Dear Diary (The Exchange #1)
Dear Diary
{The Exchange Series}
Book One
a novella by
M.B. Feeney
Copyright © 2015 M.B. Feeney
All rights reserved.
COVER DESIGN BY: © J.C. CLARKE
COVER ART: © The Graphics Shed
Copyright © M.B. Feeney 2015
Published by M.B. Feeney
The right of M.B. Feeney to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000.
License Notes: This novel is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This print may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Acknowledgments
Tammy. Thank you for being the star that you always are. I wouldn’t get half of what I get done without you. Rach, you are just a constant beacon of support. Thank you.
To everyone over in Feeney’s Fabulous Friends, thank you for every tag or notification on Facebook. They mean a lot.
To anyone who has bought this book. It may be short, and it may be fluffy, I just hope you enjoy it and maybe tell a friend.
Dedication
I want to thank all those American sitcoms and teen flicks that gave me unrealistic ideas about visiting when I was a teenager. I still haven’t made it across the pond. One day. . .
Also, this is dedicated to YOU, yeah, you. The one reading this right now.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chapter One
April 2012
Dear Diary,
God, you'd think that after all this time, I'd have a much cooler greeting than that!
I just wanted to say that I hate airports. Nothing to do, other than sit around, waiting... waiting... oh, and more waiting. What am I waiting around in the airport for? So nice of you to ask. I'm finally off to America (I'm doing a silent happy dance in my seat!) for six weeks. I never thought that my college would have arranged something like this to give a bunch of seventeen and eighteen year olds "life experience". I mean, it's not even a 'proper' exchange programme. No-one's off to the U.K. to stay in my house in return. I just get to go and stay with a family I have never met before. Oh crap, now I'm getting nervous.
Oh well, it's too late, flight's being called.
Holly x
~DD~
April 2012
Dear Diary,
You know in the movies, when a girl is met off her flight by a hot guy holding up a sign with her name on it? Well, only I could miss it when it actually happens to me. That'll teach me to look at my iPod when I walk into arrivals. There I was, the last one left waiting, feeling a bit lost when this guy taps me on the shoulder. He was fucking HUGE! I nearly peed myself and ran away—until I saw the sign in his hands. Yeah, I'm an idiot.
So . . . Tyler King . . . is fucking BEAUTIFUL! There is simply no other way to describe him. He's gorgeous, in that big, brawny rugby player kind of way. His hair glows like a bloody neon sign saying "Hey girls, look at me" it's so pale. I've never actually seen anyone with white-blond hair outside of a magazine before. Then there are his eyes . . . My knees may have actually weakened slightly. They were beautifully wide and ice blue, almost colourless, but not in a creepy way. When he looked at me it was like he could see right into my soul. Urgh, corny much?
He grabbed my case as if it were lighter than paper, while laughing at me. His voice was all deep and rumbly. I have to admit, my girly bits tingled a little.
Maybe I can make the most of these six weeks.
Sitting in his beast of a car was kind of awkward. He chatted away to me, mainly taking the piss out of my accent and my height. He actually called me dinky! The cheek of it. Then he told me all about the school I’ll be going to, giving me the lowdown on all the teachers and stuff like that. I really didn't know what to say without sounding like a total airhead. Eventually I stopped even trying to respond to him and spent the rest of the drive gazing at him sneakily out of the corner of my eye while he bopped his head to a song I've never heard of.
We arrived at his huge house. When I say huge, I mean it was like a fucking palace, especially compared to our crappy three bedrooms back home. The King house is all white and postcard worthy. The inside is just as amazing, like something out of that American makeover show where they rebuild houses from scratch, and I cry every single time I watch it.
Chapter Two
April 2012
Dear Diary,
Wow, jet lag hits hard and fast! One minute I was sat on my extremely comfy bed, writing. The next, its morning and my face is covered in ink.
Luckily, I woke up to find the house empty. There was a note propped up by the kettle written in the neatest writing I have ever seen, explaining that the family had gone to church and would be back in time for lunch. It gave me time to shower, dress, and reflect. My poor brain is operating on overload.
When Tyler had opened the door to let us in yesterday, I was completely gobsmacked. His mum, "Please call me Marie", had laid on a welcome spread. We had just sat down to eat, when his dad, "Please, call me Joseph," and his brother, Aiden, walked in. I thought Tyler was tall, but Aiden must've been raised in horse shit! I didn't see much of him cause he went straight to his room after we exchanged pleasantries.
Oh, they're back from church, gotta go be sociable.
Holly x
~DD~
April 2012
Dear Diary,
Joseph and Tyler decided, on their way back from church, that we were going to have a full on barbecue. They'd stopped at a supermarket and bought a shit load of food which Joseph put straight into some homemade marinade before going outside to the enormous brick barbecue in the garden to do whatever it was men did with those things. I wouldn’t have a clue. Back home we always buy those disposable ones.
