Heaven And Hell novel Chapter 1

Book 1:

One year ago

San Ricardo Pier District 43

Keep calm, Keller. Don't shake, you shouldn't even be that nervous. Seriously. What is wrong with you? This isn't like it's your first date!

Actually, it was.

A blind date, to be exact.

I knew I shouldn't have let Viv talk me into this. I just knew it. I'd been so stressed out and (secretly) nervous about this stupid date. I'd seemed to have flung out all my clothes out of my closet and rummaged through my bathroom drawers for some makeup I barely even used. My grandmother didn't know anything about my blind date, so she'd probably have a hell of a surprise when she entered my room. Totally.

I walked restlessly back and forth by the docks, glancing at my watch every ten seconds or so. Sighing in frustration, I raked a hand through my wavy, light brown hair, glaring at the clouds like it was their fault my date was almost an hour late. I thought about what Viv had told me two days ago. "You're just going to love him!"

"Um, I don't think so," I'd wisely said. "Have you even met him? I thought he was new around here."

My best friend had made a funny noise at the back of her throat, waving her hands. "I met his cousin at a little gathering in Laguna Beach. We clicked along just fine and I mentioned you."

"Viv!" I'd buried my hands in my face and moaned. What I wanted to do was punch her, really. "Way to embarrass me."

"Don't worry! I didn't sell you short -"

"Gee, thanks," I snorted.

"I actually told him you were incredibly funny and beautiful - which you are - and then Frederick mentioned his cousin who was also coming to our school this year. His name's Michael and, sweetie, I saw his Facebook and he is gorgeous!"

"No."

"Yes."

"Hell no."

"Yasss."

"I am never going to show up to that date. Never. You know I don't like dating."

"You've never even dated! You're totally an NBSB, even though you're like sooo pretty."

"What the hell is NBSB?

She wiggled her eyebrows. "No boyfriend since birth."

"You have got to be kidding me." I hugged my pillow and fell back on my bed, making the mattress springs creak loudly.

"Please just try dating at least once. Say...Friday? Two days' time? Please?" Viv held my hands and squeezed them hard. I got it that she was only trying to be a good best friend but I really didn't like being set up. Sure, I'd never had a boyfriend in my entire life (or since birth, like what Viv had said) but that didn't mean my life was at stake or I was going to be a social pariah for being a spinster in this godforsaken town. I had admirers, there was no problem there. Viv was fair and friendly like day, while I was dark and pretty (pretty snappy), like night (I guess).

That did NOT mean I'd never find someone in the future.

But Viv was determined and persistent. So I humored her.

Total downhill from there.

Stupid guy. Where the hell was this Michael Cutting, anyway? I'd tried looking for his name on Facebook and Twitter, but it seemed like he wasn't using his real name. I'd tried asking Viv for his profile but she was tight-lipped about it and extremely excited that she'd said she wouldn't want to ruin the surprise.

Now here I was at the pier - a pier! - literally waiting on a tardy date who probably wouldn't even show up. I'd even given up on updating Viv. She'd be so sad and disappointed and I didn't want her to feel bad or worry over me.

I was starting to hate this guy.

And then, like I'd just summoned him, my date cleared his throat from behind and murmured, "Are you Keller?"

I whirled around and my heart literally stopped beating; because standing in front of me was a young man who seemed to have been carefully and painstakingly created by angels while another group of angels strung their harps and sang melodies as he was being molded. The light totally shined down upon him and he seemed to glow, making his midnight black hair and hooded silver eyes gleam. He had the face that was meant to be photographed and marveled over by millions.

"You kiss him for seven minutes. Seven minutes. Got it?"

"Might as well be seven hours if I'll soon be trapped in a stupid closet with some random guy," I grumbled to no one in particular, lightly tapping the green bottle's bum in my hand onto the floor.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Viv shrugged. "Anyway," she continued, "it's easy. You just stay in the closet for seven minutes while kissing a guy."

"Oh jeez, Viv, it's not like I haven't heard of Seven Minutes in Heaven before!"

"Then why did you ask?" she demanded, slapping me on the arm.

"I just wanted to make sure. You know that..."

Viv's pretty blue eyes softened. She gave a little smile, giving me a quick hug as she did so. "I know. You've never kissed a guy before."

"I have!" I protested, blushing, to my dismay.

She grinned wolfishly. "To...?"

"Scotty Dressnan," I mumbled, looking away from her. "Fifth grade. Braces. Painful."

Viv laughed so hard, I thought I'd need to whack her on the back.

Truth be told, that wasn't really a kiss, was it? With Scotty Dressnan, I mean. It was kind of a kiss, yeah -- if you consider sloppy saliva (from Scotty, not me) and braces getting stuck together.

Hey. Scotty, I heard, was a hottie now. Scotty Hottie, as the saying went. It was hard to tell since he was a total nerd before. Plus, I'd never seen him again; he'd moved to Virginia by the time seventh grade came. And I'd never bothered checking him on social media.

When we stopped laughing, Viv called out to everyone in the room and ordered them to sit down on the floor with us in a circle. This was Vivian's seventeenth birthday party. Let me just say that she had been playing Seven Minutes in Heaven without actually playing the game. She simply wanted to order people about. Yeah.