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  Violet

  It was no surprise when my mom told me that my family was moving once again. I was used to it.

  My whole life, I grew up moving almost every single year. Whether it was just moving from state to state or to an entirely different country, when we were commanded to leave, we left.

  This was the joy of being a military child. When I was younger, moving never really bothered me. I liked traveling all over the world and meeting new people. However, now that I’m a sophomore in high school, I’m sick of it.

  My family was now living in the grand old state of Pennsylvania. If you weren’t lucky enough to live in the populated cities, then you were exposed to miles and miles of small towns and cornfields.

  I met some really great people there and had a lot of friends. I guess you could say I was a somewhat average student. Kept my grades up, participated in extracurricular activities every once in a while, and completed those typical high-schooler experiences with my friends. Who am I kidding? If I wasn’t with friends, which was more often than not, I was most likely sitting in bed watching reruns of Gossip Girl on Netflix.

  However, for once in my life I was content and happy. That is, until the night my mom told me my dad had gotten a promotion and we would not be continuing our simple lives in this peaceful state.

  My whole world felt like it was falling apart. Once again, I stood in an empty house that echoed my voice. I heard my mom’s car horn, and I walked out the door. As I shut the door behind me, tears started to roll down my face.

  I closed my eyes as we pulled out of the driveway, not wanting to see my home in the rearview mirror.

  In that exact moment, I was done trying. I no longer wanted to try to make everywhere I moved feel like home. I would rather be miserable instead of trying to make friends only to leave them in two years. I should have known that Pennsylvania was never going to be our forever home.

  It took a couple of days to arrive in North Carolina. My family decided to rent a house off base just in case there was a small possibility that my dad could finally retire there.

  My family had lived in some amazing houses, but this house was beautiful. The grass was the perfect shade of green, and soft to the touch when you walked on it. We had a cobblestone sidewalk that led up to the front door. Shrubbery and flowers were strategically planted in the gardens around the house and trees.

  While smiling at this scene, I thought, How could I be miserable when I lived in this amazing house? I was surprised my parents decided to pick such an enormous home since it was just my mom, my dad, Hayden, and me.

  We immediately parked our vehicles in the circular driveway and headed inside. The movers hadn’t arrived yet, so without all our furniture and boxes, it seemed like almost every nook and cranny was brightly lit by the numerous windows surrounding us.

  Once I headed up the staircase, I instantly started checking out each and every room until I found the one that was perfect for me. It didn’t take too long as there weren’t a lot of bedrooms to choose from.

  Peering out my new bedroom window, I saw a happy family across the street, out on their front lawn. There weren’t many of them, but there was one in particular who stood out the most. From the moment I saw him, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

  Violet

  I didn’t want to seem like a stalker, but how could you not stare at him?

  I was guessing he was sweating from being outside, because he pulled his shirt off and proceeded to play basketball with a younger boy. I could see from across the street the definition of his muscles and his abs. He flipped his short brown hair so that it lay perfectly on his head. I was almost positive he was around my age, but it didn’t matter. He was just so—

  “Violet! What are you doing? Are you going to help bring in the luggage?” I jumped and swung around to see my brother staring at me like I was an idiot.

  “Yeah, I’m coming. I was just looking around.” My brother rolled his eyes and ran downstairs, back out to the car. I looked at the handsome boy across the street for one more second before I headed back down.

  The hot air was definitely something I would have to get used to. I didn’t realize how bad the summers were going to be down here in North Carolina, but I liked it. It was a new and different environment from Pennsylvania.

  I ran to grab my suitcase from the back of the car. I was a small girl, and trying to pull a seventy-five-pound suitcase out of the back of a custom-lifted Jeep was not easy.

  Someone must have seen that I was struggling because I heard someone running up behind me. “Here, let me help you with that.” I turned around to look into a pair of the most gorgeous blue eyes I had ever seen. It was him. It was the boy I had been staring at across the street.

  He was a lot taller than I was and pulled my suitcase out with no problem. “Here you go. I’m Nash, by the way. I live across the street. I was outside and saw you were having a little trouble, so I thought I should help you out.” He smiled and his teeth sparkled like in those Crest 3D White commercials.

  “Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. I’m Violet, like the flower.” Like the flower? What was I thinking? He probably thought I was a total dork.

  “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Violet. I have to head back for dinner but I’ll see ya around sometime.” He was still smiling even after I made that stupid remark.

  “Yeah. See you later.” Then, just like that, he was gone. I slowly walked back to my house and leaned up against the door when I got inside.

  He is perfect.

  Violet

  The last two weeks of summer flew by. Our new home was almost completely set up and my parents had already enrolled us in the nearby high school. My brother and I got most of the classes we wanted and luckily we had lunch together.

