CHAPTER ONE

I’m flying, flying free as a bird. Wait, I’m not flying, I’m surfing. I just landed one of the biggest waves I have ever seen. When I’m surfing I feel like I’m home. Like, this is where I belong—but no one knows that ‘cause they just think I do it for fun. Somewhere where no one judges or gossips. Somewhere where I know I don’t have to hide. Hide my true feelings from the world.
“Woah.” Another surfer girl says as soon as I get back to the beach. “That was pretty freakin’ fly, girl.”
Smiling, I say, “Haha, thanks.”
I walk back to my car, strap my surf board to the top of my car, and get into the drivers seat. Ring, Ring. I try to look for my phone in my bag—the black hole as my friends call it—but couldn’t get to it in time. One missed call: Mom it displayed on the screen. I punch in her cell phone number and call her back.
“Hello?” My mother asks.
“Hey, Ma. Its me,” I reply.
“Oh hey! I just tried to call you.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t find my phone in time. Whats up?”
“Oh,” she says, “I’m just checking in… Wait, don’t you have a English test tomorrow? Where are you?”
“I’m at the beach right now.”
“Have you studied for you test?”
“Do I really need to answer that?” I said sarcastically.
“No,” she sighs into the phone, “so that means you need to come home right now and get cracking at it.”
“Ugh, fine.”
“See you soon,” she says cheerfully.
“Bye,” I grumbled.


I walk into the mini-mart to get my coffee before I go back home to do a major study cramming—lets just say English is not my favorite subject. I pour myself a jumbo cup of coffee and start going down the chip section for extra snacks when three guys walk in talking loudly trying to decide what to get.

Still trying to what kind of chip I want. The three guys go to one of the two check out stands to pay for their large amount of food.

Finally deciding I don’t want chips anymore, I go to the other check out stand so the lady can ring me up.

“Crap,” one of the redheaded guy says. “Dudes, we are short like five bucks.”

“Sorry guys, I gave all the money I have before I get paid tomorrow.” They short brown-headed one—and the cutest—says.

“ Hey! Don’t look at me, I only got a Twizzler, cause that’s all the money I had” the one with wearing pure black from head to toe.

Since I was in the cherry mood after just surfing the perfect wave today, I decided to help. “Here guys, I’ll help you out,” laying a five on the counter for the cashier.

“Woah, dude. Mucho gracias, Chica. You just totally saved us there.” The redhead said.

“No prob,” as I grab my coffee cup and start for my car.

“Wait!” I turn to see the cute brown-head jogging up to try to catch up with me.

“Yeah?” I say as he slows to a stop in front of me.

“Hey, thanks back there. You didn’t have to do that, ya know. I was about to make Dillian put back something when you pulled out your money.”

“Nah, its okay. I felt in the mood to be charitable.”

“Well thanks, again.” Smiling a nock out smile while saying this.

“Again,” I say. “No prob.” As I turn to put to unlock my car.

“Wait, can I at least repay you?” Him reaching and slightly touching my arm to stop me.

“No, its okay.”

“Well that’s not going to be okay with me, I don’t like having debts,” folding his arms over his chest—still smiling.

“Its not a debt. Think of it as a… gift.”

“A gift?” He replied. “Sorry, I don’t except gifts from people I don’t know,”

