly popular, and I was allowed to work as a chef there every now and then when people wouldn’t show up or they were sick, and every Sunday after church. You weren’t really supposed to be a chef there until you were 18, but I got the family admittance.

"Oh, Adin... There you are." Mother proclaimed placing steaming pies on a large glass tray and began ‘beautifying’ it. "A new family moved in across the street, will you go and get dressed and take these pies over there? I have to go to the restaurant and open up, and I’m already running late.

"Yeah, sure..." I shrugged with a nod, disappearing upstairs and quickly returning wearing black cargo pants and a navy blue and white athletic boxing shirt, my hair up in a ponytail and a pair of tennis shoes.

"Here," she pushed the tray into my hands before I had a chance to object. "And keep your cell phone with you, incase I need to get in touch." I nodded dumbly as she rushed pass me and out the door.

I followed her out the door, through the streets filled with an even bigger prospect of rain since it did not rain last night, and to the door of our new neighbors. Balancing the tray, using much of my waitress experience I rang the doorbell, and a young flimsy girl answerer the door. She couldn’t have been more that 13, with a thin body and elegant stance, one couldn’t mistake her for anything but a ballerina. Soft, straight brownish blonde hair, pale complexion and extraordinarily blue eyes.

"Hello, I’m Adin, is your mom or dad here? I live just across the street and my mom baked some pies for ya’ll as a welcome to the town."

"Oh, that’s so nice! Please, come in! I’m Mrs. McCain, but you can call me Amanda." A youthful mother with matching complexion and body build to her daughter smiled and motioned me to step inside. "And this... Is McKenna," she said indicating to her daughter. "Here, let me take this for you." She reached out for the tray, taking it from my hands as I followed her into the kitchen.

"Sorry about the mess, where not fully moved in yet, you know how it is..." She smiled placing the tray down on the kitchen counter. Much of the house was completed to my surprise of how quickly it took them to get moved in. Only one or two rooms had boxes and I had been in neither yet, I could only see them.

"It’s alright..." But, no, I didn’t know how it was. I have lived in Winterfield all my life, and never left the house they brought me home too from the hospital.

"Let me take that for you!" She exclaimed suddenly remembering and reaching for the trays, and placing them atop the counter. "Wow, these are beautiful, and they are fresh!" She smiled breathing in deeply smelling the baked apples slathered in cinnamon, and the meringue melting atop steaming lemon.

"Yeah, my mom’s a chef, she owns Jacs, maybe you saw it on your way into town."

"Oh, yes! I did," she nodded in thought, "Does she have you working there?" she smiled.

"Oh sundays," I shrugged, "and whenever a chef is sick or something."

"Hey, Mom," The oldest boy entered the kitchen, and I quickly turned to see the boy’s face. He quickly silenced his oncoming question when he saw me and looked to his mother questioningly.

"Cole! This is..." She trailed of searching for my name.

"Adin," I piped up.

"Yes, Adin is our neighbor. She brought us some desserts her mother baked. Adin, this is my oldest sone Cole. And McKenna," she referred to the girl. "And I have another son, Cade." She smiled again, did she always smile!? Her daughter looked exactly like her, except for a pair of green eyes. Cole had his mother’s eyes, brown, and seemingly inviting.

"Hi," he nodded, softly as he passed a basketball from hand to hand.

"Hi," I bit my lip nervously with a nod.

"Maybe Adin can show you around town some time." She smiled, a glint in her pretty brown eyes. He request meant no harm, and left just the air of suggestion.

"Mom-" Cole interrupted, coaxing her to stop, "I mean... I’m sure she’s busy."

"Well, actually... If you’d like a group of my friends are going to the movies today. I don’t have the car today, but Christian, my brother is going to and he can bring us. But it looks like you were planning to play some basket ball, so if you’d rather." I quickly shut up... I had the bad habit of rambling on.

"Yeah, sure.I was just finishing up." His voice was low, and naturally pretty husky.

"Great, well... I’ll come back around? 12?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that’s fine," his lips parted for a toothy smile. He wasn’t extremely handsome, but one couldn’t deny he was pleasing to the eyes.

