Chapter 1

It was 3 o’clock on Friday and I was franticly trying to find a ride to work, I asked everyone Sam, Dan, Katie even the ones in my year (we cant drive yet, we’re only 14), as the bell went Maz walked in to my class, Maz is 17, he used to be a family friend but he’s not any more, he only comes to school part time and works at the same place as me, “Tom’s” it’s a really cool restaurant every one loves it, its one of the only place that employs people under the age of 18. I work Wednesday 3:45pm-11:30pm, Friday 3:30pm-10:30pm, Saturday 6am-2pm and in two weeks Monday 4pm-10pm.
“Hey Maz are you working to night.” I yelled at him from across the room.
“Yes, Why” Maz said with a hint of anger in his voice.
“Can I catch a ride to work with you?”
“Fine, but hurry up!”

As we walked out to his little red car I heard a bitch of a girl, Lea say,
“Is Crystal going out with Maz?”

When we arrived at work I said,
“Thanks Maz, I really appreciate it.”
“Don’t mention it, I mean it you know I’m not allowed to be seen with you other than at work, after what my brother and your sister did last year, your dad will flip if he finds out that I took you to work.” He said as he stopped the car.
“I know thanks. Have you heard from Jack or Rose.” I said changing the subject fast, I guess I better fill you in on what Jack and Rose did. It was last year, they went on a trip with all their mates to Sydney for 2 weeks and they came back engaged, Rose had this amazing ruby on her finger and she was pregnant, 3 months, she was only 17 Jack was 20, our dad wasn’t impressed he banned Jack and Maz from coming any where near our house, after that Rose left with Jack because she didn’t want to live some where, where she wasn’t wanted and now their living across the ditch in Sydney she said that some time this year she’s going to pay for me to come she them.
“Yes they rang me last night, you.”
“Me too”

I went up stairs to get changed while Maz started work. I went down stairs and there was my best friend Sally, she normally works all the days I do, but she doesn’t normally work Fridays.
“Sally what are you doing here?”
“Working with you”
As the night went on and it got quiet, me and Sally did some of the prep for in the morning. When it hit 10 pm Maz came and told us to finish and go home, so we did.
The weekend was awesome me and sally went to work at 6 am and finished at 2 pm, just enough time to get my stuff together from my place get supplies for the night (junk food, drinks and movies ect…) and go to her house and watch the rugby.

While we where watching the rugby rumours were being spread around.

“Hey Laura”
“Hey Lea”
“Did you hear about Maz and Crystal?”
“No, what “
“Their going out, I saw Crystal get in to Maz’s car.”
“No way, I have to tell bob, talk on Monday.”
“Cool, see ya”

“Hello Laura”
“Hello bob”
“What’s up?”
“Did you hear about Maz and Crystal?”
“No, what, tell me.”
“Their going out”
“No way, how did you find out.”
“Lea saw her get in Maz’s car.”
“No way.”
“Got to go diners ready”
“See ya.”

“Hi tom.”
“Hi bob”
“Did you hear about maz and Crystal?”
“No what.”
“Their going out”
“You mean all the way”
“Yes”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, sorry got to go to bed.”
“Ok, night”

“Hey Ben”
“Hey tom.”
“I can’t talk for long, but did you hear about Maz and Crystal?”
“No”
“Their going all the way”
“You mean going out?”
“No ALL the way.”
“No way.”
“Yes, sorry got to go, see ya.”
“See ya”

This is what happened over the weekend, the rumour got bigger and bigger, it started with one little girl too busy with other peoples lives to find out the full story or even if what she was saying was true, it started with us going out and got worse over time, the most embracing version was told to me on Monday by a teacher, Mr Hunter, he came up to me and asked if I was pregnant because some little creep said to one of his mates in the middle of a English test that I was, I wanted to die no I wanted to kill that little creep, but the rumour still grew it finished on Wednesday with some loser coming up to me and asking if it was true that I was marrying Maz cause he wanted to make my wedding dress, I told him
“I’m not getting married, I’m 14 I’m not old enough, I’m not even going out with him so leave me alone.”
Do people not have their own lives why does everyone have to have some comment on what happens in my life?
Any way I tried to ignore it as much as I could, I knew that Maz would have heard some of them by now, I hoped that my dad hadn’t heard any of them yet, he would kill me but he would do worse to Maz and I had to work with him tonight.