I offered to make a salad to make myself useful and Tyler decided to 'help'. I swear he could charm the knickers off a nun. He's one of those good looking guys who knows it, and blatantly uses it to his advantage. I can't even remember what he actually said to me, it was more the way he was saying it . . . and he is very touchy feely. It was almost as if he was trying to tell me something without actually saying it, or maybe I am reading him completely wrong. After all, he's a university student whilst I'm only in my final year of college (or High School here). Once again, Tyler's brother disappeared pretty much as soon as they got back, mumbling something about needing to finish an assignment. Tyler laughed at him and called him a nerd. It’s easy to see what kind of relationship they have.
From what I can gather about Aiden (well, from what Tyler told me about him) is that he's the same age as me, which means he'll be in my year (grade as they
call it here) at school. He's all about the studying. Yesterday, he wasn’t very visible after I'd arrived, so I haven't spoken to him much. I don't know if we'll have any of the same classes, I kinda hope we don't. He makes me feel a little . . . unwanted.
It's my first day tomorrow and I'm crapping myself. Tyler goes to the university across the city, which allows him to live at home rather than pay rent on campus, and has offered to drive Aiden and me to school in the morning. Aiden's car is "in the shop" for a service and he isn't sure when he'll have it back.
What if I don't fit in or make any friends? It'll be a lonely six weeks if I don't. Best go and sort my stuff out so I don't look a fool when I forget something, especially as the school sent me an epically long email telling me my timetable and what I would need.
Holly x
Ps, Diary . . . I really hope I can pick up how they speak over here. Our word differences are making me feel quite nervous.
~DD~
April 2012
Dear Diary,
I had a bit of an emotional phone call with Mum. I only called to let her and Dad know I'd arrived and was okay, but she got a bit teary, which made me feel a bit homesick, but time will fly... won't it?
Marie came to see me in my room before she went to bed. She's really nice and just wanted to check I was settling in alright. It's only been two days but I still feel a bit overwhelmed, especially after speaking to Mum. They've all been really welcoming, well, most of them. Aiden's barely been in the room long enough to actually speak to me. I think Marie's a bit relieved to have another woman in the house to counteract all the testosterone for a bit. She reminds me of my mum a little, just in the way she checks on everyone else before thinking about herself. I guess it's a mum thing.
Joseph even popped his head round my door (after knocking, why don't my parents do that?) to see if Marie or I needed anything. He's really nice too. It's lucky that he doesn't have any daughters; otherwise the house would be full of teenage girls swooning over him. With his long sandy-blond hair and piercing blue eyes. As pretty as Marie is, the boys got their looks from Joseph.
Marie stayed for a little while, just chatting. She left me alone when she caught me trying to hide my yawns. Night.
Hx
Chapter Three
April 2012
Dear Diary,
That was fun. If you enjoy being stared at and whispered about ALL fucking day!
It all started when Tyler dropped us off. I mean his car is more than enough to get anyone noticed. It's insanely big . . . and loud. A bit like the man himself. He pulled into the school car park and let us out. He made this big show of getting out and opening my door for me. Let me just say now, that with him being so close to me, he smelled really good. He got back into his car, revving his engine and turning his music up, then he peeled away from the curb so hard and fast his tyres squealed. I couldn't believe it, how bloody embarrassing! Then, when I turned to Aiden in the hopes he could show me where to go, he had fucking gone and left me. I saw him slip back through the crowd near the main doors. Arse!
Eventually, I found my way to the office and got all my paperwork sorted out. Walking into that first classroom was horrendous. I thought I was going to throw up everywhere. Luckily (for me) the teacher didn't make me talk about myself and sat me next to this really pretty, olive-skinned girl, Bethany, who seemed pretty okay.
Bethany was in my next class too, so we managed to chat a little as we walked across campus. She seemed to be impressed that I'd arrived with the King brothers. She proceeded to launch into a brief history of them.
As I'd worked out for myself, Tyler was the life and soul of the party. Not the most academic, but a superstar at most sports which had earned him a full scholarship at Uni. Aiden, on the other hand, was a shoe in for an Ivy League school, not really much of a surprise. What did surprise me was the tidbit about him hooking up with a cheerleader after tutoring her last year. Apparently, he and Jessie were together solidly and publicly for about eight months before she moved on to greener pastures.
I had a free period just before lunch, so I decided to go into the impressive library to get a head start on some of the homework tasks we'd been given. I didn't fancy having to lock myself away in my room for hours working, as it would cut down on my Tyler watching time. Sad, I know, but I'm seventeen and hormonal!
Lunch was . . . intimidating. It was nothing like in the movies where the guys queue up to talk to me cause I'm some kind of fresh meat. No, I sat by myself out in the sunshine with a packed lunch that Marie had made for me. I simply sat and watched American high school life pass me by.