"Alright, well... I have to get to the restaurant. It was nice meeting you all." I smiled walking towards the door, with the mother following behind closely.

"Thank your mother for me Adin!"

"Sure thing Mrs. McCain," I smiled walking backwards through their front yard, tossing one hand in the air to wave before turning around and heading to my house.

I looked up the large staircase that led to the second floor, projecting my voice loud enough for Christian to hear.

"Hey! CHRIS!"

"W–hat?"

"We got a new rider to the movies today! Our new next door neighbor Cole is coming. I gotta go to the restaurant so pick him up, then me... ok!?"

"Yeah yeah... got it." was the simple reply.I took my bike out of the garage, straping a messenger bag around my neck and under my arm before taking off to the restaurant. It only took me about 5 minutes to get there by bike. Winterfield was indeed a small town, the grocery stores were still run by families, no mall, one theatre that had only five screens. A diner, one doctors office, a drugstore a couple of restaurants, some law offices, and a few abandoned warehouses. And major town was about 30 minutes away. I locked my bike to the bike rack out front and trotted through the back into the kitchen.

"Ah, great Adin. Um, go help Darek make bread and some cakes please." Mother dished out my orders. I nodded and shrugged before making my way into the large modern kitchen. I washed my hands and put on an apron, taking a seat at the granite table, sitting across from a familiar face.

"Hey Adin, here to help?" The handsome face of Darek Nox. Darek has been a chef at Jacs since it opened. He had dark red hair, short and all spiked up, he was fairly muscular, but not by much. Yeah... and happily married at 25.

"Yeah," I smiled, sitting on a stool in front of a piece of dough about of the size of a cinder block. I didn’t speak much while I kneaded at the dough, my thoughts kept wandering whenever I tried to think up a topic to talk about.

"What’s wrong with you?"

"Excuse me?" My eyes quickly shot up to meet his.

"Your easily in here talking my ear off." he chuckled lightly.

"Oh, nothing really, I’m just thinking." I smirked lightly, "A new family moved in next door."

"Cute boy?" He inquired, laughter still evident in his voice.

"Uh!" My eyes widened and I laughed a little to before shrugging my shoulders, "M-aybe!" I stuck my tongue out at him, breaking the tough into puffy rolls and placing them on trays. "So, how’s Amy?" I questioned looking back to his hazel eyes and shapely face before putting a tray into the oven.

"Oh, I didn’t tell you, did I?" He quirked and eyebrow and I shook my head. "I’m gonna be a dad!" His face beamed with excitement.

"Aww! That’s so cool, congratulations!" I gave him a quick hug before returning to the dough. Time passed quickly, as it always did with Darek, and Chris showed up.

Chris, like I had asked picked up Cole, and we all made it to the movies, alive. Riding with Christian was always a near death experience. Cole’s acceptance into the group went pretty smoothly, as if he had always been there. After the less than eventful trip to the movies, we all traveled to Hayden’s house. The whole gang. Airic, Christian, Isabella, Abby, Cole, Matt, Hayden and myself. All of us were greatly different, one was short where the other tall, one pale and another tanned, black hair to blonde, but no one really noticed anymore.

We all ordered pizza, the money picked together with our pocket change, even though we knew Hayden would have paid for it all. The group made our way to the game room once the pizza’s had arrived, piling the boxes on top a table. Abby and Cole were playing pool, while the rest of us watched movies and played cards. The night quickly sailed on while we all ate and laughed, chattering over the now silenced tv but rambling radio.

"I, have finally won, fair and square three games out of four!" Abby giggled tumbling into a chair with victory.

"I’d hardly call that fair and square!" He snapped playfully. "Uh, Hayden, where’s the bathroom?" Cole inquired before being directed.

"Reminds me of that time... When Hayden, and Adin did so many races, and so many spars to see who was better at swimming and boxing!" Matt spoke up, "You both went home with so many bruises! And Hayden the black eye!" He began laughing and so did the rest of us, except Hayden.

