One Chance

One Chance (Part 1)

Copyright © 2014
by T. Renee Fike.

All Rights Reserved.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means without prior written permission from the author.  This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’ imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Cover Illustration by: Cover to Cover Design

Acknowledgements

I want to take the time to thank my mom again for your help and suggestions!  Thank you for supporting me in my goals and adventures.  I also want to thank my friends because of your continuous support through this amazing journey.

To m
y beta readers: Kristen, Barbara, Amy, Trenda, Krystyn, Lindsay, Susan, and Jodie, ladies, you are truly amazing!  I enjoyed reading your feedback.  I appreciate all the help that you’ve done for me.  You are a true blessing, thank you for all that you do!

Characters

Haley/Hails

Kenzie’s
identical twin sister and she’s always been the quieter of the two.  She’s 5’6” has long blonde hair and blue eyes.  Growing up she’s been best friends with Brody, who lives just across the street.

Kenzie/Kenz

The outgoing sister, who always gets what she wants.  Though she and Haley look alike, they are completely different.  Kenzie has to be the center of attention, no matter whose expense it’s at.

Brody

The younger brother of Liam.  He has brown hair and green eyes.  He’s best friends with Haley and is currently dating Kenzie.

Liam

The older brother to Brody and Isaac.  He stands at 6’2”, has blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes.  He is a cocky, sexy, football player.  He can have the pick of any girl he wants, whenever he wants.

Quinn

Haley’s roommate at college.  She’s 5’4”, petite, with red hair that has gold highlights in it.  She’s talkative and outgoing and would do anything for her best friend, Haley.  But when she is pissed beware, because she will follow through on her threats if she needs to.

Chapter One (9
th
Grade)

“Where do you think you’re going?”
my twin sister, Kenzie, asks in a snarky tone.

“Heading
across the street to hang out with Brody,” I tell her, as I finish tying my shoes in the living room.

“Is that just an excuse to try to see Liam?” she asks with a straight face.

Liam is Brody’s older brother by two years; he’s hot and he knows it.  He’s on the football team at school and he’s tall, with blonde hair, and the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.

“No, I’m not going to see Liam, though I wouldn’t mind,” I say admitting the truth.  The boy is hot.

Kenzie laughs, “You do realize if he dates either of us, it would be me, right?”

“What’s wrong with me?”
I ask as I stand up and head toward the front door.

“You’re
…well, you.  You just aren’t me, Hails,” she says before walking away.

“One day I will have him,” I shout
, before slamming the door and heading across the street.

I’ve been over to Brody’s house more times than I can count
.  Knocking on the door is out of the question.  I open the door and head to Brody’s room.

“
Don’t you ever knock?” Liam asks when I run into him in the hall.

“No,” I argue back.

“Maybe you need to learn to start,” he says rudely.  He’s been mean to me and Kenzie since were little.

“No
, I’m good,” I say with a smile before walking past him to Brody’s bedroom door.  “Hey,” I say a little too excitedly when I see Brody.

“Hi
Hails.”

“
Whatcha doing?”

“
Thinking of heading to the game room.  Want to come?”

“Yes,” I say
, following him down to the basement.  It’s a kid’s dream world.  It has a big screen television, couches, video consoles, a pool table, ping-pong table, and darts.  The place has everything, but with three boys, Liam, Brody, and their little brother, Isaac, I guess it makes sense. Everyone who comes over to the Masters’ house, comes to the game room.

“Do you mind if I play Isaac in a game real quick? 
Brody asks me.  “He’s been bugging me all morning.”

“That’s fine, I’ll watch,” I say happily.  I’d do
just about anything for this boy.  Though I may be obsessed with Liam because he’s hot, he’s not Brody.  Brody, with his brown hair and green eyes, is amazing, caring, and sweet, Liam’s not.

“Okay cool, I want to talk to you about something
later,” he says with a smile.

“Okay,” I say as I sit down on the oversized couch.

I have decided that I want to date my best friend; I’m just not sure how to approach him with it.  I think he feels the same way, but it’s hard to tell at times.  Guys can be so confusing.  As the game continues into the third quarter, and I’m trying to work up the courage to tell Brody how I feel, Kenzie walks down the stairs.

“Hey guys, what’s up?”

“Hey,” the boys say in unison without looking away from the TV.

