(One week earlier...)

"What do you mean we're going on a road trip next weekend?" I ask staring at my older brother, Collin, in confusion.

"Exactly that." He replies, keeping his eyes on the video came he's playing.

"And why am I supposed to come?"

He hits pause on his game and looks around my room like he's about to say something top-secret.

Then he leans in far to close and whispers, "The Tradition."

"Oh." I pause, thinking of something witty to say back. "I knew that."

He quirks an eyebrow in my direction.

"Sure you did."

You see, The Tradition, in our neighborhood is when a child turns 18. The former tradition "victims" aka my brother and his best friend, take the current "victim" to a shore side café that were not allowed to visit until the day we turn eighteen.

Apparently the birthday waffles there are heaven on a plate.

My Tradition Day— it's what we call it— is next Saturday.

"Well I didn't forget or anything. I just didn't realize it was so soon." I say, sticking my tongue out for good measure at the end.

Only for my twenty year old brother to do the same thing right back.

I wouldn't expect anything less though.

"So Coll?"

He raises an eyebrow, looking in my direction, as if asking "what."

"Is Thing 1 coming too?"

"Yeah." He replies, refocusing his attention to his game. "Wait. Who's Thing 2 then?"

"You obviously."

"Well how was I supposed to know?" He says defensively.

"Gosh you act like I'm treating you like a sophomore in college." I say, sarcasm lacing my words. "Which you are." I add under my breath.

"Jesus. You got the sarcastic gene too."

"You don't say." I say as Connor, Collin's best friend aka Thing 1, walks in the room.

"Damn girl take it down a notch." Connor says

"Nah, I'm good."

"You know what else is good?" Collin says

"Don't even start with me boy."

"Kiss my ass." He retorts, starting up the Xbox that has taken its place in my room over the past years.

"Isn't that your girlfriends job?" I pause, acting like I'm finding an answer my question. "Oh wait, you don't have a girlfriend."

Connor bursts out laughing as Collin shoots me a glare.

"Hey Collin, your little sister just slayed your ass." Connor laughs.

"And I'm about to kick yours." He replies bitterly

"Ladies ladies, your both ugly, no worries." I say placing a gentle hand on each of there shoulders, causing both of them to turn and glare at me.

"Well. I'm going to go meet up with Amber. I'll bring you back fro-yo Connor." I say, making Collin give me a deadpanned look.

"Thanks Hars. I always knew you loved me more." Connor says

"Well whatever helps you sleep at night Connor."

"I expect some damn frozen yogurt Harley Ray." Collin says as I lace up my favorite pair of white converse.

He pulled the middle name card...

"Not after pulling the middle name card Collin James." I say, grinning down at the floor.

I can pull that card too bro.

"Whatever you brat."

"Oh you love me and you know it." I say

"Only when you bring me frozen yogurt." He mutters

"Okay fine. I'll bring you some." I sigh, knowing he'll either prank me or annoy me if I don't.

"Don't go through my stuff or I'll eat your fro-yo." I say before walking out of my room and upstairs to the main level and out to my car.

I hop in my navy blue Mini Cooper and start the engine, then pull around our roundabout driveway.

I turn on the radio only to hear the song that's been playing nonstop on the station.

Seriously Selena, you can keep your hands to yourself, please. I'm getting tired of your song.

I change the radio station to a different station, satisfied with the song that comes on, Love Yourself, and start humming along with it.

After a short drive from uptown to the small frozen yogurt shop on the busiest street downtown I pull into a parking space only my tiny car could fit in.

I walk in the small, colorful shop and immediately spot Amber sitting in a two person booth, typing away on her phone with a half melted cup of fro-yo sitting in front of her.

Her eyes snap up from her phone at the sound of the little bell on he door that jingles when I walk in the door.

She waves me over and I set my phone and keys down on the table, before going to get and pay for my fro-yo.

I make my way back to the booth and plop down across from her.

"I don't know why you like that shit. It's gross. I like my strawberry better." She says, making a face at my cake batter fro-yo.

"It's delicious. Strawberries make me break out in hives anyway."

"I know this. I just like giving you crap."

"Don't I know it."

"And besides, it's tradition." Amber says.

Which is extremely true.

We come here every Saturday at 3. We sit in this same booth. We both order the same thing every time. Amber criticizes my choice in fro-yo.

It's tradition I tell you.

We sit in silence eating our fro-yo and listening to the music playing in the small shop.

Amber and I both groan in sync when Selena who can't keep her hands to herself comes on.

Didn't she learn anything in kindergarten? Keep your hands to yourself.

This song will be the death of me.

"Well, on that note, I better get going. Collin and Connor are going to be pissed if I don't bring them fro-yo."

"Connor's at your house?" Amber asks, quirking an eyebrow.

"When isn't he." I laugh.

"This is true. Well I've gotta head out too, see ya Monday babe." She says with a slight wave before heading towards the door.

I wave back before turning around to look at the options for Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Hmm...Well, Collin likes cookies and cream so that's easy...and I guess Connor's getting this chocolate whatever.

I pay for the frozen yogurt and approach the door with my gaze at the tables in my path. I barely catch the guy walking towards me, oblivious that I'm walking towards him too.

My shoes squeak on the colorful tile as I try and get out of the way, but run my thigh into a chair instead.

The guy stops but not fast enough, tripping over a leg chair and almost falling on his face before catching himself on the tables. His dish of half-melted fro-yo although, didn't do the same thing. It's contents land pitifully on the toe of my shoe, making my eyes widen.

No. Not the converse.

The guy notices it too, scrambling to get some napkins from the table.

"I am so sorry." He says. Then he kneels down and starts cleaning off the–what is that?

Analyzing...analyzing...

Cake batter fro-yo.

"Um you don't have to." I say making his blue eyed gaze that was studying the name of my deceased older sister scrawled in sharpie on the side of the toe of my converse, snap up to meet mine.

"Well it doesn't matter because it's clean now anyways sweetheart." He says standing up to full height, which is a good 6 inches above me.

I'm sorry but who gave you permission to call me sweetheart boy?

I quirk an eyebrow at the sweetheart part. "I don't even know you and you're calling me sweetheart." I say, crossing my arms and attempting the 'don't mess with me' stance that the bad chicks in the movies do.

He extends a hand towards me and I look between him and his hand skeptically. I don't know where that hands been.

"Nathan Wells." He greets. "Resident golden boy, basketball star, and all around good guy."

Yeah. Nathan...now I remember.

After a while I finally shake his hand. "Harley Sanders. We go to the same school." I cut off my greeting there, not really seeing the point of this conversation.

"I know that name." He mumbles under his breath.

"Do you now?"

"Yeah, you're like a-"

"Starting basketball player since freshman year." His eyes widen but he quickly recovers, a smirk taking its place on his face.

"I dig athletic chicks."

"Isn't that good for you." I flick my long dark brown braid over my shoulder for the sass effect.

"Oh it is; I mean they're-"

"I swear you make a dirty joke and I'll hurt you." I interrupt.

"I wouldn't put it past you." He says with a slight smirk.

"So you do have common sense." I say with a small laugh.

"That I do."

"Well, I better be heading out now..." I trail off.

"I'll see you around Sanders."

"I guess so, Wells."
*-*

And with that we end the chapter folks!

I'm so excited for this book honestly.

Anyways...I just was wondering...how did you hear of/stumble upon my book??

Okie dokie I think we'll wrap up this authors note now... :)

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See you in the next chapter!