**title in progress (LILY for now)

Prologue


Good things happen when you least expect it. Bad things also happen when you least expect it. My sophomore year in high school was a massive mess filled with good memories, bad memories, and change. I grew a few inches taller— I grew out my hair. I lost myself– I found myself again. Ever since I was a pre-teen, I heard all of these stories about “growing up” and “falling in love”. I always wondered who would sit there and think about growing up. Why didn’t they just grow up?
I could never understand “falling in love” either. How was a girl supposed to know when she had found “the One”? Would there be a letter at her doorstep saying, “You have fallen in love?” I just hoped that maybe one day I would know. And the truth is, I did know. When someone falls in love, they know. There isn’t an explanation for what they feel, but they feel it. I would know because I’ve felt it.
To start off my story, I need to start at the beginning. The beginning is halfway through my sophomore year— the last day of school before Winter Break. It was just one of those days where no one really pays attention in class, and none of the teachers really teach. We were all crammed into our rooms, flicking each other with paper footballs and texting on our cell phones just as we had in junior high. The teachers knew we were texting too, but they didn’t really say anything.
It was also one of those days— a bad day. I had overslept that morning, forgotten my biology book on my desk at home, and my phone was dead so I couldn’t call mom to bring it over on her way to work. My hair was half-brushed, hanging down my back in a way that some would call “windswept” but I called “sucky alarm”. Maybe Whitney Port can get away with that look, but I don’t have mile long legs and my own TV show.
It was also one of those days— a once in a lifetime moment day. I was going to have one of those moments. I thought it was going to be a bad day, because of my s ucky alarm, but it turned out being a day that I would remember for the rest of my life. At the time I didn’t know it, but I know it now for sure.





































Chapter One


Slam.
Lily Christensen slammed her locker door. It was only eight thirty in the morning and it was already one of those days. Her alarm clock was broken and went off at seven twenty, which meant she had about fifteen minutes to hurry out the door. She barely combed her hair, forgot her biology book, and her cell phone was dead. Maybe having a dead cell phone wasn’t the worst thing, but she had lost her cell phone charger at her best friend, Valentina’s, house.
“Lily!”
“Speak of the devil,” Lily muttered to herself. She was already in an awful mood. She shook out her long, blonde hair and ran her fingers through it.
Tall, brunette, and beautiful. Those were three words to describe Valentina Usbekani. She had mile long legs like Whitney Port and soft, shiny hair. She never left the house without making sure she was completely gorgeous. She had never failed since third grade, when she wore a parka during the summer.
“Hey, Val,” Lily greeted.
“Someone’s in a sucky mood,” Valentina said, nudging Lily with her left arm.
Lily shrugged.
“It’s my alarm clock that’s in the sucky mood. It somehow broke overnight. I didn’t even get to comb by hair,”
Valentina frowned as she tugged at Lily’s split ends.
“It’s not that bad. I kinda like the windswept look on you,” she shrugged.
Lily gave Valentina “the look” and started walking to English class. Valentina followed her, wearing skinny jeans that made her legs look thinner and longer than ever.
“Aren’t you gonna ask me about my date last night?” Valentina pleaded, her full, red lips formed in a fake pout.
Lily rolled her navy blue eyes and tried to laugh for Val’s sake.
“How was your date last night?” Lily wondered.
Valentina bit her bottom lip and giggled happily. Whenever she did this, it meant she was really, really excited about her date.
“It was amazing. He’s everything I’ve ever dreamed about! He’s gorgeous, for one, and he really has the hottest eyes,”
“Eyes?” Lily cut in. “I’ve heard you say a guy has hot arms and hot hands, but never eyes.”
Valentina shrugged and did a twirl right in the middle of the hallway.
“But no one has as beautiful eyes as Mason,”
“Someone’s lucky in love,”
Valentina shoved Lily playfully, the way that best friends can do. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and then let it fall to her shouldres.
“It was one date, Lily,” she said. “I wouldn’t even call us official boyfriend and girlfriend yet.”
“Be sure to inform me when that happens,” Lily teased her. “I’m off to English.”
Valentina hugged Lily gently.
“See ya later, loser,” she grinned.
Valentina skipped off, and Lily noticed the eyes of every guy in the room follow her as she did. Lily frowned slightly. She had always been one step under Valentina, kind of like a person working behind the scenes. No one ever noticed Lily, and Lily knew why. She didn’t wear much makeup, didn’t get her hair cut every six weeks, and didn’t get manicures and pedicures. She spent her time and money on things that mattered.
During English class, Lily started to daydream about her life. She had always imagined herself graduating from college with decent grades, working at an office, and finding someone to marry. She realized it was just like every other person on the planet. She had wanted to be different, she didn’t want the same life as everyone else.
After English was over, Lily had a study hall. She decided to run to the library and check out a few books on the U.S. Government for her next class. She nearly tripped over a freshman wearing knee-high neon boots, almost pushed a junior down the stairs, and, typically, fell down the last few steps on the stairs going down to the library. She groaned and sat there for a few seconds. She didn’t really feel like moving.
“Are you okay?”
Lily looked up. An average-sized guy with sandy blonde hair, glittering green eyes, and buttery skin was staring down at her. Lily smiled slightly.
“I’ll think I’ll make it,” Lily said.
“Need any help?” the guy asked, sticking out his hand.
Lily nodded and grabbed his hand, letting him pull her up.
“Thanks,” she said. “It’s just been one of those days. My alarm sucks, I left a book at home...”
“I feel ya. Time and time again I have woken up at seven fifty due to my alarm,” the guy smiled.
Lily cocked her head.
“I woke up at seven twenty and I barely made it!” Lily laughed.
“You’re a girl. You guys gotta do your hair and stuff...”
Lily laughed.
“I didn’t exactly have time to do that stuff,” Lily said, pulling on a strand of her hair and examining it. “My best friend even dissed my ‘do.”
“I’m Mason,” the guy said.
Lily’s jaw dropped. Everything started clicking together. Mason= Valentina’s date. Glittering green eyes= hottest eyes ever. Valentina hadn’t been lying when she’d talked about them.
“I’m, uh, Lily,” Lily responded. “Valentina’s friend?
Lily searched Mason’s face. Everything started clicking together in his head. He brushed his sandy hair out of his eyes and grinned.
“Talk about coincidence,” he said, laughing. “Did she say anything about me?”
Something about Mason was very open. He seemed easy to talk to. One of those guys that a girl could just open up to without even knowing his name.
Lily shrugged.
“She said she had a really great time last night,” Lily said.
Mason beamed proudly.
“Val...is just Val,” he said. “Gorgeous, funny, totally smart...”
“I am impressed,” Lily responded. “A guy just called a girl gorgeous and not hot.”
Mason snickered.
“I’m not all bad, like some guys,” he said. “I actually believe in being nice to women, and thinking something of them.”
Lily blushed and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
“You know, I’ve only talked to you for, what, five minutes?” Lily said. “I can already tell that Valentina is beyond lucky to have you. Usually she’s attracted to pretty shady guys.”
Mason shrugged.
“You seem like a nice girl, too,” he said. “Put in a good word for me.”
Lily nodded.
“My pleasure,”
Mason hurried off, pushing his hair back again. Lily watched as he rushed away. Valentina really was lucky to have a guy like Mason. Lily wondered if she would ever have the chance to fall in love.