AN: Hey guys! First of all, I want to thank each and everyone of you who are about to read this fanfic. It's an AU fic and it's very inspired in the tv show Friday Night Lights and Taylor Swift's music video for You Belong with Me! I really hope you enjoy the first chapter. As usual, just a reminder that english is not my first language so I'm sorry for any gramatical or spelling mistakes you could find. Let me know what you think with a review. Thank you. Love, Annie.

...

The first thought that crosses her mind on that chilly October morning is that today is Homecoming. She always dreads those days, since they weren't really cut out for her, but it's high school and it seems like everyone around her lives for these kinds of events. As she steps on the carpet floors beneath her feet, she stumbles on a red journal where she usually writes down her thoughts after the day is over. Trying not to make any noise, since it's way too early in the morning and everyone else is probably still asleep, April moves carefully around the room. Then, opening the curtains, she checks on the weather. It looks like it's going to rain, but she hopes the clouds eventually go way, since today Jackson's got the big homecoming game and she plans on not getting soaking wet watching him play… and, yes, she doesn't usually like sports but when it comes to Jackson… let's just say she never misses one of his games.

Looking across the slim space between his house and hers, April looks at his bedroom window. The blue curtains are still all the way down and she knows he is probably still asleep like everyone else. Sighting, April closes her eyes and for a second imagines what he looks like sleeping. Like an angel, probably, with his tanned skin and freckles and the cute little noises he makes when he is having a good dream.

Jackson has been her best friend since they were about six years old and they started first grade together. She was new in town, because her family had just moved in from Moline when her father lost his job at the farm. Moving to Seattle wasn't easy, especially when you come from such a small town. The big city and all the new faces are scary and the world seems to get bigger all of a sudden. But with Jackson's help on the first day of school, everything became easier. They were inseparable up until tenth grade when eventually things started to change. Jackson became this handsome young man, with his deep blue eyes and freckles, he swooned all the girls at school. With his athletic skills and great discipline, he became the quarterback of the school's football team, the Mercy West Panthers. Everyone loved Jackson and when he spoke people paid attention, they loved being around him, how funny he was. April didn't mind sharing him with the rest of the world, even though she knows the word sharing isn't exactly right, because one can't share what one doesn't own. However, she knows that even though he is an honest guy, the only time he is truly himself, with no masks and no playing pretend, is when he is with her. This is their last year of high school, the last time they will live next door to each other and the last time she's going to have the opportunity to let him know she's been in love with since the first day they met.

It's never easy to hide your feelings, especially when you're so close to the person you're in love with. It's even harder when that same person has a girlfriend. Yes, Jackson has a girlfriend. Mackenzie or Kenzie as everyone calls her, is a senior too. Unlike April, she's one of the popular ones, a cheerleader. She's tall and has golden brown hair, perfect white teeth, a great warming smile and no zits on her face. Kenzie is the epitome of what a girl next door should be, except that she isn't very nice, particularly to April. But Jackson fell for her this summer, and it broke April's heart to a million pieces, because she never found the nerve within herself to tell him how she feels.

Turning on her feet, April reaches for her pink robe and heads to the bathroom. It's early, so she keeps as quiet as she can be walking around the house, not wanting to wake up anyone. Her two younger sisters sleep in the same bedroom and this year she was fortunate enough to have the room for herself since Libby went off to college last year. She's loving having her own space, because growing up with three other girls isn't always easy. That's why she thinks she likes to hang out with boys the most, particularly Jackson.

After washing her face and brushing her fuzzy scarlet hair, she picks on something to dress. A pair of jeans and a grey sweater seems just fine. The pep rally is taking place this afternoon and even though she's not trying to impress anyone, she doesn't want to look bad either, but she never steps out of her comfort zone.

