Chapter 1
I was a typical, happy, 26 year old. Loving family, adoring fiancée, great job with benefits including paid vacation, HMO and dental, owned a house I'd fully paid for even though it lacked the white picket fence. My life wasn't perfect, but it was close enough for me. I'd grown up in the rural town of Cameron, North Carolina before graduating with a degree in sports medicine from the University of North Carolina. Growing up in Cameron was an experience that only kids from small towns can understand. Towns were you needed a car to travel miles away to reach a major city. Towns where kids relied on their bikes for transportation to their friends' homes especially on hot days where walking would be too much.
Another minor downfall of my childhood: I grew up around a whole herd of boys. Most girls would love the idea of being surrounded by guys all day. Not me. I hated not having a close female friend growing up. Even worse, being considered "one of the boys" was very annoying. 2 of my friends were 6 months older than me; 2 were a few years older. When puberty hit, they all were reminded that I was not "one of the guys." We all loved each other like brothers and sister. I only remember one instance where I ever looked at one of them as more than my friend. The kiss lasted less than 30 seconds and was mutually agreed upon that it wouldn't ever happen again due to weirdness.