Chapter 1: You Caught My Eye

Monica POV

“Good morning, and welcome back to school!” Principal Greenwood’s too-energetic voice came up on the PA announcer. “Remember, return all of those sheets by the end of today, and please welcome five new students from the UK! Be friendly, and have a nice day! Oh, and don’t forget-- the Back To School Night Freshman College Dance is in three weeks!”
    Everyone started to shuffle their papers, talking going on about the upcoming dance and the new students-- off to my left, I hear Divya wonder if they’re hot, and off to my right, Kealy’s complaining about all the bad music they’ll play at the dance-- lots of old 70s stuff.
    The only thing I’m worrying about though is how to get past college without failing-- sure, I have my friends at my sides, and we’re all aiming for the same English major, but college is hard, with lots of loans and everything. How do I have time to worry about some new students with a (maybe) hot British accent and a dance that plays 70s music?
    In front of me, Vicki and Christina are talking about some welcome party for the new people, while Divya and Kealy are still talking about the dance and everything. My friends keep trying to make me get into the conversation, but really, my interest in dating has gone low after I broke up with my boyfriend of four years in high school-- plus, I have to see him everyday, since he got into the same college as me-- go figure.
    Class starts, and my friends and other classmates become quiet, taking down whatever notes the teacher put up on the chalkboard; I’m doing the same, until a square white piece of paper lands on my desk.
    I look around, seeing who could’ve passed the note to me-- Divya’s furiously taking down notes, her bracelets clanging against one another. Kealy’s reapplying her lip gloss while reading the board, while Vicki and Christina are talking quietly, but still writing down everything.
    Hiding the note so that the teacher couldn’t see, I immediately recognize the sloppy handwriting and frown, reading what it says.

    Monica,

    C’mon, it’s College, high school’s behind us, the past; dontcha wanna have some fun, loosen up? Meet me @ the fountain before lunch, k?

    Adam

    I roll my eyes, somewhat wanting to talk to him, then quickly put away the slip of paper before the teacher notices; Divya raises her eyebrows at me, mouthing, Who?
    Tell you later, I mouth back, and close my notebook just as the bell rings.
    Kealy links her arm around me. “So, excited to see the new British hotties? Hopefully they’ll be good-looking AND nice, unlike Adam over there.” She glances back at him, glaring at my former boyfriend.
    Divya catches up to us, and we say bye to Vicki and Christina, who are headed off to Chemistry, while we go to Math. “So, the note? Was that from Adam?”
    I roll my eyes. “Yeah, apparently he wants to make up or something-- I don’t know, I kinda want a boyfriend right now, and everyone else is like, either too smart for me or too mean, or you know, just not my type.”
    “Well, hon, you’re gonna find a guy soon, like maybe--” Kealy stops talking for a moment, stopping in her tracks; in fact, everyone in the hallway does.
    Because coming out of the Principal’s office are the newbies-- the five from the UK, heading towards the same Math class as us.
    One of them catches my eye, a guy with dark-olive skin and brown eyes with hair that sticks up in a way that would make every boy jealous, especially Adam. I stare back at him while blushing, and he winks at me, turning back to talk to the four others.
    Divya breathes a sigh. “Cutie alert, right? Looks like one of them caught your eye, Monica-- who needs an old American boyfriend when you have a British newbie winking at you?”
    Kealy giggles. “I just about died when I saw them-- you think they’re as nice as they look?”
    “We’ll just have to find out,” I say, walking with my friends towards Math class-- the same class those boys are in now.