*This first chapter is exactly the same as the epilogue on "An Unlikely Duo" so if you already read that then feel free to skip ahead to chapter 2. If you haven't read "An Unlikely Duo" you should read that first or you will be very confused. Thanks and enjoy!*

*And thank you to @CleverKayla for the great cover!

Kayla ' s POV

"Aren't any of you going to help us set up? This is your party after all. Why are we doing all the work" Angela shouted in to the group of guys sitting on the sofa. They were too absorbed in their football game to hear a word she said.

They were watching some off season spring scrimmage that somehow made it on TV. Meanwhile Angela and I were the ones setting up their apartment for the last big party of the year.

The summer after our junior year of college was about to start. It was hard to believe I only had one year left.

Angela and I left the food in the kitchen and went to sit on the floor and watch the game with them.

It was an instate rivalry game between Duke and NC State. Being the only one in my group of friends from North Carolina it was kind of cool to watch people from home on TV while I was several states away.

"And Duke has done it again. As usual Jake Mitchells was a huge part of their win tonight. Born and raised in North Carolina and the fastest running back in the state-" Angela grabbed the remote and shut the TV off.

"Hey what was that for? We were watching the game" Jeremy whined.

"We have a party to plan so get off your lazy butts and get to work" Angela ordered.

I mouthed a silent thank you to her before heading back into the kitchen.

"You know she hates thinking about him. What were you thinking putting that game on when she's around? That ex-boyfriend is dangerous territory and you know that" Angela's angry whisper was followed by a swift slap to the back of the head followed by a groan.

"Don't worry babe I'm the only man you need in your life" Jeremy came into the kitchen and draped his arm around my shoulders before stealing a chip out of my hand.

"Move it you big oaf you're crushing me" I wiggled out of his grasp.

"That's no way to talk to your best friend" Jeremy pouted. Seeing a 6' 4" offensive lineman pouting didn't evoke sympathy. Instead Jeremy's puppy dog face was always met with howling laughter.

"Hey I'm her best friend buddy so back off" Angela flicked him on the ear. She may seem like a violent person, but she's barely 5' 2" and completely harmless.

"We've been over this weirdos. You're both my best friends" I ruffled their hair before helping the other guys get out some folding tables.

Angela, Jeremy, and I had struggled through our first Chemistry class together freshman year and have been inseparable ever since.

They helped me through the wreckage caused by the whole Jake fiasco, well they're still working on that.

"How many people did you guys invite to this little get together?" Angela asked. Jeremy and four of the other guys in our group rented a small house off campus that they had been living in for the past year, which they loved to use to throw parties; however, the cleaning up afterwards, that they didn't love so much.

"Weeelllll word spread kind of fast and I couldn't say no to a bunch of people because summer's about to start, and I thought it would be nice to have everyone together one last time so it might be a little bigger than we expected" Ricky ran his fingers through his hair and avoided eye contact with the rest of us.

While Jeremy was really protective and kind of like the older brother I never had, Ricky was like a big teddy bear. Cuddly and a major softy. He couldn't say anyone no, ever.

"Ricky it would have been nice to have some warning here. We didn't buy enough food" It wasn't like I could ever actually be mad at Ricky. That was like getting mad at a toddler.

"I'm sorry. Hey Fitz can I borrow your car. I've gotta run to the story before Kayla puts me in a timeout" Ricky teased. Ever since he met Charlotte and saw how protective I was of her, he always insisted I was the mom of the group.

"Watch it you weirdo. Get some guacamole while you're out" I shouted after him as he and Fitz ran out the door. Derek Fitzgerald, known as Fitz by those who knew him the best, was on the basketball team at Duke and was as serious of an athlete as they come.

Even though we were all 21 he wouldn't drink tonight at the party and we all respected that. Derek, Jeremy, and I were the athletes in our group and our friends had gotten used to how busy we always were.

After they left I went down to the basement claiming I was looking for a tablecloth- even though we all knew the boys didn't own a tablecloth or anything more sophisticated than placemats.

I needed a minute to clear my head. Even two years after the whole Jake fiasco, hearing his name still filled me with this intense mix of anger and pain.

After a few minutes I heard the old stairs creaking as Jeremy came down with a pack of peanut butter m&ms.

He sat down next to me on the bottom step, opened the pack, and tilted it toward me. The tradition was comfortable and it reminded me how lucky I was to have found such great friends.

"Want to talk about it?" Jeremy asked while he grabbed the blue m&ms out of my hand and gave me his yellow ones.

Jeremy refused to admit that every color of m&ms tastes the same. After three years of m&m talks during rough times I had learned to just humor him and give him my blue m&ms.

"Not really. Jake and I ended a long time ago, and it ended in disaster. I really don't want to go down memory lane. Let's not ruin one of the last nights of our junior year" I finished the last m&m and dragged Jeremy upstairs.

"People are here! Let's get this party started" Ricky shouted as he slid across the floor in his socks, and then proceeded to slip and fall flat on his back.

Jake's POV

"Great game dude. NC State won't be so cocky this year" Nick slapped me on the back when I got back to my dorm room after the game.

"Thanks man. Can't hold the blue devils back. What are you looking at?" I dumped my football pads in the closet and grabbed a water bottle out of our mini fridge.

"I've been sick for two weeks. I have seen every movie on Netflix, and I even read part of my econ textbook and you know how much I hate econ. So after going so far past boredom I thought I was going to claw my eyes out I found one of your old yearbooks" Nick went into a huge sneezing fit.

"Did you see the picture of our senior prank? We got three pigs labeled them 1, 2, and 4 then set them loose in the school. They spent hours looking for pig number 3, it was legendary" I couldn't help but laugh at the memory.

"I didn't see that picture because I was too busy looking at all the hot girls in your class. Dianna Michaels, Marissa Kinsley, Kayla Ryans... shit man I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention I was just reading. I won't mention her again I promise" Nick back pedaled.

"It's fine. That's in the past, she's in the past. Shit went down but it's not worth talking about" I tried to blow it off like it was no big deal. I threw the now crushed water bottle in the garbage and headed to the shower.

I scrubbed my hair trying desperately to get her out of my head. I couldn't think about that mess again. It was better if the past stayed in the past and I was going to make sure it stayed that way.

Nick and I had a third roomate, Vince. We were all pretty close, but Vince was like my Tyler when I was in college. One best friend at home and one at school. They were both pretty different, but I don't know what I'd do without either one of them.

Junior year was wrapping up and I'd be back home in Ridgemont in a week.

Don't get me wrong I was really excited to go home, but I was worried about who I might run into when I got there.

*This sequel is going to have all the parts of An Unlikely Duo that you loved just with a few more twists and turns because they are older and life gets complicated. If you liked it be sure to vote and comment!*