“So, imagine my total surprise when after his fries with ketchup landed in my lap, he leaned in and….”

Natalie Mitchell waited in suspense as she stood with Andrea, listening to their friend Chelsea explain what happened at the Burger Stop last night after cheer-leading practice. She cleared her throat since Chelsea’s expression became wide-eyed and starry. “Chelsea?”

Her friend snapped out of the daze, and she bounced her look between Natalie and Andrea. “So, Tony leaned in, and it was like in a movie, we just stared into each other’s eyes for…well, I don’t know how long, then his face drew closer to mine, and I closed my eyes.” A wide smile curled across her lips. “Good thing I did, because….” She glanced up and down the hallway, then whispered. “He kissed me.”

Say what?

The thing was—Chelsea was pretty and a cheerleader, so the fact the cute wide receiver had kissed her was no shock. The other thing, Tony Cutter, was good-looking, not as gorgeous as Scott Harris in her opinion, but not a dog by any stretch.

“Oh my god!” Chelsea squealed. “I just told you I got kissed, and neither of you has anything to say?”

“Tony is cute, and I think it makes total sense he kissed you in my expert opinion.” Andrea smiled and shook her head. “And we know I’m the expert.”

The urge to bounce Andrea’s head against the locker overwhelmed Natalie.

Indeed, a tragic day when Natalie had to remind herself not to injure her pretty and, more often than not, self-absorbed friend. Actually, the fact her dad did not come home until almost two in the morning soured her mood and pushed her patience. Yet, her friends had no time to listen to her worries. She didn’t hear the garage door like she usually did. It was strange.

“Chelsea,” Andrea continued, “You’re a cheerleader, and he’s a basketball player and a football player. Something like this was bound to happen. My first kiss was also an athlete, remember?”

How could anyone forget?

Andrea never stopped talking about that incident. On a side note, though, kissing two other guys after, in less than two weeks and two more over the next six months, giving the total of five amazing kisses, didn’t make you an expert. Of course, they couldn’t have been that incredible if she was kissing guys like a princess would frogs. And Andrea had an entirely different perspective, thus her self-granted title.

“What do you think, Nat?” Chelsea’s voice cut into her thoughts, and she smiled at her friend.

“I think it’s great,” she lied.

It wasn’t great. Because that meant both of her best friends had kissed boys, and she hadn’t experienced her first kiss, and there were no immediate prospects.

Like everything else, Natalie was always the last one among the three of them since five years old.

A weight settled on her chest. Andrea and Chelsea had both learned to ride a bike before her. Both had gotten bras before her and were able to wear makeup before Natalie was allowed.

Now both had been kissed by boys.

Not good.

What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she do something before both of them, hell, even before one of them?

The school hallway started to get busier, indicating the first period was hovering over the horizon like a pending storm. Maybe a touch dramatic? Possibly, but since biology class wasn’t Natalie’s shining subject, the metaphor fit and dramatics required. Despite drama being Andrea’s thing.

“If you think it’s great, why don’t you have anything else to say about what happened?”

Natalie focused on Chelsea and smiled. What could she say?

She could speak the truth that she felt left behind, yet again, and feeling a tad jealous.

Instead, she struggled to find her voice and fake happiness. “Did the French fries ruin your cheer-leading skirt?”

Andrea laughed. “Trust you to be worried about the skirt.”

“My mom wasn’t amused but took it to the cleaners so it would be ready for Friday night’s game. Speaking of Friday night, you’re both coming to watch me cheer and then sleepover at my house, right?”

“Of course, we have winter formal dresses to pick out.” Andrea nodded enthusiastically. “I think I’m going to go with something a bit more daring, maybe short and sexy.”

“Why?” The word fell off Natalie’s tongue faster than her brain could stop and rationalize the fact. The single-word question was not her most intelligent move.

Andrea laughed. “Because Roland Reynolds got switched from third-period drama to first, which just so happens to be my class. And rumor is he and Maggie are officially over, and despite being on again, off again. Well, it’s really off this time. I hope.” Her friend finally came up for air and grinned. “And as much as I love you and Chelsea, Roland only had the lead role of the last two plays. So since he’s cute, I want him to take me to the dance.”

