Chapter One

My skirt sways as the warm summer air blows. I am walking home from my first day of school on my senior year, and what a first day it was. I had a ride home, until I got in a fight with her. I know, who gets a in a fight with her ride on the first day? Me. On top of that, all of my teachers stink. I already have homework. It is the first day of my senior year and I have homework. On the Brightside though, it is a good day to walk home and I don’t live that far from school.
Reaching my house, I see both of my parent’s cars in the driveway. They are usually still at work. Confused, I walk into my house.
“Mom? Dad?” I yell into my house.
“In here honey,” I hear my mom say from the living room.
I drop my backpack by the door and walk into the living room. My parents are sitting together and holding hands. They both look very concerned.
“Sit down Hazel,” My dad says.
“Did someone die?” I ask. It seems so.
“No, no one died. We just need to talk to you.”
“Oh… ok,” I sit on the couch.
“I have decided…,” my dad starts,” I mean we have decided something together.” I look at my mom, who looks down. “There is a young man, Edwin Edwards, coming from England to stay with us for a while.” He speaks slowly, choosing his words. “And at the end of the year, you are to marry him.”
My jaw drops. Did he just say marry?
“Did you just say marry!?” I yell.
“Calm down. Yes, and he is a very nice young man Hazel.” My mom says calmly.
“You can’t force me to marry someone I have never met!”
“Hazel Lovedie!” My dad always says that when he gets angry with me. “We are you’re parents and we want to you to marry a nice man. All the young men hear can not be trusted.”
“And you can trust a guy that lives all the way in England! I won’t do it and you can’t make me!”
“Hazel!” My mom yells after me as I get up.
I run up the stairs to my room and fall on to my bed. Tears start to flow as it really hits. At the end of my senior year I am to be married, and there is nothing at all I can do about it.
After a few minutes, I hear a gentle knock on my door. I wipe my eyes and yell, “Go away.”

Instead of listening to my request, they doorknob turns. The door opens just a crack to reveal my twin sister, Amber. I sigh and motion that it was okay for her to come in.

“Hazel? What’s wrong?” She asks gingerly, sitting down at the end of my bed.

“Didn’t you hear? Mom and Dad are making me get married at the end of the year!” I huff, throwing my arms above my head dramatically.

“Yeah... They told me when I got home from school…” Amber says.

“Wait, how come you don’t have to get married at 18?!” I ask sitting up in my bed, the thought just occurring to me.

“Didn’t they tell you?” Amber responds, looking quizzically at me.

“Well... I kinda ran away before they finished…” I admit sheepishly.

“Oh.” Amber laughs. “I am getting married. To Edwin’s cousin, Ashton. Isn’t that just lovely? Ashton is such an adorable name… What?!”

I just sit there staring at her. “How can you be okay with the idea of marrying a guy you have never met?! He could be mean and hateful and ugly!”

“It’ll all work out Hazel. You’ll see. Plus, they’re British! Which means they will for sure have a dreamy British accent…” Amber sighs, a small smile sits on her full, red lips.

“Sis… hot British accent or not, we don’t know them…” I say, still in shock at her total acceptance.

“Oh, but that is why they are coming here for the year! Mom and Dad figure a school year will be ample time for us to get comfortable with them.” Amber giggles. I can plainly see her excitement at having two British men living in our house.

“Amber…” I start.

“Hazel. Just… give them a chance ok?” Amber cuts me off.

“Okay… Why don’t you tell me a little about them then?” I agree.

Amber giggles excitedly and moves closer to me on my bed. “Well, they’re our age… and their father’s co-own a big business, so they are rich. Yours, Edwin, has brown hair and blue eyes. And Ashton has brown hair and brown eyes. Don’t they sound gorgeous?”

I fake a smile for my sister, not wanting to hurt her feelings. She is so taken by this guy she has never even talked to. “Yeah… let’s just hope their personalities are just as gorgeous.”

“Don’t worry, Hazel.” Amber says, smiling confidently. “They will be.”