“I didn’t think you were coming over today,” I say
, surprised to see her.

“Yeah, I changed my mind.  I need to talk to Brody about something.”

“Oh yeah, what’s up?”  I ask being nosey.

“Nothing, I just need to talk to him.”

“Umm okay,” I say confused.

The guys finish
up their game and Isaac runs upstairs to get drinks.

“Can I talk to you for a minute
, Brody?” Kenzie says, suddenly appearing a little shy.

“What’s up?” he asks
, looking between us.  I shrug my shoulders, because I have no idea what she wants to talk to him about.

“I want to know if you’ll go out with me?” she
asks out of nowhere.  I can feel my jaw hit the floor, but hold back on saying anything.

“What?” he asks
, confused.

“Well
, we are both hot and single, and I like you Brody, a lot.  I want us to go out.  What do you say?”

“I…I don’t know,” he says sounding more confused.

“Hails, you won’t care will you?” she says bringing me into this conversation.

“No, I don’t care,” I lie.

“Are you sure?” Brody asks looking intently at me.

“Its fine.  I
f you two want to date, then date,” I state trying to keep a straight face.  How could Kenzie do this to me?

“So
, what do you say?” Kenzie asks again.

“Okay,” he says softly.

“Yay,” she says before throwing her arms around his neck.

I am too stunned to speak.  She has never shown any interest in dating him.  What just happened?

“Oh Brody, what did you want to talk to me about?” I ask, remembering his comment from earlier.

“Umm, it was nothing, never
mind.”

“So I was thinking since we’re dating now, that we should go out and do something today,”
Kenzie says.  Everything revolves around her, like always.

“Like what?”
Brody asks.

“Maybe the mall or something.”

“Okay sure; Hails, you want to come?” Brody asks.

“No Brody,
just us, as a couple,” my sister says, then looks at me smugly.  “Sorry Haley, you understand don’t you?”

“Sure,” I shrug. “N
o big deal.  You two have fun,” I say, before getting up off the couch to head back home.

“
See ya Hails,” Brody yells as I run up the stairs.

I race out of the house
, cross the street, shove open the front door, and run up the stairs to my bedroom.  I can’t help it when the first tear falls. He was supposed to be my first boyfriend.

Chapter Two (
End of 10
th
Grade)

“Hey sweetie, you ready to head across the street
for Liam’s graduation dinner?” Mom asks.

“Yeah,” I say as I check myself out in the mirror one last time, “Where’s
Kenzie?”

“She’s already over there with Brody.”

“Oh.”

Things haven’t been the same these past two years.  With
Kenzie dating Brody, I don’t get to spend time with him the way I used to. I can’t even remember the last time I talked to him on my own, without her hovering. Wow, how two years can change things.

“Are you
okay sweetheart?” Mom asks as she enters my room.

“I’m fine,” I say
, looking at myself in my purple sundress.

“Sweetie, you may want to change, I’m pretty sure
Kenzie is wearing that same dress today.”

“Seriously?” I ask annoyed.  She made fun of me for
buying this dress.  Then she went out and bought one for herself?

“Yes
, dear.  You can wear it if you want, you two haven’t dressed alike in years.  It would be cute to see,” she says with a smile.

“Sorry M
om, I’m changing,” I say as I head into my walk-in closet and pull out a pair of blue and teal plaid shorts and a navy tank top, “I’ll be ready in a minute Mom,” I say as I quickly change into another outfit.

“You look nice,” she says
, with a genuine smile, when I emerge from the closet.

“Thanks.”  I give myself one more look in the mirror.  My long blonde hair hangs in curls down my
back; my blue eyes show a hint of sparkle. I want boys to notice me; well, one in particular.  No, two in particular, but one is taken and the other is about to leave for college in a few short months.  I just hit 5’6”, and I can tell my body is starting to make positive changes.  If only I could grow some boobs, like Kenzie.

Mom, D
ad, and I walk across the street carrying a few gifts and some casserole thing my mom made.  Denise, Brody’s mom, holds the door open as we walk up the steps.

“Come in,” she usher
s us.  We all walk in together and put the food where it goes before setting the gifts on a side table.

Everyone
is talking amongst themselves; I look around, but Liam is nowhere in sight.  Kenzie and Brody are making out like normal in the living room.  Mom and Dad are talking to the Masters. Isaac isn’t around either, so I decide to head down to the game room to see if the boys are there.

