1 Chapter One: Change

The first day of high school can be pretty rough. I'm a little nervous about trying to make new friends, but at least I have my best friend, Jude Montez. We've been best friends since we were eight and let's just say I'm glad we met. I can't really imagine my life without him, we've been through basically everything together, we tell each other everything, and we're practically inseparable.

First day, what to wear? That's always the question, I want to look good today, it's my first day and I want to make a good impression. I rummage through my closet trying to find something cute. I finally decide on wearing a mint green crop top, blue jeans ripped at the knees, and white sandals. For my light brown hair, I decide on doing a waterfall braid. Finally, for makeup, I put on mascara with my dark blue eyes and a little foundation to keep me from looking shiny. Lastly, I slip on some bracelets and a ring that my mom gave me before she passed away two years ago. I never leave home without it, it's the last thing I really have left of her.

I walk down the stairs to the kitchen where my dad is making breakfast for me and Jude, he comes over to eat breakfast all the time because he doesn't like hearing his parents argue all the time. I feel for him, I wish he didn't have to go through all that pain of his family hating each other.

"Good morning pops," I kiss him on the cheek, "whatcha makin?" I ask him.

"Your favorite, hash brown and eggs." I could die, I love hash brown and eggs, it's what my mom use to make all the time since me and my dad loved it so much. "Have I told you how much I loved you," I said teasingly.

He just laughed. Jude still wasn't here yet, he's usually here before I'm even done getting ready. I was eager to see him because he's been gone all summer and I've missed him. This has probably been the longest we've been apart since we were 10 and I went to go to Hawaii over the summer. I wonder how his summer was, I mean with his family having problems and stuff.

I was about to start eating when I heard a knock on the door. I quickly got up and sprinted to the door as my dad laughed at how silly I must have looked. When I opened the door I was greeted by a now tall, brunette haired guy. In the sun his eyes could change from hazel to green. He looks so different from the last time I saw him back in June. A good different.

"ALY!" He shouted in a deep voice, completely different from his voice in 8th grade. He embraced me in a hug and whispered in my ear, "I've missed you so much." I have missed him too, but I can't get over how different he looks now.

"I've missed you too," I replied back, "you look so different," I told him as we let go of each other and began walking to the kitchen.

"So do you, I love what you did to your hair." I basically just died the bottom of my hair blonde but tried to make it look pretty natural since my hair is a light shade of brown.

"Jude! Wow, you've grown a lot since the last time I saw you." My dad told him.

"Thank you," he replied with a smile, "you haven't changed one bit though Tom." Tom is my dad's first name, since Jude and I have been best friends since we were 8, he gets to call him by his first name.

"And your voice!" My dad said back in shock, almost as shocked as I looked when I heard him just a few minutes ago. "So, how was the cruise?" My dad asked to keep the conversation going.

"It was great! The ocean was absolutely beautiful, and the food was great, the ....." I couldn't help but just daze out of what Jude was saying because I was distracted at the sight of this new him. He looked so perfect now, no glasses, no acne, just a guy with beautiful eyes and amazing skin. Why can't I stop staring at him?

I was brought back when I heard Jude say "I met this one girl actually, her name is Sabrina and she's going to South Side High too. She's gonna be a freshman as well." I saw my dad look at me from across the table, I don't know why though.

"How is she?" My dad asked.

"She is absolutely gorgeous, I never thought a girl like her would ever talk to me. She's pretty short, a little shorter than you, Aly. Dark brown hair, and chocolate brown eyes that you could get easily lost in," almost like yours, I thought to myself, "she's funny, but not the brightest at times and –" I stopped him right there, how could a straight-A student like a girl who isn't smart like him?

"How did you guys even meet?" I was curious.

"I had seen her a few times on deck, but we were watching a live performance at night and she caught me staring at her and asked me why and I just told her that she just looked beautiful today. Then we started talking from there." She's probably just taking advantage of how nice and caring he is. I don't know if I like this girl for Jude.

We walked to school since it wasn't that far from my house, but the whole time all Jude would do was text on his phone. We didn't talk as much as we use to when we walked to school. He was probably texting Sabrina because when we got to school he ditched me and met up with her. It kind of hurt, but I mean everyone says high school can change you.

I just ignored it and went to look for my locker. 865, right next to my first period. At least now I don't have to worry about being late to first period, which was art. I couldn't get my locker to open, luckily someone was walking by and decided to help me.

"Harder to open than you think, huh?" He said as he was walking by.

"Yeah, actually," I responded.

"Would you like some help?" He offered.

"Yes please," I said with a soft giggle.

"I'm Luke, a sophomore. And assuming at your attempt at opening a locker, you're a freshman." He said as he opened my locker.

"You guessed right, I'm Alyanna." I smiled at him. He's pretty hot. Black hair, pretty blue eyes and perfectly tanned skin.

"That's a pretty name, never heard it before," he said so sincerely, "if you ever need help my locker is right across the hall from yours, high school can be a hard adjustment, filled with change."

"Thank you, I'll see you around."

"I sure hope so." He said as he left for his first class.

The bell rings and off to first period I go, art. I wonder where Jude is, and what his first class is. I really hope high school doesn't change my great friendship with Jude. Because I can already feel my feelings changing toward him, and I hope they stop soon.