The Balance Between Love and Hate

Rocky's POV

It was my first day of senior year. I had just moved to California over the summer from Virginia. That means I'm going to a new school. I wasn't exactly happy about the whole moving thing. All I ever thought about when I was a kid was getting to graduate with my friends that I'd known for years; all of my best friends. Sure, I'd make new friends here, but it just wasn't the same.

I got off my bus and stood on the sidewalk. I stared at the school, reading the big letters above the doors that said 'Poway High School.' I saw how big the place was.

"This is gonna be awesome," I mumbled to myself with sarcasm. I walked to the doors and went inside. As I went towards the office, I stopped dead in my tracks. A guy was being chased playfully by two other guys. They were laughing as they sprinted down the hall.

"Give it back!" the one with dreads yelled at the one running from them, who had straight brown hair. The last one was still laughing. He had curly brown hair. The one running away threw something in my direction.

"Zach! For God's sake!" Apparently, the one running was Zach.

"Go get it, Nathan!" The dreads guy was Nathan. The thing Zach threw ended up by me. It was a necklace with a guitar on it. I picked it up and held it out to him as he ran towards me.

"Thanks," he said as he took it. "I've never seen you before. You new?"

"Yeah. I moved here over the summer," I answered. The other two guys ran up, panting heavily from all of the running.

"I'm Nathan. This is Cameron," he said, gesturing to the one with curly brown hair. He then pointed to the other one. "And that's Zach."

"It's nice to meet you guys. I'm Rocky," I said.

"New girl?" Cameron asked.

"Yep," Nathan answered.

"Do you want us to show you around?" Zach offered.

"That would be awesome," I said, smiling.

I went on an orientation before but I still had no idea where I was going. It would be nice for students to tell me where to go
.
"So, Nathan. I see you like guitars," I said, pointing to his necklace.

"Yeah. I play, too. The three of us are in a band with our friend who goes to the school a few blocks down."

"Oh my God, that's so cool! What do you guys each do?" I asked. This day was already getting interesting, even if it was only seven in the morning.

"I play lead guitar, Cameron here plays the bass guitar, Zach sings, and our friend Michael plays the drums."

"You should come to our practice tonight at Nate's house," Cameron added. The other guys nodded.

"Okay, I think I will," I said.

"Meet us out front after school?" Zach asked.

"Sounds good." The bell rang to go to homeroom so I went to find my locker.

The day actually went by pretty fast. I only got lost once. I walked out front to meet the guys, who were sitting in a van with the doors hanging open.

"Hey, Rocky," Nathan said.

"Hey," I said. "Ready to go?"

"You bet. But first, we want you to meet our friend." Then a guy that was Mexican or Asian-looking stepped out of the van from behind where Nathan was sitting. I smiled. He was very, uhm, I don't know. Attractive? I have Mexican roots so it was kind of cool. "This is Michael. He's out drummer and one of our best friends."

I looked at him, smiling bashfully.

"Hi," I said, giggling a little.

"Hi. Rocky, right?"

"Yeah."

"Nice to meet you. You checkin' out our practice today?"

I nodded.

"Sweet. We could use someone's opinion."

"Definitely," Zach agreed.

I think I found my crush. He didn't seem interested in me, though. Well, we just met. Maybe things will 'heat up' as we get to know each other.

Michael's POV

As I sat in the van with the guys and Rocky, I couldn't help but tell myself that I was completely stupid. She was beautiful, but I acted like I wasn't interested in her. What the hell possessed me? Maybe I'll get to know her a little better tonight. Hopefully, she'll be interested in me, too.
We got to Nathan's house and went inside to his room, where we had our own little recording studio set up.

"No way," Rocky said as she came through the door. "This is so cool!"

"Thanks," Nathan said.

"I didn't think you loved music THIS much."

Nathan cracked up laughing.

"Yeah, I do. We all do."

Cameron, Zach, and I all nodded in agreement.

"So, what kind of music do you like?" I asked her.

"Pretty much everything but country. I hate country."

"Interesting. Well, let's see what you think of ours."

We went to our instruments and tried to decide what song to play.

"Here With You," I whispered, hoping the guys would approve. They nodded. We began the song. I waited for my part to begin, listening to Zach sing the words.

"You were my favorite poster, hanging on a wall and just like a rollercoaster, you kept me waiting for a fall." I stared at Rocky. She was smiling, swaying back and forth to the words. Then my drum part started. She watched me as I smacked them with the drumsticks. I smiled at her as I played. She smiled wider at me, giggling a little.

When we finished the song, she got up off the bed and walked over to us.

"Guys, that was amazing!"

"Really?" Zach asked.

"Yes, really! Play another one," she said.

We played A Different Side Of Me, one of the first songs we wrote. She danced along to that one as well.

"Oh my God, if only I could get you guys a record deal! You definitely deserve it," she said when we finished. "I know I'd buy your CD. I bet a billion other people would, too."

"That's so nice of you to say, Rocky," Nathan said. She smiled. What she didn't know was that we recorded ourselves and made CDs. Maybe I'll give her one as a surprise.

Rocky's POV

I noticed Michael staring at me. He was kind of in a daze. He had a little smile on his face. For the love of God, was he interested in me or not? One moment he acts like he isn't and the next he acts like he is.

"Michael," Zach cooed as he bumped his arm. "MICHAEL!"

"Huh, what?" he said, coming out of his trance.

"Michael? Daydreaming? This just isn't normal," Cameron joked. The guys laughed.

"Shut up," Michael said, blushing a little.

After Cameron said that, I began to think that Mikey did like me. But I didn't want to get my hopes up. I mean, he could've been thinking about anything. I just decided to let the thought go.
Nathan, Zach, and Cameron all went upstairs to get a drink (Nathan's bedroom was in the basement because of playing instruments in there) and Michael stayed downstairs with me. I just sat there in silence. I could feel the awkward. Thank God Michael said something.

"So, how was your first day of school at Poway High?"

"It was pretty good."

"Now, the guys said you are a new girl. Where are you from?"

"Virginia," I answered, remembering all my friends and the memories. I wanted to cry.

"That's cool. You moved pretty far then."

"Yeah," I said, wiping a tear that was forming in my eye.

"I'm sorry, did I bring back-"

"Yeah, but it's fine. This could be my chance to start over and be a whole new person."

"Don't change," he said.

"What?"

He took my hand.

"Don't change. I barely know you, but I do know that you are a wonderful person. You don't need to be any different. You're great the way you are."

"That's so sweet," I said, smiling. He leaned in slowly, kissing me softly on the lips. I kissed back, my heart racing. When he pulled a way, he smiled at me. I smiled back, holding his hand.

I went to bed that night thinking about what a good day I'd had. I thought it would suck beyond description, but it turned out to be the best day ever. I couldn't wait to go to their band practice tomorrow to see my new boyfriend, and his very talented friends. I know I just met Michael, but there was just something special about him. Maybe, just maybe, moving across the country really wasn't so bad.