Hey guys! Here's Chapter 1 just as I promised! :) I actually got my fifth review after the trailer was put up so here you go! :) I hope you guys enjoy this! A lot of ideas were floating in my head as I wrote this. You might get an idea of where I got some of my inspiration haha. :) 7 more reviews for the next chapter to be put up please! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

P.S. Thank you to those who have reviewed! Your comments inspire me and motivate me to do what I love. Shout-outs will be posted in the next chapter!

A Year Without Rain

Part I. March Madness

Chapter 1: The Man Who Can't Be Moved

MB

"What's your favorite scary movie?" Ghostface asked.

"Claire, we're not watching Scream, are we?" Massie groaned involuntarily as she entered her living room where her blond best friend was perched on the couch, sitting Indian style. Her eyes were glued to the screen.

"Come on, Mass. It's a classic." Claire laughed. She grabbed the remote and turned up the volume of the flat screen TV that Massie's grandparents had given her and her mother for Christmas a few months ago.

"Seriously…" Massie rolled her eyes and decided to grab her laptop that was placed on the coffee table and logged on to Facebook. She sat down with her laptop in tow.

Massie blushed as she viewed her most recent update on her news feed.

Cam Fisher - Back from England! It's good to be home.

"He's back," Massie said to herself, blushing even more and then she huffed, acting as if she didn't give a damn.

"What?" Claire asked as she paused the movie.

Massie's eyes bugged out in surprise as her friend had grown curious. "What?" Her attempt at appearing clueless had failed. It always has.

"What's going on?" Claire asked, sitting up so she could scoot closer to Massie to casually peek at her computer screen.

She raised an eyebrow. "So he's back…What do you care?"

"Exactly. I don't." She sounded so stubborn and defensive. She hoped that Claire didn't see right through to her. However, almost 5 years of friendship made it hard for Massie to hide her feelings without Claire realizing what was going on.

She rolled her eyes as she scrolled down her news feed, acting like her entire purpose of logging on the social networking site was something she did out of randomness. Not because she was hoping to catch a glimpse of her ex-boyfriend's whereabouts.

After all, she was the one who ended things.

A twinge of guilt had risen to the surface and she was struggling to suppress the overwhelming wave of despair she felt when she severed her relationship with him. But she did it because she was so afraid and lacked the confidence so many people expected she had.

So much fucking expectation.

"Girls! I'm stepping out for a…last-minute meeting." Massie's mother, Kendra had called as she came down the stairs. Massie had a striking resemblance to her, aside from the amber eyes which she had inherited from her absent father.

"Okay, mom! Enjoy your…er, meeting." Massie felt awkward as she replied to her mom. When William Michaels and Kendra Block met in college 18 years ago, Kendra was living in the lap of luxury, aspiring to be a professional journalist, photographer, and benefactor on behalf of the Block family fortune. Kendra caught William's eye and they had spent numerous months together as a couple. When it became known that Kendra was pregnant, William had fled the situation and didn't stand by her side to support her.

It made Massie sick to the pit of her stomach. When she asked her mom on her 11th birthday what had gone down between her and her dad and why he wasn't around, she had resented him ever since. She despised her father. She couldn't believe that he, her own flesh and blood, could be so heartless and selfish. He didn't love her mother enough to stand by her…He didn't love his own daughter.

Despite the fact that Massie had been deprived of a father, she did have a lot of support as she was growing up. Kendra was able to balance raising her child and took up some modeling. She knew all the right people and wounded up currently working as the head of a popular New York fashion magazine. Massie's grandparents always kept an eye out for Massie and Kendra. Kendra had always been free-spirited whereas Massie was more responsible, even as a teenager. In reference to the two, Massie's grandma would quote:

"Massie, sometimes it's like your roles as mother and daughter are reversed!"

Her grandparents, aside from her mother, had been there for her since the beginning. Even if they irritated Kendra to no end, she would always admit that she appreciated them and would be willing to do anything to repay them for all their support. In fact, she was currently paying them off, even if her grandparents at times stubbornly refused.

