Chapter 1

The tense crackle of the track screeched when the needle caressed the vinyl. The guitar crescendo filled the room. I looked across at her and the end of her finger rested on her plump pink bottom lip. Roger Daltrey's voice oozed out of the crackled speakers like some sort of summer breeze. So I guess this is my teenage wasteland? I wouldn't be anywhere else.

I don't need to fight, to prove I'm right. I don't need to be forgiven.

It all started in the summer of 2010 in Lima, Ohio. William McKinley High School to be exact. I'd like to say I was the complete loner in my class, just to make this whole story a little more miraculous – up the underdog and all but, truth be told, I wasn't a complete loner. I wasn't exactly Mr. Popular either mind ya. Anyway, back to the story before I start yakkin' away.

I was sitting in English class with some of my buddies, messin' on y'know how it is. Miss Tate – our English teacher, was trying to get us to stop clownin'. And then the door opened. In stepped this girl. Dark hair, slender and a little shy. In fact, I don't remember her looking up till miss got her in her seat.

Miss looked up at her standing in the doorway.

'Ah, you must be the new student joining us!' She welcomed cheerily. The girl said nothing but nodded, clutching a light blue file to her chest. Miss approached her, and the girl slipped her a note folded in half. She took a second to read the small piece of paper and nodded, before flashing a grin to the girl.

'Everyone,' she looked all around the room. 'This is Rachel. She's our new student joining us for the rest of the term.' Miss nodded to her and motioned over to a seat by the window in the middle row.

'Why don't you take a seat over there, get settled in.'

The girl nodded in gratitude and scuttled off to her seat in front of Stinky Pete and behind Joey B. Miss never seemed to get why there was always a seat spare round Stinky Pete. I watched her scuttle over, and there was just something about her, I just couldn't stop watching the way she moved.

Obviously, I wasn't paying attention so I had no clue what was going on around me.

'So Mr. Puckerman, who is the first to speak in Romeo and Juliet…?'

I didn't even realise she was speaking to me until I was nudged out of my dream state.

'Uh…I…'

She nodded with a little smile. 'A little more time with your head in the book and out of the clouds I suggest Mr. Puckerman?'

I smirked embarrassed. 'Yeah…'

And so on went the lesson, and I managed to hold myself together. As soon as class was dismissed, I wanted to go over to her so badly. I wanted to rescue her from Stinky Pete and Joey B leering over her but I just…couldn't. Like I really, couldn't. If ya get what I mean? I couldn't sit there…but I couldn't get up! (Well…I could get up perfectly fine, if you catch my drift.) It felt like a rock pressing down on my lap. The class was moving out, and still there I sat. Coach was expecting me out on the field next period. Oh man this was bad. More movement wasn't what I needed! I sat with my hands clamped around the sides of my wooden desk, paralysed trying to come up with something. Anything! I couldn't exactly take the desk with me. This had never happened to me before. Oh man, I really wish it didn't have to happen to me right then – not with Miss Tate, that really sucked.

'Noah…? Shouldn't you be getting to class…?' Oh no, I didn't need her coming over to me.

'Uh, yeah Miss, I…' I could feel my face getting warmer.

'Noah…?' she looked at me a little confused. 'Is there something wrong…?'

'Uh ye…' I shook my head. 'No Miss…'

'Which is it Noah? Yes or no…?'

I looked down at my desk; I couldn't look her in the face. Not now. 'Yeah Miss…'

'What's wrong?'

I cleared my throat under my shroud of utter mortification. 'I can't get up…' I kept my voice low.

'What, sorry I can't hear you…'

'I can't….I can't get up…' I raised my voice a little higher with a croak.

She looked at the way I was sitting and the expression on my face and she must have known exactly what had happened. Her facial expression turned from confusion to realisation.

She nodded. 'Okay, we'll let's not panic about this…'

I clenched the desk. 'It's a little late for that Miss don'tcha think?'

'Okay,' she soothed. 'While you're still in here, why don't you take off your jacket, hold it in front of your waist while you take yourself to the restroom?' she smiled at me with sympathy, meanwhile I was still crimson with all-consuming embarrassment.

I took her advice, but somehow news spread real fast. The next day I couldn't even hold my head up walking the halls there. The guys heckled me and the girls laughed behind their hands and folders together. The only one who seemed oblivious to it all was her. I'd see Rachel walking by, still clutching that folder to herself. I didn't quite have the same reaction as the first time, but I still found myself daydreaming at the thought of her.

