Chapter 1
Ally's POV
The sun woke me before my alarm clock like usual. I rolled over to try to get more sleep but knew that it was pointless. I threw the blanket off me and sat up, yawning, and stretching before leaving to the bathroom to get ready for school.

I only had one more semester of high school before I moved to Massachusetts to go to Harvard. I had been accepted already and I was very pleased with myself. It had been my mother's dream for me to follow in her footsteps. But the more I thought about it, the less excited I was to go.

I finished with my shower and got dressed. I pulled on one of my many dresses and a light jacket. I didn't do much makeup because I never felt that school was important to go all out. I brushed and dried my hair, leaving the natural curl cascade down my back. After brushing my teeth, I went back to my room.

I glanced at the clock and saw that I had an hour before I usually left for school. I packed my books in my bag and headed downstairs. My dad had probably already left for work, so I made myself a bowl of cereal and texted Trish that I was ready when she was.

By the time I had finished my breakfast, I had received a reply So early… again. When are you going to sleep in like a normal person?

I laugh at the laziness of my best friend and send, When the sun stops rising.

I sat on the couch and waited for Trish to text me that she was here. I had my own car, but I didn't like driving so I always got a ride to school with Trish, who didn't mind because I would buy her gas in exchange. Yeah, totally equally beneficial, I thought to myself.

Trish texted a little while later. I stood up, grabbing my book bag, and pulling on my sandals.

"Hey, beautiful," my Latina friend greeted me with a smile when I climbed into her car.

"Morning, Trish," I smiled back.

The ride to school was full of celebrity gossip, whining about work, and music from the radio. I only half listened to what Trish was saying because I honestly didn't care about who she was talking about. I just let her ramble on until at long last, we pulled into the parking lot of school. It was the first day of the last semester and I was on track to becoming valedictorian. We had to get our new schedules, so Trish and I made our way to the gym where there were tables with everyone's new schedules.

When I grabbed mine, I saw that it pretty much remained the same from last semester. Except instead of gym, I had health. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Trish was also going to be in the class.

Trish continued to yap about more people we didn't know, and I quietly "listened" as we walked to my locker. I was relieved when the bell rang and I could go to class to listen to something other than articles in Cheetah Beat and local gossip.

I sat in my seat at the front of the room. I seemed to always be the first one to every class. I pulled out my chemistry textbook, my homework, and my notebook. I opened it to a blank page and wrote the date and today's topic on the top as everyone else entered the room noisily.

I happened to glance up when he walked in. And I felt the usual flutter in my stomach, even though I knew I shouldn't. Austin Moon. The boy everyone knew to stay away from. The boy that had done the unspeakable two years ago. The boy that hasn't spoken since. The boy that was dangerous. Austin Moon, the boy that was once my friend.
I smiled shyly at him before turning back to my paper, feeling my cheeks grow warm as he walked past me to his seat in the back of the room. He hadn't even looked at me, yet I was still out of breath. I knew I couldn't, or rather, I shouldn't like him, but I had had a crush on him for years, even before the incident. It just never went away.

Nobody even knew.

Class started and ended. As did the other classes. My day went as it had the whole year. The only difference being my last class.

Health

I met Trish walking to class. She instantly started to talk about school drama and who slept with who over the small break. It was amazing what Trish could learn over the course of a day.

We found two empty seats on the side of the classroom since the desks were arranged in a U-shape with only a few rows in the center. As I had with chemistry, I took out my books, writing the date and class name at the top. Trish was still going on about her gossip when she suddenly took a sharp intake of air and let out a groan that sounded more like a growl. I glanced over to see her glaring across the room. I followed her gaze and felt the flutter again and my cheeks redden. There he was again. He was sitting on the other side of the U across from us.

Austin leaned back in his chair, not bothering to take out his books. Instead, he had his hands in his pockets and looked at the wall absently. His blonde hair fell on his head perfectly, his brown eyes seemed void of any emotion. He wore a light blue V-neck under a black jacket. His whistle necklace hung around his neck like it had since I gave it to him in middle school. It always made me smile when I saw it, but also very sad. It had been so long ago, and so much had happened to change everything.