Ah, the stubborn side that ran in the Block family.

Massie lived in a two-story home in Westchester, New York with her single mom. Her mom, as part of the way to thank her parents for all their help, had kept a room of their own for whenever they came to visit. Westchester and New York City were the only world that Massie had ever known. She couldn't imagine life anywhere else. Currently attending Westchester High School, she was set to attend Columbia University in the fall.

She heard her mom grab the keys from the kitchen and said goodbye to the girls as she opened and shut the door, heading to her "meeting".

"If meeting is code for date, then I'd rather just hear the word date." She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "She's such a teenager sometimes."

Claire played with her blond bob. "I don't know if you noticed…But you're mom was looking particularly hot in that navy blue dress…" She sounded nervous to hear her friend's reaction. Massie tended to freak out at times when she really didn't need to.

"Huh?" Massie gasped as she had forgotten to check if her mom looked appropriate for her meeting…Screw it, it was a date for crying out loud. "Oh great…So she's going all-out to impress some guy that I haven't even met yet!"

Claire laughed softly. "Just give your mom a little time. She knows what she's doing."

"It's just…I worry for her, you know?" Massie put her face in her hands to show her distress.

"Now you sound like her mom." Claire pointed that out to have Massie turn over to her. As if Massie hadn't her that comment before.

"Let's just drop it. I know she's going to be fine. I'm just scared that if she likes the guy she's currently going out with that it'll turn into something…serious."

Claire mockingly gasped. "And God forbid your mom gets a boyfriend. Come on Mass, you can't expect someone as awesome as your mom to die alone now, can you?"

Massie had the urge to smack a pillow at Claire's face for she was starting to laugh. "My mom is not going to die alone! You don't understand…I just don't want her to get hurt…Again."

Her best friend's laughter faded. "Right…Look, I know you're scared for your mom but she's a big girl. She's 38 and she's beyond successful…She's got a lot going for her. I don't think she'd be dumb enough to fall under a guy's spell and let him take advantage of her."

Massie still had some doubts but a side of her said that she was being ridiculous. She gave in to what Claire said because she was indeed the voice of reason. She nodded as she met Claire's eyes and assured her that she understood. She also told herself that she would try to be supportive of her mom's dating.

"So…Back to this Facebook situation…" Claire began innocently.

Massie groaned. "Drop it, Claire."

"No way." Claire shook her head and sighed in exasperation. "I don't understand why you broke up with Cam if you were going to regret it the second you did it."

Massie was at a loss of words. What Claire had said made perfect sense. In fact, Massie had basically told herself what Claire had just said. But she wasn't going to let it get to her.

"Why don't you just tell Cam that you want to get back together? I know you've been dying to. Everyone in the whole Westchester area knows that!"

Massie clenched her fists to calm herself. She unclenched them and sighed, looking up at her friend. "…I can't."

"That's a lot different than 'you won't'." Claire noted. "But why can't you?"

"Because I was afraid that…" She froze and had to choke the words out to release her true feelings. Her stubborn side sometimes just got too strong for her. She trusted Claire with practically everything in her life.

Well, except for that secret. She never told anyone about it.

"Yeah?" Claire asked patiently. Her eyes didn't show any sign of annoyance and she was thankful for her best friend. She knew she herself wasn't the easiest person to deal with. It was a 24/7 job for her and she struggled sometimes…A lot.

"I'm afraid that…with him taking the scholarship and going to England and all…That our relationship would've weakened within a couple of months…And then we'd just drop the whole thing." As the words came out, she felt like an idiot.

Claire's cerulean blue eyes widened and her neutral face had lightened up. She laughed but still managed to sound reasonable. "Massie, Cam's practically in love with you! He wouldn't let it go. You wouldn't let it go! A relationship's a two-way street. You two need to talk this out. If Cam were here, he'd say you were being completely ridiculous!"