Coming down on the kitchen to have breakfast, April makes herself a bowl of cereal and picks up her bible on the way. Even though her whole family is religious, being a Christian girl isn't the easiest task in the world, especially when you're in high school and things are hard as they are. Jackson doesn't believe in God, but he's always been respectful about her faith, which is something she appreciates. They never really talk about it, but he knows she goes to church every Sunday morning and takes at least a week during the summer to head to the church's summer camp. April likes to read her bible in the morning, it helps her prepare for the day ahead and it gives her all the confidence she needs to know everything will be alright. So, with the cereal in one hand and her bible on the other, she makes her way to the front door porch. Finding a comfortable spot on the porch's swing, she carefully opens her bible and with her free hand, she leads the spoon to her mouth. "Love is patient, love is kind…" She reads to herself, even though she knows those words by heart. "Love…"

"Morning!"

She jumps on her seat, before moving her eyes to the person standing in front of her. "You scared the hell outta me!"

"Hey! No cursing in the Lord's presence." Jackson jokes, watching as she nervously tries to clean the spilled milk on her sweater. "You got up early today."

"So did you!"

"Decided to go for a run, get ready for the game later."

"It's six in the morning, Jackson. The game is only in the evening."

"Well, you know I like to be prepared."

"I do." She nods, noticing now how his basketball jersey fits his so well, the way it showcases his strong arms, the sweat dripping down his neck and shoulders. Jackson always makes her feel things she never feels when she's with other people and it's in those moments she knows she's way too in love with him.

"So, are you coming to the pep rally?"

"I was thinking about it."

"Good. It's going to be cool. And the game?"

"You know I never miss one. I promise I'll be there."

"Yeah…" He smiles and nods, knowing she's right. "So I'll see you later, right?"

"Yep." April replies, with a smile, unsure of what to say next. They've always been close, but ever since Jackson started dating Kenzie this summer things changed a little bit. April always finds it hard to say the right words or make conversation. She figured the less she talked to him, the less her heart would hurt. Out of sight, out of mind… but not really, not really at all.

"Looks like it's going to rain. Imma head home." Jackson points out, looking at the dark grey clouds in the sky. "See ya, April."

"Bye." She says, watching as he turns around and steps down her front door porch, with no idea that she is burning up inside. Reaching for her bible again, April shakes her head and tries to collect her thoughts. "Love never fails…" She starts reading again and as soon as he leaves the first drops of rain start falling.

…

Somehow the pep rallies always feel like the same. The energy is up, there's music and cheers and the football team is all together, getting ready for the game, the crowds are ecstatic and the whole school can't be more proud of their Panthers. Tonight's game is against the biggest team's rival, the Seattle Grace Tigers. Sitting by herself on the gymnasium benches, April focuses her eyes on Jackson. The room is full of people, yet her eyes are only on him. Looking as handsome as ever, he's wearing a pair of washed up jeans and his blue football jersey, with the number seven on the back in big white letters. He is chatting with his team mates and playing it cool, but April knows just how nervous he is. Coach Webber has a serious look on his face, the man never seems to catch a break, and he always puts so much pressure on Jackson's shoulders. But Jackson never loses his composure, his mind is always on the game. Just as the school's dance team finish doing their bit, an old Missy Eliot song starts to play out loud on the speakers. April sees Mackenzie gathering the rest of the cheerleaders. They, with their perfect outfits and bows in their heads, make is seem so effortless, so easy to be a girl in high school. She wonders for a moment what it would feel like to be one of them. Then, shaking her head she smiles to herself, thinking it's a good daydream but she would never fit in with them.

"Hey. There you are." She feels a tap on her shoulder and it's her friend Arizona. "Been looking for you all over the place. I texted you!"

"Sorry, my phone's in my bag. I didn't-"

"It's alright. Has it started yet?"

"It's almost finishing." April replies, with a laugh. Arizona has always been like this. She's a good friend and all, but when it comes to showing up in time, she always loses track of time and ends up being late. "Are you coming with me to the game?"

"Yes… I mean, I might watch the first half, but then I'm leaving." She says, sitting next to April and placing her bag down in front of her feet. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Nope!" April says, moving her eyes up to Jackson, waiting for him to look up.