As I walked to work I thought about what might happen tonight, especially since we finish at 11:30 tonight.
I hope that no one comes in and teases us.
“Crystal, get in the car, NOW.” Its Maz, he’s angry.
“What ever you want to say, say it, but after what I have to say. I didn’t start the rumours” I said starting to cry.
“Don’t cry, ok, I believe you, I’m sorry. Look tonight if some one says some thing I will run away other wise I might hit them.” With him saying that we arrived at work.
As usual I went up stairs and got changed, as I walked down the stairs I saw the silly bitch that started the rumour, as I got to the bottom of the stairs I heard her say
“How’s Crystal, isn’t she a little young for you.”
And with that I knew that if he didn’t leave he would hit her.
He left, walking, walking fast.
Our boss came running to see where he was going and me and sally told him why he left, he sent sally to look for him but she said that I should so I did.
I found him outside behind the staff car park in the bushes, what surprised me was that their was a seat there and no one could see you it was a mission to find him, but I heard him.
I walked over to him and said
“Forget them their immature little girls”
“I know but it angers me to see that they can get away with ruining peoples lives.”
“Their not ruining mine.” With this I started to cry because it reminded me of what happened with Rose.
I looked at him and he looked at me, his eyes so blue and bold, he lifted his hands and wiped the tears gently of my cheeks, his skin felt soft and smooth, we moved closer together and…
“Crystal, Maz we need you it’s getting busy”
And with that we turned away from each other as if we had done some thing terribly wrong.
“Coming” we both yelled at the same time.
We tried to stay away from each other, but then the phone rang and Maz picked it up
“Tom’s. Maz speaking how may I help you.”
“Hey Maz its Karen Crystals mum.”
“Hey Ms Lorie what’s happening”
“A lot, crystals dad just had a heart attack and he’s being air lifted to Waikato hospital”
“I’m so sorry, do you want Crystal to come home now.”
“No, I have a favour to ask, I know that we have treated you badly in the past but do you think that she could stay with you for a week or two.”
“Sure. Do you want to talk to her?”
“Yes please, thanks Maz we owe you.”
Maz called me and mum told me that dad was going to hospital for a while and she was going with him and I had to stay with Maz.
When she told me this I knew that tonight might be the longest night of my life.

The night finished, we collected our gear sally called out to me
“Do you want a lift home?”
“No thanks I’m staying some where else tonight.”
“Ok, see you at school tomorrow”

5 minutes later Maz came out and opened the car for me, we didn’t speak for the whole half hour to his house, as soon as we got their I said to him,
“I’m sorry If you didn’t like what I did but (as I started to cry again) I think, I think I like you more than what I shoud.”
When I said that Maz said
“Come inside.”
With this I cried harder but not loudly, more softly. I walked inside and he turned on the lights, his place was amazing it had a really cool lounge, the only problem was it was a one bed room place, he got a spear bed made up on the floor of his room and I went to bed.
I was a sleep for an hour maybe when I woke up and thought about what had happened that day, I started to cry again, I quickly stopped thinking that Maz might be a sleep but he wasn’t he wasn’t even in bed. I started to cry, I had cold wet tears running down my face as Maz walked in, he came and sat next to me, he wiped the tears of my face, his hands were cold and soft they made we feel warm and cold at the same time.
“I’m sorry, I can’t help who I like” I said as he looked in to my eyes.
He leaned in towards me and kissed me. It wasn’t one of those little kid kisses on the cheek it was a romantic kiss, it felt as if I was the only person that meant anything to him, he made me feel warm inside, he gently pulled back and said
“And I can’t help who I fall in love with.”
“You’re in love with me? “
“O no, why did I do that I’m sorry I’ve gone too far too fast.” He pulled a way and left the room.
It took me a while to realise that it wasn’t a dream that it was real, that some one could make me feel the way he does. I walked slowly out of the room into the lounge and sat beside him and said
“No ones ever made me feel the way you just did, just because I’ve only just found my feelings it doesn’t mean I don’t have any about you and that you have to hide yours.”
I left the room and went to bed, the last thing I remember hearing was Maz walking in and kissing me on the forehead and going to bed.

“Beep beep beep” my phone went off to wake me up at 6 am, Maz was already up making breakfast I could smell it from here, bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast.
I got up he left a dressing gown on the end of my bed, I put it on it felt soft and warm.
“Good morning” I said trying to remember the last things I said to him.
“Good morning sleepy head, how are you feeling?”
“Good, a bit tired.”
He walked up to me and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. We had breakfast before he took me to my house to get clothes and all my stuff.

