About the Book Children have imaginations. Adults have appointments, schedules, and goals. Teenagers have dreams! When the new guy Seth moves into town, several dreams suddenly seem to be possible. For cheerleader Natasha Waters, her dream of love at first sight is one. Her dad's twenty-five year dream of the high school football team winning a state championship is another. Even for Seth, the dream of having a family and a hometown could be on the brink of reality. Join Natasha in her junior year of high school as she tries to capture the biggest dream of all, a . . . Teenage Dream! Dreams are what: - We all strive for in life - -Help us to keep going even when we want to stop- -Help us to be the best that we can be - -We hold on to when we are determined to bring the impossible in to reality -

Teenage Dream

By Rob Woods

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2012 Rob Woods
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4772-1753-5

Contents

Chapter 1 Anticipation..................................................1Chapter 2 Hello.........................................................11Chapter 3 Call Me Maybe.................................................26Chapter 4 Naturally.....................................................32Chapter 5 Take a Chance on Me...........................................38Chapter 6 Give Your Heart a Break.......................................52Chapter 7 Sarah.........................................................59Chapter 8 Choose Your Partner...........................................69Chapter 9 We Found Love.................................................81Chapter 10 You're the World to Me.......................................91Chapter 11 Dog Days Are Over............................................98Chapter 12 Everything...................................................106Chapter 13 Time Stand Still.............................................120Chapter 14 Veronica.....................................................133Chapter 15 The One I Love...............................................42Chapter 16 Paradise.....................................................148Chapter 17 Take My Hand.................................................155Chapter 18 Ours.........................................................164Chapter 19 Chances......................................................174Chapter 20 Rocky Top....................................................182Chapter 21 The Name of the Game.........................................191Chapter 22 Forever......................................................198Chapter 23 Dog and Butterfly............................................210Chapter 24 Denial.......................................................218Chapter 25 Father and Daughter..........................................229Chapter 26 Every Teardrop is a Waterfall................................241Chapter 27 Breathe......................................................248Chapter 28 Frozen.......................................................259Chapter 29 Upside Down..................................................269Chapter 30 When You Say Nothing at All..................................276Chapter 31 Fifteen......................................................284Chapter 32 Knowing Me, Knowing You......................................290Chapter 33 Craving (I Only Want What I Can't Have)......................301Chapter 34 It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.....................308Chapter 35 Superman.....................................................320Chapter 36 S. O. S......................................................329Chapter 37 One Thing....................................................336Chapter 38 This.........................................................350Chapter 39 The Hardest Part.............................................359Chapter 40 Stereo Love..................................................367Chapter 41 Good Life....................................................378Chapter 42 Christmas Time...............................................390Chapter 43 Bittersweet Symphony.........................................401Chapter 44 Fireflies....................................................411

Chapter One

Anticipation

"Natasha, breakfast," mom called.

"Be right there."

I came downstairs as Mom was putting my plate on the table. Dad was already sitting at the table reading the newspaper. As I sat down, he gave Mom a glance that he hadn't intended for me to see.

"So have you met the new boy in town yet?" He asked, turning the page.

I know he had to see "the look" that I'm sure my face was wearing as I glanced up from my plate.

"No," I answered simply as I continued to eat. I didn't want to ruin Dad's fun.

My dad finds some warped enjoyment from aggravating me. One of his favorite topics of torture is guys. I guess that is probably how most fathers deal with the idea of their daughters growing up and dating though. I suppose it helps the transition to be easier somehow.

"I'm sure he will be the main attraction this year, at least until someone becomes his steady."

"Steady?"

"Whatever you call it now. You know what I mean. He's definitely going to make the football team a whole lot better."

In my small home town of Tellico Plains, Tennessee, football scheduled is king. Between the University of Tennessee and our high school football team, the Bears, most people live for autumn. If you see someone with a shirt on with any team other than the Vols or the Bears, it's an automatic give away they're not from here, just passing through here.

"Ok Dad, I'll bite. Why is he going to make the football team better?"

I felt obligated to ask. After all, I am on the cheerleading squad and my dad is in the booster club. Actually, my dad is one of the founding members of the booster club. He and some of his teammates formed it after they graduated high school. Their team went to the semi-finals of the state tournament their junior year, then to the finals in their senior season. It is the best any team from this town has ever done. Though they didn't win the state championship, those teams are still the measuring stick for all teams since then.

"Well, he's huge for one thing. He's six foot four inches tall and weighs two hundred and sixty pounds. He's super quick and strong as a bull. There's not an ounce of fat on him. He moved here from Duluth, Minnesota, so he's been playing for a much bigger school. I'm sure the competition he's been facing has been a lot better than the class A and AA competition he will mostly face here."

"Oh my God, Mom, Dad's got a man crush on this guy!" I exclaimed trying to aggravate back at Dad. Somehow, he seemed to miss my intended humor. Mom didn't. She snickered quietly as she stood at the kitchen counter.

"Go ahead and mock now young lady. When you see him, we'll see then who has a crush."

Mom's smile turned sheepish. As she shot me a glance and a quick smile, I sensed that maybe she was trying to tell me not to dig myself in too deep.

My mom's name is Irina. She was an exchange student from Ukraine during my parent's junior year. Of course, she was a cheerleader. They fell in love that year and though she had to go back home, they stayed in touch the entire time she was gone. When my dad graduated, my grandparents gave him an airplane ticket to go visit her. He ended up bringing her back with him. Somehow, they had managed to fall even more in love from half a world away. After they took care of the legal issues, they got married. After the proper time my mom became a U.S. citizen. Their story is the most romantic story I know. It's a living fairy tale in my opinion.

"David, stop picking on her. She hasn't even met the boy yet."

"So is he a senior?"

"No. He's a junior too so you should have some classes with him," Dad said as he began to back off on the teasing. "His name is Seth Webb. He and his mother moved here just a couple of weeks ago. They bought the new house over near the resort area before the park entrance."

The park is the Cherokee National Forest. Tellico Plains borders the entrance of the park at the base of the mountains. Cherokee National Forest goes all the way to the North Carolina border and then becomes the Nantahala National Forest. The Cherohala Skyway runs through the two national forests and goes from Tellico Plains, Tennessee to Robbinsville, North Carolina. The highlight...