Chapter 1

Chapter 1 .

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. Page 1 . Brookedale, Pennsylvania 14 yrs. ago - September 5         Rebecca Dean couldn’t think of a better day than this. The weather was a perfect 74 degrees, with a clear blue sky, and a faint wind rustling in the trees. At last it was Friday, and tonight was the first football game of the season. Becca could hardly wait. It had seemed like forever since she had wanted to be in High School and go to the games like her older sister Bethany. Now, the time had finally come, and she would be part of it all. Tonight, a whole new wonderful world would open up to her. Life seemed so perfect.
         Becca came running in to Dean’s Bakery, hardly even noticing the woman whose face she had almost smashed into the cake she was carrying.
         "Rebecca Lyn! How many times have I told you not to come running in here like a maniac? I swear, I just don’t know what to do with you!"
         "Oh, sorry Mom. Sorry Mrs. Price, I didn’t see you there. I just couldn’t wait to tell you about today’s pep rally. It was so awesome. You should have seen all the kids........", and Becca was off. Relating every minute detail of that most precious last hour of the school day.
         Anne Dean couldn’t help but smile at her daughter, as she waved apologetically to the disgruntled Mrs. Price exiting the shop. A youthful 40, she could still remember what is was like to be a hormonally challenged freshman in High School. Everything in your body changing and going crazy. Then add a whole new social ladder to climb with an energy bullet like Becca Lyn, and things are bound to get a little shaken up. Wow, and this is only the beginning, she thought. Four more years of this ahead, with no break in sight.
         If truth be told though, Anne Dean, would have no problem keeping up with her daughter. A slender 5’6" woman, toned by years of walking 4 miles a day, she had managed to hold on to every inch of the packed dynamite she had been in High School. Becca had nothing on her mom.
         Anne leaned on the counter, pushing a strand of her shoulder length blond hair behind her ear. Her hazel eyes laughing, as Becca acted out how the JV Cheerleading Squad had performed the ‘most awesome’ stunt during the pep rally. Anne knew Becca would never be the cover model type, but to her, she was beautiful in every way. Rebecca had shot up to 5’8", in eighth grade, and now a year later, she was finally starting to fill out into an athletically muscled frame. Her long, dark chocolate, brown hair fell in soft curls that swayed and bounced in punctuation to every excited sentence she spoke, and Becca’s dark brown eyes fairly glittered a smile larger than her lips. She could make a person tired from just watching her. No, Becca’s features were really nothing remarkable. But, Becca was.
         The bell on the shop door rang, and Mica Sommerfield, Becca’s best friend, came sauntering into the bakery.
         "Hi, Mrs. D. I guess Becca’s already told you how totally cool the pep rally was today."
         "Oh yes. She tells me you two did some sort of basket toss or something that just made the ‘crowd go wild’", Anne said, waving her arms expressively.
         "OK..... well maybe I exaggerated a bit with the wild part. But they definitely liked it.", corrected Becca.
         Mica walked up to the counter, grabbed a chocolate chip cookie from the sample tray, and started nibbling around the edge. "So Becca, did you ask about staying over at my house after the game tonight? I already checked with my mom, and it’s OK with her."
         Becca turned to her mother with pleading eyes, "Well, now it’s just up to you Mom. Is it OK?"
         "Sure, but be back early in the morning. I’m going to need help with some house work before we go out of town with Bethany on Sunday."
         Halfway to the door, Becca threw a, "No problem", over her shoulder, and was already thinking about how much fun she and Mica were going to have tonight.
         Mica close behind, paused for a split second. "Oh I just remembered Mrs. D. that Mom said to tell you, dinner will be at 7:00 tomorrow night, and that you didn’t need to bring anything."
         " Thanks Mica. You girls have fun and I’ll see you tonight at the game."
         Anne smiled wistfully as the girls walked past the shop window and on down the street. Those two reminded her so much of how she and Jenna Sommerfield, Mica’s mother, had been when they were in High School. They had grown up together in Brookedale, and were inseparable until Jenna had gone to Paris for three years to study art after High School. They had kept in touch during those years, and Jenna had returned to be Anne’s maid of honor when she married her High School sweetheart Michael Dean. A few years later when Jenna moved back to Brookedale with her husband Matthew Sommerfield, they picked up right where they had left off.
         Mica was so much like her mother, very warmhearted and a little ditzy. But Anne had a sneaking suspicion that Mica was a little wilder than Jenna had ever been, and certainly much more impulsive. Mica was sort of a ‘happy go lucky’ girl, going wherever the wind happened to be blowing that day. But, other than both being 5’6", that was where all possible comparisons ended.
         Jenna had always been an attractive girl with soft brown hair and eyes. But her daughter Mica, was a drop dead gorgeous beauty. Mica built with very aquiline features, possessed the most exquisite almond shaped crystal blue eyes, perfectly set off by a full head of glossy, long and straight, blue-black hair. Even at the tender age of 14, she already had all the right curves in all the right places, and she was just beginning to learn how to use them to her advantage. If Anne didn’t have enough faith in Becca’s level-headed independence she would have worried about Mica dragging them both into waters way too deep for them to deal with at their age. Then of course, most of the time it was really Becca’s obstinate will that managed to reign Mica in a little. So, they never really got into any serious trouble.
         Anne glanced at her watch and saw that it was close to 4:00. Well, since it was the first Friday of football season she probably wouldn’t be getting many more customers today. She might as well close up early.