"April…" Arizona starts, moving her mouth closer to April's ear. "Are you ever going to talk to him?"

"What?"

Arizona and April have been friends since the tenth grade. She was knew in school and April found her an easy person to talk to the first time they met. They've became close friends ever since, but April never got the courage to talk about her feelings for Jackson to anyone. Not even Arizona, but she figured it out anyways. "Are you ever going to tell him?"

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" April rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Plus, he's with Mackenzie now."

"That skank!"

"Hey, Arizona, don't say that! It's not nice."

Arizona shrugs and rolls her eyes at the same time. "It's not like I'm lying." She says. "She's been hitting on Jackson all of these years, but he never paid any attention to her. So, what did she do? She dated Nathan, then made the move on Alex, then freaking Ben… Ben? And only to get closer to Jackson, dating almost all of his friends."

"We're not slut shaming anyone here, okay? She can date whoever she wants, it's fine!"

"So she can date Jackson and you're going to tell me it's not killing you inside?" Arizona asks. "April, I know you. You're just too sweet to say anything, but she's not a nice person."

"We don't know her that well. She can be a very nice person, but we don't know."

"She's a mean bitch!"

"Arizona!"

"And I honestly don't know what Jackson saw in her. Such a fool!" Arizona goes on, searching inside her bag for her phone. "And you know who's to blame, right? You!"

"Me?"

"Yes, you! You like him and you never had the guts to say it to him."

"Because he seems me like a sister, like a little sister. What was I supposed to do? Tell him-" April stops, before looking around and lowering her tone. "-Tell him that I have feelings for him and get rejected? I have some pride, okay?"

"Fine." Arizona says, before rolling her eyes once again and looking down at her phone. "But just remember that at some point you're going to regret not saying anything. You're going to regret not having the courage to say you loved him. This is our senior year and you're going to miss out on that change."

"It's not that simple."

"If you'll never try, you'll never know." April doesn't reply this time and Arizona doesn't say anything else. But she's right and April knows her friend is right, but Jackson seems happy with Mackenzie. And when he's happy, she's happy.

Lost in her thoughts, she only comes to her senses once the music changes and all the cheerleaders are now in position in the middle of the gymnasium. The lights are now and the crowds seem to get quiet for a minute. Then, the football team takes the stage as well and each one of them choose a girl. Dropping on one knee, they extent to them a single flower wrapped in a blue ribbon, the school's color. Jackson is standing right in front of Mackenzie and she smiles, proud of herself. He gives her the flower and she accepts it, giggling with the rest of the girls. Then, she places both hands on Jackson's shoulders and drops one kiss on his cheek. It all happens so fast but April can't stand to watch it. Quickly standing up, she excuses herself much to Arizona's surprise, who wasn't paying any attention at all to what was happening. As she leaves, Jackson stands up and moves his eyes as she walks. He tries to shout her name, but in vain. April leaves the space without turning back.

…

"GO PANTHERS! GO PANTHERS!"

The game's already on motion and the Tigers are losing but not for much. Jackson looks at the stands trying to find April as he listens to coach Webber's instructions. She's not there. She said she would be there, but she isn't and he's worried, because she has never missed one of his games. It's an unsettling feeling knowing she isn't there to cheer for him.

"Avery! Are you listening?"

"Hmm… yes, coach."

"Good, now don't waste that throw. This is our last chance to get the lead. Karev will be open wide waiting for that ball. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Jackson nods, quickly moving his eyes between the coach and the stands, giving it another try to find April. He saw her leave the gym, but was hoping she would be back by now. It doesn't feel right without her watching him play.

"JACKSON! JACKSON!" He turns his head slightly to the left and there's Mackenzie shouting out his name, with one hand in the air, trying to catch his attention. He shakes his head, not paying her any attention and quickly gets back on the green field. Frustrated, he hears the crowds long the cheerleaders in the distance sing altogether "B-E-A-T… BEAT THE TIGERS! BEAT THE TIGERS!" Their voices get all messed up inside his head as he runs his eyes one last time through the crowds. His favorite red haired girl isn't in the stands and he almost misses the start of the play. The ball comes flying out loose, there's a huge collective gasp as he throws it away and it falls on the floor before his team mate can even get a hold of it. Jackson takes a second to think, before he starts to realize what's happening. It's like his feet are stuck and he can't move on the ground. The game's a mess now and he can hear the other team's cheer began to roar. In one swift play the result turns around and they're losing.

