It’s the beginning of Casey’s junior year, and expectations are high!
She’s not the new girl at school any more, she has a position on the school newspaper, and best of all- Ben is coming back home! Will their relationship finally change, from “just friends” to something more romantic?
Life brings constant challenges, and emotions can range from joy to grief in the same day. Join Casey as she learns to listen to God and deal with the “breaking news” any moment might bring.
“Breaking News” is the fourth book in the High School 101 Series
Each book in my series is written from a Christian world view, and in this particular book, the focus is on setting boundaries in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. The characters are far from perfect, but each one is on that same journey to seeking God, what truth really is and applying His word to their lives, especially the main character. It's a light and easy read, though, meant to appeal to any teenager.
Casey and her friend Ben finally enter that longed-for boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, and it's romantic! Also, Casey's relationship/conflict with her stepfather is focused on, as well as the grief she still carries for her "real" dad.
Chapter 1 - The Story
It’s all storytelling, you know. That’s what journalism is all about.
-Tom Brokaw, journalist
I rang the doorbell and stepped back from the ornate wooden door, turning around to take in the perfectly manicured front yard. Mom was sitting in her car in the circle driveway, waiting to make sure this was really the right house before she drove away. I gave her a little wave, but she didn’t notice since she also was busy checking out the colorful but formal landscaping.
I couldn’t blame her.
Masses of purple and pink blooms looked festive in the curved flowerbeds, and a majestic modern stone fountain bubbled with water, looking refreshing on this sticky, humid Friday afternoon. The fountain was centered in the yard between two massive oak trees.
Picture. Perfect.
Who knew we even had a neighborhood like this in our town? My friend Reese’s house was elegant and pretty, but not like this.
This, this was serious money right here.
I heard the front door open and turned back around quickly. I halfway expected a uniformed butler to open the door, but instead I faced a tall, dark and extremely handsome hunk of teenage boy.
“You’re early,” the hunk said, disapproval in his voice. He held the door open for me to enter, a little reluctantly, it seemed.
Nicolas.
My editor, Nicolas Navarro.
I thought his parents had done well with his name- Nicky Navarro, a good boy-band name, how cute is that? But from what I had seen so far, Nicolas was not a Nicky, or even a Nick. He was politely formal, socially distant, and didn’t seem to have a casual bone in his body.
And as I have mentioned, he was drop dead, movie star gorgeous. Kind of the Latino version of the other ultra-popular, hot guy at my high school, my friend Colton. While Colton had sun-bleached blond hair and was an easygoing flirt, Nicolas had that hard-to-resist bad boy, brooding thing going on.
He was not chatty, and he was certainly not at all welcoming right now.
“I didn’t want to be late,” I said meekly. “Sorry! I’ll just, um-” I turned back around to see if Mom was paying attention now, and she gave me a little wave from the driver’s seat of her car. She waved at Nicolas too and gave him a big smile, but I guess he didn’t notice because he just took a step back from the door, holding it even wider as he waited, quite pointedly, for me to enter.
So I did, and…
Wow.
The front hall opened into a large living area with huge floor-to-ceiling windows in the back, and French doors that opened out to a beautiful courtyard. I could see yet another massive fountain out there, sparkling with trickling water and surrounded by huge cobalt blue containers, stuffed to the brim with colorful flowers. Beyond the containers was a pool, paved all around with vibrant Mexican tiles. Small tables were scattered around the deck area, sheltered by umbrellas that matched the blue containers.
This wasn’t just a house, this was a hacienda, a nice chunk of air-conditioned paradise in the hot lava of life also known as Texas in August.
“Your house is gorgeous,” I breathed softly, but Nicolas didn’t hear me since he had apparently left the room while I was gawking and was nowhere to be seen.
Somebody else heard me, though. “Thank you, and welcome!” a cheerful feminine voice called across the room. I turned to see a pretty, middle-aged woman approaching me, a friendly smile on her face. “Please make yourself at home! Did Nico offer you a drink?” She clicked her tongue disapprovingly but never stopped smiling. “His manners are usually so good, please excuse him.”
Nico? And she thinks he has good manners?
I kept the sarcasm to myself and smiled back at the woman, assuming this was Nico’s mom. “Oh I’m not thirsty, but thank you. I’m Casey, by the way. Sorry I’m early, um, Mrs. Navarro?”
She laughed and shook her head dismissively. “You are prompt, chica, and that is greatly in your favor. And si, I am Nico’s mother. Come now!” She bustled me into another large room, a sparkling clean kitchen, and insisted on giving me an ice cold water bottle which I was actually grateful for.
Nicolas had simply disappeared, so his mom and I sat around chatting about this and that until the doorbell rang and other students on the Rayburn High School newspaper staff started showing up for our first, before-the-school-year-started meeting.
“You go and hang out with your friends now!” Mrs. Navarro said, standing up from where we had been sitting around her massive, solid oak kitchen table. She sounded excited. “This will be the most wonderful school year yet, si? And all the kids on the newspaper staff will become the best of friends!”
This lady was so encouraging and sweet. How could she possibly be Nicolas’s mother?
Give him a chance, I lectured myself silently, as I headed back towards the main living area. Nicolas was originally supposed to be the assistant editor this year, but the girl who was appointed editor had moved unexpectedly over the summer. So maybe he was just nervous about, you know, being in charge of the paper for real, dealing with new people like me on the staff, and stuff like that.
So I squared my shoulders and entered the living room with a warm smile, which immediately froze up, for three reasons.
Reason #1- Nicolas was joking around and greeting the other students with a smile. A real one, not forced or fake, because trust me, never once had he smiled at me like that.
Reason #2- When he saw me enter the room, his genuine smile flipped upside down to a frown in a split second. It was so obvious than even a couple of other kids noticed and looked my way like, umm, did you kick his puppy or something?
And THEN…
Reason #3- Another girl entered the room, ignored all the other kids, walked straight over to Nicolas and gave him a side hug. He hugged her back, whispered something in her ear, and then they both turned and glared at me. Well okay, only Nicolas was glaring. The girl, as beautiful and poised as a model, with her long silky dark hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, simply stared at me with no expression, unblinking.
My heart sank.
Miranda.