Today is the first day of my senior year of high school at the third different school since my freshman year. My father's not in the military, but his job as a biomedical engineer has transferred us to other states within the United States. I don't mind and consider each move a new adventure—my ability to adapt and easily make friends has helped me each time we moved homes. I'm ready to make this my best year yet.

I'm staring at the three outfits pulled from my closet, trying to make a choice. Through experience, I've learned that the first-day impression can affect how the rest of the year will play out.

"Nicole, breakfast is ready," my mom calls up to me from downstairs.

"I'll be down in a minute, Mom."

Decision time—jeans and a tee, skirt and blouse, or floral print dress? I decide on jeans and a tee. Casual and ready for whatever comes my way!

Upon entering the kitchen, I see my mom plating my annual first day of school breakfast, pancakes.

"Good morning," I say cheerfully.

She glances at me before returning to her task.

"Good morning, Sweetheart. If you finish your breakfast quickly, I can drop you off at school on my way to run errands."

I sit at the kitchen bar and pull my plate to me.

"Thanks, Mom. That would be great."

After rushing through breakfast, I meet my mom in the car.

My mom turns to me and smiles. "So, are you nervous about starting another new school?"

I shake my head and say, "Not really. I'm excited and meeting Chris and Diana in the courtyard; they are going to introduce me to some of their friends."

Chris is my neighbor from two doors down. I met him and his girlfriend, Diana, a few weeks ago when we moved in.

Chris has blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He's of average height and super sweet. We're both seniors, even though we're a year apart. His birthday is in November, but his parents held him back a year. My birthday is in December, and my parents sent me on time. He's on North High's golf team, and according to him, he's pretty good.

Diana is a pretty petite brunette, and our build is very similar except in the chest area. She's barely a B cup, and I'm an overflowing C. She talked me into trying out for the football cheerleading squad last week, and we find out today who made the team. I'm hoping my background in gymnastics has helped me to stand out.

Keeping her eyes on the road, Mom says, "I'm happy that you have Chris and Diana to introduce you around. Chris' family was so welcoming when we moved in."

I grin as I recall seeing Chris for the first time when his mom insisted on him delivering a welcome basket full of freshly baked goodies.

"I know. Chris' family are great neighbors. Unlike the last place we lived."

Mom and I exchange a knowing look and laugh together.

"Well, honey, here we are. Have a great first day. I love you!"

Mom pulls up to the school's front, and I kiss her on the cheek before getting out.

"Thanks for the ride, Mom. I love you, too."

I walk into the school as other students arrive and head towards the courtyard. The tour for new students a few days ago gave me the confidence needed to find my way around. I see Chris and Diana are already there with a group of friends and make my way over.

Diana catches my eye and comes rushing toward me. "Hi, Nicole! Did you see they posted the results of the cheerleading tryouts? We both made it onto the senior squad!"

I squeal in delight. "Wow! That's so awesome! When does practice start?"

She claps her hands excitedly. "We have a short meeting right after school, and practice starts tomorrow."

"Great! I'll text my mom and let her know."

My head is down, texting while following Diana back to the group. When we get there, I look up, and my eyes meet the greenest, most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen.

As I stare into them, the green-eyed hottie greets me, "Hi."

"Hi," I murmur as I feel the heat burning its way up from my neck into my pale cheeks.

Green-eyes speaks, never breaking eye contact with me. "Wow, Chris, your description did not do this girl justice. I'm William, and you must be Nicole."

It takes a moment to find my voice. "Guilty as charged."

Green-eyes, I mean William, is the hottest guy I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He's at least six feet tall, has caramel-colored hair combed neatly to the side, and those green eyes, wow!

"Awe, come on, William. Now Nicole knows I've been talking about her," Chris whined.

Diana playfully smacks Chris' arm. "So what exactly did you tell William?"

Chris pulls Diana in for a hug and kisses her forehead. "All good things. No need to worry, my love. You're the only girl for me."

I smirk playfully. "Funny, Chris didn't tell me anything about you, William."

"That's because my mom taught me that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all," Chris says and laughs with gusto.

The entire group laughs too, and Chris introduces me to the gang, Tim, Deb, Ken, and Tessa. Everyone seems welcoming except for Tessa; she's glaring at me.

Tessa reaches up and grabs William's arm while he's still staring at me. He glances down at her arm but doesn't move it away. I feel the burn of jealousy take over and quickly turn away.

Tessa's voice drips with venom. "So this is the little bitch that took my place on the senior squad."

Everyone turns to Tessa in shock.

Diana has my back. "What the hell, Tessa?"

I attempt to look unfazed by Tessa's comment before saying, "Don't worry about it, Diana."

I frown at Tessa. Damn. It's not the first time I've dealt with girls like her, and I don't want to make waves during my first fifteen minutes of school.

Just then, the homeroom bell rings, and we all make our way to class.

After school, I go to the gym for the cheerleading meeting. The day's classes went pretty quickly—mostly introductions and going over the syllabus. Chris is in my homeroom and has a few classes with me, and Diana is with me in Biology. The rest of the group I saw passing in the hall. I didn't see William or Tessa all day. I'm on the college prep track, and apparently, they are on the business track.

I was disappointed not seeing William but very happy not to see Tessa. Unfortunately, there she is at the cheerleading meeting. Both the senior and junior squads are gathering together in one group.

I wave and smile. "Hey, Diana. Hey, Tessa."

Tessa does not respond. Instead, she gets up and sits with some of the girls on the junior squad.

I shake my head in disappointment. "Wow! Tessa acts as if I kicked her off of the senior squad."

Diana sighs. "Well, in her defense. You sort of did. We were all on the senior squad last year, now Tessa is on the junior squad, and you're now in place of her."

My eyebrows raise in surprise. "Shit! No wonder she's pissed at me."

Diana pats my hand. "She'll get over it. Just steer clear of her for the next couple of weeks."

The meeting lasted about 20 minutes; all the while, Tessa was shooting me dirty looks.

As we're leaving, Diana stops me. "Hey, Nicole, I almost forgot. A group of us are hanging out at the lake after dinner if you want to join us."

"Will William be there?" I blurt out a little too excitedly. Fortunately, Diana pretends not to notice.

"Sometimes he comes, sometimes he doesn't. His parents own Hammon's grocery store in town, and he leaves at noon from school on senior work release," she explains.

No wonder I didn't see William at school throughout the day. He must have his business courses in the morning and then leaves for work.

I don't even try to hide my enthusiasm. "Sure, I'll come. Just let me make sure it's okay with my mom. I'll let you know if I can't go. If you don't hear from me, I'll see you there after dinner."

Her bright eyes twinkle as she grins. "Sounds good. We usually meet at the far end of the beach where the fire ring is. Hopefully, I'll see you there. Bye!"

I give her a small wave. "Bye!"

I sure hope William is at the lake tonight. I can't get my mind off of those amazing emerald eyes!

A/N Any guesses on what is true about my story? Post your answers in the comment section, and I'll let you know if it's factual or fiction.