I get to the stairs and
hear voices, knowing right away it’s Liam and Isaac’s, and it almost sounds like Isaac’s crying.  I walk down a few more steps, so I can see what’s going on, when I hear Liam start to talk. Liam is sitting on the couch with Isaac right beside him.

“You’re going to come visit me and I’ll be coming home too
, little buddy,” he says sweetly.

“But it’s not the same,” Isaac says through tears.

Liam wraps his arm around Isaac’s shoulder, “You’re right it’s not, but Bud, this is what happens when you graduate high school.  You want me to play football, right?”

“Yeah,” he says sadly.

“I’m going to school to play football.”

“But it’
s so far away.  Can’t you go to a school closer?” he pleads.

“Bud
, I’ve always wanted to go to Michigan, you know that.”

“Can I come with you?  I can go to school out there.  I promise I’ll listen,” he pleads.

“If I could take you along I would, but I can’t buddy.  Mom and Dad would miss you too much.  You need to stay here with Brody.”

“I’
m almost ten Liam. I can make my own decisions,” he says adamantly, pulling away from Liam.

Liam
chuckles, “Bud, you’re going to come visit me; it’s only a ten hour drive.  I’m going to get you guys some tickets for a few home games so you can come and hang out with me, okay?”

“Who all gets to come?”

“Well I assume Mom and Dad, you, and Brody.”

“You know
Kenzie’s going to want to come,” Isaac says sounding annoyed.

“Yeah
, you’re right.  That’s fine she can come too.”

“Then can Haley come, that way I have someone to hang out with?”

“You think no one would hang out with you?” he asks sounding concerned.

“
You’re always busy, Brody’s always with Kenzie, so I ask Haley to hang out with me.”

“Well that’s nice of her.  But I promise I will hang out with you before I leave, how’s that sound?”

“Good, but I still want to have Haley hang out too.  I like her,” Isaac says strongly.

“Haley can hang out too
, if she wants.”

“If I want to what?” I ask as I make myself known to the guys.

“Hey,” Liam says with a smile, “We were talking about hanging out before I leave for college.”

“Yeah I’ll hang out, but don’t we already all hang out?” I ask slightly confused.

“It’s gonna be different,” Isaac pipes up, “It’s just gonna be the three of us.”

“Okay.  You don’t wa
nt Brody and Kenz there?” I ask, not surprised though.

“No, you know how you play video games and things with me because Liam’s always gone and Brody’s always sucking face with
Kenzie?”

I can’t help but laugh at his choice of words, “Yes
, I know.”

“Well Liam promised to hang out with me before he leaves
, but I still want you to hang out too.”

“We can always hang out after he leaves, why don’t you spend some quality time just the two of you?”

“NO,” he yells, “All three of us.”  I can’t help but be taken back by his sudden outburst, I look at Liam and he just shrugs his shoulders.

“Okay
, all three of us will hang out then,” I say with a smile.

“Good,” Isaac says excitedly.

“Hey Bud, can you run upstairs and see if dinner’s ready?  I need to talk to Haley a minute,” Liam asks.

“Sure,” he says as he runs up the stairs.

“What’s up?”

“You hang out with Isaac?” he asks.

“Yeah, sometimes.”

“Why?” he asks with an intense look.  In two years
, Liam has grown into a sexy man.  He’s tall probably 6’2”, still has blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.  His body is all muscular because he works out all the time for football.  If I thought he was hot when I was younger, it doesn’t compare to how he looks now.

“He asks me to,
” I say with a shrug.

“You know it’s messed up to want to sleep with your sister’s boyfriend right?” he says out of nowhere.

“Excuse me?” I shout, angry that he would say such a thing.

“You heard me.  You’ve wanted Brody forever.  He’s been with your sister for years, that’s kind of sick.  Don’t think for one second that you can use Isaac to get closer to Brody,” he says rudely.

“You have some nerve,” I yell.

“Oh me?  I’m not the one using a kid.”

“I’m not using anyone.  I hang out with Isaac and we play games down here, because no one else will hang out with him.  And you’re wrong, I don’t want to sleep with Brody, I just miss my best friend,” I say before turning away and rushing up the steps.

