“Mia,” Bree said excitedly, elbowing her in the ribs. “Look who’s here. I told you, he can’t keep his eyes off you.”
Mia snorted, muttering under her breath, “Yeah, right. Like Noah Erikson would ever notice someone like me.”
“Like you? Geez,” Bree said dryly, her eyes moving over Mia from head to toe. “If only I had your kind of problems.”
Mia grinned, suddenly remembering her arrival in Crystal Rock last fall. After staring into the mirror and studying her dark brown hair and deep blue eyes, she’d wondered if there was something wrong with her because she was having so much trouble making friends.
Mia had been attending classes for a couple weeks during the first semester of her junior year, when Bree had approached, introducing herself. Realizing they had a lot in common, Bree and Mia had been best friends ever since.
When Bree had informed her it was because of her looks that the girls in the class didn’t want to be around her, Mia had never been so surprised. Supposedly, they considered her competition in the small town of Crystal Rock.
Bree was always complaining about the fact that she was red headed and freckled. Yeah, maybe she wasn’t beautiful in the common sense of the word, but she was someone everyone wanted to be around. Warm, thoughtful and sincere, Bree Dalton was probably the most popular girl at Crystal Rock High, so eventually, everyone had come to accept Mia in a roundabout way.
Mia glanced up from where she sat eating lunch at the table in the cafeteria, and caught Noah Erikson looking her way from where he stood in the food line. With raven black hair, a little longish around the collar, and chiseled features etched into a somewhat boyish face, he was so cute, she thought, for about the millionth time; even with a goatee on his chin. He was a little on the thin side, but Noah was probably about five foot ten, possibly a little taller.
Could Bree be right—had he really been checking her out? Mia had been running into him an awful lot during the past few months, both in and out of school.
The thought made her shiver. Noah was a senior, just about ready to graduate. She didn’t know much about him, except for the fact he wore an earring and drove a Harley, and most of the guys in her class considered it cool because he obviously had independence.
Mia sighed in resignation. What was she thinking? Even if he wanted to take her on a date, her dad would definitely not approve.
When she stood up, Bree was looking at her curiously.
Mia blinked. “What?”
Bree grinned. “You like him.”
“I don’t know him,” Mia muttered, stomping away from the table with the cafeteria tray in her hands.
“What do you want to know?” Bree asked, grinning.
Mia rolled her eyes, dumping her crumpled napkins into a trash can, and then stacking the plastic tray along with the others on top. “You know something about everyone in Crystal Rock, don’t you?”
Bree laughed as they walked toward the cafeteria exit. “Just about.”
Mia peeked back at Noah, and obviously catching her eyes upon him, he grinned, and her heart began beating madly.
When she felt the blush on her face, Mia turned away from him quickly.
Although Bree appeared to be watching the exchange with extreme interest, she didn’t say a word.
Mia nudged Bree with an elbow as they walked through the hallway past their lockers. “Alright. Tell me about him.”
“He moved here around four or five years ago, and he lives with his grandparents.”
Mia halted. “Huh?”
Bree stopped beside her and continued, “Apparently, he’s lost both parents. I don’t know much about that. He’s originally from out east somewhere.”
Mia frowned. “Oh—that’s terrible.”
“Yeah, it is,” Bree answered. “But his grandparents love him to death.”
Mia blinked. “Really?”
Bree grinned. “Yep. It’s kind of amazing how close the three of them are. He runs errands for them, picks up groceries and even works a few jobs to help out. His grandfather is a disabled veteran, and they weren’t exactly financially prepared to take Noah in, but Mom said they didn’t even hesitate.”
Mia shook her head dazedly. That was kind of…sweet. The guy looked dangerous, so it was the last thing she’d expected to hear.
Well, summer was almost here, and Noah would be graduating in less than a week. What would be the use of encouraging him anyway, even if he was as interested in her as Bree seemed to think?
Bree peeked through the window into the classroom where everyone was preparing for their test. “Are you ready for the exam?”
“I’d better be, if I plan on making music my career,” Mia answered.
Opening the door for the classroom so that she and Mia could go inside, Bree said, “I’ve never met anyone like you Mia, who knows exactly what you want to do with your life. I took music theory just because I needed a fill in for an extra class.”
“Well, I don’t know exactly what I want to do, but I’m really hoping that going to music camp this summer will give me an idea. I still don’t know who the other person accepted from here in town is.” Mia raised a brow. “How about you? Have you heard anything?”
Bree shook her head no. “For once, I don’t have a clue. You’d think whoever it was would be talking about it here at school.”
Mia shrugged, dropping into the seat behind her desk. “Besides Amanda, I haven’t said anything about it to anyone but you and Dad.” Mia frowned. “He still isn’t very enthusiastic, which kind of worries me, by the way. But I wasn’t sure who else applied, so I wouldn’t want to make whoever didn’t get accepted feel bad—especially since I’m not originally from around here. I can’t believe I’ll be meeting Emily Richardson.”
“You’ll love her. She’s so nice. You wouldn’t even know she was famous by the way she acts,” Bree said, taking her seat behind the desk beside Mia’s.
A Grammy award winning vocalist, Emily Richardson had begun a summer music camp a few years earlier to aid talented teenagers who were interested in musical careers. She and her husband owned several acres of property near Crystal Rock Lake, where they’d built a music conservatory along with several outbuildings, including cabins for the participants to live as well as a recreational center for them to use during their off time. At summer’s end, two scholarships would be awarded to the most promising students.
Settling back in her seat as the teacher walked into the room, Bree observed, “Aren’t most of the people selected to attend the camp high school graduates?”
“They are,” Mia answered, pulling out a pencil from inside her purse. “When I was interviewed, the girl who spoke with me liked the fact I was considering teaching. Most of the kids who apply have the crazy idea they’re going to become overnight sensations.”
Bree’s smile was rueful. “I’ll bet.”
When the teacher cleared her throat and began handing out tests to the students, Bree dug into her backpack for a pencil while Mia focused on the questions, settling back in her seat.