Chapter 1: Her Hazel Eyes and His Brown Eyes (August '08)

Coffee Break- Forever The Sickest Kids

Marshall was never one to attract girls. Yeah, maybe they found him cute or something like that, but he was in a band after all. Maybe that's why. He knew this.

What he didn't know was why he was standing in a line in a Starbucks in Manhattan. It was stupid, but he liked the coffee that they had.

It was an early Saturday morning in August and he was waiting in line behind a smaller girl (height wise anyway). He didn't notice her until her phone started to play "Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off". Normally he wouldn't have cared, but he couldn't help looking at her. From the back he could tell that she had elbow length dirty blonde hair and blonde highlights. He could see the bottom of her blue shirt, her black denim skirt, and the sliver hoop belt that hung around her hips. There was a purple iPod sticking out of the back pocket of her skirt. She had a sliver bracelet with a small heart cameo charm and a sliver ring with a flower pattern cut out on it.

There was something about her though. Something different. Something wonderful.

"Next." The girl at the counter said. The blonde stepped up.

"Tall chai tea latte." She said. He was surprised by her accent. It had a Brooklyn tone to it, even though she was in Manhattan. It mystified him and only made him like her more. She turned around and started to walk away. Marshall looked over at her.

Her blue shirt was actually a blue tank top with a buttoned denim vest over it. There was a cocker/necklace, with a seashell charm with a pearl in it, hanging around her neck. He looked up at her face, seeing that she had chin length bangs that matched the rest of her hair in color, and they were separated from the rest of her hair with a brown headband. Marshall could see her leaf shaped earrings, each with three small butterflies on them.

Marshall brought his attention to the rest of her face. Full pink lips, a small nose, average features.

But what got him were her eyes. They were a mix of a round and almond shape and hazel colored. They seemed to be taking everything in all at once, even though she never once looked around. They were the most striking part of her.

Then the weirdest thing happened. He locked eyes with her. Suddenly, the rest of the world was gone and all he could see were those eyes.

The two snapped their eyes away from each other at the same moment and she walked away. The smell of cinnamon hit Marshall's nose and intoxicated him.

Marshall turned his attention back to ordering. But all he could see were her eyes. And all he could think of was the fact that she had seemed interested in him made Marshall smile.

From that day on, the smell of cinnamon was his new favorite scent.

Emily was never one to attract boys. Yeah, maybe they thought she was cute, but she was never the kind that boys loved. That was her three best friends jobs. And she knew this.

But Emily couldn't explain why she at the Starbucks a few blocks from Crystal's penthouse apartment quite as easily. There were other places to get her chai tea. There was the place near her house in Brooklyn. So why she was here was a mystery.

Emily stood in line and thought. She hadn't talked to Crystal or Stella in almost 3 years and she was becoming friends with the two of them again and all because of Georgina Sparks' little sister, Isabelle. Maybe bratty little sisters who were looking for revenge were good for something after all.

Emily thoughts were interrupted when her cell phone starting to play "Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" by Panic! At the Disco. She pulled the phone out of her pocket and saw that Serena was texting her.

"Where r u?"

Emily smiled and answered.

"Starbucks. Few blocks from C's."

"Gone there when ur done."

Emily closed her phone smiling. A year ago Serena would have yelled at her for going anywhere near Crystal's house. And now she was there.

"Next." The girl at the counter said. Emily stepped up.

"Tall chai tea latte." She said. The second the words left her mouth, she became self-conscious of her accent. The Brooklyn accent stood out inside the Upper East Side café.

Emily turned around and started to walk away.

That was when she noticed the guy that had been standing behind her.

He was tall and skinny, but muscular at the same time. He was wearing black sneakers, dark blue denim jeans, a brown belt, and a gray v-neck shirt with an unbuttoned black vest over it. He had his thumbs hooked into his jean pockets and Emily could see all the strings he was wearing on his right wrist as bracelets. She also noticed the dog tag like necklace that he had on.

But what was the most interesting thing about him was his face. He had pink lips, a regular shaped nose, and light brown hair, with bangs that swept across his forehead and met the rest of his hair at his right eye, his hair ending at the middle of his neck. The looks were so average, but on him they were so unique.

And his eyes. They were dark brown, with a sparkle that almost made it look like he was smiling, even though he wasn't.

Then Emily locked eyes with him. She hated to admit it, but it was one of those moments when the rest of the world just disappeared, and they were the only ones left.

Emily quickly snapped her eyes away and moved to get her tea. As she walked away, the smell of some woodsy soap hit her nose. It pulled her in, and reminded her of her brother's soap.

As she took her tea and started to leave, she couldn't help but bite her lip and smile. All she could think of were his eyes. And the fact that he had seemed almost interested in her. But he looked familiar and she couldn't place why.

From then on, that soap was her favorite scent in the world.