So much for thinking this was going to be a fun night.  Now all I want to do is go home and do my own thing.  I hate feeling like an outsider and that’s how Liam has always made me feel.  He was slightly nicer to me when Brody started dating
Kenz, but it was short lived. 

Upstairs
, Isaac almost runs me over. “Slow down Bud,” I tell him as I grab onto his shoulders.  Isaac looks just like Liam, just shorter and younger, he hasn’t hit his growth spurt yet, but if it’s like his older two brothers, he’s going to be tall.

“I was just coming to get you an
d Liam, dinner’s ready,” he says excitedly.

“Liam’s downstairs
, if you want to go tell him.”

“I’m here,” Liam says from behind me.

“Okay good, let’s eat,” Isaac says as he leads us towards the dining room.

“Need any help?” I ask mom.

“Nope, we got it, just take a seat,” she says as she heads to the kitchen to bring some food out.  I look at the seating arrangements, it’s never the same, for some reason our families always decide to switch it up.  I look for the little piece of paper that has my name on it, so I know where I’m sitting.

I’m near the end of the table which is good, I hate getting stuck in the middle
, because then people are constantly talking to you.

“Ah man,” Isaac whines, “I don’t get to sit with either of you,” he says as he plops down at the opposite end of the table. I look at the plate beside me and sure enough it shows Liam’s name.  Great, just great.

“Isaac I’ll switch with you,” I tell him as I stand quickly.

“We aren’t allowed remember.
” he argues.

“I think they’ll let it slide this time because of the occasion,” I say as I make my way to his seat.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive, now go sit in my seat.”

“You’re the best Hails,” he says before rushing down to sit beside his big brother.

“Yeah
, the best Hails,” Liam says in a mocking tone.  I can’t help but glare at him.  I don’t know how I could ever be attracted to him because he’s such an ass, but knowing how he was talking to Isaac shows he’s not always that way.

Thankfully, I don’t get a chance to make a remark back
, because everyone starts filing into the dining room.  Mom looks at me, probably because of my seat, but just nods and continues to place things on the table.

“You’re not in the right seat,”
Kenzie scolds.

“Yes I am,” I argue back.

“I’m pretty sure you aren’t.”

“Just let it alone,” Brody says surprisingly.

“What?” she shrieks, looking beyond pissed.

“Who cares who sits
where, just sit down,” he says in a calm voice.

“That’s not the rules,” she barks.

“Well it’s my party and I say it’s fine,” Liam snaps, causing Kenzie to shut up quickly.

Kenzie
has had a crush on Liam for as long as I have, though I’m surprised she didn’t try to date him instead of Brody.  She always gives Liam looks, but it doesn’t look like he notices, though I’m not sure Brody notices it happening either.

Ever
yone sits at the table, it has Mom beside me to my left and Brody on my right, beside him is my Dad then Mr. Masters, also known as Darryl, then Liam, Isaac, Mrs. Masters, also known as Denise, then Kenzie who is on the other side of Mom.

Looking around I now realize why
Kenz is mad, she probably thought I switched seats so I could sit next to Brody, but I honestly didn’t even know he was supposed to sit there.

“Guess what mom,” Isaac says excitedly.

“What sweetie?”

“We’re going to go to some of Liam’s games,” he says overly excited.

“What?” she asks confused.

“His football games, we’re going to go watch him,” he says explaining it to everyone at the table.

“Yes Isaac, we are going to attend a few of his games, but Sport, it’s not gonna be too many, you have school and it’s a far drive.”

“I know
, but we still have to go to a few.  Haley’s coming too,” he says surprising everyone including me.

“Wait
, what?” I ask out of nowhere.

“I’m going t
oo then,” Kenz says before I get a response.

“Yeah
, we figured that.  You won’t let Brody go anywhere without you,” Isaac says loudly.

“What?”
Kenz shrieks.

“It’s true,” Isaac says standing his ground.

“Now Isaac, that’s enough.  That was rude, you don’t say things like that,” Denise says trying to cause the commotion at the table to stop.

“Sorry
Kenzie, I wasn’t trying to be rude, I was just speaking the truth,” Isaac says.  Liam starts laughing out loud causing most of us to join in the laughter too.  Kenzie is the only one not laughing at the table, but it is true, she doesn’t let that boy out of her sight.  Can we say annoying?

The rest of the evening is spent hanging out watc
hing Liam open his gifts, before heading home to relax and go to bed.