***************

".......... and the home...... of the....... brave".

         Bethany’s voice echoed through the stadium, hanging on for a fraction of a second before the crowd began cheering in admiration. At most High School football games, the crowd was already beginning to hoot and holler for the game to start, before the last phrase of the National Anthem was even close to being sung. But here in Brookdale, no-one ever wanted to miss a single note out of Bethany’s mouth. She was the town treasure, and everyone was sure she was going to be a world famous recording artist one day.   Beth was going to put Brookdale on the map.
         Becca whistled for her sister, and jumped up and down in the front row of the stands. Mica grabbed her arm,         "C’mon we have to get out on the field with the banners!"
         Becca slid out the aisle with the other JV cheerleaders and rushed out on to the field. Together with the Varsity cheerleaders they all formed a long path crossed with painted banners for the football team to run through. Becca and Mica held one with a nasty looking Hurricane, an eagle with a broken wing, and ‘GO HURRICANES BASH THE EAGLES’ written in bold letters across the center.
         "Great sign Becca, you’re getting pretty good at that."
         "Thanks Beth."
         Beth stepped into the line next to her sister and started a cheer. Becca glanced at her sister in awe. She practically worshipped Beth. "Who wouldn’t", she thought. Beth had a golden voice, was captain of the Varsity cheerleaders, was in the top 5% of her class, and had a college hunk for a boyfriend. Then, as if that wasn’t enough she had all the beauty that Becca thought she herself lacked. At 5’5", Bethany was a petite little charmer, with a thick mane of long straight blond hair and sea green eyes. Becca was so proud to be Beth’s sister, and could never imagine anyone being more perfect.
         CRASH. The team burst through the banner snapping Becca out of her reverie and back to the game.
         The rest of the night went by in a blur, as the Hurricanes trounced the Eagles, 36 to 7.   The only shocking event of the night, was the emergence of Mason Sommerfield, Mica’s twin brother, as a star player of the team. As a freshman he was only suited because three running backs had been injured during practice the previous week, in freak accidents. Then the opportunity of a lifetime happened when the only other player, slotted to play that position received a minor concussion in the opening play of the game. Mason went on to score three out of the five touchdowns, and the only 2-point conversion of the evening.

**********

         "You were great tonight, as usual," Colin whispered as he played with the back of Bethany’s hair.
         "Thanks, but singing in front of my entire home town doesn’t make me half as nervous as the thought of having to perform for those recording execs next week."
         "Oh I wouldn’t worry. I’m sure you’ll charm them just like you do everyone else."
         Beth snuggled in closer to the pocket of Colin’s side and leaned her head back against his shoulder. He always had a way of making her feel invincible. Then, when she was already feeling a little wounded, he became her protector, as if nothing would dare hurt her now that he was close by.
         Colin was Mica and Mason’s older brother by six years, and 3 years older than Bethany. A junior at Georgetown University, he majored in Business Management, planning to follow in his father’s footsteps and eventually run the family’s real estate investment firm. He possesed a full head of thick dark brown hair and probing brown eyes, packaged with a well toned 6’ frame.
         Colin and Bethany were sitting on the Sommerfield’s back yard gazebo swing, surrounded by the sound of a few hearty crickets not yet ready to let go of summer.   It was close to midnight and the air was cool and damp, and filled with the fresh smell of grass and leaves. The sky was sharply clear, lit up with the bright luminescence of a 3/4 moon. A few minutes passed, with neither of them saying a word. Both just content to sit and soak in the nearness of the other as they swayed with the gentle rocking of the swing.
         Beth stared into the pool just one tier below the gazebo, and watched as the night sky and moon were reflected as soft rippled gems of light. She wanted things to feel like this forever. Here with Colin, her family, her friends. So safe and calm, with the promise of the whole world just waiting for her to come and claim it. A sudden chill ran up her spine.
         "Are you cold? You feel like you’re shaking a little."
         "No, I was just thinking about how I loved the way things are right now, and I tried to imagine how things were going to be for us in about ten years from now. All I saw was black. I couldn’t even imagine anything in the future, good or bad. It was really eerie."
         "Oh great, now you’re going to tell me you’re psychic or something, and there’s got to be some deep meaning in all that."
         Beth jabbed him in the gut with the corner of her elbow, "Stop it. I’m serious, it was really strange."
         Gently rubbing his battered abs, "Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like I didn’t care. It’s just that I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything, you’re just tired and a little nervous thinking about next week."
         Colin gently cupped her face, and pulled her closer. With a devious glint in his eyes and a crooked smile, he lowered his voice to a soothing growl. "Hey, let’s think about something a little more pleasant. Got any ideas?".
         Beth purred a soft knowing laugh, and turned her face up to his.

