All I Never Wanted

Prologue and Chapter 1

"Let's play cowboys and Indians!" Luke announced.

"Yeah!" Annie readily agreed.

Both eight year olds ran for the toy chest under the big bay window of the den.  Annie's long brown hair fell out of her ponytail but she didn't seem to notice.  She had always been a tom-boy, preferring boys over girls as friends.

"Here, you be the Indian." Luke instructed, shoving a feather headband at Annie.

"Luke Dukes that's not fair!" she cried, her green eyes flashing.  "I'm always the Indian."

Luke looked back at her, his brown eyes confused.  "So?  You're the girl.  I'm the boy so I have to be the cowboy."

Annie's hands flew to her hips and she stomped her foot.  "Says who?  I can be a cowgirl.  I want a chance to wear the hat and guns!"

Back and forth they argued until Luke finally conceded, letting Annie be the cowgirl.  He just hoped his older brother didn't find out or he'd never live it down.

"The things we do for girls." he muttered, pulling the feather head band over his mussed head of curls.

CHAPTER 1

"I don't know why they make us do this." Annie Adams grumbled, staring out the passenger window.

"Because you're Greek." Brent Jenkins offered, smiling innocently.

Annie snorted.  "It's an Honors Fraternity.  It has Greek letters.  That doesn't make me Greek."

"Oh, come on." Jen Reynolds piped up from the back seat, "It'll be fun.  Not everyone who's Greek is shallow and stuck-up."

Annie snorted again.  "Just most of them."

Brent laughed.

"Oh Annie, stop.  You're being a grump." Jen admonished.

The trio were on their way to the Lime Valley High School to kick off the Senior Greek Project.  Jen and Annie had both been inducted into the Honors Fraternity of the local college at the end of their Junior year.  And technically, Sigma Iota Epsilon was Greek, but it wasn't the same Greek as the rest of the campus.

Brent, who was Annie's semi-serious boyfriend and fellow swim team member, was their ride.

"What is it you guys are doing again?" he asked, cruising easily through Saturday morning traffic.

"We're working with the underprivileged teens at LVHS, helping them get involved in extra-curriculars and stuff.  Help keep them off drugs and off the streets." Jen explained.

Brent glanced over at Annie, eyebrows up.  "What's so bad about that?"

"Nothing.  What's bad is that I have to do it with a bunch of people who have egos the size of Mount Rushmore.  Eighty-five percent of them couldn't care less about helping these kids."

Brent glanced in the rearview mirror.  Jen gave him a small shrug as if to say, "She's right."

"Well, ladies, here we are." he announced, pulling into the parking lot at the High School.  "Try to make the best of it Annie.  I'll see you guys in a couple of hours."

Annie accepted his kiss on her cheek and then followed Jen towards the entrance.  She cringed when they stepped into the gymnasium.  It was just as she feared.  The place was full of jocks and players and girls with so much frost on their hair she could make a cake.

At times Annie really wished she wasn't in the honors fraternity.  Not that she felt inferior, she just felt out of place.  She had never totally outgrown her tomboy years, though she definitely knew how to work a skirt and heels.  Just not to the same extent as these girls.