"Haha, yeah you had a nice shiner for a couple of days!" I smirked running my hand over his scalp roughly.

"And... who was it do I recall was the winner?" Hayden questioned glancing at me.

"Oh, I could so beat you right now!"

"Yeah right, once second place... always second place." He smirked, eliciting an ‘ohhh,’ from the group.

"No way! I could sooo beat you right now."

"Oh yeah? Bring. It. On." He smirked cockily. I shot up from my chair a mixture of anger and excitement coursing through my veins.

"Five laps..."

"Oh... here they go again," Abby rolled her eyes.

"Butterfly," I continued.

"Freestyle!" Hayden retorted.

"No way!"

"Stroke of choice," he raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," I sighed pushing past Hayden, both of us now on our feet.

"What’s going on?" I heard Cole question in the background while we walked towards the pool.

"Competing, as always..." Abby sighed, pushing up out of her chair and making her way with the rest of the group towards the pool.

"Last time, it was boxing." Airic smirked.

"Boxing? She boxes?" Cole glanced among them.

"Yeah, you didn’t notice her shirt?"

"I thought it was just a shirt..."

"Nope, real thing. Come on, I wanna see this one." Christian said rushing outside in front of everyone.

I pulled my shirt over my head eliciting a double take from everyone until they saw the navy bikini top underneath. I usually didn’t wear bikini’s but, hey what can I say? The main reason I didn’t wear them was because I was extremely self-conscious. But right now, it was all I had. I kept my cargo pants on, glancing to Hayden, and he wore knee-length khaki cargo shorts, I figured it equal dead weight.

"Alright, on three!" Airic bounced with a smirk. I kicked off my shoes and pulled off my socks, Hayden mimicking my actions. I stood at the end of the pool, adjusting my pony tail and we dove off on three. Leaving a splash in our wake we soared down the pool. Water crawling over my body. All muscles flexed, twitching in use as the clear blue enveloped them in warmth. One lap and a turn, the second, third, fourth and finally the fifth. Two hands slapped down upon the brick border, my hands stinging upon contact. Shooting out of the water I gasped, eyes snapping open quick enough to catch Hayden’s hand slap down. His eyes blinked open, both of us gasping for air after having pushed ourselves to the limit to beat the other. He knew before he asked that he had lost and he snapped his head, flicking the water out of his hair angrily.

I bit my lip, it was almost not worth winning sometimes. Everything has consequences, even winning.

"Alright Adin!" Christian laughed giving me a high-five.

"Nice race Hay-" I tried to cheer him up a bit messing up his slicked down hair. He rolled his eyes, and stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth lolling like a dog.

"You won, fair and square..." He shrugged, his arms opening a little. I leaned forward and hugged him quickly before we both climbed out of the pool still breathing heavily.

"Mmm... looks like I’m gonna need some clothes."My pants clung to my legs and I raised an eyebrow to Hayden.

I glanced to around the group, then from Cole to Hayden. They were so different, polar opposites. Cole had black hair, where Hayden’s was dirty blonde. Cole had a couple of pounds on top of muscle, where Hayden was mostly muscle. I pulled the pony tail out of my hair, wet strands curling around my cheeks.

"So, what did you think of the group?" I questioned Cole as I drove him home. Christian had gone with Airic and Abby to drop of Matt and Isabella, then meet back at my house.

"Abby... is... interesting." He chuckled at her wild ever changing mood. "Airic is pretty cool, but I didn’t really get to talk to Isabella or Matt much. You and Hayden seem pretty close..." He finished in a questioning tone.

"Yeah, we’ve been friends... since he moved here? Hehe," I laughed lightly. I pulled up in front of his house and he climbed out, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey... Adin..." He turned around to the open window.

"Yeah?"

"Well I was wondering if you wanted to do something...with me Tomorrow?"

"Sure...Wait, what’s tomorrow?"

"Sunday."

"Well... I have to work, after church, but I get off at... 6?"

"That’s cool, so... 7?" He raised his eyebrows seemingly surprised by something.

"Yeah, 7 is fine."

"Cool, I’ll see you then." He nodded before jogging back to his house.