He left me there so I could walk to school, and so he could go to work. As I was walking to school I saw sally,
“Hey sally”
“Hey how are you, how’s your dad”
“I don’t know.”
“Who are you staying with?”
“I’m staying with Maz, he has a spear room and bed at his place”
“Ok, I’m sorry that you can’t stay with us, but my brothers are home for 2 months.”
“It’s all good.” With this I got my walkman out and listen to music till home room, gosh home room was boring, 15 minutes of my dumb teacher rabaling on about how the school was so filthy and we should do some thing to pick up its pride. I tried to think about what money I had for lunch, I hadn’t packed any, when Mrs Malcom walked in with a really cool looking lunch box with an amazing spread of food in it, it had a note on it.

Dear Crystal.

I’m sorry I didn’t make you lunch or give you some money, I made this before work. After school walk to work, I finish at 4 pm so by the time you get here ill have finished, if you’re lucky we might go shopping for food for you for lunch.
Miss you already
Love
Maz


That is do sweet, sally wanted to see what it said, but I think if I told her about last night she’d freak, telling me how is was too old for me and that my dad would kill us both. So I didn’t tell her or show her the note I just folded it up and put it in my pocket.

For the rest of the day I thought about the night before and what had happened, I pinched my self a few times to make sure it wasn’t a dream, it wasn’t I felt the pinches they really hurt. As soon as the bell went I put all my stuff in my bag and left, I think it was 3:30pm when I got to work, he was in the kitchen cooking, I could hear him, he sings along with the radio. He can sing his voice is amazing, just another thing to add to the list of amazing things he does.

I sat in the bush where we first made our feelings clear, I was listening to my music when Maz came up to me and kissed me on the cheek pulled out one ear of my music and whispered in my ear,
” hey baby, I missed you, lets go.”
I got up and we left, we went to the local super market we bought every thing I needed plus more he also bought me a $50 phone card.

On the way home, well more like ¾ of the way home he asked me if I was ok with last night and that if I wanted to go stay some where else he would under stand, I said to him that I would rather stay with him than go anywhere else. With that we arrived at his house and he leaned over and kissed me.

He put on a CD, it just happened to be my favourite and his. We both knew every word to every song, we sang while we prepared dinner, we were having chicken and vege kebabs with fried rice, it tasted so good. He put on the TV and we watched a movie called “crazy! Beautiful” it’s about a girl and a boy that meet at the beach, she’s naughty, does drugs and drinks too much alcohol, he’s sensible, works hard and doesn’t drink or do drugs. With his help and with her help they learn to balance each other out.

Then he helped me with my homework and I asked him,
“Why don’t you come to school full time, you’re so smart?”
“I have to earn money so I can live here, I have bills I have to pay.”
“Why don’t you live with your mum or dad?”
“After what Jack and your sister did they don’t trust any of us any more, they kicked me out so I have to work, my school work is doing great, it’s better than the ones that go to school full time.” He said getting up and making a coffee for him and a hot chocolate for me. After I had drunk that I was going to bed when the phone rang. It was my mum
“Hi Crystal, how are you.”
“Hey mum, I’m fine, how are you and dad.”
“not good I’m afraid, dads going to have an operation on Wednesday of next week, so I wont be home a soon as I expected, because your father has to stay unconscious for 3 days and then stay for a week or two even more to make sure he’ll be ok, so i’m sorry but you’ll have to stay with Maz for about a month, is that ok.”
“Yes, give him my love, sorry but I have to go to bed now, love you, night.”
“Love you too, night darling.”
With that I put the phone down. I started to cry all over again. Maz came over and gave me and put his arms around me, I put my head on his shoulder and my arms around his neck.
“What’s wrong, has your dad died”
“No (I stopped crying and looked in to his eyes and smiled) I have to stay here for about a month.” When I said that he picked me up and spun me around, then kissed me on the forehead
“That’s great, isn’t it?”
“Yes”
We sat on the couch and turned the TV back on, I looked at him, he was looking at me, and I smiled and said
“What, have I got some thing on my face?”
“No just thinking how lucky I am to have such a gorgeous girl staying with me.” With that he leaned over and lifted his hand and wiped the hair off my face and kissed me, it was even better than the night before, this one I was ready for this one I wanted to happen
Chapter 2


