This chapter is not my best, I must admit.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the preface, your enthusiasm makes me even more excited to write the rest of the story, when the list will tie in more with the plot.

Chapter 1: My First Enemy

I knocked on the hard wood door. No answer. I went to knock again, but before I could, the door was flung open and the smiling face of my best friend greeted me.

"Hey Sam," Carly gushed, enveloping me in a tight squeeze. I was never one for hugs, but Carly was, and it was just something I would have to get used to.

"Hey Carls," I responded, carefully removing her arms from my sides. I walked inside, and plopped down on the couch.

"Do you have any food?" I asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," Carly said, placing a plate of various snacks on the coffee table. She knows me so well, and she willingly gives me food. Best friend – ever! I gratefully shoved a handful of chips into my mouth, as she sat next to me, staring at me with a knowing, yet slightly repulsed look. She may have realized my large appetite, but she still hadn't gotten over how quickly I ate. I was pretty sure she'd adjust in time.

"So, do you want to watch a movie?" There was a tacit agreement between us that Carly would not question why I suddenly showed up at her house. She understood that, though most of the time I just wanted food, my house wasn't exactly the most welcoming environment, and her apartment was much more homey than my own house. Like the good friend she is, Carly rarely brought up my reasons for being there or my family life, and instead, moved on to full conversation.

"What do you have for movies?"

"What're you girls up to?" Spencer walked in with a curious look on his face.

"We're going to watch a movie," Carly responded.

"You kids better not watch anything violent!"

"Spencer, please, we all know that you're the one who cries at scary things." Though I tended to be blunt, I wouldn't normally be that up front to someone who was letting me stay in his or her house and providing me with food, but I'd known Spencer long enough that he was almost like a big brother to me, and he took my comments in stride.

"Please. I didn't cry nearly as much as Carly did."

"Well at least Carly has two excuses." I stuck up a finger as I said each point. "Number one, she's younger than you are, and number two, she's a girl."

"You're a girl and you didn't cry"

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly abide by gender stereotypes. Next time you see a girl with an appetite sufficient to mine, please alert me."

"Okay, fine, fine. Just please don't tell anyone that I cried."

"You shouldn't have said that," Carly reprimanded. "Now Sam's going to tell someone."

Spencer's eyes filled with regret, but he quietly sat down. "I'll let this one go," he told me. "But just promise me you two will watch some girly little movie."

Carly immediately nodded, and reluctantly, I nodded too. Spencer patted us on our heads as he got up and returned to his room. I sighed as Carly looked through their movies to find a suitable film.

We heard a knock on the door. I groaned as Carly looked up. "Come in," I screamed. I was close enough to being part of the Shay family that I had acquired the right to answer the door. Of course, I rarely answered it; most of the time I resorted to just yelling for people to come in. Unless it was the pizza man, but that's a whole different story. Annoyed that no one immediately barged in, I chucked my pillow at the door. Well that accomplished nothing. But, before I could continue to ponder what led me to throwing the pillow, the door opened and I saw a boy in the doorway. His eyes searched nervously around the room before they rested on Carly and me.

"Uh, do you two live here?" His voice was quiet and weak.

"I do," Carly said, graciously dropping the movies back into the bin as she walked over to him and stuck out her hand for him to shake.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Spencer's voice became clearer as he walked closer to us, finally coming into view. "I hear you talking to someone. Under no circumstances are you ever, ever allowed to invite strangers into the ap-"

Spencer spotted the boy and stopped midsentence. "Why hello, young man," Spencer proffered his own hand, which the boy politely shook. "What might your name be? Please, come in, sit down, have some punch."

The boy walked in slowly. "I'm Freddie."

"Ah, young Freddie, what brings you to our humble abode on this fine day?"

Carly shot me a smug glance, the sort of face that said I knew this was coming. Spencer, who was not always the most responsible. Okay, who am I kidding; he was rarely responsible, though he pretended very well. Anyway, though he was somewhat worried Carly was inviting strangers into their apartment, when he saw Freddie, he probably decided he was harmless and let him inside.

"I just moved into the apartment across the hall. My mom wants me to get to know everyone in the building, so while she cleans the place up, she sent me to introduce myself to the neighbors."

"What a freak," I mumbled to myself. I mean, c'mon, who sends her child door to door in an apartment building to get to know everyone the day the move in? That is a little bit much. Luckily, he didn't hear me, but instead, went on telling us about himself. Oh great, we go to the same school, I thought sarcastically. Freaky mother kid's going to be at my school. I feigned interest but instead dreamed of the ham in Carly's fridge.

"Welcome to the building," Carly said once he finished, ever the polite hostess. I snapped back to attention, and when I looked over at the new kid, I couldn't help but notice he was gazing at Carly like she was a piece of meat.