"Avery, the hell?" He feels a strong tap on his shoulder. Looking to the side, he sees a very angry Ben Warren ready to kick his ass. The whole team was counting on him for the big first game of the season and he's just not focused at all. "Get your fucking head in the game!"

It's an useless advice. They don't have much more time left to catch up and end up losing. There's not much else to say except that the quarterback is the one to blame.

"Jackson! What's wrong?" Kenzie runs to him as soon as the game is over.

"I'm fine. I'll talk to you later, Kenz."

"Wait. You're not just going to walk away."

"I'm tired. I need a shower, I-"

"It was her, wasn't it? April? I saw the way you kept looking out for her."

"I'm really not in the mood for fighting right now." He says once he notices Kenzie's tone get little hyped up.

"I'm not picking up a fight. But it was all her fault."

"I didn't even notice April wasn't here." Jackson lies as he keeps walking completely defeated along the field with his helmet on one hand.

"Don't lie to me Jackson! It's been bothering you all night that April isn't here." Kenzie goes on, as frustrated as ever. "Look! I'm not letting her get in the way of this!"

Jackson stops, his eyes changing its color as a mix of frustration and anger starts to take over him. "I told you, my friendship with April is not going to change just because we're dating. She's my best friend, alright? And you're gonna have to stop having these little tantrums every time she's around, or every time I mention her name." Kenzie crosses her arms, pouting. "Now I've got to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Are we still going to the dance?" She asks, making Jackson roll his eyes. Apparently the dance was the only thing that mattered. "Jackson?" He nods, but doesn't say another word, leaving her behind and making his way to the locker rooms.

…

He parks his red pickup truck about forty five minutes later on the driveway to his house. The neighborhood is quiet and so is his house. His mother is working a late shift, so she's not home yet. He didn't plan the rest of his evening to go this way, but with the team's loss, there's really no reason to go out anymore. So, he decides it's for the best to just go home and forget about tonight.

As he steps out of the car, he gets the bag with all his gear. Walking in silence, he opens the front door, turns on the lights, takes off his shoes and leaves them by the entrance. Quickly walking upstairs, he drops the bag by his bedroom door. Contrasting with the darkness of his room, he spots April's bedroom light on. And there she is, looking as if nothing had happened, sitting by her desk with her legs up on the chair, wearing pair of plaid pajamas pants and a white shirt, with her hair up in a loose ponytail, her old brown glasses on and a look serious on her face as she writes something down on her red notebook. Reaching for his back pocket, Jackson finds his phone and quickly looks for her number. Then, finally turning on the bedroom light, he waits for her to pick up the phone.

"Hmm… hello?"

He sits on his bed and watches as she answers. "Hi."

"Hey. Didn't notice you were home yet." April says, turning to the window and finding him staring back at her. "How did it go?"

"We lost." He says, in a tired tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"You weren't there." Jackson goes on, watching as April slowly closes her notebook leaving the pen inside it to mark the page. "Something happened?"

"Hmm… I wasn't feeling so well." She replies, moving on the chair and holding her legs with a free arm. "I'm sorry I'm missed the game, I really do, but… Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I mean… It's just a game, right."

He's lying and she knows it. To him, football isn't just a game. It's a way of living. He loves to play the sport and be the best he can be at it. He loves carrying his team to the win. He loves the cheers and the applause. He loves it all. But of course he is too proud to show it off. "I know you, Jackson."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"C'mon. It's me. You can tell me the truth still." Still, because even though they've been a little bit apart during the summer she is still his best friend and she still know his by heart. "I know you're frustrated!"