"Why is he here?" Trish growled. "I have never had a class with him. Why should I now? It's not fair." I rolled my eyes. Of course, Trish believed the rumors about the incident. She was so wrapped up in the gossip that she believed it to be gospel.

"He's not bad in class. We probably won't even know he's here," I told her.

"Well, he better stay on that side of the room for the rest of the year. I don't want to be associated with that." I sighed as the teacher started the class.

"With only thirty minutes left of the class, we learned of our final project for health class. "We will be having a group final. I already have the groups assigned, so don't get excited. Each group will be assigned a chapter in the textbook to research and do a collaborative project due the last week of school. We have eight seniors in here so they will be divided into two groups of four. And since you graduate the week before the rest of the students finish, your projects are due a week before everyone else. Now the groups will be…"

"She started listing names and groups. I looked up when she said my name. "Allyson Dawson, Patricia De la Rosa, Dezmond Wade, and Austin Moon. Chapter nine."

"Trish's scowl was cold and angry. I could tell she disliked our group. Not just because of Austin, but because of Dez also. Dez was a cool guy, in a nerdy, weird, fun kind of way. I always got along with him, but Trish despised him ever since their awkward first kiss.

"Now get with your groups, look over the chapter you were assigned, and decide what you want to do about your final project. Your decision needs to be written and turned in no later than next Monday after class. That is a week," the teacher ordered.

Trish grabbed my textbook and started to angrily flip through the pages. Dez kissed his girlfriend Carrie, who was in the other senior group, and made his way over to us. He smiled at me as he grabbed a chair and sat in front of me, not looking at Trish. I guess the dislike was a mutual thing.

"Hey," I said to Dez, returning his smile. I glanced over his shoulder to see Austin slowly get up. The butterflies in my stomach took off again.

Trish stopped flipping pages and turned to me with a huge grin. "Ally!" she squealed enthusiastically, "We are going to the spa!"

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Trish, I don't think that…" I was lost for words as my eyes found his. They watched me for a second before he sat down a little further away. He pulled a chair like Dez, but he sat in it backwards, his arms resting on the back of it. He didn't acknowledge any of us. He just looked at the wall beside us.

Dez and Trish turned away from him slightly, pulling me away from my thoughts. "We should focus and actually accomplish our final, Trish. Then maybe we can go to the spa," I finally said.

"No, Ally! That is our final!"

"What?"

"Chapter nine is holistic healing. We can learn about and study massages, facials, and mani-pedis! This is perfect!" Trish yelled, grabbing my arm excitedly.

I laughed again but before I could tell her how she was wrong, Dez spoke up, "There is more to holistic healing than massages and fluff. There's acupuncture, Chinese medicine, cupping, and herbal remedies. There's even a foot religion and chakras."

I tilted my head to the side as I looked at him. "Foot religion? Are you referring to reflexology?"

"Isn't that when the doctor hits your knee and you kick?"

"No, Dez. Reflexology is the study of how every muscle and tendon in the foot connect to different parts of your body. When massaged it will help relieve tension to the corresponding part of your body."

"Oh! Dibs on that one!" Trish said. "I don't mind taking one for the team. I can study that one hands on…or would it be feet on…"

I laughed yet again at my best friend, "Okay, Trish, we can go to the spa and experience the fluff of holistic healing. Dez and Austin can go get acupuncture and the other side of things."

"No," Dez said, with a quick glance at Austin. It broke my heart to see that Dez also treated Austin differently. They had once been best friends. Closer than brothers. But now, Dez didn't even want to go do a school assignment with him.

"Why not?" I asked slowly, even though I knew why.

"Because I…" Dez looked me in the eye, begging me to understand that he didn't want anything to do with Austin.

I glanced at Austin to see that his jaw was clenched, and his arms were tense on the back of the chair. He was obviously annoyed with how his ex-best friend treated him. "Fine," I said. "Trish, you can go with Dez to the spa. I will go with Austin to get the other side of Holistic Healing."