Maz woke me up at midnight,
“Crystal that was the phone, your mum said your dads a bit better now so their going to do the operation tomorrow isn’t that great.”
“yes.” I groaned looking for my phone to cheek the time.
“K I’ll let you sleep.”
“Night” I said as I fell back to sleep

Beep, Beep, Beep there goes my alarm again. I lay there for a while thinking about what happened last night, especially what happened at midnight, was he up when the phone rang?, he must have been, why was he awake at that time of night?
I walked out to the kitchen where Maz was making breakfast,
“Were you up when the phone rang?”
“Good morning to you too, yes I had to do some work, that reminds me can you take this in to school and give it too Mr Hunter.” He passed me a huge folder of work, as I flipped it open and read it I said to him
“Did you do this last night?”
“No, just finished it.”
“It’s amazing, better than anything I’ve ever done, and I’m the smartest in my class”
“Well that’s because your so hot, teachers see this and give you good marks.” As he said this he came and gave me a hug. We had the same breakfast as yesterday and we watched some TV before I had a shower and got in to my school uniform.
“I’ll have to drop you of on the bike just be for 8:30am, is that ok.”
“Yes, what time do you start work today?
“11am”
As I packed my bag with my books, pencils & pens, PE gear Maz passed me the lunch box that I later found out was his when he was little, it had chicken and avocado sandwiches, A muffin, some celery and carrot slices with a dip and a nectarine and peach.

We got on the bike and he gave me this really vibrant red and purple bike helmet, he had a bright blue and green one on, the motor bike was black and blue, had a really cool coloured back tire, red green blue and yellow.
As we drove to school I had my arms around his chest/stomach he has a good body, may be a 6 pack, when we got to school he said to me,
“Don’t forget to give that folder to him its really important, and by the way,(he looked around to make sure that no one he knew was around and he kissed me) see you at work, I’ll send Mandy to come get you.”
He took the helmet and put it on the end of the seat tied it on and drove off. Later on I found sally waiting for me where we always meet, the tree behind Mr Hunter’s class room, as I went to give her a hug I saw Mr Hunter
“Hang on, I’ve got to see Mr Hunter.”

“Mr Hunter, may I come in.”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“I've got some thing for you from Maz, he said it was important.”
“How did you get this?”
“I’m staying with Maz at the moment, and he has to start work early to day, so he asked me to drop it in for him.”
“Your not sleeping with him are you, cause it’s my duty to say some ting if you are, he’s 17 and your 14 it’s the against law.”
“No, no, no my dads in hospital and mums with him so I’m staying with Maz, in his Spear bed room, separate bed, separate rooms.”
“Ok, I’m sorry for asking but it’s my duty to ask.”
“K, I understand see you 1st period.”
“Bye Crystal.”

The day was like any day and so was work, but one thing bothered me all day though, some thing Mr Hunter said to me, he said’ your not sleeping with him are you” I thought he would have tried it by now but he hadn’t, we were sleeping in the same room, we were going out, weren’t we?
The night went fast too, when we were on the way to his house (home for the moment) I asked him
“What are we? what are we doing?”
“We’re going home!”
“No I mean between us, are we going out, playing around to get back at my parents or is it nothing?”
“What do you want it to be?”
“I don’t know”
“well I’m not getting back at your parents, their the ones that gave us this opportunity to find our feelings so I’m more likely to thank them, and I’m not playing around, I mean what I said about being in love with you I have been for a while, ever since you started work at the start of this year, and its definitely not nothing its definitely some thing” he said
“So are we going out as the term is said?”
“Yes, is that ok with you?”
“Yes, yes it is” I said feeling a lot better knowing that he’s not doing this to get back at my family. When we got home the phone was ringing, so I picked it up.
“Hello Maz’s house, Crystal speaking.”
“Hey Crystal it’s your brother in law, Jack, what are you doing at Maz’s house?”
“Hey Jack, dad’s gone to hospital didn’t mum ring you”
“No she didn’t, but still why are you at my little brother’s house”
“I had no where to stay and mum asked Maz if I could stay with him for a while, its ok, here’s Maz.”
They talked for a while so I made dinner, when he came off the phone he said to me
“Your sisters on the phone.” So I ran to the phone and took it off him
“Hey rosy, what’s shaking?”
“Nothing much, what’s going on with you and Maz?”
“Nothing, why?”
“Come on, we know that your doing some thing we just don’t know how far you to have gone.” I looked at Maz, as if I was asking if I could tell her the story he nodded as if he knew what I wanted to do.
“We’re going out”
“How far have you gone?”
“Not what you’re thinking.”
“K, sorry I have to go Nicky’s crying, email me all the information.”
“Ok, love you.”
“Love you too.”
With that I put the phone down and asked Maz if it was ok to tell her and he said
“My older brother asked me, so I knew that your sister would ask you so at lest they know and we know they won’t tell your mum and dad.”
“I agree.”
As we ate dinner I thought about what I was going to tell rose. I talked to Maz about what I was going to say and we agreed on what I was going say. After dinner I emailed Rose.
Dear big sister.

