Chapter 1

It was the last day of school and the first day of summer holidays for the students of Scott Springs High School. With graduation ceremonies ending the week prior to the final exams, Mia had already taken everything from her locker with the exception of her exam supplies which she was taking home now. Lisa, her best friend was waiting for her outside on the steps with at least a dozen other people from her graduating class. They just finished writing their biology exams and Lisa was usually done earlier than her, but Mia’s marks were always higher. Watching her, Mia thought Lisa was one of the prettiest girls she knew with long blonde hair and blue eyes.

Just then Lisa saw her and lifted her hand in greeting.

“Mia, how do you think you did?” Lisa broke away from the group and walked up to her with a stunning smile while tossing her long hair over her shoulder.

She shrugged, “I don’t know.” Of course she knew, but Lisa’s grades weren’t as good as hers and she didn’t like to sound like she was bragging. However Lisa was smart enough to know that.

“You lie,” she laughed, “You’re a straight A student. I think you’re just trying to make me feel better as usual because you’re smarter than I am.”

“If you actually studied Lisa, you’d beat me.” She offered knowing that it was true.

“Maybe, but that means I’ll have less time for boys.” She wiggled her eyebrows causing Mia to giggle. Then she studied her friend for a moment, “Which reminds me, you need to come over to the police station and see the new deputy Mia. He’s been here almost three months and you haven’t even seen him,” Said Lisa as her blue eyes glittered, “He’s so dreamy. It seems as if he should be in Esquire, not handing out traffic tickets. I mean if I wasn’t dating Charlie, I’d be all over him like dew on grass.”

Mia slanted an amused gaze on her friend, “Yes I know, you’ve mentioned him before.” About a hundred times, she thought with amusement.

“Did I mention how big he was? I mean the way those uniforms fit, it’s like he’s got muscles everywhere.”

“Yes, I believe you mentioned that too.” She laughed.

“And he’s got that look about him like he knows exactly what to do with a woman.” She made a purring sound. “I wish the boys at the station would do one of those man calendars! Wouldn’t that be a treat? He could be Mr. December and wear nothing but a Santa hat. What a thing to find under your tree.”

“Now you’re just getting crude.” She said wincing at the bluntness her friend was known for. However she still couldn’t take the smile off her face.

Lisa’s dad was the local police chief in Scott springs, and she was very popular. Of course it didn’t help that she was really pretty and was the head cheerleader on the squad. Mia and her had been friends since Kindergarten and although Mia wasn’t popular like Lisa, they were still good friends. Lisa was dating Charlie Hingley, the Captain of the football team. His older brother Liam was a policeman and had been after Mia for her to go out with him. Mia liked Liam but didn’t feel about him in that way. Like Lisa, Mia had known the Hingleys since kindergarten and thought of Charlie and Liam as more of friends. When he started asking her out, she thought he was teasing, but then the flowers came to the diner one day and she finally had to tell him how she felt. Her father thought Liam would be good for her, but she didn’t agree. Even Lisa tried to push her into dating Liam because they could double date the brothers, but still Mia needed something more. She wanted that ‘spark’ that she’d heard can happen when you finally meet someone that’s meant to be. Her mother used to tell her about it when she and her father first met. Maybe she was living in a fantasy world, but if she was being honest with herself, Liam really wasn’t her type. Not that she knew what her type was, but she was sure she would know when she met him. “Speaking of Policemen, didn’t Charlie get accepted to the academy?” Mia said trying to get her to change the subject. If her social life was left up to Lisa, Mia would be in bending or breaking a lot of the morals she was raised with. Lisa may be her best friend but she did things that Mia didn’t agree with. However, she never judged her. Mia supposed that maybe if she had Lisa’s privileges she’d behave the same way—maybe not, but she still wasn’t going to judge her.

“Yes.” Lisa said with a pout, “he’s leaving in the fall, so I’ll probably be spending most of the summer with him,” she gave her friend an apologetic look. “Although, I’ll still try and make time for you. Now back to the subject you keep avoiding. He’s still single from what Charlie says. He’s a little older than our group, but who cares. A mature man means he knows what to do with a woman.” Lisa wiggled her eyebrows again causing Mia to laugh.

Back to that again, she thought. “I don’t have time for a man in my life Lisa. Since mom died, dad needs me more than ever to help with the diner.”