Neither Trish nor Dez seemed thrilled with going together, but when faced with the alternative, they agreed. As the class finished up, Trish, Dez, and I thought of many ideas about how to present our research. Austin never spoke to any of us, which wasn't surprising. But after a while, he pulled out his phone. Probably playing games. This was going to be difficult.

When the bell rang for the end of the day, we all stood to leave. I gathered my things in my bag and told Trish I would meet her at her car.

I caught up with Auston outside the classroom. "Hey," I said. He glanced down at me, expressionless. I decided that was the most acknowledgment I would get, so I continued, "When would you like to go get this done? Trish and Dez are planning for this weekend. Would you be able to go this weekend? I'm not sure where we could go to get acupuncture, but maybe we could look into it?" I rambled nervously. I felt like I was asking him out on a date and it made my stomach explode in flurries and my face to grow warmer the more I talked.

I still got no response from the tall blonde walking next to me. And I was getting a lot of looks from everyone in the halls. I grabbed Austin's arm, stopping him, and turning him to face me. He didn't resist, but he wouldn't look at me.

"Do you even want to work on this thing with me? Or do you expect me to do all the work?" I asked bluntly.

He finally met my gaze, and I felt my heart start to race, like it always did when I looked at him. He didn't say anything. He just shrugged and walked away. I wanted to scream out of frustration. This was going to all fall on me. I turned in the opposite direction, ignoring the looks and whispers. They probably all thought I was either brave or stupid or probably both. But I didn't care. I was just happy that I talked to him today.

The next few days played out the same, except I never spoke to Austin again. Trish and Dez had set up appointments to go the spa. And I was still looking for an affordable place to go try acupuncture. I didn't bother asking Austin again because I would probably get the same shoulder shrug.

However, Thursday after school, I got an interesting phone call. "Hello?" I answered.

"Hi, this is Bre, with the Elements Holistic Healing Resort. I'm just calling to remind Ally Dawson about her acupuncture appointment tomorrow at 4:30."

"Oh um…" I was stunned. "I didn't make an appointment. How did you get me on your schedule?" I asked.

"It looks like the appointment was booked online at 2:47 pm on Monday by and Austin Moon," Bre said cheerfully.

Austin fucking Moon!?

I didn't say anything in response. I was still in shock. Austin made the appointment? On Monday? But that time was before school was even out. That means…

"Hello? Ma'am? Are you still there?"

"Oh, yeah sorry. I'm just surprised," I said trying to sound normal, but it came out strangled.

"Would you like to keep the appointment or cancel it?" Bre asked, sounding a little annoyed or amused, I couldn't tell.

"I'll keep it. Thank you. And you said it was tomorrow at 4:30?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Okay, thanks, bye."

I hung up in complete shock.

"Austin Moon!" I yelled down the hall when I saw him at his locker. It was before school on Friday, not many people were in the hall at the moment, but I'm sure my yell was going to attract a lot of eyes.

After I yelled, I regretted it. Now people were going to be listening. I walked towards him purposefully. His eyes were wide in surprise. He didn't know what I was doing. I thought I could even see some fear. Which kinda made me laugh, but on the inside. I had to be firmly angry or this wouldn't come off the way I planned.

"Austin," I said again as I reached him. I crossed my arms and tried my best to glare at him. Probably failing. He stared at me as though I were a myth come to life. I shook my head saying, "Why did you book me an appointment without telling me?"

His features relaxed and I could tell he was slightly amused now. He just shrugged, closed his locker, and walked away.

I stood there with my mouth open for a second before chasing him down. "Austin, don't walk away from… ahh!" I tripped and fallen, but I didn't hit the floor. Instead, I was caught in the arms of him.

I stared up into his warm chocolate eyes. They sparkled with amusement and… something else. I couldn't place it. He helped me stand up straight before walking again. This time we walked side by side.

"Thank you," was all I said as we entered out chemistry room. I hoped he knew I meant it for more than just catching me. But I doubt it. I sighed and sat in my usual spot as he walked to the back row as usual.