“Well… you just got one,” as I reached around to pull my door open to leave he puts his hand out on the door and stops me from opening it.
He leans forward getting only inches from my face. “It’s a debt to me,” he says in a low smooth voice. “How about this,” as he leans back giving me more breathing space, “You give me your phone number, and when I get my check tomorrow I will make it up to you.”
“Uh… that’s okay, like I said. It was a gift.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “You are a stubborn one, aren’t ya?”
“So?” As I lift my chin a fraction of a inch.
“Well let me just tell you this,” as he leans down again so his lips are near my ear, speaking to me in a whisper, “ I will pay you back. One way or the other,” he says. He leans back again and crosses his arms and adds, “You are going to have to except that.”
“And you,” as I narrow my eyes at him, “are going to have to except a gift.”
He leans his head back and laughs that you can tell his all the way from his heart. “Touche,” he replies. “But I will, and I mean, I will repay you... Somehow.”
“Ugh! I give up! Whatever!” I get into my car with the window rolled down, him not seeming to budge from his spot.
“Haha, I always win.” As he leans on my window.
“Men have such big egos,” I mutter under my breath.
“What was that?”
“Oh nothing… So if you don’t have anything else to argue with me about, I will just be leaving now,” as I start my car.
“Wait,” as he grabs one my arms lightly, “ how am I suppose to get a hold of you?”
“Sorry, I don’t give my cell phone number out to strangers.”
“Strangers? I’m not a stranger, I’m Liam, Liam Baker.” He says, while giving me one of those breathtaking smiles, again.
“Well, Liam. I still don’t know you, so no.”
“Then how I am suppose to get a hold of you, oh smart one?”
“That’s for you to figure out,” I say, with a big cheesy grin. As I put the car in to gear and start pulling out of the parking lot.
“Wait! At least tell me your name,” as he claps the side of my window so I don’t go anywhere.
“Aubrey, Aubrey Wilson,” as I put my foot on the gas and pull out of the mini-mart’s parking lot.

As I walk into my English class the next morning my best friend, Mia, waves me over, and I go over and sit to the seat next to her.
As soon as I get myself settled into my seat Mia leans over to whisper to me, “Where were you last night?” She asks. “I was calling you all night, and you didn’t answer. What gives?”
“Hello?” I reply. “We have a test in here today, do you think I studied before last night?” She just stared at me. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“Well whatever. I could have helped you study.”
“Nah, I was okay,” I said.
I get out my notebook to do some last minute studying when I heard a very low soothing voice. “I found you,” his voice chimed into my ear.
Startled, I twirl around in my seat and stare at the cute brown-head I met yesterday. What was his name again? Oh yeah, Liam.
I just stare into sea of brown in his eyes, speechless.
“Surprised to see me, eh?” He said as he gave me one of his heart-warming smiles.
“Well,” I said, surprising myself that my voice was very smooth, “yeah, when I said to figure out to find me I thought you would just forget about me the second I left.”
Leaning down closer again so I was the one that could hear his whisper, “I would never forget about you.”
“Time for class!” The teacher timed in perfectly breaking our conversation. “Hello back there!” Looking at Liam, “May I help you?”
“Yeah,” he answered, “I’m new here and by the looks of my schedule I got this class this period,” he said smiling.
As he said this I couldn’t believe my ears. He has this class? With me? My jaw dropped a fraction of inch thinking of this.
Liam looked down at me, still smiling, and saw that my mouth was open in amazement. “That’s right babe, you heard me right. I’m all yours for the rest of the year,” he said to me.
Mia grabbed my arm and spun me around in my seat and lowered her voice so I could only hear, “Where the heck did you find him?” She said, and more angrily she added, “And why the heck didn’t you tell me about him!?”
“Oh stop it,” pushing her arm that gripped my sweatshirt, away.
“Oh no you don’t. I need to know these things. I want to know the who, what, where and why. And I need it now. Or you just might not like what you are going to see.”
“Fine, fine. Geez,” I replied. “I’ll tell you later.”
“You promise?”
“Promise.”
“Fine, but you’re not off the hook yet missy.”
I sighed. “Whatever.”
While Mia and I had our little conversation the teacher—Mrs. White—checked out Liam’s schedule—he was telling the truth. Great, just my luck.
“Well,” Mrs. White said, “there is only one seat left in the room, so please take a seat so I can get class started.”
Oh great, I said in my mind. Guess where the only empty seat in the room is? Yep, you guessed it. Right next to me.
“Oh I didn’t catch your name, what is it?” Mrs. White asked as Liam sat in his seat next to me.
“Liam,” he said—while staring at me, “Liam Baker.” And of course, he smiled that big smile of his before he directed his attention over to the teacher.