  My mother had to practically drag me out of bed so I wouldn’t miss the bus. My brother was seventeen and my parents had promised he would get a car after we settled in. For now, though, we had to ride the bus—which I knew was just going to be wonderful.

  I quickly ran into the shower, before my brother could get there first. After I washed my face and brushed my teeth, I applied my daily makeup, which was only a little bit of concealer, eyeliner, mascara, and a light, tinted ChapStick. I then waited until my hair was dry to curl it just enough so it had loose waves.

  I threw on one of my outfits I created the night before: a pair of dark skinny jeans, a loose-hanging shirt, and my black Toms. I looked in the mirror to adjust my outfit, making sure I wasn’t going to leave the house in something embarrassing.

  I wasn’t ugly, but I wouldn’t say I was drop-dead gorgeous either. I was average—the typical teenager look.

  My brown wavy hair went just above the middle of my back. I looked into my hazel eyes and wondered if people ever thought I was pretty. Everyone said that I had amazing eyes, but I didn’t see what the big deal was. They were just eyes, only mine had specks of brown and green in them.

  I was quite short for my age but that was one feature I loved. I liked being teased about my height, because it made me different. I didn’t enjoy still being asked if I wanted a kid’s menu, though.

  I ran downstairs to find something light to eat to calm my nerves. I hated the first day of school. I
f you were new, especially in a small town like this one, everyone wanted to know who you were. I saw the bus come down the street, so I called my brother and headed out the door.

  Nash

  I woke up to the sound of my phone’s alarm clock and realized that I had to go back to that dreaded school again. Nothing was the same ever since I became popular on Vine. A lot of people tried to use me to make themselves famous. I got annoyed by the attention and wished people would just see me as a regular human being. My lacrosse team still wanted me to be me and made sure the fame didn’t go to my head. The past couple of weeks had been rough for me and I just wanted to stay home and go back to sleep.

  I couldn’t seem to shake that Violet girl out of my head, though. I hadn’t seen her since we met. She was extremely beautiful and I wanted to get to know her before the other guys at school did. I hoped I would see her today.

  She was on my mind the entire time I was getting ready. I was about to head out the door but I knew I was forgetting something.

  “Nash! Don’t forget about me!”

  I turned around and picked up my adorable little sister, Skylynn. “How could I forget about the cutest little girl in the world?” I said. She smiled and shook her blond hair in my face. I set her down and gave her a kiss on the head. “Love you, Sky. See you later today!” I ran out the door and drove away in my truck.

  Violet

  The bus ride wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Hayden and I sat together and we both heard some whispers from behind us. I turned around and saw that some of the guys were staring at me and giving me flirty looks. I quickly turned around and ignored them for the rest of the ride.

  My brother and I hopped off the bus and went to the office to sign some paperwork and grab a map. We walked out into the lobby and a lot of kids were staring at us. I gave him a quick hug and we went our separate ways.

  As I walked down the hallway, I couldn’t ignore the constant stares everybody was directing toward me. I could hear the occasional whispers from both the girls and guys while I scurried past, trying not to bump into anyone. I didn’t understand why they were acting as if I was a shiny new toy and they were all kids on the playground. Was it not common here to see new transfers? I just kept my head high and went straight to my locker, which was behind a group of guys. Of course, this would be just my luck.

  “Umm . . . hey. Do you guys mind moving over a little bit? You’re in front of my locker.” I tried to ask as politely as I could, but I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.

  “Damn, girl, we haven’t seen you here before.” I just stared at them, my mouth hanging open, as I noticed that a bunch of people were staring at us. This was obviously causing a scene. “Why don’t you come over here and give me a kiss?”

  I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Please, in your dreams. Now can you please move over?” They just laughed. I started to think that was the wrong thing to say.

  “No, I think we are pretty comfortable right where we’re at.” One of them grabbed me and started to make a move on me. I tried to get out of his grip, but he was a lot stronger than I was.

  “Hey! Leave her alone, Ryder. Don’t you have anything better to do than hit on pretty new girls?” I recognized the voice and turned around to see Nash walking toward me. He went up to Ryder and shoved him out of the way and then looked at me.

  “Hey, Violet.” He smiled and his gorgeous blue eyes were looking right into mine. He started to open his locker while still staring at me.

  “Oh, hey, Nash! Thanks for the help. I didn’t know some of the guys here were such assholes. I guess we’re locker buddies.” There I went again, making those stupid comments. I turned away and just started to put stuff in my locker.

  “No problem. I’ll protect you from them. It has been a while since a pretty girl has arrived at our school. They were probably just getting ahead of themselves.” Did he just call me pretty again? I felt a blush starting to creep up and I took a few breaths to relax. “Anyway, I got to go, but I’ll see you later.” Once again, he was gone just like that.

  I shut my locker and headed down the hallway, but everyone was staring at me again. I started to feel uncomfortable, so I just kept my head down.

