I'll Be Seeing You

Chapter 1

My name is Cadence Armstrong. I'm not famous, or a genius; I'm not extremely beautiful, and I'm not filthy rich. I've lived a normal life, I guess you could say, and not a very long one at that. I'm 21 years old. Still too young for marriage, for children, but not for my happily ever after.

I grew up in a small town in northeastern Arkansas, raised by my mother and my grandmother. I had friends, played sports, and got in trouble for staying up too late on the phone just like any other teenager.

I tried not to think back on my past, but at times I'll relive it in my dreams. I still regretted not saying anything when I had the chance, but that was long ago, so very long ago….

It was about nine years ago when we first met. I was 12 and as naïve and carefree as any other girl my age. I had just about everything: best friends, stylish clothes, great hair, and I was utterly spoiled.

Ever since I was ten, all I'd ever wanted was for someone to love me like they did in the movies. I don't know why I always felt this way, but I'd always thought of myself as more mature than other girls my age.

I believed everyone would have their happy ending someday, because from what I saw on television, that was the way it was supposed to be. To me, it was what people deserved, and true love was the greatest thing you could achieve in life.

It was summer, and my friends and I spent almost every day together. We would spend our weekdays swimming or flirting with cute boys, and Sunday we would go to church together.

Church was where it all began.

I knew who he was. I'd seen him a few times around town, but he never once crossed my mind.

Until one Sunday night, I never thought my life would include Brett McAvoy.

My best friend Devany and I were coming out from one of the church doors when she stopped and grabbed my arm.

"Cadence, who is that?" She asked. I was busy text messaging on my phone, so I didn't look up.

"I don't know."

"Come on, Cade, look!" She pleaded, and I finally dragged my eyes off of the screen to look.

He was sitting on a bench, a bass guitar case slung across his back. He was wearing jeans with a green t-shirt and a Green Bay Packers hat that was turned backwards. He looked at least 15, with broad shoulders and a lanky figure.

"That's Brett… Brett McAvoy." I managed to say. Devany took one last look before announcing it was time for church. We quickly ran inside, my heart beating a strange pattern.

"There you are!" Mark Worthington said when we walked through the sanctuary doors. He was sitting with our other best friends, Mikayla Haddock and Adan Greenwood.

Then, he came in.

He walked with confidence, his hat off and in his left hand as he ran the other one through his hair. He was about 5'10'', and he grinned as he saw a guy who I assumed was his friend.

"Brett! Dude, where you been?" The guy asked. After looking at his face, I recognized him as Jason Dunham.

"Outside." Brett sat down next to him; they were two rows in front of us. Something about him….

"Cadence. Hey, Cadence. Wake up! Are you in there??" Mikayla was waving her hand in front of my face. I hadn't realized I was staring.

"What? Sorry, I was daydreaming." I turned to her and did my best to look normal.

"Yeah, you were." She laughed.

We sat through the service and when it was finally over, I grabbed Adan and Mikayla's arms and bolted out the door with Devany close behind.

"Can you please explain to us why we had to get out of there so fast?" Adan asked, out of breath. She didn't believe in hurrying.

I ignored her. "Guys, you know how I'm in the church band now?" They nodded; it had been all I could talk about for the past two weeks. "Well, I think…Brett McAvoy is going to be playing bass."

"Who?" Mikayla and Adan asked.

"I'll show you, just come on." They followed me across the street to the youth building and we stood at the door with one of the other singers, Kelsey West. And then, he walked over with the key.

"Kelsey." He smiled at her. "Cadence." He nodded to me and let us in. I hurried after him, looking around at the mass confusion of tangled cords, miscellaneous microphones, discarded guitar picks, and mike stands along with various amps, a drum set, and a lone electric guitar. Brett went to the stage and sat on the largest amp, taking out his bass. He was tuning it when our youth pastor, Matt, came in with Allen and Braison. Allen played the drums and Braison was acoustic guitar.

"Seriously, babe, I gotta get off the phone...Okay...I love you, too...Bye!" I knew exactly who it was just by her voice: Ellie Woods. I didn't like her for the simple fact that she didn't like me. She thought she was the greatest thing in the world, although secretly no one else did. She was also one of the singers.

"Okay, Cadence, come here. Let's test your microphone." Matt said, gesturing to me to come on stage. I slowly walked up, avoiding eye contact with Brett, and went to the mic that was assigned as mine. "Go on, sing."

"Oh...um...okay..." I hesitated, and as I did I noticed that everyone in the room was staring straight at me. "Well....what do you want me to sing?"

"Anything...Do you know Every Move I Make?" Braison asked. This was the first time he had ever spoken to me, and I honestly didn't know what to say. I managed a nod, wetting my lips and clearing my throat. I could feel someone's eyes on me, but I didn't know who it was. He started playing it and helped me when I started at the wrong time, and I sang a few lines. "Okay, I think we got it."

Thank God, I thought. This is so embarrassing. I looked over at Mikayla, Adan, and Devany who gave me sympathetic smiles. I nodded and then Matt let us take a break so they could hook up some things. I turned and was walking to my friends when Brett came up behind me.

"You're going into seventh grade, right? At West?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Cool, do you have Miller or Carter for English?"

"Um..Carter."

"You're lucky! First or second lunch?"

"First."

"Awesome."

And our conversation was over, just like that.

Band practice went by swiftly, and soon enough it was over. Everyone grabbed their stuff and ran out, Mikayla and Adan got into their rides, and everyone was gone except for me, Devany, and Brett.

"So, Cadence. Do you have a boyfriend?" He asked. At that exact moment, my heart thudded so loud I thought they could surely hear it. Then I realized what I was doing, and silenced it. I would not fall for this boy.

"Nope, I broke up with my most recent one in June." I said, trying to look indifferent.

"Cool, I don't have a girlfriend either."

"Um..okay?" I laughed.

"Yeah..." He started walking towards me, and I backed up until I smacked into a wall. My head hit the light switch, and I sank to the ground in a fit of laughter. I could hear Devany laughing, and I looked up into Brett's eyes to see him fighting back a smile. He reached out a hand and helped me up, and despite my efforts to avoid him at all times possible were destroyed as I took his hand and felt an unfamiliar shock of electricity. I quickly let go, and dropped my gaze. If I only knew that this was just the beginning.