PREFACE

It was the middle of the summer when she first came in our lives. And from the first time we looked at her until now -she knew, we belonged to her.

When we were ten we had this tradition. Every Friday we would gather at Tyler's house and we would play football. Consider it as a way of 4 kids realizing that the weekend is just a step away.

I remember it was a sunny hot Friday- the kind of hot that made you want to head to the beach and that if you would take a good look the rocks around you were cooked well to VERY well done. Pogue was about to score a goal when we heard it. The house right across the street…was having visitors? Being us and coming from wealthy families with old money meant that all the houses near to ours where big mansions with huge gardens and plenty of rooms. But we all knew that THAT didn't belong to anyone since forever. Hearing the sound of a car outside that house was impossible if not forbidden. Immediately we all run across the street, through the trees and stopped to peak right next to the white clean fence of the hack yard.

"When did they even clean this place?" an eleven-year-old Caleb said. He was supposed to be the responsible one, the leader of the bunch, the one that kept everything under control because he was the oldest, but even he couldn't fight the curiosity that was building up. "My mom told me that the house was sold 2 months ago to this couple and their kid from New York. I guess they repaired it" little Tyler whispered.

"And the reason you didn't mention it before is because…." I said while punching him on his right arm.

"Cause you didn't ask!" he answered.

"Shhh! There's someone coming!" Pogue said. And then a woman came into view.

She must've been around her early thirties, she looked beautiful. With long blonde hair, rosy cheeks and a set of bright blue eyes. She was smiling, admiring the work the gardeners did. As she took a step forward her long brown skirt flew with her and we took a couple of steps back just in case she couldn't spot us. Her white gloved hand took a rose in its palm as she leaned down and smelled it carefully. Her eyes closed and her smile grew even bigger. The silence was interrupted by a loud soprano voice that until now I remember perfectly. Laughter. Then a high-pinched scream was heard. And then more laughter. The blonde woman turned around laughing lightly to herself as a green eyed man wearing dark pants, a white t-shirt and caring a little girl on his left shoulder came into view. He was also laughing –hell they all were! The little girl couldn't stop! What was wrong with them? Is laughing their only activity? I haven't heard so much laughter since Christmas at my place. The woman went near them –suppose after all she IS a mom- and told the man "Honey put her down!" while smiling.

"We're just having fun love. Aren't we Mandy?" he said and crocked his brow.

"Yes mammy…Plenty of it!" an angelic voice said. I took a step forward thought the other told me not to move. Screw them! I wanted to know who was speaking! And then finally saw. The father let the girl down onto a small pile of leaves next to a tree as the girl screamed cheerfully once more.

"Honey? Can you come and help me with the bags?" the woman told her husband. He took her hand and guided her inside. As soon as they left Tyler came in front of me and said "I want to see too!" as he started trying to see through the trees and I still don't get it how found himself falling on his head on the other side of the fence. Us being complete idiots and Tyler being the younger of the bunch that we had to take care of, we run towards him jumping over the fence and asking him "you're ok man?" or "did you got hurt?".

But what we missed was a set of two gray eyes watching us carefully, studying our every move like we were some exotic animals in a zoo-with amazement and curiosity. And we wouldn't have understood that something was going on if she wouldn't say "Is he okay?" Then in a flash all of us turned around to see a nine-year-old girl, in a small white dress, with long light brown hair, sparkling gray eyes and a big smile on her face, called Mandy-Lane.

That was the moment that was meant to change all of our lives forever.

After that incident, Mandy started to talk to us even more often since she was our neighbor now. We found out she was actually pretty cool. She was the kind of kid that always had to do something and that was always kind and polite to everyone. She always had a smile on her face and liked to help everyone in need. Like her parents created the perfect child! Awesome looks, great personality, amazing laughter! What else could they ask for?

In a month's time she stared hanging out with us and at the age of 13 she became our best friend. Pogue acted like he was the older brother she never had and Tyler became her best friend she could always lean on for everything. Caleb though was a whole different thing. You could tell from a mile distance that he had a thing for her and the one thing Mandy wanted most in the world was to find true unconditional love-the kind that her parents had. So it was no surprise to anyone of us when they told us that they were together and all of us were happy for them. Well some of us. Now would probably be the time where you start wondering where do I fit in the image, right? Yeah well, I Reid Garwin fit nowhere. I was her partner in crime and we laughed a lot that was apparently her favorite sport but other than that I belonged nowhere. Tyler had the best friend place and Pogue the brother's one as for Caleb he was the boyfriend. But what was I? I was the one that when I first saw her inside that pile of leaves fell in love with her.

Well hello everyone! This is my first fanfic and I'm all too excited for it! :D Reviews and comments are MORE than welcomed (: Thank you!

P.S.: if you have any questions about how the story will continue just ask me!