Lisa felt terrible for reminding Mia of her recent loss, but she also knew that her friend always put everyone before herself and needed to be a teenager at some time in her life. Mia kept her grounded at times because Lisa knew she was spoiled and it was Mia who kept reminding her that not everyone had it as easy as she did. The words were never said, but Mia’s hard work said plenty. Whatever Lisa asked for her father gave her and Mia had to work for everything she wanted. Sometimes she may have seemed pushy where Mia was concerned but she only wanted her to have fun and maybe if she hooked her up with the new stud at the station, she would. She sighed heavily, “Can’t you at least just take Saturday off. Charlie said Liam and half the squad are going swimming out at Craigan’s Gully. Even though we’re not invited, I could get Charlie to make an excuse and take us out there so you could meet him. I mean, who could possibly pass up men in uniforms out of uniform?”

Just then the school bus pulled up. Shaking her head, Mia stepped up to it, “I really can’t, I’ve got to help my dad in the diner all summer. Joan and Al are there, but they’re taking tomorrow off to go to her nephew’s wedding, so I told dad I would cover it. So I’ll probably be too tired to do Saturday.” Joan was the other waitress her father employed. She was an older lady, who was very kind and never had any kids of her own, but she was a good friend to both of them when her mom died. Allan, her husband cooked for them and they lived above the diner. Mia and her father lived several kilometres out of town in a house they inherited from her father’s grandparents. It used to be an old chicken farm many years ago, but they didn’t have any animals now, because they didn’t’ have the time to look after them.

Lisa gave her a look of surprise. “Aren’t you going to College? You got accepted at three out of five of the top colleges in the state.”

“I can’t. Now that Mom’s gone, Dad needs me. Maybe next year.” She said trying to hide the enormous disappointment she felt at that statement.

Lisa looked incredulous, “Can’t he hire anyone to help? Mia—“

“No, Mom’s medical bills were too much for us to handle.” She laid a hand on her friends forearm, “It’s okay Lisa. I wouldn’t trade the time I had with her in the world. Maybe next year things will be better.”

Lisa gave her a sympathetic look, “I didn’t know things were so hard for you. I wish you told me about this sooner.”

“It’s really not that bad. Don’t worry.” She reassured her, “And besides, it’s not like I would let you raid your piggy bank.”

“Get in Mia.” Said Betty the bus driver, “I’ve got other stops to make.”

Mia smiled at the gruff woman who’d been driving her route since she started grade one. She may seem annoyed but Mia knew deep down the woman had a heart of gold. Once when she was little, she picked her flowers from a nearby meadow while waiting for the bus and gave them to her. The woman nearly burst into tears. Ever since then when she spoke, she may have sounded gruff but it was always followed by a glimmer of warmth in her dark eyes. “I’m coming. See you Lisa!” She hopped up the steps while Betty closed the doors smothering Lisa’s view of her best friend.

“Sit down honey.” Said Betty in a softer tone. Her expression was still harsh but her eyes completely contradicted it. Like everyone else who knew Mia, she loved her too. It was when as a little girl she picked flowers from a field for her. The stems were bent and the flowers a little ratty from the fidgety hands of an eager little girl, but it was the gesture itself that nearly made Betty burst into tears. She had just lost her husband several weeks to a heart attack, and had no family to help her through it but when that little girl gave her flowers she felt that things were going to be okay.

Through the years of driving and watching her grow, Betty realized that the young woman still possessed those qualities. Every time she saw her, she asked her how she was and somehow she never forgot her birthday. How she found out when it was she’d never know, but Betty considered Mia to be the closest person to her. No one else ever gave her that consideration and because of that Betty had a soft spot for her. There wasn’t one mean bone in that young woman’s body.

Mia gave her a genuine smile before she took a seat at the back of the bus reflecting on what Lisa had said. She was a good friend, but there was nothing she could have done to ease their hardship. The truth was, she missed her mother terribly and so did her father. However, they tightened up as a family through the tragedy, but she would give anything to have her mother back. So what if she couldn’t go to college this year? Maybe things would improve for the next year and she could go then. As for her best friend and her boy crazy ways, she found it refreshing. Lisa was honest and she loved that about her. She could have any man she wanted with her looks and bubbly personality. She was sure that if she wanted this new deputy, she wouldn’t have a problem getting him, only she would have to get rid of Charlie, and Mia doubted very much that she would. She was sure that Lisa loved Charlie even though she never admitted it. Not only that, Charlie was very handsome and charming even if he was in that football jock stage. He did seem to genuinely care about Lisa.