Author: Sarah Soll

 I want to thank my amazing family such as my parents, my sisters, my amazing friends and most importantly my beautiful fans for being so amazing and supportive of me. I want to thank my amazing friends whom have changed my life, Abby, Grace, Kaylee, Lauren, Laura, Geri, Christa, Wijdan, Enny, Gabi.

This book is for my beautiful grandma who would’ve loved to read my book! 

        There are four young city girls, Allison, Victoria, Olivia, and Delaney, who have been best friends since meeting at a local summer camp for boys and girls at the age of four in Winnetka, IL. They grew up together in Chicago's beautiful windy city, hanging out always, until becoming almost inseparable. They have stayed close throughout the last nine years, 

       Allison has a twin brother named Daniel. They are being raised by their single mother, Scarlett, who works as a bartender to make ends meet. She has a dark secret she hopes Allison and Daniel will never find out. On the rare occasion that their mother has a date come and pick her up at their penthouse, Allison and Daniel have been known to chase him away, thinking he'll ruin her life (and theirs). 

        Victoria and her mother, Elena, who are very fluent in Spanish, moved to the states before Victoria was born. They both are originally from Havana, Cuba. Scarlett and Allison have helped them both improve their English dramatically. Victoria is always a little worried about her mother, who used to have a drinking problem. When Victoria was four years old, Elena left her home alone to go out and drink. Victoria was almost taken away by child protective services, and Scarlett had to stop working and care for Victoria on most days. After Elena had realized the massive consequences, she quit drinking, went to A.A. meetings, and has chosen not to drink since. She wants the best for her daughter. Victoria once had a father named Edward, but he left when she was barely two weeks old. 

       Olivia loves playing volleyball and occasionally plays at the Y.M.C.A. during the summer break. Volleyball is how she alleviates her internal frustration over her loss of individuality. Her parents, Elizabeth and Michael, are very overbearing on Olivia after her little brother died over a year ago in an auto accident with a drunk driver as he passed away on her birthday. She has fallen into severe depression from the loss of their close bond. Olivia has gotten good at closing herself to people because of this. 

       Delaney has loved the sport of cheerleading since she was eight years old. It matches her personality. Delaney's parents divorced before she had begun middle school as they couldn't get along well. Her older sister Hannah was about to start her third year of high school. Shauna, Delaney, and Hannah's mother had won Delaney's custody, and Hannah chose to move in with her boyfriend. Hannah now lives in Miami and video chats with Delaney and makes sure they're both doing alright. Hannah had planned for Delaney to move in with her and her boyfriend, but Shauna wanted Delaney to finish high school, and Delaney didn't want to leave her friends behind. 

      Jon, one of Daniel's best friends since diapers who has always been Allison's ultimate crush as him vice versa. They both have known each other since they were babies but finally started dating right before high school. Daniel was a little upset about his best friend dating his twin sister as he didn't like that his sister took an interest in his friends. Still, he had gotten over it as he has a crush on Allison's best friend, Victoria, and wanted to keep the group dynamic. 

       Daniel and Victoria have also been keeping a secret from Allison. They didn't want Allison to know, but Victoria is too loyal to their friendship to keep things hidden for much longer as she feels like a lousy friend keeping secrets from her. 

      Allison and Daniel are eating their breakfast as they accept that summer has finally come to an end. They're sitting at the kitchen island of their luxury penthouse, The Forest Hills of the 45th Floor, that overlooks Chicago, Millennium Park, and Lake Michigan. They have a beautiful view and a lot of excitement about their first day of high school.

     "It's the first day of high school, Daniel." Allison drinks her chocolate milk in her blue painted 'Allie' mug that she made in arts and crafts in preschool. She got this nickname from Daniel forever ago because of the cute little girl laugh she had never outgrown.

     "Will you promise me something?" he asks, also drinking chocolate milk in a green 'Daniel' mug he made in preschool with Allison, who also gave him the nickname for the cup.

    "What is it, bro?" she asks. Daniel admits, "I can't keep this a secret any longer. I'm in love with one of your friends, and I can't get my mind off her, and I've been in love with her for a long time."

     "Tori?" she asks, nudging him on his arm. "Okay, how many of you guys know I have a crush on her?" he asks.  

     "I've had a crush on her since sixth grade. And don't tell me I can't because you're dating my best friend, Jon," he adds, with her dropping her fork on her plate.  

