1 Awakening.

Love is like the wind, you can't see it, but you can feel it.

CHAPTER ONE.

"Hey, have you seen Matt?" I asked Cassie in a much louder voice than normal.

I've just rocked up to the end of year party after my shift at the local grill.

I know, tell me about it; I had to work on my last day of school. Shit huh? Yeah! Well I pulled the short straw and got stuck doing the shift; but hey, I'm here now with the summer off without work and without school, so yay for me.

"About time!" I said as Cassie walked up, "Now the party can begin! Let's get some drinks into me girl."

Cassie has been my friend as long as I can remember. I think we met back in nappy days, where we drooled and soiled ourselves in our pants. We went through everything together, from our first kiss, to getting our periods—which happened a week apart—to having our first sip of alcohol, and our first smoke. We puked the alcohol up straight after we drank it, but it was worth it.

Cassie and I share everything with each other and neither of us would have it any other way. The day, or should I say night, she lost her virginity we talked about it for hours.  She told me how it hurt at first, but then started to feel really good. She also told me that the first time was awkward because of the straight forward moves and it being over before it even begins, but then every time afterwards is amazing; you can teach yourself to do it in different positions and-

"Hello! Earth to Raine; is anyone in there?" Cassie said, tapping my head.

"Sorry, off with the pixies again." I replied.  We both cracked up because in her book I'm always away with the pixies.

"How was work?"

"Oh, you know, fantastic, I love having my ass groped most of the night."

"Yeah they are the perks." Cassie said as she handed me a beer, while smiling over her own glass.

My magnificent comeback was sticking my tongue out at her.

"If you want to stick your tongue out baby you can stick in my mouth anytime." Some random guy said as he walked past us.

We both looked and each other with disgusted looks and broke out laughing. "That was such a shitty line."

"Yeah, but he was cute." Cassie said, "I would do him."

My face turned to horror and a bit of beer came spilling out of my moth when she said that.

"That is so wrong and you know it; plus, what about James?" I asked

"Yeah, I love him and would never do anything like that. I was just saying."

"You sound like a guy when you say shit like that. Anyway where are James and Matt?" I turned my attention back to Cassie.

"Well I know James is waiting out back for us, and Matt said he was going to the toilet, but that was a while ago. He hadn't come back yet when you sent me the MSG to meet you out front." She replied

"Maybe he ran into some other of his mates or something." I said. Cassie gave me a funny look and then said, "Yeah something." "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, giving her a funny look back.  

"Nothing, it's just that James said that Matt's been acting a little different lately.  He doesn't go out with the guys as much; he says that he wants to spend time with you.  Then the other day I got a call from you asking if I wanted to hang out because Matt was out with James and the guys, but James had said that Matt was with you.  We thought that he might be getting you something for Christmas and didn't want you to know so we let it go."

"Yeah that was most likely it." I said, "Anyway, I'll meet you outside in a bit. I have to go pee, then I'm gonna look for Matt to tell him I'm here."

"Okay, I'll be over by the tree with the rest of the guys."

I nodded and then headed for the restroom. I was about to turn the handle when I heard a moan; I quickly turned around to go in search of another bathroom when I heard the girl moaning the guy's name; "Oh Matt give it to me harder, harder." Those words made me stop in my tracks, but I reasoned to myself that there are plenty of guys named Matt, so there's nothing to be worried about, right? Then, not wanting to hang around outside a bathroom where people were doing it, and just in case it was a different Matt, which I was sure it was because Matt was not like that, I pulled out my phone and hit Matt's number.  My whole world came crushing down when I heard his ring tone from the other side of the door.

When I got a breathy "Hello?" all that I could say was. "You bastard." Then I ran heading for the front door.

Just as I open it I smacked into a huge, wide chest and that's when everything went black.

Next thing I knew I was opening my eyes, only to see another pair looking back into mine. These where the most deep green eyes I've seen, I felt myself calm down just from having them look back into mine.

Then my eyes focused on the other features of his face until they landed on his mouth where a smile formed on his lips.

Then the lips moved to open and man oh man did he have nice teeth. I heard a laugh come from that mouth and I felt tingles run through me.

"Thanks, I try to look after my teeth." I heard him say.  

Shit, did I just say that out loud? Shit! I think I said that out loud too. Okay closing my mouth now.

"Yes you just said that out loud, but if you want we can blame it on the slight head concussion."

Feeling my face heat up from embarrassment, I said the first thing that came into my mind.

"Aren't you a bit old to be at this party? Umm I didn't mean it like that, y-your n-not that much older just you know older than me. Shit, I better shut up now".

"No, by all means keep talking. You're doing a good job of insulting me, and you look really pretty when your face turns red in the cheeks."

My mouth open and shut a few times as I tried to figure out what to say. Just as I was forming an answer, Cassie burst through the door with James and Matt on her heals.

"Raine!" she nearly yelled, "Are you okay? Someone said a guy was carrying you up stairs and you looked past out"

When my eyes met Matt's all I could feel towards him was hate and disgust. I never wanted to lay eyes on him again, at least until the summer is over and I had to start back to school for year 12.

"Matt, get out of here." I said with venom in my voice, "We are over and I never want to speak to you again."

"Please, Raine! Let me explain".

"I think you've done a good enough job of that by having sex with whoever was in the bathroom with you. Just leave me alone. Forever" I felt the tears build up in my eyes but fought against them, I didn't want to cry in front of him, he couldn't see me hurting.

I think both Cassie and James picked up on what had happened because they both turned to glare at Matt; James shut the door in his face, while mumbling "I think you better leave, man." That was the last I saw of him before the tears came slipping down my face.

"I think this my cue to leave. Just keep the cool cloth pressed to your head and you'll be fine" My mystery man said.  

"WAIT! I-I mean Please wait. I-I di-didn't get your name"

God why do I sound so lame? I never, I mean never, stutter. Not to anyone, ever.

"It's Raven." He smiled and walked out the room before I could say anything back to him. Raven, what a nice name. Wait, what am I doing? Tonight I was in a relationship only to find my boyfriend having sex in a bathroom. Now I'm lusting over a guy that knocked me out then carried me up stairs to apply a wet cloth to my head until I woke up. Not to mention that he's older than me, how much I do not know. Then I go acting like a complete dick head, who can't say a sentence without stuttering to say her life. How hard did I hit my head? I've completely lost it.

"Ok who was that? And how did you end up past out in his arms? I mean you had one drink before you took off to go to the toilet and to find dick head, so how did you know he was fucking someone else in the first place?"

That's good old Cassie for you. She'll ask a million questions in one go, and then she won't let you get a word in at all. James sometimes had to kiss her just to make her stop so one of us could speak.

"To answer question 1: His name is Raven, that's all I know 2: While I was running out of the house I smacked into him 3: No, I was not drunk 4: I was walking to the toilet and was about to open the door when I heard moaning, so I walked away but I heard the girl say Matt's name and at first I thought that there were plenty of Matt's at school so must be someone else. Something in the back of my head said just call him and see. So I did and I heard his ring tone from the bathroom. Do you believe that he answered my call while he was fucking her? I mean what did I ever see in him anyway?"

They were both looking at me funny and I couldn't figure out why. I know I just said whole lot but come on I'm not as bad as Cassie; I don't need someone to kiss me to shut me up.

"What?" I said, my eyes flicking back and forth between them.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Cassie said, "We'll talk on the way home."

With that said we left the party.