"Uh, hello, she said something." I distracted him from his trance, and he responded to Carly's previous comment with a weak "thank you." I was so bored that I actually got up and sliced myself a piece of ham. I would have eaten much more, but I decided it would be best not to creep out people I barely knew, especially if they were going to stick around.

As the day passed on, Carly and Freddie continued conversing, while Spencer eventually retired to his room to organize his special socks from his friend, Socko. I was left to defend myself, which, in the presence of the Shay's fridge, I did not have a problem with. I drank tons of punch and must have downed about ten ribs. Eventually, Carly turned to me.

"Sam, why don't you come join us." Uh-oh. She's in that mood again, the mood that states 'I just made a new friend, why don't you come meet him and we can all be friends. I was never one for sweetness, and I occasionally found even Carly's niceness sickening, but, as she was my best friend, I felt obligated to follow her indirect command. So, I reluctantly sat on the couch and attempted to become the least bit friendly with this new kid so I could classify us as friendly acquaintances if I stretched the truth optimistically a bit.

"What's your name? I think I've forgotten it."

"I never told you my name."

"Oh. Well then, what is your name?"

"Sam."

"Nice to meet you, Sam, I'm Freddie." He stuck out his hand, but I ignored it.

"I heard."

"So, what do you like to do?" He felt awkward as a result of my limited responses, and that didn't bother me. What did bother me is that he still tried to make conversation. No wonder he and Carly got along so well, they were like two peas in a pod, always striving to be as friendly as possible, no matter how revolting their kindness was.

"Eat. Sleep. Yeah, mainly just eat and sleep." I was bored, but I tried to grin and bear it for Carly's sake.

"Yes, Sam is… Sam is different from most girls, but she's the best friend anyone could ask for." Carly quickly came to my defense. Sometimes, I doubted that girl's sanity for doing such a thing, but I inwardly thanked her nonetheless.

"Oh, well that's cool." Cool? What is this kid, crazy? I don't know if it could be any more obvious he was lying through his teeth, but I half-pretended to buy it anyway.

"Thanks." Carly nudged my side. "What about you?"

"I like working with computers and technology."

"Nerd."

"Sam!" Carly didn't like it when I was rude or mean, but it was part of my nature, I couldn't help it. Okay, maybe I could, but I didn't really try.

"No, it's okay. I get it all the time." His niceness was nauseating.

"Has anyone ever given you a wedgie?" I was so bored I resorted to asking completely pointless questions. There was no doubt in my mind this kid was getting a wedgie.

"Yes, I got one last year. They don't feel too good."

I stood up, and grabbed him by the scruff of his collar, pulling him up too. I didn't look back, because I could feel Carly's eyes, helplessly boring into my back. He yelped in pain as I pulled up his underpants far higher than they should have gone. When I let go, he stared at me with complete and utter hatred.

"What was that for?" He asked. Great, he's playing innocent.

"You were getting on my nerves. Don't do it again unless you want your arm to be reattached to your body through your bellybutton." I threatened him. I don't really know why, except for the fact that he irked me. A lot. I walked away calmly.

"See you on Monday, Carls. Thanks for the ham!" I opened the door to leave.

"We have a lot to talk about next time I see you." Carly always tried to fill in as my makeshift mother, seeing as mine was rarely of any use, but it never worked out as I always ended up doing whatever it was she wanted me to stop doing shortly after her talk.

I entered my house, exhausted from trying to wrap my brain around all of the pointless and monotonous things Carly and the new kid said. I was too tired to actually think about them, and as I walked up to my room, I could sense that the house was vacant of all its other members once again. When I reached my room, I effortlessly slipped into my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and went to sit on my bed. I couldn't sleep. I stared blankly around my room. Then, I saw it.

I hopped off my bed, found a pencil, and took the paper off of the wall. I scribbled a note down furiously before taping it back up to the wall.

August 5, 2006: My first enemy (Freddie ?)

I couldn't remember his last name. Did he even say it? It didn't actually matter. I should clarify something. Over the course of my life, I have not gotten along with many people, but this boy, who I've known for less than a day, has already become my first true enemy. I think it's a mutual agreement. But as I gazed smugly at the list, I realized what was missing. I picked up my pencil, and, without bothering to unstick the paper from the wall, I added something to the very top.

My List of Firsts, by Sam Puckett

It was officially a list now. It may have taken me just over three years to make that dream become reality, but finally, my list was a list. I smiled to myself as I placed the pencil on my nightstand and drifted into a comfy sleep.

There you have it, she officially has a list of firsts! :)

The next several chapters are similar to this, in the sense that the list is not really part of the story yet. But don't worry, over time, it will be more incorporated and even stir up some drama... ;)

Thank you to those who reviewed, I love to hear your thoughts! Again, I'm sorry that the first several chapters won't include the list as a major plot point, but as the story is called "My List of Firsts," I promise that the list will become much more prominent. Thank you for reading, and I hope you'll bear with me through these chapters where my ideas seem less unique. Thanks again!