He was Singing our Song

Chapter 1: First Day of Senior Year

First day of my Senior year, I couldn't believe it I had made it through high school relatively unscathed. No, I wasn't the popular kid, I didn't do things that most girls did; cheer-leading, homecoming queen, dance team, nope none of that was for me. I was perfectly happy listening to my favorite country music station while I curled up to a good book or helping mom and dad around the farm.

Boys, well that was another story, there was only one boy that held my heart, and he didn't even know it. I was the girl a little overweight, not bad, but enough I didn't feel comfortable in my own skin most days around him, I kept my sandy brown hair in a short pixie cut, super easy to take care of, I never wore a stitch of make-up, never dressed up, so I wasn't the girl he would ever notice.

He was the popular, best-looking guy in the school, all the girls were after him. He was tall, his muscles were well defined, and his skin was always the perfect golden brown, like the sun kissed it personally every day. He kept his hair a little shaggy and it hung in little onyx-colored ringlets around his face, his eyes were the perfect shade of sea green, and a smile to die for with the dimples that would make you weak in the knees if you only just caught a glimpse of them. He was the quarterback of the football team, the lead wrestler on the wrestling team, and my favorite part about him, was that angelic voice when he sang. Him and his buddies played in his garage every spare second, they had, and they hadn't lost a talent show yet. Yes, that was the man that held my heart without even knowing it, Tyler Macon.

We had gone to school together here in Rayne Valley since we were in kindergarten, but yet I remained invisible to him. I really didn't mind most days, I loved to just watch from the shadows unnoticed and away from the center of attention. I knew he was too good for me the first day I laid eyes on him, even when we were little everyone flocked to him when he entered a room. I used to tell my mom and dad he was a superstar.

In middle school, I spent hours every morning and every evening in front of the mirror wondering what was so wrong with me that he never even noticed me. I didn't think I looked any different than the other girls, I dressed in the same name brand clothes and styles, sure I didn't doll it all up, but I was country through and through, why wouldn't he notice me for just me. From all the watching I had done from the shadows through the years, I knew we had a ton in common, so why was I so invisible.

Then came my freshman year, the year Raina Landy transferred to our school, the year his eyes turned to her and seemed to be stuck there. She was the definition of perfection, with her long blond wavy hair, her bright blue eyes, unlike my dull ones, even her freshman year she had all the curves in just the right places, her olive skin was flawless, and her perfectly manicured fingernails that didn't look like she had ever even mowed a yard. It didn't take her long to take the school over with popularity making her the perfect match for Tyler. She became the cheer-leading captain, dance squad leader, and then my biggest tormentor. He may have never noticed me, but she did, and she bullied me from day one, behind closed doors of course, only her minions seem to see what was going on.

This year was going to be different though, I decided over the summer to take my heart back from Tyler, not that he even knew he had it. All summer I managed to keep myself busy, I didn't go to the places that his friends and him frequented all the time, I took all my pictures of him down, and even burnt the mixed cd I had of one of their garage performances. I walked into school, with my head held high, shoulders back and a new perspective on life, this year it would all change, this was the last first day of this torture chamber they called high school. The last first day I would ever have to see Raina again and for sure the last first day I would lay my eyes on Tyler. Yes, this year was going to be different.

"Lizzy!" The little brown haired, brown eyed girl screeched as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Lola," I huffed out, while trying to unwrap her death grip from around my neck. Lola was pretty much the only friend I had here. We had gone to school together since kindergarten as well, I wouldn't consider her a BFF, but she was a friend, nevertheless.

"Where have you been all summer, I didn't see you not once." She pouted as she looped her arm into the crook of my elbow, and we began walking toward her first class.

"Been keeping busy at the farm. Daddy had some new stock come in and I am his only rider and trainer right now, so he has kept my plate full."

She wrinkled her nose up in disapproval like most, "Eww." She mewled out.

Daddy owned a horse farm here in Rayne Valley, he dealt mostly with horses that could be part of the futurity classes, but he dabbled a little bit in the walking horse world too. People came from all over to buy our horses because not only did we sale good stock, but they were also well into their way of training at the time of purchase, I was a trainer and rider, which made dad's job easy. Mom was always on me about trying to not be so tom boyish, but I couldn't help it, my roots ran deep in this country, and it wasn't something I could let go of so easily.

"Off to class, see you at lunch." I patted her hand as I took my arm away and cautiously slipped through the kids in the hallway trying to get through to my class unnoticed.

My first four periods went by with a breeze, I was relieved when the lunch bell rang, that meant I only had lunch period, and then gym. I was part of an early release program because I had all but two of my credits to graduate and I also had a job, so I would get to leave after my fifth period.

I waited in my class until everyone had exited for lunch before I made my way through the halls. I never went to the lunchroom, there was always trouble waiting there, so I always took my home-made lunch and sat outside near the football field under a small grove of trees, where no one ever bothered me.

No one was around, the way I liked it, August never smelled so good as it did today, I officially got through the first half of the day with no Raina, no Tyler, and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I sat to eat my lunch.