Just before the bell rang out, I spotted Aiden sitting alone on a secluded bench reading what looked like a textbook. I debated going to join him, but then I remembered him abandoning me this morning. As if he sensed me looking at him, he glanced up and locked eyes with me for a split second. The sun reflected on his glasses as I looked away, blushing at being caught.
I managed to find my final class of the day with few problems (yay me!). I was interested to see how an American teacher was going to teach European history, something I'd studied ‘til it came out of my ears. I walked in, and just my luck, the only empty seat was next to Aiden. Great!
Thankfully, the topic was new to the whole class which relieved me as I wouldn't be playing catch up for the whole time I was here. Unfortunately, when the teacher wrote "The Holocaust" on the board, I realised I'd be studying something I'd done umpteen times before. At least I'll pretty much get an easy A.
Anyway, I'm wiped, will continue first day fun times later.
Hx
~DD~
April 2012
Dear Diary,
I guess as first days go, it could have been a hell of a lot worse as I think about it some more. It was the last class of the day, which was the worst. As I said, I was sitting next to Aiden. Uncomfortable much? While the teacher gave the class a background lecture about the holocaust, I watched Aiden take the most meticulous notes in the neatest handwriting I have EVER seen. I think I may hate him for that alone. Boys are supposed to have handwriting that looks like a spider fell in ink, then tap danced on their paper. He didn't speak to me at all throughout the lesson, but he did share his textbook which I didn't really need, but I guess it's the thought that counts.
As usual, he headed straight up to his room when we got back to the house to do his homework. I hovered about in the kitchen, but when there was no sign of Tyler joining me, I did the same. When I'd packed up my laptop I had, without thinking, chucked a few USB memory sticks in with it. I found one, on which I had an old essay about World War Two and the Holocaust. I thought back and remembered that I'd been given an A for it. On the spur of the moment, I decided to go and let Aiden have a look at it (if he wanted to). It might help, but from what I had seen, he probably doesn't need it.
Dinner's ready.
Hx
~DD~
April 2012
Dear Diary,
I swear, I nearly had a bloody heart attack this evening. Those damn King boys.
Dinner was nice, all five of us sitting around the table together for more than five minutes, just chatting about the day. I didn't offer much to the conversation unless I was asked a direct question. I still feel a little out of place regardless of how welcoming the Kings were.
After eating, I went back to my room to make some sense of my first day and where I feature in the grand scheme of things for the next five and a half weeks. Tyler strolled into my room (without bloody knocking), flung himself on my bed, and just started chatting about random shit he did at Uni. I actually giggled at his stories about the others on his course. I know I'm seventeen, but I am not a giggler. I can't stand girls like that. It must be some kind of fucked up effect he has on me. I hate it. Sort of . . .
After about an hour, he left me to crack on with my homework. I'd just started to make some headway into it when there was a quiet knock on the door, which Tyler had left wide o
pen. I invited Aiden in, a bit shocked. It wasn't as if he'd gone out of his way to be a social butterfly since I'd arrived.
Having him in my room looking all lanky and nervous was weird; weirder than Tyler making himself at home. It suddenly hit me, being in such close quarters with him, that Aiden was actually really good looking. I don't know why this surprised me, but it did. His hair is a much darker blond than Tyler's, and his eyes are the colour of a stormy ocean behind his thick framed glasses.
I tried to settle my thoughts as I listened to him stumble over his words while he apologised in his deep voice (oh my, swoon much!) that I would never have believed possible cause of his thin frame. He apologised for leaving me stranded and for ignoring me. To put him at ease, I told him I understood that it must be just as hard for him to adjust as it was for me.
Eventually, he sat down on the chair by the desk. I noticed he was holding my memory stick in his long fingered hands (oh lord!). He told me that he'd been impressed with my essay. I don't know why I was shocked, I knew it was good. I just couldn't believe he was complimenting me after not paying me any attention since I'd arrived. I almost missed his hushed goodnight as I watched him stand up, run his hand through his messy curls before ducking his head and walking out of my room, silently closing the door behind him. What a weird evening.
Now I’m horny for him as well as his brother. That sounds totally slutty, right? Problem is, I can’t find it in me to care.
Hx
Chapter Four
April 2012
Dear Diary,
I’ve been here almost two weeks now, and I have to admit that Tyler King is making me crazy. It took me ages to realise that his bedroom is right next door to mine. How I didn’t notice before is beyond me because he is always talking. To me, his parents, or on his phone; but I never heard him . . . until last night. Saturdays are a bit weird here, because I haven’t got a gang of mates, so yesterday, I mainly lounged around reading. The Kings have a great collection of books, so I’ve been mooching through. I ended up falling asleep on a sofa in the den for a couple of hours, only waking up when Aiden walked in and dumped a pile of books on the table before he spotted me. Mumbling an apology, he grabbed the books and left the room. I often find myself wondering what he would do if we accidently got locked in a room together . . . probably run through a wall to get away from me.