Here's a new story from me. It is set in the Sweet Valley High Senioryear book series. For those who have read this series; everything that happened in books 1-3 has happened in my story and so it will begin from book 4 "I've got a secret" with some aspects from this book similar but the rest will be my own storyline because of the fact that I've decided to add at least one other character who therefore will be my main character and have connections to a few of the actual characters. And just a quick note; there will be flashbacks added into the story that will somewhat fit into the story better with what I have planned than in the presence tense. Reviews are welcome.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Sweet Valley High Senioryear or its characters except for my own.

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New Beginnings

Chapter One

Monday morning Connor McDermott walked to homeroom class after his usual pep talk given to him from his friend Tia Ramirez. It had been two weeks since he and his friends had begun their senior year of high school at Sweet Valley High School after their own school El Carro High had fallen to the ground during the earthquake that had happened that summer.

“Mr. McDermott. How nice it is to see you grace us with your presence. Please come in,” Mrs. Simpson smiled glumly to Conner as he stepped inside the room.

Conner grunted and shuffled to his seat towards the middle of the room. He wasn’t one for many words or emotion for that matter.

As Mrs. Simpson began her daily notes – rollcall, excursion permission slips, assignment reminders, Conner drifted off from the nonsense and instead he feasted his eyes to the left of him where a beautiful blonde haired girl sat two chairs away from him. In the past two weeks since school had started, he hadn’t seen her in school or homeroom before. And he would be the one to take notice of the beautiful women he laid his eyes on – it was the only thing that kept his attention away from school.

He was keen to know why he had never seen her before.

His mind conjured many thoughts when before he realised it, homeroom had finished sounding the bell.

Standing up with the rest of the class, he headed towards the classroom door. The stunning blonde haired girl stood up and stepped in front of Conner. She briefly turned around and flashed him a sweet smile and in return he gave a slight smirk before she disappeared out the door and around the corner, but not before he took noticed of the walking aid she grasped onto for support with her hand as she walked out of the room.

Desperate to know a little more of this blonde beauty that had suddenly entered his world, he briskly went out the door in search for perhaps another vision of her or even better a name to the girl but became unstuck when she was no where to be seen. This girl had disappeared into thin air. Perhaps she was merely a pigment of his imagination twirling around in his head that was unnecessarily stirred up when he caused some what of a friend bust up when he got in the middle of two beautifully complied friends.

After that debacle, he vowed never to become involved in any relationship of any form regardless whether or not the girl was gorgeous. No one was worth the trouble to allow him to be in one. He had seen his friends juggle their rather dysfunctional relationships not to mention his mother’s failed marriages. He was not one to down that same path. So why couldn’t he get this unknown girl out of his mind?

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Following class, Jessica had been called into Coach Laufeld’s office to discuss the pep rally in which she in coincidently missed – no thanks to three girls on the squad.

As Coach continued her lecture to Jessica about how she missed it and didn’t even bother to call to let her know she wouldn’t be there, Jessica sat nervously as she was barely able to process what was going on and who on the squad would actually make up an excuse for her. She knew of at least three girls who would want to destroy her life and kick her off the squad.

“Hold on a second, Wakefield.”

Uh-oh, she slammed back into her seat and turned to see what she thought could be a pity me expression planted on her coach.

“Is there anything you would like to talk to me about?” She asked. “Is there anything going on among you and the other squad members? If there is, please let me know because I will not stand for any backlash between the squad – not if it will affect the squad.”

Jessica’s heart was pounding. Gee, Lauder was either psychic or she knew too much already about her squad. She couldn’t tell on her team mates. They’d really have it for her then – more so than they already do. It was enough as it was now; she didn’t need it any worst.

“No, Coach,” Jessica said with a straight face – she hoped.

Coach Laufeld narrowed her eyes for a moment. “Okay Jessica. I know I don’t have to tell you this but I’m going to anyway,” she took a deep breath and concluded. “If this happens again, there will be serious consequences.”

“Don’t worry,” Jessica said with concern. “It won’t happen again.”

“Okay, go change your clothes and get warmed up. Taylor is returning to school today so we have to work Ms. Morris into our routines,” Coach Laufeld dismissed Jessica. “And Jessica, you can always come to me if you need to talk.”

“Thanks Coach,” Jessica said. She practically floated into the locker room. After she’d dreaded the encounter all weekend, their meeting was simple. But coming face to face with the rest of the squad wasn’t going to be easy.

The locker room was deserted which was the way she liked it. Grabbing her duffel bag, she started to change. Maybe when she joined the squad, she’d at least see some sympathy from someone or better yet on Taylor’s face. It was her first day back at school; she didn’t have a clue as to what was happening. At least she’d have at least one friend on the squad to talk to.