Chapter One

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Hello! So I've been working on this story outline for about a year and a half now but never uploaded because I had nothing concrete written. Now that I've started, I'm hoping I can keep in the groove and keep going. This is different than most of the books I have on here (basically, no guns or spies) but I'm very excited to write it and I hope you all will enjoy it. Please shoot me a comment and tell me what you think of this first chapter.

Gracias! <3 Monica

Chapter One

“Is this – your definition – of an – easy run?” I gasped, stumbling to a halt at my driveway and clutching my sides.

Mallory, who had reached the end a second before me, smirked as she wiped sweat away from her face and threw her brown ponytail over her shoulder. She wasn’t breathing anywhere near as hard as I was, though both our faces glistened with sweat in the early morning sun. I felt like I’d stepped into a pool of boiling water.

“I better not hear any more talk from you about how soccer players run just as much as cross-country runners, Danny Cooper,” she said with satisfaction.

“I’m just out of shape,” I protested, placing my hands behind my head. “Besides, soccer is more of sprinting back and forth, not this ridiculous six mile thing.”

“You’re going to die at your practice this afternoon.”

I nodded ruefully, running my fingers through my sweaty hair. “Yeah, I am. Maybe you should come do our drills with us, Mal, so you can see how we run.”

Mallory snorted as she stretched out her calves. “Please, like I want to be around all you sweaty soccer guys. Look at you now – you’re practically soaked.”

“You know you love me,” I teased, lifting up my arms to hug her and laughing as she scrammed a good four feet away. “You don’t like too gorgeous yourself right now, you know.”

“Somehow, I think I’m okay with that,” said Mal as she picked up the water bottle we’d left at the end of the driveway. “Unlike ninety percent of the girls in our grade, I’m not trying to impress you. I’ve got this memory of you in diapers that doesn’t seem to leave.”

I grinned, snatching the water from her hands before she could drink. “Yeah, that tends to get in the way,” I agreed, dancing away from her as she tried to take the bottle back. “But you know every girl is dying to go out with me. I’m just so cool.”

“Oh yeah, Mr. Ego?” Mal tipped the end of the bottle as I drank, splashing water all over my face. “Tell that to Kasey Andrews.”

Sputtering, I mopped my face off with my sleeve. “She’s just playing hard to get,” I said confidently, spiking up my hair. “Ten bucks says she’ll be going out with me by homecoming.”

“You are too much, Daniel Cooper,” said Mal, shaking her head as she took the water bottle from me. She tipped the remainder into her mouth and started walking back down the sidewalk to her house, which was right next door to mine.

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