Chapter 1

The sun began to rise over the farm that belonged to the Bennett family. Once the light reached the house, the day would begin. The eldest of the five children was the first to awaken. John stretched then threw a shoe at the next eldest brother, Eli.

"What was that for?" Eli rubbed the spot on his head where the shoe had hit him.

"It's time to get up. Get the others up while I slop the hogs." John replied as he got up and began to dress.

"Fine, I'll be down in a minute." Eli pulled on his own clothes and went to wake up the other three brothers, Mark, Ken, and Lyle.

Eli slipped past his parent's bedroom and gave a knock on the younger siblings' door.

"Guys come on, we gotta get this stuff done before we head to school." Eli pushed open the door and waited while the other three brothers got dressed.

"Alright, we're coming." Mumbled Ken. Being the youngest Ken was the one that required the most motivation to get going. Mark on the other hand was up and ready to help. He nodded at his brother and went outside to help John.

Eli waited until Lyle and Ken were both completely dressed before leaving their room to head outside. Once there he began the morning chores of feeding all of the animals before he went to school. John had graduated a year before he had from Merryton High School, and now Eli was left to deal with the other seniors who thought Eli was all beneath them. On top of feeling left out, he had to look after his younger brothers. Mark was a sophomore and didn't need much looking after, but Lyle was just a freshman and still learning the ropes. Ken was still in middle school but he would be starting high school the next school year.

Eli sighed as he thought about all that the year was going to bring as he fed the horses in their stalls. He wanted to do more for himself than his older brother. John had already said that he would stay on at the farm and run it for their father. Eli knew that John wanted to do this, but he couldn't bring himself to be happy at this place.

Once all of the chores were done all of the brothers trouped into the house to eat breakfast and head out for school. This was the only time when everyone would be in one room at the same time all day. Mrs. Bennett was washing the dishes from making breakfast while her sons and husband ate their food. She would eat once all the cleaning was done.

"Well Eli, you are a senior this year." Mr. Bennett said before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Yes Pop. I'm looking forward to leaving this town." It had slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

Mr. Bennett made a noise between a grumble and a growl. Eli knew what that meant. It meant that he was going to get a lecture about family and what should be important to a man.

"Eli, you know that this farm has been handed down from father to son for the past ten generations." Mr. Bennett began.

"Pop, I know what you are going to say and I just can't stay here. Besides John is staying here with you. He can take care of the farm." Eli stood up from the breakfast table and grabbed his school bag. "We gotta go Pop. Let's get going guys." Mark, Lyle, and Ken all stood up and grabbed their things and followed their brother out the door to begin the long walk to school.

"Why does Pop want you and John to stay at home?" Ken asked Eli.

"Because that's how it was done in the past. The children would stay at home once they had finished school and take over." Eli shrugged his shoulders and hitched his bag higher. "Just wait, he will give you the same talk pretty soon.

Ken made a face and Eli chuckled. He couldn't blame his brother for it. Every time he thought about it he got a sick feeling in his stomach. All he had to do now was just make it through his last year at high school.

But Eli didn't know that his final year at Merryton High just might turn his world upside down.

Riding into the small town in an expensive SUV was Charlie Bingley and her best friend Darcy Fitzwilliam.