He lets out a deep breath and sit on the edge of his bed, with his legs hanging out. With the phone on his hand, he nods, looking right across the window he finds comfort in her voice and in her eyes. "The team hates me. I'm sure the coach is thinking about replacing me after the disaster that was tonight's game."

"Nobody hates you. It was just a bad game. I'm sure you're gonna do better next time."

"I better! I need that scholarship if I want to get my ass in college. What will I do if I don't get in and get stuck here while you're off without me?"

April lets out a shy sympathetic laugh. They planned a long time ago that they would be both attending the same university and move out of Seattle together. April with her good grades wouldn't have a problem finding a scholarship, but Jackson desperately needed the football scholarship if they wanted to keep the dream alive. Up until that point April wasn't sure if their promise was still standing with Jackson now having a girlfriend and all, but she felt a little hope light up inside of her when she hears the words he just said. "I'm sure you'd do just fine without me."

He pauses for a second, thinking that the truth is that he doesn't want to do just fine without her. He's so used to having her in his life, he can't picture what life would be like if April wasn't just a window away. "Anyways, are you coming to the dance tomorrow?"

"I'm actually not going." April replies, lowering her head a little embarrassed by the fact no one invited her to the dance.

"You have to. It's our senior year."

"I know, but I'm not really feeling it."

"April, c'mon! We have to go."

"And you're going… with Kenzie." She reminds him.

"Oh yeah… right, but-" April notices how his expression changes all of a sudden, the smile that was lingering on his lips slowly disappeared. However, she doesn't say a thing. "I know I'm going, but it would be nice to have you there. Plus, you didn't come to the game tonight."

"What's that have to do with the dance?"

"Well, I was kinda expecting you to be there, at the game. You promised you'd be and-" He gets up from the bed, stands up and gets closer to the window. "And you weren't there."

"I'm sorry about that, Jackson. I really am."

"I got worried. I didn't see you and you're always there and-"

"And I wasn't." She finishes his sentence, before standing up as well and stepping closer to her own bedroom window. "I'm sorry, Jackson."

"It was supposed to be me and you, remember?"

With one hand pressing against the cold glass, she lets out a deep breath. "But it's not me and you anymore, is it? You've got Kenzie and I don't want to get in the way and you know how she gets when I'm around."

"If I wasn't going with Kenzie, would you go to the dance with me?" He asks after a long pause.

She chews on her bottom lips as she stares at him with her heart beating like crazy inside of her chest. "Maybe." April finally says, making him smile. He's never formally invited her to a dance. They've just always decided to go together. It's always been an innocent thing, the two of them going to school events as friends. It was confusing to say the least why know he decided it was the time to ask her now. For a brief moment, April pictured it inside of her head, the two of them, walking in arm by arm, side by side, not as just friends, but as something more. Snapping out of her daydream, she shakes her head. "I think I have to go now." She says as she tells herself she can't keep doing this to herself.

"Okay. Hmm… well, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Jackson." April says and he nods. "And hey… about the game."

"Yeah?"

"You're still my number one quarterback! My QB1!"

"Even if they replace me next time?"

"Even if they do. 'Night, Jackson."

"Night."

He hangs up the call and watches quietly as April puts her phone down as well. Then, she reaches for her ponytail and let's her hair fall down her shoulders and back. Placing her glasses down by the nightstand, she gets ready for bed. With that picture, he smiles and decides to give her some privacy by closing the curtains. After changing into his pajamas, he slips into bed, spending the next hour before falling asleep thinking about his best friend with a smile.

Morning comes around and he's woken up by his mother, calling him from downstairs to have breakfast. It's Saturday and waking up at eight thirty in the morning isn't exactly is favorite thing in the world. He does it, though, because his mother is a doctor at a small hospital in Seattle and takes the blame on herself for working so hard and barely having time with her son during the week. So, they usually have breakfast together during the weekend. Catherine Avery is not only a great doctor, she's a single mom as well. Robert Avery, his father, left them when Jackson was only two years old. He doesn't remember much about his father, but he's always wondered how can a man abandon his family and a young son and never come back, never check on them, never ask if they're okay. Most times, they're okay. But some months things aren't so good, with the paychecks coming in low and the bills pilling up. Jackson knows this and tries to help out the best he can. That's why the scholarship is so important. He needs that money to go to college.