Massie, like a stubborn six-year-old girl, bit her lip, pouted, and mumbled. "I know…"

"I knew that because he wasn't around that it was easier for you to cover up how much you missed him. But I know you…It's been driving you…As the Brits say…Mad." Claire said, placing her hand on her best friend's shoulder.

Massie turned to face Claire. Her amber eyes had widened and a tear fell down her cheek. Her defenses weakened and she was happy that Claire wouldn't hold it against her for revealing how she truly felt. She hugged her tightly. "Why do you put up with me?"

Claire laughed softly. "Because you put up with me."

CF

"Señor Cam," Cam's boss Mr. Tampico at the Taco Hut called his teenage employee over. "It's your first day back on the job and it looks like you need to return to training."

"Sorry jefe." Cam shrugged as he met his boss's critical eyes. He'd wager that his boss knew about his current situation. Getting a scholarship, losing his girlfriend, and visiting England all in the past month all took a toll on not-so-golden boy Cam.

"You look upset." Mr. Tampico scratched at his Vin Diesel-like bald head. "You having some girl troubles or something?"

Cam suddenly felt this entire conversation turn for the worse. All he could feel was embarrassment and he found it impossible to hide his shame.

"Ah." He smiled at his employee and patted him on the head. "You want me to call my nephew Felix? He works with the local mariachi band that plays here. You could…serenade your lady back into your arms. You'll be happy again. And I won't be losing all my customers." He let out a hearty laugh.

"Thanks Mr. T." Cam laughed. He got a kick from his boss's attempt at helping him. His boss depended on the success of his Mexican food establishment but it didn't make him a selfish guy. He treated Cam like his very own, along with the rest of his employees. "But it looks like I'm going to have to talk to her first to figure out what went wrong…I'm confused…And frustrated." His relaxed expression had morphed into one of melancholy and hopelessness. Massie was his first true love. Even if those three little words hadn't been said yet. If they ever would be said. He still couldn't understand why she broke up with him that Monday morning officially more than a month ago. She ended things without explanation. Her face totally expressionless, she walked away, leaving him in confusion and panic. He found himself stunned, unable to move. He did find the ability to use his legs eventually and tried running after her to demand why she let their relationship go. But she had everyone she knew protect her like a shield so she could keep herself from facing him. And Massie knew everyone.

And a few days after, he left for England to visit some family.

Mr. Tampico frowned. "You'll figure this out, boy. You're smart."

Cam nodded as his boss returned to work. "But apparently I'm not Massie-smart." He muttered to himself as he was about to return to taking orders.

Cam had been working at the Taco Hut since he turned 16 so it had been more than two years since he's worked here. He had grown to love the establishment. With its Mexican décor of red, white, and green and pictures of Mr. Tampico and his family, it was Cinco de Mayo all-day everyday. Cam had to wear a black dress shirt and matching slacks. It wasn't mandatory to wear the customary sombrero but he had to wear it when food critics came around. He managed to get a lot of tips. Although Cam's family was of high middle class status, the Fishers still believed in hard work and stressed that he and his brother had to pitch in to help out if there were extra things that they wanted. When Cam wanted to pay for extra soccer training, this was what he had to do to pay his folks back. He didn't regret the decision. If it meant playing more soccer, then so be it.

Customers that came included his old fifth grade teacher and her kids, some classmates, and a elderly couple. He managed to get some good tips. It was his first day back on the job and he was back to doing his best. He tried to assure himself that the problems that he had with Massie would be resolved. He cared about her too much to let her go.

"Camacito!" He heard an all-too familiar shout as the door to enter the restaurant opened.

"Derrick?" Cam turned around to meet his approaching best friend.

Cam met Derrick's hand to perform their secret handshake that they have been cultivating since they were five and gave each other a quick brotherly hug. "It's been forever, man."

"You're telling me. Do you have any idea how many girls I've hooked up with since you disappeared off the face of the planet?" His best friend joked.