Blinking, Natalie became speechless.

Every dance since the first one of middle school, the three of them, the three musketeers since they were five, had gone together. Now Andrea was talking a date to a dance and Chelsea was getting kissed by a football player.

Was this an alternate universe or one horrific nightmare? Natalie debated.

Before responding to Andrea’s ramble, both of her friends focused on the other end of the hall.

She followed their gaze to the ‘dream pack,’ which consisted of football players who also played basketball, wide receiver, and basketball power guard Tony Cutter, the one that kissed Chelsea. Then there were two of the linemen, the adorable Eric Sutter and the gorgeous Alex Rothman.

Natalie had for the longest time had a minor crush on Alex until he became Andrea’s first kiss and off-limits.

Of course, guys like the ‘dream pack’ noticed pretty outgoing blondes like Chelsea and Andrea before plain introvert brunettes like Natalie. However, since he was repeating biology, he had ended up in Natalie’s first-period class.

He was certainly eye candy.

The fourth to make up the notorious and drool-worthy group was Scott Harris, the guy Natalie had a major crush on since sixth grade, even though he had been in the seventh grade.

Yep, her minor crush and her major crush were best friends.

Her crush on Scott also continued while he went off to high school, which she referred to as her ‘middle school mess years’. Last year they were again in the same school. This year, Scott had gotten taller and better looking over the summer.

Despite the length of time she’d liked him, her crush had remained a secret. She’d somehow and by some unseen miracle or maybe ten miracles, been able to keep it even from her two BFFs.

Three of the four guys looked over and smiled. The one who didn’t? Oh yeah, Scott, of course. Why? Because his girlfriend since spring, Suzy Phillips, was talking a mile a minute to him.

Suzy was every teenage girl’s worst nightmare. Perfect junior body with sun-kissed, tanned skin, long blond hair, a closet full of designer clothes, and a super-rich daddy who bought her a luxury car. Not to mention she was one of the most popular girls in school and a cheerleader.

The complete opposite of Natalie.

She wasn’t the least bit athletically inclined, didn’t have a ton of designer clothes because she liked making her own more. As for her body, best put, a solid B cup, and her tan from summer was fading fast. Yeah, there was no way she could ever compete with a girl like Suzy. Of course, it didn’t help much Natalie was shy and nowhere close to being outgoing.

No need to wonder why Scott acted like she was invisible? Technically she was the perfect wallflower.

Alex winked in the direction Natalie stood with Andrea and flashed a killer grin.

Her friend rolled her eyes in disgust or at least pretended disgust. “I’ve got to get to chemistry. See you, girls, at lunch.”

She walked away from where they had stood as Tony stepped over and toward Chelsea. Her face lit up, and his lips twitched into a smile.

“Hi, Chelsea.” He greeted and darted Natalie a look. “Hi,” then turned to Chelsea again. Of course, he didn’t use Natalie’s name because he probably didn’t remember it.

She bounced her gaze between her best friend and the cute football player. A slight pain formed in her stomach, and she was positive her upper intestine had just tied itself in a double knot.

“Hi, Tony.” Chelsea was all smiles and dimples. Yes, another sickening detail. Chelsea was not only a cheerleader, pretty and sporty, but she had dimples that made her adorable.

“I just wanted to say I had a good time last night,” Tony stated, looking Chelsea in the eyes and flashing her a killer grin.

Sweet of him to say, too sweet, Natalie swore liquid sugar had just poured over her. Like eww. Since both the cute athlete and the cheerleader had forgotten, she stood there. She figured a lady knew when to leave.

“Me too, and it’s okay about the fries,” her friend reassured.

“I hope it won’t stop you from cheering at Friday night’s game?” He asked, worried.

Oh yeah, time to leave.

She turned away from her friend and the athlete, knowing neither would notice and headed to math class. Despite the distance she put between the two, from the way Chelsea and Tony were looking at each other, she had a strong feeling she knew which out of the three musketeers would soon have a boyfriend.

Not Natalie