THOSE GOOD TEEN YEARS (Book 1)

Chapter Three: The Beginnings Of Crushes

James Hoffman Middle School.

It was a pretty red brick building. It was huge, with wide green grounds, just like all the schools here. The three schools were adjoining to each other. They were the Junior, Middle and High schools, all named after James Hoffman.

When Sienna reached there, she immediately began looking for Luke. Heart fluttered inwardly whenever she thought about Luke Striker. She had crush on him since seventh grade. She finally saw him, running out of the soccer field with Peter in tow. Sienna thought it was weird that a school would have soccer coaching camps even in summer, but both Luke and Peter were in the school team.

Luke had honey blonde hair that was short cropped, in spikes, and had ice blue eyes that always managed to captivate her. He was cute to the point of heartache. Hot, even. He smiled at her when he came near.

"Hey, Si. What's up? Looking cute."

Sienna blushed. Damn, why did he have to smile that way at her?

"Nothing much, Luke. All good. How was practice?"

"Pain in the ass, man." This statement was said by Peter.

Peter Norman was in a whole class by himself. He was very, very different from Luke, but he was still drool worthy hot. That's what Sienna thought of him since seventh grade, when he suddenly shot up in height. She still thought Luke was amazing, but she could still see why almost all the girls had a huge crush on Peter. He had straight black hair that was kind of long- as in, flopping over the eyes. He had intense sea green eyes, and his smile made girls scream. He was usually cheerful and outgoing. He got along well with Ali, and he was Emma's best friend since third grade.

She thought 'usually', because lately, Peter had been really silent. Something had happened to him since her Fourth of July party at her house, and he was a lot shy now. That was just WRONG. He was supposed to be the friendliest, the one who kept everyone in high spirits. He was the one who had essentially brought the group together in fourth grade.

Sienna thought she knew why he was behaving the way he was. It sounded silly (well, not to her). She thought that...well, that he had a crush on Emma. She hadn't shared this relevation with anyone, but she really believed in it...and she wanted it to be true. She thought that the both of them made the cutest couple. Both were also kind of tall, and good-looking. Then she noticed Ali also watching him. Hmmm. Maybe she shared her feelings on this.

Suddenly, an annoying girly voice that Sienna (unfortunately) knew extremely well shrieked.

"Luke, baby! Missed you like hell, honey! Don't you look hot in your soccer uniform. And Peter! My, you've grown so freaking tall, I think I can't keep up anymore!"

Sienna gritted her teeth. It was her rival queen bee, Kelly Riker, whom she had known since fourth grade. And, by god, she hated her. She was the poster child for dumb blondes. Kelly also returned the favour, ever since Sienna refused to be a 'mean girl's' group in the beginning. Kelly also had an annoying habit of flirting with BOTH Luke and Peter, the jocks of the school. She was your typical mean blonde, with straight blonde hair and ice blue eyes-kind of like Luke, except the length of the hair. She wasn't tall however. She was kind of average. Sienna took pleasure in towering over her now.

"What the hell are YOU doing here, Riker? Don't you have some guy to make out with?"

Kelly stopped smiling and glared at Sienna. Then she said in the nastiest way possible, "I came to simply INVITE Luke and Peter to eat with me at Binge on Saturday. And a party afterwards. To which YOU most definitely are NOT invited. So shut up and let me give these boys something that you can never dream of."

Sienna's mouth dropped open, and then she closed as the real meaning sunk in. The skank. Dirty little bugger. Kelly smirked. Then she turned towards Peter.

"So, how about that? Will you come?"

"Nah, I think I'll pass." Peter coughed, trying to hide a smile.

That made Sienna smile, how Peter clearly didn't think much about Kelly. Kelly pouted those fake lips of hers but knew better than to argue with him. So she turned to Luke, who was still smiling goofily. 

"What about you? Will you come?"

Luke smiled and nodded. A feeling of disbelief and despair grabbed at Sienna. How could Luke do this to her? Didn't he know that Kelly was one of his best friends' sworn enemy? Didn't he know what she felt for him? No, of course he didn't. Because stupid boys are clueless that way.

Ali and Emma shook their heads and just went away, while Peter (avoiding Emma: what was up with that?) And Lincoln went to their class. However, Sienna waited. Finally, Luke noticed that she hadn't left.

"What?" He asked. The jerk. How could boys be so BLIND?

"What was all that about? You're seriously going to that shit party of hers?"

"Awww, C'mon, Si, its not like that. Its cool. She just invited me over as a friend, and seriously, she's cute. No one can-"

"What did you just say? Did YOU call KELLY RIKER cute??? Are you out of your freaking mind??? She's my nemesis, Luke. Consider that. How would I feel if my best friend is going to a slut's party? Or even talking to her at all? Aren't you betraying my friendship?"

Luke narrowed his eyes. He looked mad.

"First of all, she isn't a slut. Second, she IS cute, and no one can deny that. Third, I'm not going as Sienna Scott's FRIEND. I'm going there as Luke Striker. The jock. OK? So you don't have any business freaking out on me. Its not like I committed some crime, and-hey! Where are you going?"

"I'm going before I do something stupid, like say, punch you or hit you where you breathe. I just have one final question for you. Are you even my friend?"

And with that, Sienna turned around and left. Stupid crushes. They complicated everything. That Kelly Riker was SO going to pay. Bitch#1 was NOT going to steal her sometime would-be-boyfriend from her. No way in hell.