"Let me take a wild guess. 1 more than your last record of 0?" Cam laughed.

Derrick rolled his eyes and managed a sarcastic laugh. "Wrong. The actual answer is I haven't hooked up with any."

"Right." Cam remembered what his friend had vouched to him. "Your quest for the impossible still continues. Have you taken action yet?"

Derrick became flustered. "Not yet…I'm planning to tomorrow. I've got almost everything set up. I just have to make sure Plovert and Kemp don't weasel out of it…"

"Uh, what exactly are you having them do?" Cam's curiosity had peaked.

"You'll find out tomorrow." Derrick revealed a mischievous smile.

"I just hope that for your sake she doesn't run away when she finds out that all you've done…whatever the hell it is your doing…was just for her."

"She won't." Derrick had said with a lot more certainty than he actually felt.

Cam caught on. "You never know. You might be surprised."

Derrick nodded and relaxed. "So how are you going to get Massie to speak to you?"

"Well, I was planning to rally up a mariachi band and sing alongside them in front of Massie's house so she could come outside to the balcony. And you know, be serenaded."

Derrick snorted. "You can't be serious."

Cam's face turned grim. "I'm not. All I know is that I need to talk to her."

"Well, tomorrow night's your chance. A bunch of us are hanging out at the ol' park. Playing some futbol and we're going to the movies after. Landon's back in town, too. Kristen said she and the girls were planning on stopping by. It's also a part of my quest for, as you call it, the impossible."

Cam nodded, seriously thinking that this would be his chance to get Massie to face him. Ideas started forming in his head. But then all of his ideas fell short and his mind drew a blank.

How could he get Massie's attention without her pushing him away?

"Hey, Derrick. My shift's ending in an hour. Do you want to hang out at my house after?"

"Sure thing." Derrick sat down at the nearest available table. Cam had grabbed a menu and handed it over to him.

After Cam had served Derrick some nachos, he ran around waiting on other tables.

Aside from his conflict with Massie, Cam's life was caught in a whirlwind of constant change. He never thought he'd be able to get such a close hold of his dream so soon. By the age of 20, he could be trying out to join Manchester United or Chelsea. The thought made him almost tremble with anticipation. He was excited to explore a new country, a place where a big part of his family lived. The pros and cons of his scholarship to Oxford had balanced out but the heaviest con was leaving his cherished hometown and Massie, who he believed could be the love of his life. He didn't want to let her go. He only wanted to fall more deeply in love with her and get closer to her. He hoped that he would've been able to do so even if he was in another country. But Massie had never given him the chance to speak the day after he broke the news to her. She broke up with him after being stunned to silence after he revealed the news.

She said she was happy for him. She even managed a good smile. But it wasn't entirely heartfelt.

She was hurting inside. Of course, she would hurt. But why did she have to break up with him without the two of them talking it out?

Why was she being so stubborn? Is that even what she's really feeling? What was going on inside her

An hour had swiftly passed as Cam focused on his job and tried but failed to avoid his lingering thoughts. He made an additional amount of tips, though so his daydreaming wasn't too obvious.

Derrick had, however, because he was Cam's best friend since their diaper days.

"So." Derrick said as he paid his bill and placed a five dollar bill in Cam's shirt pocket. "You need a ride?"

"Yeah, my parents dropped me off on the way back from the airport so I've got no car."

Derrick nodded. "Okay, then let's go."

"There's a favor that I needed." Cam said as he checked out of his shift with Ray, his co-worker, taking the next one.

"Sure thing and whatever it is that you want from me…It oughta be interesting." Derrick nodded.

Haha I hope it was decent! :) Sorry if it seems sort of slow. But I can't make this story all kiss-fight-kiss-fight. I wanted to get more in depth with the characters. That's what writing also has to incorporate. It'll get juicy soon enough! :D

Chapter Title based on- The Man Who Can't Be Moved by The Script

Coming up: Someone To Watch Over Me (featuring Claire Lyons and Derrick Harrington) :)