"How was the game yesterday, baby?" Catherine asks, sitting in front of Jackson on the kitchen table, after pouring some hot coffee on a white mug.

"It was…" Jackson looks down at his cereal, plays with it with his spoon. "We lost."

"Lost? The Panthers lost the homecoming game? Boy! Coach Webber must be out of his mind angry."

"Tell me something I don't know!" Jackson says. "It was all my fault. I kept missing the throws."

"I'm sure you'll do better next time."

"Yeah, that's what April said."

"How is April, by the way? She hasn't been around much. I haven't seen her in months."

It's true. Ever since Jackson started dating Mackenzie, in later August, April hasn't been to his house much. They still talk and see each other sporadically, but it's different than it was and he misses her. He truly misses his best friend, but it can be a bit tricky trying to combine having a girlfriend and April at once. Especially considering Kenzie isn't April's greatest fan. "She's okay, I guess."

"You guess? Why? Are you not talking these days?" Catherine asks, placing the mug down on the table and getting up from her chair to walk across the kitchen. "You've always been close. What happened?"

"Nothing, mom. We're just-" He shakes his head, puts the spoon down on the bowl and reaches for the toast getting cold on a plate nearby. "We're fine."

"Okay. If you say so!" Catherine says, knowing her son well enough to understand when he's not willing to talk about it more. "And what about that girl, what's her name again?"

"Who? Kenzie?"

"Yes, exactly. Are you still seeing her?"

"Mom!"

"What? I'm just asking…" Catherine says, shrugging and returning to her seat with a jar of strawberry jam in one hand. "It's not like you've even introduced me to this girl. I don't even know who she is. I'd like to meet her."

"Of course you would!"

"I'm serious, Jackson!" She goes on, taking the tap off the jar and with a knife spreading the red jam on a piece of bread. "I like to know who your friends are and now you have a girlfriend and… well, let's just say the only girl I've ever seen you around is April."

"What's that supposed to mean? April's my friend, we never dated or anything."

"I know that. Although…"

"Although, what?"

"Although I always thought you and April would be good together. I mean, as far as together means."

"Mom-"

"No, don't mom me!" Catherine goes on. "Now I don't know this girl Kenzie and if she makes you happy, then I'm happy for you. But I know April is a very nice girl. Smart, pretty, very polite."

"April's like a sister to me."

"Sometimes we only see things the way we think we should see them, baby." Catherine smiles. "We are played by feelings we don't even realize we have. And it's only when we lose someone so close to us that we realize what could've been.

"I think you're being delusional." He says, putting the cereal bowl away and backing up his chair. "I've got to go now."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm meeting up with Mark at the park later."

"You didn't even eat anything."

"I'm not really that hungry." Jackson says, passing by his mother, only stopping when she reaches for his wrist. "Kiss!" She says and he rolls his eyes before placing one kiss on her cheek, before walking away.

After getting dressed and ready, Jackson leaves the house and drives in his pickup truck to the nearest park. Mark is his closest friend right after April. They met when Jackson got in the Panthers team and Mark was the first one to really welcome him in. Ever since that moment, they've become friends. The park is usually where they meet to after the game to catch up and practice throws. After last night's game, Jackson didn't really allow anyone to talk to him. All he wanted was to go home. But Mark insisted on them meeting today, and he agreed. It would actually be nice and take his mind off things for a while.

"Avery, my man! What's up?" Mark says, as soon as he sees Jackson approaching him with a football ball in hand.

"Alright. You?"

"Same as always." Mark replies, which means good. That's the thing about Mark, he always seems to be in a great mood and Jackson likes that about him. "Ready to throw some ball?"

"Yep."

