Nebraskan Boys Will Be the Death of Me

Chapter 1: Froyo

***The first in of school in Omaha, Nebraska is August 13th***

As per tradition, I was dragged to our local froyo shop after the first day of school. Everyone was so happy and excited to be back to our normality of school and frozen yogurt. I sat there, surrounded by friends, bored out of my mind. It's the same thing, over and over. Cassie talks about the new exotic trips she went on this summer. The boys make jokes at the expense of Ollie's dignity but he takes it. Mara and Harley continue to pretend like they're enthused by Cassie's overdramatic summer adventure stories but I give up and survey my surroundings. My froyo's starting to melt because I only ate off the top layer of cookie dough. The shop's practically empty except us. You'd think they'd be busy after school on a weekday but we're pretty much the only ones that come here and have been coming here since freshman year. It's our hang out. Somewhere where we all feel comfortable and are able to relax a bit after school before going home and doing homework. I've dazed off and I guess I didn't realize it because Sam's in my face.

"Auuuudrey, it's only been one day and you're already looking like you get during finals week."

The boys laugh, I crack a smile and Sam throws a gummy bear at me. 

"Okay, let's not start another food fight here," I laugh and toss it back at him. 

Mara senses the oncoming fight and picks up my froyo dish with hers to throw them out. Once she gets to the garbage can across the shop, Nate turns around and pelts her in the back of the head with one of Sam's gummy bears. Mara whips around and glares at our table. "Who threw that?" The boys whistle and look around; Harley and Cassie are laughing.

"You guys are so unbelievably immature. We're seniors this year and you still act like the 14 year old freshmen boys who haven't talked to a girl," Mara huffs and makes her way back to us.

"In our defense, all of us except your brother had girlfriends by 7th grade," said Nate. He rocks his chair back and crosses his hands behind his head. Nate was the too-cool-to-care one of the group. He had Mara wrapped around his finger, or so he thought.

"Hey, don't throw me under the bus!" Ollie whined. He'd always been the baby of our group even though he was older than all of us. He was tall and skinny so trying to get away with being the littest may have worked if it weren't for his height. I happened to be the baby. I had a late birthday and probably should've been put with the class under me but my parents wanted me to start early and so I did. Frankly I'm glad because I don't know what school would've been like without my friends.

It all started in pre-k. I was in the afternoon class with Ollie and Mara. That's when Mara and I became best friends. Kindergarten came and Mara and I met the other quarters of our whole, Cassie and Harley. The four of us haven't been seen without the other three since then. Ollie and his friends Sam and Nate joined us towards the end of elementary school when it started to become acceptable to be friends with girls. Cassie's boyfriend, Graham, is usually seen with us as well since they're never apart.  

"Okay so there's supposed to be a rager this weekend, like a back-to-school type thing. Should we make an appearance?" Cassie said while reapplying her lip gloss. 

"Um, duh?" said Mara.

Harley and I smiled to each other because Cassie already knew the answer to that question. Of course we would make an appearance.

Cassie was the "it" girl and since we were her best friends, I guess you could say we were the "it" clique. Even though it never felt like it because all anybody ever noticed was Cas. I mean, who could blame them? She was star soccer player, junior prom queen, had a killer bod, and was dating a football star from Millard North High School (our rivals). Everybody loved her despite dating the enemy because even he was loved at Westside High School.

A phone started ringing and we all reached for our own but it was Sam who was getting the call.

"Hello?" Sam smiled, and a muffled voice said something.

"What's up, man? How was the first day? Sorry I didn't see you after school, dude, I had plans already."

We couldn't hear what the other person was saying so we all just sat there. Sam didn't really understand the concept of private conversations. 

"That's great, bro. Well listen, there's a party on Friday and you and Johnson have to come. .... Okay, great. Talk to you later, man!"

"Because we all care so much about your business calls, Sam," Harley rolled her eyes.

"You guys love me!" Sam said with his adorably cheeky smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle up. 

We all got up and gave our hugs goodbye. I walked out and got in my car, driving home without Harley even though she was supposed to come and pick up my SAT books because she was retaking it in October.

I just wanted to be alone. Senior year is supposed to be fun and happy and full of memory making opportunities but right now, I just felt like I was living in a bubble and everyone around me was making my bubble smaller and smaller. 

I called Sam on Skype later that night.

"So, babe, can you believe we're seniors?" Sam had always been my friend that was more than a friend, but never officially more than a friend, you know? I loved the kid but I couldn't ruin our friendship. He was a flirt, anyway.

"It's crazy. Freshman year feels like yesterday but also like forever ago, if that makes sense." I sighed. Sam nodded in agreement and smiled at my logic.

"Listen, you know my phone call before?" He stretched, showing off his lower stomach and slight V line. I was always teasing him about how untoned he was compared to Nate.

"Yeah, what about it?" I tried playing it off like I wasn't noticing his bare lower stomach.

He started smiling like he knew who ate the last cookie from the cookie jar. Sam loved being in the know and even more than that, he loved being the only one in the know. 

"Did you notice anything weird at school today? Screaming girls? Crowds of people?"

"Um, no? Why? Did Justin Bieber perform in the cafeteria?"

Sam laughed.

"You wish. Remember my friends Jack Johnson and Jack Gilinsky from Millard North? The ones I grew up with?"

I nodded my head in acknowledgment. "Yeah, yeah. The Jacks, I remember. They're like Vine famous or whatever."

"Well they transferred to Westside this year because of how crazy it's gotten for them. They're gonna be the new studs of the school. I'm kind of upset about it." Sam faked a hurt expression and pouted.

"Aw, my poor basketball star. Nobody could take your stud status from you. You know every girl in our grade has been lined up to date you since 8th grade when you grew into your head," I teased.

Sam gasped and threw his hands over his chest. "This hot body has always been hot, don't deny that, Audrey. You know it's true."

"Okay, Sammy. Make sure you're in a room big enough for your head." I smiled. He was a dork and one of my best friends. I loved him. I really, really did. "I'm going to bed though. Goodnight, stud"

"Goodnight princess, love you." He blew a dramatic kiss and we disconnected.

It's senior year. Maybe things will change. Maybe we can be together this year.