It All Started With An Apple

Chapter 1

Kyla studiously ignored me.  I grumbled under my breath.  This boy was making all the girls go nuts.  It was rather infuriating.

“Oh, he is some fine man,” Kyla murmured as Dannon sauntered by, making his way to his group of friends.  It was like she was in a trance.  Oh, just kill me now.

“You have no respect do you?” I demanded haughtily.  I hopped up from my spot on the stone wall that divided the path to the school and a small hill, wiping the pebbles off my butt.  I scowled.  “Kyla, stop staring at his back like it’s a pot of gold!”

“It might as well be.”  She sighed dreamily.  “Ah, it should be against the laws of nature for something that beautiful to exist.”

I rolled my eyes.  So dramatic.  I spun around, grabbing my backpack irritably from the stone wall, throwing it over my back.  I plucked my book up as well, holding it protectively to my chest.  It was quite depressing that my book was giving me more attention than my best friend.

I cast an icy glance in Dannon’s direction, where he now stood socializing with his crew. Everyone knew the people in the crew by name.  I mean, who couldn’t?  Most of them were on the football team or the cheerleading squad.

I pursed my lips.  There was Shelley Kaye, her blond hair glinting in the sunlight as she spoke animatedly, her arms flying through the air.  Combining her hair, her baby blue eyes, and her soft facial features, she reminded me constantly of a model from a magazine.  There was Garner Osborne, the boy she always seemed to be arguing with.  He was tanner than everyone else in the crew, and his hair was like milk chocolate against his skin.  That combined made his dark eyes pop.  There was Oliver Pyker, Dannon’s best friend.  He had dark hair like Dannon, but unlike Dannon had dark brown eyes that almost seemed black.  And then there were Meghan Freeman and Paula Jordyn, the two girls that always seemed to be together.  Meghan with her light brown, crimped hair and hazel eyes, Paula with her dark, wavy locks and even darker eyes.  They were a tight-knit group, the crew.  Almost never apart.

Suddenly Dannon broke away from the group, giving a small wave before heading inside, digging through his bag and pulling something out.  I squinted, trying to figure out what was in his hands as he yanked the entrance door open and disappeared inside the school building.  With a defeated sigh, I leaned back against the wall.  Dammit.  I didn’t get to see what was in his hand.

“Oh my God did you see his muscles flex as he opened that door?”  Kyla gasped.  “Ah!  So sexy!”

I rolled my eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that morning.  Seriously?  She was resorting to talking about his so-called-muscle-flexing now?  “You’re going to have to apologize to God now for saying His name in vain,” I drawled, pushing away from the wall.  I brought a hand through my dark brown locks, irritated that I was stuck having this conversation.  Kyla pining over boys neither of us would ever have was beyond annoying. 

Kyla sighed exasperatedly, her hands going back to her hips.  I bit my lip, somewhat amused that she wasn’t taking any notice to the fact that her hair was whipping around her face because of the wind.  Her hair, in contrast to mine, was blond, seeming almost white when in the sun’s path.  “So what you’re saying is that you didn’t enjoy that at all?” 

It was amazing that she sounded surprised.  I’d made it quite clear that I had no interest in dating.  None of the guys here caught my eye.  Dating just wasn’t high on my to-do list at the moment.  I had too many things that I was concentrating on—like school—to be distracted by something like that.

“Frankly no,” I replied bluntly, shrugging.  I adjusted my bag’s strap on my shoulder.  Stupid backpack.

Kyla threw her hands in the air.  “I can’t believe you!” she seethed, grabbing her bag roughly from the ground and throwing it over her shoulders.  She scowled as she adjusted it to be more comfortable.  “It’s like you’re a robot with absolutely no interest in love at all.”