Learn To Love Again

Chapter One

"Dude go long!" Zack shouted. We have been best friends since I moved to this school but when it came to football, if I messed up, I was in some serious trouble with him forget about coach!

I sprinted down the field just in time to catch Zack's spin ball and easily dodged the remaining defence to get the touchdown.

"Touchdown!" My side chanted. The rest of our guys needed to work on defence if we wanted to win the championships.

The cheerleaders chanted our team name as usual but only one really caught my eye and had done for a while... Rachel. She is the cheer captain and everything about her I just find beautiful. The way her hips swayed as she danced the mini routine and her blonde hair shone under the suns glare, the way her ocean blue eyes sparkled, she got me everytime. I stood there staring, lost in my thoughts.

"Earth to Brad?" I turned around to face Zack, "Dude, come on! Let's head to the locker rooms." I nodded and tore my gaze away from Rachel and then followed the rest of the team to the showers.

As I entered the changing rooms and began to remove my kit, Zack decided it was time for a chat, not the best timing. "Dude, why were you ogling the cheerleaders while I was trying to get your attention?"

"I wasn't. Well not exactly, I was looking at Rachel."

He squinted his eyes and scrunched his mouth up which is what he does when he's deep in thought, "Which one's Rachel again?" I thought he was joking but his face seemed to say otherwise.

"Dude, she's the captain." I replied with a hint of annoyance.

He nodded as his eyes lit up in recognition, "Oh yeah she's pretty hot, I get it." I shook my head at him in disbelief. How could he just describe her as hot! She is beyond perfect!

"Yeah well lay off man because she will soon be mine."

His face grew confused as he placed his hand on my shoulder, "Brad, I don't think she is the type to just hook up with a guy or I would have done it a long time ago. Besides, isn't she the one who has rejected pretty much every guy who comes near?"

"We'll it won't be a hook up. I... er, I want to date her." A look of concern spread across Zack's face as he registered what I said.

"Dude, you're about to break your own no dating rule. Remember you told me you haven't dated since... Melissa." Her name came out as a whisper. "If you date, you might fall for her and then chances are, you get hurt again and then what will we do?" He was right. I did have the opportunity to get hurt again but I was kind of hoping it would be worth the risk.

Melissa was my girlfriend in my old school and we were pretty serious, we were very much in love. We had been together for months but some douche came along and she basically cheated on me and despite that, I let her off but the guy wouldn't lay off. We broke up a few weeks later. We stayed friends but from that day, I decided never to fall in love again and just basically be your typical teenage bachelor. I'd managed to keep that up right until the start of the senior year but I couldn't lie to myself anymore that I wanted to date Rachel, maybe she could be different.

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Yeah, I'll cross that bridge if I come to it bro." And on that note, I got up and headed for the showers.

***

After getting cleaned up, I decided to head to Rachel's locker and ask her out, despite being the most sought after guy in the school, something told me that if she liked me, I would've been approached already so it would be a challenge.

I heard footsteps around the corner. It had do be her.

I leant against the locker next to hers as I greeted her. "Hey Rachel, what a coincidence to see you here!"

She came over and opened her locker, putting some books in and just looking in it."Sure, at my locker." She replied sarcastically.

Ok so that didn't work, cut to the chase. "Uh, yeah. See I was wondering if maybe... You'd like to go out sometime or something?"

She suddenly closed her locker and actually looked at me. "Uh, sorry can't at the moment, busy, busy, busy!"

"but-"

"Okay bye"

Before I could press any further, she had run off. Yes, it was definitely going to be harder than I thought.

I headed out to the parking lot ready to go home but it seemed luck was on my side as there was Rachel stood talking to Zack! I decided to be coy and see if that would work, just act like she isn't even there.

"Hey man!"

Zack looked over at me, "Dude, where did you go? I almost left without you."

"I... er, got held up." My gaze shifted to Rachel who awkwardly looked back.

I decided to ditch the act, girls don't did it really. "Hey Rachel, sorry about before, I just want to hang out with you."

"It's ok. I would have said yes but..." she looked around for a second then grabbed Zacks arm, "I'm dating Zack"

What! How could he after I told him I liked her! "Dude! You know I like her!"

Zack stared at me wide eyed and Rachel whispered something in his ear before he replied, "Well I like her too."

"No you don't, why are you lying!" I pushed him. He pushed back then Rachel spoke.

"I can speak for myself guys." I ignored her and pushed Zack again

"Hey, get off him!" Rachel came in between and pushed on my chest slightly, making me stumble backwards onto the road, only to be met by bright headlights.

Too shocked to move, my feet stayed rooted to the ground and the last thing I saw was the shocked face of whoever it was driving before I landed hard on the ground, hitting my head and getting knocked unconscious on impact with the vehicle. What on earth was a car doing speeding through a school parking lot?

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A/N: So this is my first story I've written solo so I hope it's looking good so far. Feel free to comment and tell me what you thought about this chapter and if you liked it, please vote!

Picture of Rachel on the side ---->

Still undecided whether she's the perfect choice but she's my best bet so far, if you have any better ideas, let me know

Paula :)