First of all, how are you? We didn’t really get to speak on the phone. How’s baby, I really miss you guys, dads not letting me do anything. He doesn’t trust me any more it really sucks. When are you going to pay for me to come over? Fine here I go telling you all the details.

You know how I work at Tom’s with Maz well, they’ve changed my hours again and now on Fridays I start at 3:30pm so I have to catch a ride to work, Maz walked in just as the bell went and I asked him if he could give me a lift, he did. While I got in his car this bitch of a girl said to her self “o my god is Crystal going out with Maz” over the weekend the rumour got even bigger, Mr Hunter came up to me on the Monday and asked if I was pregnant, do you believe that, its so dumb, well carrying on, I was walking to work when Maz drove up beside me and asked if I started the rumours, which I did not. Any way he told me that if one more little creep says some thing then he will have to leave the room cause other wise he’d hit them. Well guess what happened when we got to work, the same little immature loser came up to him and said “How’s Crystal, isn’t she a little young for you.”
He walked really fast out of the room, I went after him to make sure that he was ok, and I found him in the bushes (their was a seat in their, it was a hollow shrub) I sat down next to him and we talked. I started to cry, he wiped the tears off my face and leaned in to kiss me, but Sally called to us and we both pulled away, about an hour later mum rand and told us about dad, she asked him if I could stay with him. Then when I went to bed that night I thought about dad and started to cry, Maz heard me and came in to see if I was ok, we talked
I said “I’m sorry, I can’t help who I like”
He leaned in towards me and kissed me. It wasn’t one of those little kid kisses on the cheek it was a romantic kiss, it felt as if I was the only person that meant anything to him, he made me feel warm inside, he gently pulled back and said
“And I can’t help who I fall in love with.”
“You’re in love with me? “ I said trying to pull my self together
“O no, why did I do that I’m sorry I’ve gone too far too fast.” He pulled a way and left the room.
It took me a while to realise that it wasn’t a dream that it was real, that some one could make me feel the way he does. I walked slowly out of the room into the lounge and sat beside him and said
“No ones ever made me feel the way you just did, just because I’ve only just found my feelings it doesn’t mean I don’t have any about you and that you have to hide yours.”
I left the room and went to bed, the last thing I remember hearing was Maz walking in and kissing me on the forehead and going to bed. And that’s what happened and its just getting better and better.
No we are not going all the way, we’re in separate beds and we have only kissed, nothing else I promise, gosh I’m only 14, what the hell do you take me for, a slut, we’re not stupid we both do well at school we both love our job we both love each other it doesn’t mean that we want to through it away by me getting pregnant.
Sorry I don’t mean, I don’t mean to be mean, I’m not talking about what you guys did.

I miss you lots and lots, I love you even more.

Crystal, your little sister



It took a while for her to reply, it took 3 days but when she replied she really did. Giving me lectures about what not to do and shit like that, here you can read.

Dear baby sister.

We’re all good, how are you and Maz.

Look I’m going to say it, don’t go all the way with Maz at your age, I was stupid and hated the way our parents treated me, getting pregnant isn’t all its cracked up to be, its all eating-putting on more weight-puking it all back up-peeing all the time-then the birth, don’t get me started on how much it hurts.

Don’t let dad or mum find out, they’ll kill the both of you (you too Maz your parents will kill you).

That is such a romantic story, my first kiss wasn’t like that at all, I cant even remember kissing him, it was at a party with Jack, we were both drunk I mean off our heads I think he kissed me and then I remember waking up next to him in his bed, don’t get drunk while your with him ( I mean just you too, he might take advantage of you, I’m not saying he would but he might.)

He said he loved you, that is so sweet. It took Jack till he proposed to tell me he loved me.

Did mum not tell you, I’ve transferred $3000 to your account (the one I made for you), for you too come over this coming holidays, Jack put $3000 in Maz’s account too so you can both come over together.

Love you lots (even more than Jack) miss you heaps,
Your big sister Rose