     "Daniel Fairchild, you're my twin brother, and she's my best friend. Anyway, it's obvious and has been for a while. If you truly like her, tell her. I know Tori well. I love her, and if you do like her, go ahead and ask her what she feels. Please don't wait around for another guy to capture her attention. Just two months ago, you told Jon he can't date his friends, but now he's going out with me, and you started being okay with it. You're so confusing sometimes." Allison explains.

     "Promise me, if anyone tries touching her or hurting her, and I'm not around, you'll hurt them. I changed my mind. You and Jon are cute together; I'm glad my best friend likes my twin sister."  

     "I promise. Victoria's is the best friend I have ever had. I love her so much. She's a sweetheart. And that's so sweet you want to protect her. That's what I like about my brother. But Daniel. If you want her to be protected, you should ask her this yourself, not to ask me all this stuff." Allison smiles. She's happy her brother likes her best friend.

       Their mother, Scarlett, walks into the kitchen, ready to leave. She's wearing her work uniform, holding a packet of information about serving Jell-O and cherry bomb shots with her name in script on her name tag.  

       "Are you two about ready to get to school? I have to be at work in forty minutes."  

       "Yeah. I have to get my bag." Allison goes to her bedroom and finds her black and blue polka dot backpack underneath June, their dog.  

       "June? What are you doing, silly girl? That's my bag." She picks up her bag and gets ready to leave.

     Allison and Daniel are being brought to their new high school in Evanston since their mother didn't want them going to school in the city. Scarlett heard that Elizabeth, Elena, and Shauna did the same for their daughters, so all the girls ended up together for High School.  

    "Thanks, Mom. See you after school." They get out from the back seat holding their things and seeing many kids walking towards the front door.  

    "Wow, the first day of high school." seeing Olivia, Delaney, Victoria, and Jon talking, so he walks over. "Hey guys," they say as Jon and Allison share a hug and kiss on the cheek.  

    "How's my Allie doing today?" Jon asks, whispering in her ear with his arm around her shoulder.  

    "I'm alright. I missed you," shyly, a little scared to kiss, having it being Jon and Allison's first kiss. "I missed you, too." hugging her from behind. "I'll see you guys inside." kisses Jon on the cheek.

     "I'll be inside in a little. I want to chat with Daniel before go inside." Allison walks away with the girls.

       The girls enter Evanston High School's front door. They are overwhelmed by the beautifully large hallway with posters everywhere for events, dances, cheerleading, volleyball, and various clubs. The principal's office broadcasts 'Principal Braxton's Office,' An EHS Vikings flag right next to the American flag on the wall next to the front office. Many students are looking for their class schedules. Everyone can see many other freshman boys and girls looking at the programs as other people move out of the way. It's crowded near the classes and the front office.  

     "My homeroom is Mr. Perez, room 318. And Tori, there are dance tryouts," exclaimed Allison.  

     The huge High School building is a two-story school with three hallways on each floor. There's the main hallway downstairs leading outside to the cafeteria, auditorium, and gymnasium. In between two of the downstairs hallways, entries are the courtyard, which has tables for us to eat outside when it's sunny. Behind this area is a door leading to the softball field. In the front of the school is a semicircle drop off where kids dash out of minivans with backpacks in tow. There are also stairways at the far end of each hallway, a girl's restroom on the right, and a boy's restroom on the left. Jon and Daniel walk around the school and find the girls in the center looking at their schedules.  

     "Good morning, my beautiful lady. How are you?" Jon asks, kissing Allison's cheek while holding his black North Face backpack. They're intertwined.  

     "Tori and I are trying out for the varsity dance team, and Olivia and Delaney are trying out for cheerleading and volleyball. Tryouts are in a month, so we have time to organize." feeling Jon's hand holding her hand.  

    "Good luck to all four of our wonderful girls. You four are going to make it for sure." Jon's encouragement makes them smile.

    Olivia and Allison enter their first class. It's in a large room with forty separate desks in five rows facing the board. Everything matches with five brown bulletin board spaces, and it utilizes all areas. It also has a light brown table in the front of the room, under the board, 'turn in-tray' they use the underside of the table for storage, so it attached fabric to the bottom like a table skirt to cover it. It has a long narrow bulletin board that runs horizontally with a small blackboard near an English study room in the back. The other bulletin board is on the wall and post book reviews that students write. The place feels very comfortable and inviting.  

    "Liv? Allie? Where were you girls?" asks Delaney and Victoria. They talk over the late bell ringing to seeing other students run, and some students walk to their classes late on the first day already.

       Mr. Perez is a tall Mexican American man with good energy. He's wearing a grey suit and tie with kind of uncombed black short hair. He holds his white Starbucks coffee cup and briefcase filled with worksheets for the students to work on during class.

