"Aren't you coming to the game tonight?" Jamie asked Clay.

He shrugged. "Might as well, I guess."

"We might win the state championship this year! Don't you even care at all?"

"I'm not really into all that high school stuff so much anymore, Jamie. I'm into cop stuff now."

Jamie stuck her tongue out at him, and Doug laughed. "Just between you and me, he really does still care," he whispered to his stepdaughter.

The family left for the football game, Clay following the others in his used Toyota. Less than five minutes after they arrived, Jamie spied Hunter sitting alone high up in the bleachers and eagerly climbed up to join him. "Hi, Hunter!" she exclaimed.

Hunter nodded. "Jamie."

In the presence of her crush object, Jamie suddenly found herself tongue-tied. She simply couldn't think of a single thing to say to the boy whom she'd always thought of as 'gorgeous.' "I'll bet there will be a big turn-out tonight," she finally remarked.

"Of course there will be," Hunter replied. "At the rate our team's going, they're gonna win the state championship this year."

"I sure hope they win it!"

"So do I." An uneasy silence fell over the two again as Jamie struggled desperately to come up with another topic of conversation. "I love fall," she finally said. "I think it's my favorite season. I just love watching the leaves change colors and fall from the trees."

"Yeah, it's nice." Hunter sounded bored.

Just then two thing happened almost simultaneously. The band started playing the school song, and Taylor approached them with an eager smile on her face. "Hey, babe!" said Hunter. He stood and kissed Taylor's lips. "Hey, Jamie, scoot over, will ya?"

Tears filled the teenager's eyes as she dashed back to where Doug and Jo were sitting with Bethany. "Hey, sweetie. What's wrong?" asked Doug. Jamie just shook her head, unable to speak.

She managed to keep her composure until the game was over. Oklahoma High won the game, and as the Normans walked to their car, Jamie was the only one with a long face. "I hate Taylor!" she exploded as soon as they were inside the car.

"My gosh, what happened?" asked Jo.

"She and Hunter are together now!" Jamie crossed her arms and glared at the back of the seat in front of her.

"I'm sorry, honey," said Jo.

"I'm never speaking to her again!"

Doug laughed. "Boy trouble, huh?"

"It's not one bit funny!" Jamie spat. None of the family said anything about it for the rest of the journey home. Jo and Doug made small talk about the game, and when they were finally home, Jamie marched into her room and slammed the door hard.

"Whew!" Doug chuckled. "I think she's just a little upset!"

"I know how she feels," Jo said quietly. "One time Blair and I both liked the same guy, and it really hurt when he asked her out instead of me. Later, she found out he was dating another girl at the same time and broke up with him."

"Sounds like you turned out to be the lucky one, after all."

"Yeah. I just hope Jamie will be OK. She's had a crush on Hunter for a long time. Since middle school, I believe."

"She'll be fine. I eventually got over Patty, and she'll get over Hunter, too."

Monday morning, Jamie was on her way to her first class of the day when she saw Hunter and Taylor walking toward her, holding hands. "Hi, Jamie!" Taylor squealed. Jamie said nothing and pointedly looked away.

All morning long, she could barely concentrate on her classes. In her mind, she kept replaying the stab of pain she'd felt in her heart when she'd seen Hunter and Taylor walking together. And I thought she was my friend! she stewed.

At lunch she sat in the corner of the cafeteria, hoping Taylor wouldn't see her. "Hey," said an unfamiliar voice. Jamie looked up into the darkest brown eyes she'd ever seen and realized that they belonged to a very nice-looking young man. Nicer looking than Hunter, even. "Why so glum?" he asked.

"I just lost my best friend." She hoped he wouldn't ask for any additional details.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed. "By the way, my name's Drew. My family just moved here over the summer, so I don't know too many kids here yet."

"Nice to meet you! My name's Jamie." She smiled and offered him her hand, and he shook it. "We moved here three years ago from New York."

"What's that like? I've never been before, but I've always been curious about it."

"It's awesome! Really different from around here. A lot busier and noisier, too."

"I'll bet!"

As she became deeply absorbed in conversation with her new friend, Jamie forgot all about Taylor and Hunter.