Forever Yours

chapter two

Two Years Earlier

"R-O-Y-A-L-S," the cheerleaders spell out as they start their cheer, "Royals just can't be beat! Royals make you feel the heat! Go Royals!" The whole school is piling into the school's main gym. Mia and I are all smiles as we enter our first pep rally. We wander through the middle of the gym, I look down, right as I'm passing over the giant purple "R" painted onto the floor, outlined in gold. The gym smells like sweat and fresh paint. My best friend and I sit in the front row bleachers of the Freshman section. It's our second week of our first year at Pacificview High School. The school's preparing for the year's first football game.

"OMG Willow, look at all the hot guys in here," Mia points out.

I giggle, "How is that the first thing you notice everywhere we go?" She just shrugs her shoulders and joins in my giggling.

"Like that handsome fella right there." She points to—from what I've gathered so far—the most popular senior, quarterback, and insanely hot Jack Jones.

As if on cue, he jogs past us with the rest of the football boys. He stops in front of Mia and I and says to ME, "Hey Willow, nice kicks." He refers to my dirty, pink—almost brown from how much I've worn them—high top, converse. "Hope to see you at the game tonight!"

I turn as red as a tomato, flip my waist long hair over my shoulder, and reply sweetly, "Hey! Th... thanks Jack, y...you will." He smiles, winks, then jogs away. God you're embarrassing Willow.

"Holy shit!" Mia exclaims, "Jack Jones knows your name!" She swats me on the arm. "Lucky bitch." She giggles some more.

"Wow, you really are lucky," a girl—I think her name is Brooke, she's in my French class—leans down and whispers to me. I just smile and I don't stop smiling until the pep rally is over.

I look around the gym in a blissful state as Principal Star talks about the new school year and how happy he is to see all his students. The sun is beaming into the gym through the wall completely made of glass. Purple and gold flags hang above our heads with every school club and sport on them with the year they were formed. The green trees outside sway in the wind under the abnormal, blue sky. It's a good day, even the weather feels that.

♥♥♥

After school, Mia and I are hanging out in my kitchen while my parents prepare us a snack. We're laughing at this joke one of our classmates made in English class earlier today. My mother comes over to the table and sets a plate of cheese, crackers, and fruits in front of us. We dig right in, and my mom laughs, "I've been spending a fortune feeding you girls every day!"

"We're growing girls Miss Jaclyn!" Mia jokes.

"I can see that!" She teases Mia about her height. I laugh at Mom's joke, but Mia just pouts. "So, do you girls want to go shopping with me in a little?"

"Can't Mom," I say in between bites, "we're going to the football game tonight!"

"Oh! Your first football game. That'll be fun!" She sing songs as she goes around cleaning the kitchen.

Dad looks over at us from the other side of the table. "No boys!"

"Dad, it's a football game! Boys are going to be there, but it's not like we're hanging out with them. It's an all-school thing." I poke his shoulder playfully.

"Yeah, don't worry Mr. Eric." Mia chimes in. My parents have always told Mia to call them by their first names, but she still feels the need to add Miss and Mr. to the beginning. Something about being polite and manners.