- Anders Larzelere's PoV:

"Let's wrap it up!" Coach Irwin yells, and the sound of those words is like music to my ears. All of us blow sighs of relief, immediately dropping the fake eager looks we were struggling so hard to maintain the past hour and a half.

"Thank God," Jason exclaims. "I thought my muscles would burn into ashes if I run one more minute," He flops down on the ground with a sigh, stretching his limbs.

"Me too," I wipe sweat off my forehead with a swipe of my fingers, and copy his actions, sprawling on the well-cut and maintained grass of the field.

It's true. As the running back of my team, I've stayed back more more than the others for extra practices throughout the year. After a semester of exams and tests, all of us had been ready to pack our bags and leave home for the summer. Unfortunately, Coach had announced that we had to come for one last practice before the end of the year. We'd all been ready to cry out in exhaustion, but Coach had glared us down his beady eyes, and none of us, not even Austin McMuller, the resident bad boy and captain of the team, had dared to utter a single word.

Trust me when I say that you don't want to talk against Coach.

I sigh once again as I gaze up the darkening evening sky. The sun has almost set, decorating the blue sky with streaks of orange and gold. Air in February is slightly chilly, but not to the extent you'd have to wear a sweater.

"Boys, gather around!" Coach yells again, breaking me out of my peaceful trance.

Protests of "Coach!", "Please!" And even a "Are you shitting me?" rise from the group of foul-mouthed team of players, but Coach acts as if he's deaf, not looking up from the notepad in his hands. Nonetheless, all of us get up from our cozy poses across the field, dragging our tired and sweat drenched selves to hear what Coach has to say.

After two minutes of murmuring, silence falls like a blanket over us. Coach finally looks up.

"It was a good year," He starts, and immediately all start hooting and murmuring in protest. "I know you all want to have a good time during the summer," He talks over the voices of others, "But," he pauses, "Tone down the booze and partying. We don't want any of you returning with liver failures and STDs." Protests increase in sound but he doesn't seem to care. "See y'all in two months," He nods and turns around, leaving us all stupefied.

Why was Coach all sentimental all of a sudden?

Slowly, all of us start to part in groups, talking and chatting. I fall in step with my high-school and college best friend, Jason.

"You going to your Uncle's house this summer?" Jason queries, as we reach his car.

"Yeah...He'll flip if I don't," I reply, running my hand through my hair.

He nods. "Don't forget the party at Weaver's." Jason reminds, as he clicks the button on his car's remote, making it beep twice as it opens.

The party. I sigh in distaste. Jason had told me at least 10 times about it, but I'm just not interested in going. But, if I tell him that, he will send his over-enthusiastic and hyper, bombshell of a girlfriend and her best friend to my house, who won't rest unless they have me dragged out of my safe haven.

"Okay, man. Okay," I grumble, and turn around, making my way to my black SLR McLaren.

Kinda flashy, I know. But when you have more money than you can count, you tend to spend some of it in luxuries like these.

As I near the car, the sensors designed in it, automatically detect the keys in my pocket and unlock with a barely audible beep. I get in and close the scissor door, driving the route to my house, which is probably ingrained in cement in my mind for the number of times I've used it.

The party...At least, Paige will be there...

•••

"Hey, Jean!" I yell over the sound of the booming speakers, as I lean down and hug my friend.

"Hey, Anders! You made it!" She yells back, throwing her arms around my neck, but there's an unmistakable slur in her words. Jason comes from behind and gives me a firm pat on the back, just as I release Jean.

"Babe! There you are! I love you so much!" Jean suddenly hollers, when she spots Jason.

Yup, she's a romantic drunk. If that type of drunk even exists.

She drunkenly sways her way to him, collapsing in his arms. She leans forward and pulls him down for a kiss, and the nest thing I know, the two of them start making out, getting lost in their own little bubble.

Oh yeah, you could say that my two best friends are a couple.

I leave them to their groping, and push against swaying bodies, trying to find myself a quite place. I get elbowed in the ribs and arms several times, but I successfully battle my way out of the crowd, to the expensive looking leather couch near the wall.

Phew.

"Tired already?"

I turn around in surprise to see Paige Armstrong, the captain of the debate team and editor of the College newspaper, sitting on the cushion beside mine.

How did I miss her there?!

She looks as attractive and well put together as always, with her curly blonde hair pulled up in a high ponytail and her cute, red rimmed glasses complimenting her red lipstick. Her simple sundress is red as well, making her look casual, yet formal at the same time.

"H-Hi," I blush slightly, averting my eyes.

If you haven't guessed it already, you have the answer now. Yes, she's the girl I've been crushing on since...well, forever.

Just kidding.

One year.

Pathetic, I know.

"Hey," She smiles back, and my heart does a retarded flip.

You stupid heart!

"You... You came with friends?" I ask, trying to make small talk.

What kind of a question is that, Anders? Of course she came with friends!

"Yep," She grins, shrugging cheerfully.

"Oh..." I look down, not knowing what else to say.

A few moments of awkward silence stretch between us.

"I'm gonna get a drink," She announces all of a sudden.

"Um, okay," I look up, and wave.

Wave?! Why did you freaking wave?!

Idiot, now she'll think you're a weirdo.

Her eyebrows shoot past her bangs, but she ignores my weird action. "See you," She smiles, and turns around, darting away.

I stare after her retreating back, wondering what she's thinking about me right now.

Sigh...Can't you speak to a girl without blushing Anders?

•••