*************

         "There you are. I was beginning to think you got into another fight with Mason and decided to go home without telling me. Oh cool, you found the cookies? By the way, what’s so interesting outside the window?"
         Becca was standing by the big bay window in the Dining room, when Mica finally found her after searching through the game room, wet bar, and kitchen.
         "Oh I bet I can guess." Mica ran over to the window, dodging Becca’s meager efforts to drag her away. She leaned into the arch of the window and looked out onto the upper level of the back patio. Just off to the right, halfway between the house and the pool, she had a clear view of the gazebo.
         "Just as I thought. Spying on your sister and my brother. Really Becca I don’t know who you worship more. Your sister because you think she’s exactly what you want to be, or Colin because you think he’s exactly what you want in a guy."
         Becca moving to leave the Dining room, raised her hand in protest, "Oh please.....".
         Mica swiftly rounded the table to cut Becca off, physically and verbally. "Don’t even try to deny it this time. I’ve seen about all the swooning I can take".
         "Oh c’mon! I don’t swoon!"
         "Well close enough. Besides, even your sister knows you’re in love with Colin."
         "But I never told.......... I mean............ why would she think such a silly thing?"
         "Because it’s written all over your face whenever you’re around him. Not to mention you practically just admitted it a second ago. C’mon Beck, you know we never keep secrets from each other. I even told you about kissing Colin’s friend from school when he visited this summer."
         "I know, and you’re right. It’s just that this is different. I mean, he’s your brother, my sister’s boyfriend, and I just thought I’d get over it after awhile. So, why bother saying anything about it to anyone, even you. It seemed pretty pointless. Besides, it’s not like I ever really wanted to have him. He’s just so totally Bethany’s. I mean, Colin and Bethany belong together, because they’re just soooooo perfect for each other."
         Mica rolled her eyes, as she grabbed a chair at the table with one hand and the bag of cookies Becca had been holding with the other.
         "Yeah, Yeah, I know, the ‘Golden Couple’. Don’t get me wrong, they’re both great. But, I’m not so sure they are perfect for each other. Colin is too willing to take care of Bethany. I think she needs someone to kind of push her a little so she can really see what she’s made of. Then of course with Colin, I think he needs someone to challenge him, to get him angry every now and then. Someone who won’t always agree with him and make his ego even bigger than it already is.   He needs some fire!"
         Becca sat down next to Mica, put her white socked feet up on the table, and snatched a cookie out of the bag in Mica’s lap.
         "Nah, you haven’t got a clue. They’re perfectly matched. Bethany’s soft, completely feminine, always in a good mood, and has the voice of a nightingale.   And Colin......... well he’s just Colin. In total control, and ready for her whenever she needs him to be strong."
         "Excuse me if I yawn here but you sound like you’re reading lines out of a romance novel."
         Mica put her feet up next to Becca’s, and both girls nearly toppled over backwards out of their chairs when Mason came swaggering in around the corner.
         "MASON!", they both screamed in angry fright.
         Mason was physically the male version of his twin sister. Already 5’11" with the beginnings of what promised to be a very muscled physique, he had the same jet black hair and striking blue eyes as his sister. But, Becca knew better than to believe that the similarities went any further. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, but she had never completely trusted him, and didn’t think she ever would.
         Mason leaned up against the table next to Becca, half sitting on the edge, and gave a little tug to one of her socks. "So, do you want to know what I think about the ‘Golden Couple’?"
         Becca yanked her foot away, and tried to hide what she was sure was a flaming red face. "Mason, you’re such a creep for eavesdropping!"
         "Don’t worry my dear, I wouldn’t think of telling anyone your secret......... or ........ should I say it’s our secret now." He paused slightly, waiting for some further reaction to his words. But, Becca didn’t even turn to look at him.
         " What I don’t understand is why you don’t see that they’re perfect for each other, not because they’re better than you are, but because you actually deserve better. Someone with a little more physical prowess, street smarts, and perhaps a bit better looking."
         Mica stood up in disgust. She loved her brother and would defend him to the death if it ever came down to it, but sometimes he was just too much. " Gee Mason, who could you possibly mean? Let’s see..........could it be........ you?"
         "Ahhh, my lovely sister is smarter than she looks."
         "Yeah, well. At least I wouldn’t think I’m superman after just one football game."
         Mason simply ignored his sister’s jibe and continued to look intently down at Becca.
         Now Becca stood, in an attempt to put a little distance between herself and Mason, and started to follow Mica out of the room. "Oh yeah, I’m so sure that you really like me. That’s why you make my life hell every chance you get."
Mason leaned forward in a swooping grand bow. "Love taps my dear. Simply another form of love taps."
         "Well cut it out! I’d rather you kiss me. Oh yuck! What a disgusting thought." With that she left the room to trail after the already vanished Mica.
         Mason smiled at the empty door.
         "That could be arranged ," he whispered.

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