How Many Times I Fell In Love

Chapter One

There was always something about this house. Maybe it was the golden wallpaper or the way the laminate floors creaked in the corners. Maybe it was the memories.

I collect what's left of my room and take one final look. The walls that used to be covered in pictures of famous athletes and pictures of my, now old, friends and I are bare. It all feels so surreal; I grew up in this house. I grew up in this stupid little town that I hated for a really long time. Why did it have to suddenly grow on me once we were leaving?

"Mady! Are you ready to go yet?" My older brother, Derrick, yells. He seems to be excited about moving. Which is completely understandable, since he's leaving for college in two months anyway. I still have to finish my last year of high school. At a new school.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" I yell back to him. I pick up the last thing left on my shelf; one of my soccer trophies. 'Best Captain', reads the engraving. I rub my finger over it and my eyes start to sting, threatening tears. I was the captain of the soccer team for 2 years here in Westfield. Soccer was, and still is, my everything. I made so many friends through sports and I was always the best player. I hug the trophy to my chest and put it inside the box. My phone vibrates and my heart drops. Is it another one of those messages? I slowly pull my phone out of my pocket and see that it's just a picture from Abbey. A picture of all of us- me and the whole soccer team.

'Gonna miss you girl!' she wrote.

I smile and type back a response. Abbey Watson is my best friend in the whole world. We've been inseparable since we were little. Our mom's are good friends, too. I scoop up the last box and head downstairs, where my mom is waiting very anxiously.

"Madelyne, what took you so long?" she questions. I hate it when she uses my whole name. I shrug and put the box I'm carrying with the others.

"Just trying to make sure I've memorized all the details," I reply. She pulls me in for a hug and we stay like that for a few moments.

"Mady," she starts, pulling away from me and holding on to my shoulders. "I know this isn't the best time to be doing this, with soccer and all. But don't worry, you'll be part of the team in Buchard."

"It's fine Mom, really, I'm over it." She tucks a stray lock of my brown hair behind my ear and smiles at me.

"Then let's get going, shall we?"

~~~~~

I am not ready for this, I think to myself as I stand in front of Buchard High School. I look around at my fellow classmates. There are some girls wearing Prada everything, crowded around their shiny Mustang. Most of them seem too stuck up for my taste, but who knows? Maybe I'll have one friend by next year.

With my schedule in my hand, I ascend the stairs. I'm about to reach the door when it swings open and misses my face by a mere inch.

"Hey!" I shout. "Watch where you're going!" A pair of brown eyes look back at me, scanning me up and down.

"Nice boots." He says. Then he chuckles to himself and walks down the stairs.

I peer down at my combat boots. Did he mean that as a compliment? I thought they were a nice choice with my skinny jeans and flannel shirt today. I shrug off his comment and walk into the school. Once I finally find my first period, I decide to take a seat near the middle of the room. I don't want people to think I'm a nerd, so I don't want to sit in the front. If I sit in the back, then I'm just a slacker..

"Hey," cuts off my trail of thoughts. I turn to the voice and it's a very gorgeous boy with messy brown hair and blue eyes. He smiles at me.

"Hi." I reply, almost too bluntly.

"I'm Travis." He extends his hand to me and I shake it.

"I'm Madelyne, but everyone just calls me Mady."

"Well Mady, I take it you're new here." He looks at my schedule on my desk and smiles again.

"What makes you think that?" I ask.

"Because," he says. His face goes blank and his expression becomes serious. "Girls like you don't go to Buchard."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demand. His face softens and he laughs.

"You're wearing combat boots," he teases. "Every other girl here wears Prada." I thought so.

"Why is everyone giving me crap about my boots?"

"Who is?" he asks.

"This guy, he's got like, black hair, brown eyes.." I start.

Then he walks in. The boy with short black hair and brown eyes. He's wearing the same grey v-neck I saw him in this morning, with his leather jacket and.. combat boots! I was so flustered about his comment this morning I didn't even see he was wearing them. He sits in the back of the room, walking past me. I turn to Travis.

"That guy!"

"Who, Nick Collins? Yeah, he plays lacrosse. What does this have to do with your boots..?" Travis says.

I turn around slightly in my seat to get a better look at him, or, Nick. He has somewhat of a scowl on his face, staring at his desk like it has something important to tell him. Some girl next to him with her boobs hanging out of her shirt starts talking to him. I notice a tattoo peeking out of the collar of his shirt, behind his neck. Nick turns his attention back to me, and I quickly turn back around.

I have never seen so many attractive guys in my life. Not one of the Westfield boys were cute. If they were, they were taken. It was either: be a cheerleader and score an attractive boyfriend, or be a soccer player and attract no male attention. At the time, soccer was always first. But now...

~~~

When class finally ends, Travis stops me before I leave.

"Hey, let me see your schedule." I hand it to him and he looks it over. "Cool, we have the same lunch. I'll look for you?" he says. I nod and Nick walks past me. The smell of his cologne whacks me in the nose and my knees almost give out. This is definitely going to be an interesting year.