Crazy In Love
By: Nicole Lopez

Disclaimer: I do not own Horizon or the show Higher Ground, etc.

Characters (in order of importance): Brandi Tavern- 5'3, Vietnamese, long thick and shiny black hair, light brown eyes, best friends with Shelby and Kat Scott Barringer- 6'3, Caucasian, curly blonde hair, blue eyes, Kat's cousin, surfer, ex-football player, sweet guy Kat- 5'5, African American (adopted), light brown neck-length layered hair, natural blue eyes Shelby- 5'9, Caucasian, shoulder length blonde hair, brown eyes, the girl that all the guys want Paul W. - 6'1, Caucasian, blonde hair, aqua-blue eyes, loves to surf Peter Scarbrow- 6'2, Caucasian, dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, college guidance counselor Augie- 5'11, Mexican, short dark brown hair, brown eyes, the 'big man on campus'

***Oh yeah, these are the characters from Higher Ground, but the story isn't focused on life in Horizon. This is the way they would be if they didn't have any 'issues.' Keep reading!***

Summary: Brandi Tavern is a product of a biracial relationship. Her father met her mother after the Vietnamese war and he stayed for her sake. Years later, her family has moved to the US where her father has abandoned her, leaving her with nothing. After loving and losing her first love, Brandi has made a vow that she would never let any man get that close to her and abandon her again. Never.

Chapter One: There Is A Castle On A Cloud

"So . there's this guy I want you to meet." Kat told me, setting a large cup of Starbucks coffee in front of me.

"You know I am so not into meeting people. Kat I have no room in my life for some guy."

"I'm not asking you to marry him . or even date him. Just meet him." She suggested.

"Thanks for the coffee." I ignored her earlier statement and picked up the cup, ready for the caffeine to kick in. "Wait a second . if I drink from this cup does it mean that I have to meet this guy." She nodded. "No way."

"Brandi, you so need to get over my loser cousin."

"What do you mean? I am over him." I told her avoiding eye contact. Kat had never been in love. She didn't understand how hard it was for me to just move on and pretend like it didn't hurt. I had taken a year off before going to school and it still didn't ease the pain.

"I know when you're lying." We regained eye contact. "Just meet him. Look, his name is Paul and he's really, really sweet." Kat assured me.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really. He's coming over to us right now." She smiled as a linky, surfer-looking boy came up to us.

"Hey Kat ." He hugged her warmly.

"Paul, I'd like you to meet Brandi." I stood up and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you." I smiled, making sure that he could find nothing wrong with me. There was something vaguely familiar about him and I began to think that meeting him wasn't the worst idea ever. It was almost like the way I met Scott .

~~FLASHBACK~~

"Brandi. Hurry up!" Shelby yelled from downstairs. She had been waiting for me, her best friend for almost half an hour and we were definitely going to be late for the first day of school, after winter break. It wasn't like it was a big deal or anything. It was just school.

"I'm coming." I smiled, flipping my black hair behind my shoulders.

"I should've known that I would waiting for you forever." Shelby laughed. "Finally the princess has arrived."

"Actually, I'd prefer queen." I curtsied and pretended to get ready to eat breakfast.

"You aren't serious are you? Brandi, we're gonna be so late." Shelby complained.

"It's called a joke. You know I'm on a diet." I got up from the table and grabbed my bright pink book bag. "You know, if you let me drive . we'd get there faster."

"No way." Shelby rolled her aqua-blue eyes. She gave a quick hello to mother, who stood by watching silently.

"Please. please please." I begged, following Shelby out of the house without giving my mother another glance. We had had a fight earlier that morning and I really didn't want to speak to her.

Shelby jumped into her car and I followed, still begging. "Fine." She gave in. "But ."

"But what?"

"You so owe me." She smiled revealing perfectly straight, white teeth. I so envied her blonde hair and crystal clear blue eyes. Everything about me was dull compared to her.

"Sure." I smiled back, brushing off the feeling of inferiority that I had always felt around her. Later on in the school cafeteria, for the first time ever . I would feel like I was worth something.

"Is that the new guy?" Shelby asked, referring to a really cute blonde that was sitting all alone.

"I think so." I whispered, following his every move. I had never seen anything so beautiful and perfect in my life, ever. He made the guys at our school look like Elijah Wood. Every curve on his face was perfect and I found myself completely infatuated with him.

"Hello. Earth to Brandi." Shelby waved her hand in front of my face.

"What's gotten into her?" Kat asked looking at me strangely.

"The new guy." Kat followed my gaze. "Isn't he hott?"

"No. Eww. I can't believe you guys are drooling over my loser cousin." She commented.

"Your cousin?" Shelby grinned as her non-existent Colombian- British . whatever you want to call it- accent appeared. She was so not going to take this guy away from me.

"Yeah, my cousin from New York that comes to visit like every summer." Kat rolled her eyes and started to attack a large slice of cheese pizza.

"Well, bring him over here. He looks a little lonely." Shelby urged her. I just sat back in awe as he looked back at me, making eye contact.

"Scott !" She yelled, breaking our moment. I could've strangled her. He turned around and continued doing whatever he had been doing before he spotted me. "Scott , bring your white butt over here!" He shook his head as Kat got up and dragged him to our table. "These are my friends."

"Hi." He waved, looking at Shelby , lingering for a while before he blinked at me.

"The blonde's Shelby and the beautiful Asian girl to my left is Brandi." Kat sat down, starting to attack her pizza once again.

"I know." He said to Kat . "I saw that one staring at me from across the room." I blushed.

"Well, you had to be staring to notice that she was staring." Kat commented. "Why don't you sit with us?" He shrugged and Shelby took this as her opportunity to speak up.

"Do you like it here?"

"It's okay. They actually have waves over at this side of town."

"Scott 's a surfer." Kat interjected as she completely finished off her pizza.

"And what do you do?" He asked, looking directly at me. I was so sure that he was going to fall for Shelby like all the other guys had done, but he was looking at me and talking to me. I tried to calm myself down.

"What do you mean what do I do? What kind of question is that?" I asked, wishing that I could just disappear. He showed interest in me and this is how I repaid him.

"What my idiot cousin is trying to ask is do you surf." Kat rolled her eyes and moved to the other side of Shelby . "I know how much you want to sit here . you know being between two girls and all."

"So, do you surf?" He turned to the side, his back now facing Shelby completely.

"Umm . I can't say that I have, but I really want to learn." I smiled hoping that all those endless nights of flossing had paid off.

"I can um . teach you if you want." He offered. I nodded noticing how gorgeous he was once again. Anything that he said would make me melt. I was so into him. I wanted to be apart of him . to be his. Forever. ~~

"Hello. Brandi." Kat practically yelled in my ear, making me realize that I wasn't back in high school. I was in college now and whatever I had with Scott was completely over.

"Yes." I smiled realizing that Paul probably thought I was an idiot. "I told you I really needed that caffeine. I don't know if I was dozing off or what ." My voice trailed off. "Do you surf?" I asked. Kat raised her eyebrow at me, but I ignored her, pretending like she wasn't there.

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"Lucky guess." This was really my lucky day . a chance to start all over and erase all the good and bad memories of Scott. All both of them brought was heartache.

(A/N: What do you guys think so far? I was inspired by a stupid Katie Holmes movie I saw to write this, but why not? If I get five reviews, I'll update in a week. If not, you'll just have to wait for two weeks. I hope you'll enjoy this story. It's not your typical love story, but it's completely about love-and abandonment. Oh yeah, ~~ stands for the end of a flashback. -NL)