       "I'm so sorry. I'm a little late. Please sit down, everyone. We have a lot of work to do. My name is Mr. Perez. Since I know it's the first day for all of you freshmen, all of you must report about your lives. Just tell me and the class who you are so we can learn about each other." He writes his name on the board, and students already start to look bored.  

       "I know, I know. It's your first day. You'll all get used to it quickly. And yes, I know this is English, but we're going to do this first. Each of you will write a report about your life. This small project is due Friday." seeing everyone writing down other stuff. "Since this is the first day, you may all talk amongst yourselves quietly and get to know each other." He sits to take attendance and tries to match names to faces.

     "I wish they didn't get rid of that bike shop down the street from where I live. I needed to get my bike fixed." sad.

    "Isn't there that one bike shop in Wicker Park?" Delaney asks, hiding her mother's phone and hoping it doesn't go off. "That bike shop is too far from where I live, Len."

    "Can't Daniel fix it? He's got those tools in the shed." Olivia asks. "I asked him four times three months ago. He told me to talk to Jon about it." doing the same, looking down, wishing she had told Jon.

    "Daniel's a butthead." doodling in her notebook, "And girl, you and Jon weren't dating yet. You could've talked about going out." Victoria tells Allison as he was scanning the room and all the new faces.

    "This project is going to be so easy." holding her beige Michael Kor's purse and green and white Chanel tote.

    "So easy, I can do this in my sleep." Olivia agrees, listening to her black iPod Nano 5th generation.

     Jon and Daniel see the girls walking with four big poster boards. Jon's arm is in its usual place around Allison's waist "Hey sweetheart, what's with the poster board?" he asks.

    "Tori, Delaney, Liv, and I have projects about our lives, and it's due Friday." "You have homework on the first day? Ha, that sucks for you."

    "Oh, be quiet, Daniel. If you had homework, I'd be the one laughing, too."

    "What class are you guys headed to, now?" she asks. "I have world history with Mr. Stanton, you?" Daniel looks to see who else may have the same schedule. "We have him too!" Allison and Olivia add, walking to class with him.

     Allison Jon Olivia, and Daniel's head into the class with world history posters, presidents of the past, and history books lining the walls. Allison sits next to Jon, and Daniel sits next to Olivia in the back of the room behind six computers.

      "I still can't believe Jon and Allie are finally dating. You two are so adorably cute together."

       "Liv, it's only been a month." with Jon's arms around her shoulders from behind, kissing her cheeks holding her hands.

    "Allie's my girl." holding Allison in his arms, "And Jon's my guy." holding his arms with her hands, not seeing the teacher around.

     After about ten minutes, Anthony McIntyre and Justin Davis recognize the girls from earlier and walk up to the group to introduce themselves.

    "Hi, you guys- Olivia, Allison, and Daniel, right? Do you three remember us?" Anthony asks and is glad he remembers their names. "I'm Anthony McIntyre."

       "And I'm Justin Davis," Justin adds in. "I remember you two; you both were in our English class for the first hour.

     "I'm Olivia Peterson, and these are my three best friends, Allison Fairchild, Jon Richardson, and Daniel Fairchild." Anthony has his eyes glued to Allison.

      "Anthony? I'm not trying to be rude. But why are you looking at Allie like that?" Jon asks as she's his girlfriend, not wanting other guys staring at her.

      "I think she's cute. Why?" confused about why Jon is upset.

       "Jon? I can talk for myself. Anthony, Jon's my boyfriend. You are cute, though, too, but I have a boyfriend." letting Jon know that she could handle herself.

       "I'm sorry I was staring a little longer." feeling embarrassed. "No. It's fine. You think I'm cute. All guys think I'm cute." with Daniel seeing the connection between his sister and the new kid.

       Allison looks at the guys and asks, "So, where are you two from?" "I moved here from California. I moved here last year with my parents, and I'm also an only child." sitting down, getting to know Allison. 

      "I have a great idea for us all to have fun." "That is?" they both ask, sitting across each other.

      "Let's all hang out at mine and Daniel's apartment. Please wait until you two see our place. It's got a pretty view."

       "Cool, can't wait. You also have a great accent. Is it British?" Anthony is happy that the teacher is distracted and can't see that they're talking.

      "Oh, that's cool, Anthony. My twin brother, my best friend, and my boyfriend grew up in Lincoln Park. It's a Mancunian accent, my mums from Manchester, London." Daniel and Allison smile about this.