As I put my car in park I could tell this morning was different, something was new. This chilly Seattle morning was going to change my life I could feel it. I step out into the cool morning air as I walked over to my boyfriend Augustus' car. He stepped out in his usual attire, sperrys, a green button up, and kaki pants . His short dusty brown hair was fixed and his ice blue eyes seemed to stare into my soul.
"Good morning love." He said.

"Good morning." I replied.

As I sat up on the hood of his car he pulled out his phone, he tilted the screen away from me so I couldn't see what was going on. He continued to pay more attention to the phone than he did to me as my friend Kayla Sagesse pulled up her long brown hair tied up in a tight ponytail and her stormy grey eyes seemed to match the Seattle sky. A few moments later my friend Allison Sol pulled up her sunny blonde her made her happy blue eyes pop. After a few minutes of talking to them I heard someone yell, "Abby Del Mare!"

I turned my head at the use of my full name I knew who it was before I saw him, I could smell his cologne that he claimed he didn't wear. He smelled like Oak Trees, and electricity. My friend Ben Cielo gave me a sheepish grin. His golden brown eyes seemed to melt into his olive skin and he ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair, its wild curls snapped back into place almost instantly and waved. I rolled my eyes.

After about five minutes of chatting with them we all fell silent as the roar of a motorcycle was heard at the back of the parking lot. We all turned our heads to see Thomas Di Angelo. As all my friends looked away I continued to watch him. He took his helmet off and pushed his blonde hair back, every strand perfectly placed. All though he was far away I could tell his eyes were sparkling, the crystal blue dissolving into the smoky brown, as if they couldn't decide what color they wanted to be. I'd looked at them enough in class, it seemed that Gus wasn't the only one keeping secrets. His grey long sleeved shirt peeked out from under his leather jacket. It hugged his muscles well as did his black skinny jeans that were perfectly tucked into his dark brown compact boots. I lowered my eyes as he met my gaze. I turned my attention back to my friends, as the bell rang Ben pulled me down off the hood of the car since Gus was still consumed by the phone.

I sat down in my first class, My teacher Mrs. Aggy begin to speak. At the end of class she asked me to stay behind so she could speak with me. I had always been close with Aggy. She was very close with my mom she knew around the time my mom met my father and became pregnant with me.

"How are you?" She asked, her soft brown eyes seemed to stare into my soul.

"I'm good, Why wouldn't I be?" I questioned.

"I know that this is around the time your dad disappeared, I wanted to make sure you're okay."

She wasn't wrong, my eyes traveled to the back of the room, I hadn't noticed but Thomas had slipped in while we were talking. His eyes met my gaze. I felt my jaw set as I turned my attention back to Aggy.

"Yes, but I don't even know I have a vague memory of a smile, and I have pictures, but I don't remember him. I really feel like I don't have a father."

"Miss Del Mare, you can't think that way. He loved you and your mother very much. He left to protect you all. I'm sure that soon you'll feel differently towards him."

"Thanks Aggy, but I just don't know."

Three more boring classes and I thought that maybe today was just an average day. After school I had to stay and work on a AP biology project with Thomas. As we walked to the parking lot he said,

"So…dad issues?"

I looked at him baffled for a minute.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I know it's not my business, but I have the same issue."

"Wait, what?"

"You have no memory but a smile, and a few photographs I get it. My dad left after I was born. Mom says it was to protect us but I've never been so sure."

I smirked, "You were eavesdropping, weren't you?"

He blushed, "OH MY GODS, Did THE Thomas Di Angelo just blush?"

He pushed me up against the grill of my Jeep, one hand was placed on the small of my back the other was placed on my hood.
"I. Don't. Blush."

Now I was blushing I could feel it, my face was on fire, he was so close to me.

He smirked as he leaned in closer to me, "Who's blushing now?"

I took a deep breath, he smelled like the mont, and cranberries? No Pomegranates. Say something Abby. It was incredibly hard to think with him so close to me. It was taking every bit of self control I had not to kiss him. I had wanted to do that since he has transferred to Rainer Beach High School as a freshman. But whether or not Gus was a good boyfriend I couldn't do this to him. However, Thomas had his own agenda. His lips crashed into mine, I didn't pull away I just kissed him as his hands traveled down and lifted me onto the hood of my car. I kept kissing him until my phone started ringing. I pulled away and rested my forehead against his. I looked at the name on the screen it was Gus.

"Oh no he knows."

Thomas looked at me, "No he doesn't answer the phone."

I answered the phone, "Hello."

"Hey, I hope you didn't forget about our plans tonight."

"Of course not,' I lied 'I just got out of working on a project."

"Great,' He said,'I'll pick you up at 7:30. I love you."

"You too." I said.

He hung up. I sat there my forehead still pressed against Thomas' I was regaining my composure. My breathing steadied and I pulled away.

"Sorry,' he said,'I've wanted to do that for four years. I shouldn't have you and Gus are together and you've been together for like a year, I just, I'm sorry but I had to, I just had to."

I looked at him for a second letting his word wash over me. Screw it, I thought. I kissed him again. I could tell he was a bit caught of guard before he started kissing me back. He pulled away.

"What do you have with Gus tonight?"

"Is it bad that I actually don't remember." I replied.

Thomas laughed as I tried to warp my brain around the events that just happened. I had just kissed someone I'd had a crush on for four years. I had been waiting four years for this to happen. He voice brought me back to reality.

"I was thinking maybe…No, I just kissed you but you have a boyfriend I can't ask you out."

"Thomas, I was planning on breaking up with him tonight, would you want to do something with me afterwards?"

He looked at me, he studied my face and eyes or any trace of lies. He looked back at his motorcycle.

"I know it's no Range Rover,' he said subtly hinting at Gus' car, 'but when you're done with Gus, I could maybe pick you up. Maybe a first date?"

I thought about it, "Of course. I would love that."

Thomas grinned as he walked away, I climbed into my car and drove to my house.