  Nash

  I couldn’t believe those guys. I wanted to punch them right in their faces. People were already hitting on her and I hadn’t even been able to get her number yet. Every time I talked to her I’d get nervous and leave. Why was I such a baby around her?

  “Hey, Nash! Miss me?” I was basically tackled by Angelina. She had been hitting on me all summer and wanted to hook up. She gave me a quick kiss and grabbed my hand. I pulled my hand away from her grip.

  “Angelina, I’m not trying to be mean, but I’m not interested in you.” She rolled her eyes and ignored my comment.

  “Please, Nash. I know you are in love with me. I mean, I’m head cheerleader and you’re the lacrosse captain. We’re meant to be together.” I just looked at her and walked away, shaking my head. She would never let me go.

  Violet

  The first half of the morning was a blur. A lot of people were nice to me but a lot of girls were the typical stuck-up snotty chicks. I started to notice that a lot of the guys were hitting on me and checking me out. I got a lot of people’s numbers and started to make friends with some kids in my classes. I hadn’t seen Nash since we talked earlier and I was a little upset about that.

  I threw my books in my locker and headed down to lunch. I finally saw Hayden and met up with him. “Hey, baby sister! How is your day going?” I noticed his phone was full of text messages, which didn’t surprise me. He was really good at making friends and lots of girls liked to hit on him. He was cute, I guess, but he is my brother so he’ll always be gross to me.

  “It’s fine. People keep staring at me and some of the guys are complete jerks. How about yours?”

  I could see his hand start to tense up. He was very protective of me and that’s why I loved him so much.

  “Yeah, I know. I’ve been hearing them talk about you all day. I almost punched a guy because he started to talk about your . . . your butt, right in front of me.” I started to laugh and decided I probably shouldn’t tell him about what happened earlier. We talked for the rest of the period and then went to our next class.

  I knew I wasn’t going to enjoy this class because it was Music. I love music and my family tells me I’m good at playing the piano and singing, but I don’t put on a show for other people. I started to get really nervous again but relaxed when I heard that familiar voice.

  “No, you don’t understand. I really like her but everyone keeps hitting on her. I mean, I met her first, so I get her, right?” I looked at Nash but then immediately looked away. Was he talking about me? No, he couldn’t like me. It was not possible.

  “I don’t know, man. I have been hearing guys talk about her all day and what they want to do to her . . .” They stopped talking and from the corner of my eye I could see them staring at me. They were talking a lot quieter but I could still make out what they were saying.

  “Oh, shit, man. I didn’t know she was in this class.” I saw them walk over and take the seats behind me.

  I felt someone tap my shoulder, so I turned around. “Oh. Hey, Nash! I didn’t know you were in this class,” I said casually, hoping he didn’t realize I had overheard their conversation.

  He looked over at his friend and said, “Yeah. We didn’t either. So . . . how’s your first day going?” I could tell he was nervous.

  “Good. I’ve met a lot of people so far.” He just smiled at me but I could tell something was upsetting him from his expression.

  “Yeah, I know. You are what everyone has been talking about lately.” He emphasized the “everyone” and I knew he was getting annoyed.

  We didn’t talk for the rest of the period; when the bell rang I started to gather my stuff.


  “Wait, what class do you have next?”

  I glanced down at my schedule. “Umm . . . English.”

  A huge smile gathered on his face. “Good, then I can walk with you.” I smiled and let him lead the way down the hallway.

  People were still staring at me, but then they would look at Nash and back at me. I didn’t know what was going on. “So, do you want me to take you home after school? I can drive your brother too.” I started to smile and accepted his offer. Now my heart started to race.

  I kept smiling until I saw who was also in English: Ryder and his friends.

  Violet

  They didn’t see Nash and me walk into the classroom, which made me relax a little bit. Nash must have noticed I was upset. “Hey, don’t worry. We won’t sit near them.” I looked up at him and smiled. I knew he would protect me from them, so I wasn’t too worried.

  “Hey, you! Why don’t you come over here and sit in Daddy’s lap.” Ryder and his buddies started laughing, then proceeded to stare at me.

  Nash and I didn’t say anything and we both took the seats farthest away from the guys. Nash thought it was best to sit behind me and I felt safe knowing that he was right there. I then saw the guys move over and sit directly next to Nash and me. “Why are you ignoring us, girl? You know we aren’t going to give up that easy.” Ryder was getting annoyed and his buddies would not keep their eyes off me, which made me feel even more uncomfortable.

  “Just leave her alone, Ryder. She isn’t interested in you assholes.” Nash then grabbed my shoulder and leaned into me. “Just ignore them. They are going to have to give up sooner or later.”

  “Well, look what we got here. It seems Nashty has found himself a girlfriend. That’s too bad, because I had some plans for her.” Ryder and his buddies started to chuckle but they stopped after the teacher walked in.