"What happened last night, man? I don't think I've ever seen Jackson Avery so out of the game."

"I don't know. Wasn't one of my nights, I guess."

"Trouble with your girl?"

"Huh?"

"With Kenzie? You kept looking at the stands last nights. Weren't you looking at her?"

Jackson shakes his head, throws the ball from one hand to the other. "Hmm… no, not really. Kenzie and I, we're fine." But they weren't just as fine as he pretended. Kenzie was a nice girl most times, but sometimes he had trouble keeping a conversation with her, since they didn't share the same tastes or interests. When he first started seeing her, it was all new and fun, but that feeling of curiosity quickly faded. Sometimes he wondered why he was dating her. Sure, she was easy on the eye and popular, but beauty doesn't last forever and it surely isn't enough to fill the blank spaces in their relationship.

"I didn't see your friend April at the game."

"That's 'cause she wasn't there."

"She's a bit weird." Mark says, taking a few steps back and raising his hands to allow Jackson to pass him the ball. "I mean, she's all churchy and stuff."

"She likes to go to church. So what?"

"Nothing, it's just… she's weird."

"Don't call her that. Okay?" Jackson says, raising his right arm and throwing the ball to Mark. "She's my friend."

"I think she has the hots for you, man."

"What?"

"I'm just saying… I think she does." Mark replies, throwing the ball back at Jackson. "The way she looks at you."

"April sees me like a brother. Nothing else."

"She can be a bit weird, but-"

"No more calling her weird!"

"But-" Mark goes on, ignoring Jackson. "She can be a bit hot too if you look at her from a different perspective."

"Hot?"

"Yeah, I mean… She grew in some places." Mark says, raising both hands to his own chest and moving them in circles.

Jackson squints his eyes, quickly throwing the ball with violence, making it hit directly on Mark's chest. "Don't talk about her that way."

"Are you gonna tell me you never found yourself checking on Kepner?"

He has, but that's something he is never going to admit. April has always been a cute girl, her pale skin and fiery red hair gave character. But there was a noticeable change in her appearance since a couple years ago. Her skin cleared up, her hair was softer now, and the braces she wore at night fixed her teeth. She started having more womanly forms as well and overnight she changed, turning from an ugly duckling into a swan. Sometimes he wished he could tell how beautiful she really was, but he never found the courage to say so. "She's just… April. She's… she's got nice hair, I guess."

"Nice hair? Avery, who the hell notices hair?"

"I'm just saying…"

"Wait, have you ever wondered if the curtain matches the drapes?" Mark asks, followed by a laugher. Realizing Jackson wasn't in the mood for jokes, he threw the ball back at him and apologized. "Sorry. I'm just kidding. Who cares anyway? You're dating Mackenzie Sanders, the hottest chick in school!" When Jackson doesn't reply, Mark pauses, takes the ball in both hands and looks at his friend with a playful tone. "Unless you've got the hots for Kepner too."

"Don't be an idiot. Just pass me the ball."

…

After spending about an hour with Mark, Jackson heads home for lunch. Pulling over the car on the driveway, he sees April sitting on the steps that lead to her house. With a smile, he gets out of the car. "Hey!"

"Oh, hi!" She smiles back at him, looking up as he approaches her.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting on Arizona. She's picking me up so I can help her get ready for the dance."

"So she's going?"

"Yeah. She's going with Callie. You know her, right?"

"Hmm… yeah, I do. Are they dating now?"

"I think they like each other, but I'm not sure." April says, watching as he takes a sit next to her on the concrete steps. "Isn't it nice how two girls can just go to a dance together and no one says anything about it?"

"It amazes me the most how you can be friends with a lesbian girl. I mean… considering church and God and everything."

She tilts her head to the side, crosses her arms against her belly and says. "You know my opinion on that, Jackson. We're all human and love is love."

"I know." He says, proudly. "So you're still not going?"

