Chapter 1
Allison Kelly slams her locker shut letting all her anger out. Her best friend Sarah Jacobs is leaning against her own locker laughing at the angry look on Allison's face. Allison starts toward the stairs slightly off balance because of the crutches and ACE bandage on her knee. As Anthony Higgins passes her a smirk breaks out across his face before his too-beautiful-to-be-normal girlfriend Rosie Casanov draws his attention back to her heavily made up face. Sarah breaks the angry silence between her and her best friend
"Allison you have liked Tony since we were 9 ask the boy out before I do it for you!" Sarah says exasperatedly.
"He's dating someone" Allison mumbles trying to banish the bitterness from her voice as they turn into the deserted hallway toward the gym. As she tries to go up the stairs she stumbles and falls forward on the stairs. A sharp pain shoots through her knee as she lands on it but that is not the reason hot angry tears slip out of her clenched eyes. Strong hands that are definitely not Sarah's pull her back to her feet. Allison opens her eyes and sees her twin brother, Jack Kelly, holding her arm. His soft brown eyes reassure her.
"You okay?" Jack says. Allison looks in his eyes nodding slowly to show Jack there was more to it then she was letting on.
"I have to go" Allison says
"Allie my car's that way." Jack says pointing down a busy hall. Even from here Allison could see Anthony and Rosie kissing by his locker.
"She knows but she has to pass them" Sarah laughs putting emphasis on them. Jack rolls his eyes and pushes her down the halls; he and Sarah run pass Allison holding hands.
Anthony opens his eyes as Allison passes he breaks away from Rosie and runs to catch up with her
"Hey wait up! Kelly hang on a sec!" He yells. Allison turns hopefully as best she can on the crutches.
"Hey Kelly, how's your knee?" He asks the sly smirk reappearing on his face.
"Fine I'll be of the crutches on Friday" Allison says icily
"Cool does that mean you're gonna come to Rosie's party Saturday?" He asks the smirk disappearing. What was flickering in his eyes? Hope?
"I think so." Allison says the coldness disappearing from her voice
"Anthony! Yo dude come on the Bat mobile is leaving! Talk to Catwoman later" One of Anthony's friends yells. Allison laughs.
Anthony flips him the bird from behind his back
"Cool see you there" he runs off
Allison hobbles to Jack's warm car. Stupid ice and shitty school with their stupid broken stairs. Last week Allison had walk to school despite the cold and when speed walking past Tony and Rosie, who were surrounded by a group of friends she had fallen down the stairs and gouged her knee so deep she had need a plastic surgeon at the hospital. Though Anthony hand rushed to help that must mean something.
The slam of the back door pulls Allison from her haze. Sarah leans forward and says
"Allison loves Tony" she teases.
"Tony who Higgins? Raising our standards a bit are we" her ex-boyfriend Shawn Colon comments from the back seat
"First off how is that a diss to me? That's insulting yourself .And I don't love him" Allison says defiantly. They all snort and start laughing.
"Allison you're holding his sweatshirt hostage." Jack says smiling. Allison grins thinking about the gray sweatshirt he had left her borrow when she hurt her knee.
"Allie you practically drool over him in chem." David adds
"Like you do over Rosie." Allison shoots back. Jack laughs again more at the look on Dave's face more than anything else.
"She might have a chance actually. I heard that Rosie slept with Declan after the last game" Sarah says
"Declan's a ditz that he found the football field last game shocks me." Jack says about his co-captain.
As they pull into their garage Allison thinks about their comments. It was true she had been holding on the sweatshirt hoping that he would ask for it. Maybe all would be answered at Rosie's party Saturday night.