Even on the bus I couldn't escape her. She sat a few rows in front but I could still see her, and she was still oblivious to the world. She'd just stare vacantly out of the window, and the breeze would wander in blowing back those long dark locks and a hint of a scent like vanilla would drift over, lingering through the air in the loud and crowded bus. She unzipped her bag and took out some silver framed aviators and slipped them on.

I slid my key in the door and jarred it open.

'You back already honey?'

'Hi mom.' I dropped my bag down by the front door with a clanging thud.

She emerged from the garage wiping her hands with a towel. 'Oh Noah,' she tutted. 'What have I told you about just dropping your bag on the floor?'

Without a word I slung my bag back over my shoulder and went upstairs to my room.

My room is just as you would expect a teen boys' bedroom to look – navy walls, old worn out bed, posters of girls and Kobe and Shaq sporadically interspersed on the walls. I threw my bag onto my bed and kicked off my sneakers. My older sister Nina came scuttling into the room to taunt me.

'Oh so you can walk properly now?' She giggled. Told ya the news spreads fast at William McKinley.

'Shut up Nina.' I sighed not even looking at her.

Before she could taunt me anymore the doorbell sounded.

Just as I got to the stairs, I heard the click and quiet squeak of the door opening. I stood on the top step and saw an older woman holding a white dish covered in saran wrap and she was smiling at my mother.

'Hello,' the woman said softly with a southern lull. 'I just moved in across the street and I just wanted to introduce myself. Where I'm from we normally give gifts to the neighbours to say hello, so I made you a chicken casserole…' The woman handed it to my mom.

'Oh, well thank you that's very generous of you!' quipped my mom.

'My name is Dana…' she was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. She smiled over her shoulder. 'Oh and this is my granddaughter…she's coming to stay with me for the summer.'

I lowered my head, and low and behold who should be standing there, on my front porch, but Rachel.

Her grandmother nudged her elbow and she smiled at my mom. 'Hi, I'm Rachel.'

My mother nodded. 'Well it's lovely to meet you both! I'm Jean, and I've got a daughter and son here but I'm not quite sure where they are!' she joked. 'But they both go to the local high school so no doubt you'll bump into them!'

'Is that William McKinley High School?' the woman asked.

'Yes it is, my daughter is about to graduate and my son will be a senior after the summer.'

'Oh well,' the woman smiled turning to Rachel. 'Rachel here has just enrolled yesterday, so you'll have some new friends!' she turned back to her.

'Oh yes, I'll tell them both to look out for you, they'll look after you.'

Rachel nodded politely. 'Thank you, that would be nice.'

'Don't worry about it, you'll settle down in no time. Everyone's the new kid once!'

Rachel nodded with a smirk. The woman wrapped an arm around her shoulder. 'Well we won't take up any more of your time, we just wanted to drop by and say hello. If you need anything we'll be just across the street!'

My mother nodded. 'Well thank you for the casserole, it looks wonderful. You're always welcome to drop by!' she added cheerily.

They both left our porch without much more word. As my mother shut the door I came down the stairs, trying to look as casual as possible – as if I hadn't heard a word at the door. I looked at the casserole with feigned confusion.

'Our new neighbour just came to say hello with her granddaughter, and they brought us this casserole. Aint that sweet?'

I nodded half-heartedly. Then my sister came charging down the stairs. Mom smiled at her. 'Ah, I was just telling your brother how our new neighbour just came over with this casserole and her granddaughter to say hello. Aint that nice?' my sister also nodded half-heartedly.

'Apparently her granddaughter just enrolled at your school yesterday, so you'll probably see her around. Stunning young girl…Rachel, or something? Delightfully polite girl.'

My sister's eyes lit up with devilish glee. 'Oh I think Noah might already know her!' she giggled. Mom looked at me puzzled. 'She's in a few classes with him…he got a boner over her in English class!' she laughed in machine gun bursts.

'Nina!' I screeched unnaturally in disbelief that she had told.

Mom smiled on me sympathetically trying to stifle any laughter. 'Oh Noah…' she cooed. 'It's only natural…in your defence, she is very pretty.'

Without another word I stomped off upstairs.

The last thing I needed on top of the whole school knowing about my…'crush', was my own mom but now that was shot to shit! I collapsed back on my bed near the headboard and glanced across at my alarm clock. The green neon lines stared back at me. 19.17. I sighed heavily and closed my eyes, only one face in my mind as my muscles relaxed back into my navy blue pinstriped comforter.