"I told you, I'm not really feeling it." April says and Jackson nods, moving his eyes to the floor. "Remember the first time we went to a dance? We were in the tenth grade. You were wearing a dark suit and my mom made me wear Libby's old dress, one she once wore to a wedding or something. It was purple and I wore my hair in braid. Your mom drove us and we met with the rest of the class there. We had so much fun."

"We did! We danced a lot that night."

"And you were being a grumpus, because you don't like to dance in public."

"In public or at all!"

"We danced to Justin Timberlake, remember?"

"Yeah, he was popular that year."

"Still is!"

"And you still have a crush on him, don't you? Good old JT!" Jackson remarks, making her laugh. "I had some pretty sick moves."

"You were a terrible dancer."

"No way!"

"Hmm… trust me!" She says, laughing. "But you'll get there."

As silence falls between them, Jackson raises his eyes from the floor and looks at April. Autumn suits her well, he thinks. Her rosy cheeks contrast with the grey daylight, and her hair runs freely with the October's breeze. She brings a special kind of warmth with her. When her eyes meet his, Jackson raises one hand and carefully pulls one of her loose locks behind her ear, moving it from her face. She gives him a shy smile and for a moment their stares linger.

"Hey!" A familiar voice makes them break eye contact and they're both snapped from the moment. Kenzie is inside her car, giving April a threatening look. Jackson quickly stands up, places his hands in his jean pockets and walks towards the car.

"Kenz? What are you doing here? I told you I'd pick you up before the dance."

"I texted you, remember?"

"I didn't see it."

"We're supposed to have lunch together."

"Lunch? But I thought-"

"Unless you have other plans." Kenzie cuts him off and gives April a deadly stare.

Jackson looks over his shoulder and realizes April is standing up as well. With one hand on her purse, she walks across the sidewalk and mumbles something like "Bye, Jackson." Then, she enters Arizona's car. Without a choice, he sights and gets in Mackenzie's car and he doesn't see April for the rest of the day.

…

April looks at the time on her phone. It's almost 7pm, Jackson should be leaving to the dance. Getting up from her bed, she walks across her room. Then, carefully, she opens opening the curtain and sees Jackson. He's already in his dark tuxedo, looking in the mirror, fixing the bow around his neck. She smiles and thinks to herself about how handsome he looks. She picks up her phone and looks for his number.

"Hey."

"Hey. Getting ready for tonight, huh?"

"Yeah." He replies after moving his eyes to his own window and watching her standing across. "You still not going tonight?"

"No. Sorry, I have to… study." She lies. It's pretty obvious that she won't be able to do anything since her mind won't stop quit thinking about him. April sees the frown on his face and wishes she could go too. But she can't stand to be in their presence, Jackson and Kenzie's. Watching the two of them be around each other is hurtful enough, never mind watching them dance and kiss. Nevertheless, she wishes she could be in Kenzie's shoes and be Jackson's date. "You look really nice."

"Thank you." He nods. "I should probably get going."

"Yeah… have fun tonight."

"Thanks. And huh… April…" He says, right before they hang up the call. "I wish you were coming."

Once the call ends, April puts the curtain back on its place. Then, alone in her room, she sits on the bed, with her red journal on her lap and a black pen in hand. Funny how she always thinks about being in Kenzie's shoes and how she wishes she could experience that one day. But the truth is, she likes herself, and even though she doesn't see herself as the prettiest girl, she knows Jackson appreciates her sense of humor. And sure, she's not as social and athletic, but she's a smart girl. Kenzie is a cheerleader and April's almost too shy to even speak in public, but she has qualities of her own too. So, maybe she doesn't want to be Kenzie. No, she likes to be herself too much to wish she was someone else. She just wants Jackson to see her less like a little sister and more as the woman she's turning into. Every day she prays about it and asks God to help her come clean to Jackson, reveal her true feelings for him, and be brave. She understands now that being brave comes from within and it's time to do something, to act.

After writing all these thoughts down, April gets up from the bed, places the red notebook on the nightstand and walks to her closer. Opening the doors, she takes a minute to feel her body pumped up with energy. She's doing it, she's going to the dance.