2.1 | No Sparks Required

01 | catalyst

IMPORTANT

As promised, the first chapter of No Sparks Required!

Updates for this story should be once every week (two weeks at the most), and I'll try to be prompt about it! Also a gentle reminder that I wrote this thirteen years ago—no, seriously. This was 2010!Noelle, three years prior to Cherry Knots etc. How time flies, huh?

I really hope you enjoy it!

x Noelle

  

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

O N E

c a t a l y s t

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.

"GUESS WHAT?" MY friend, Danielle Patterson, shrieks the minute she sees me. She's standing right in front of my locker, and her excitement shines clearly on her radiant face.

I wince – my ear nearly deafened – and calmly push her aside so that I can get to my books. "What?" I ask absentmindedly. Sticking my head into the locker, I peer at the timetable pasted inside. Hmmm...After lunch, there's Literature, and Chemistry. Thank God I'll be done for the day in two hours' time.

"He finally talked to me!" Dani continues to gush loudly. "Talked to me!"

I take my head out of the locker, and stare at her, pretending to be surprised and amazed. "No! Really?" I coo, even though I haven't the slightest idea who she's talking about. Who's 'he'? Really, in Dani's world, that could mean practically anybody – from the pizza delivery guy to whatever the hottest celebrity currently is.

Of course, the likelihood that a celebrity would actually know of her existence, let alone talk to her, is almost a null, so I'm more inclined to believe that 'he' is somebody from our school. Maybe it's that quarterback Jordan Carter, whom Dani's been crushing on for the past month.

"Yes, really!" Dani squeals, and clasps her hands happily. "I accidentally bumped into him on my way to gym this morning. He dropped his books, and I helped pick them up. And he looked into my eyes – right into my eyes – and said 'thanks'!"

"Just that?" I remark dryly. "No way, I thought it'd be something juicier, like 'Hi'."

"Not funny, Beverly."

"Fine." I take my books out of the locker, and close it, before slipping an arm through Dani's. "I'm happy for you," I tell her gently, knowing that it's probably what she wants to hear anyway. "You must've waited a long time for this day to come."

"I did." Dani breathes, her pale blue eyes widening dramatically. "I've been waiting forever for Shane to say something to me."

"Wait." I drop my arm from hers suddenly. "Did you say Shane? As in Shane Corelli?"

"You know any other Shane?"

Damn it. I should've guessed.

I mean, Shane Corelli? According to head-cheerleader Delilah Reynolds, Shane Corelli is basically the epitome of a wet dream. He's the most popular guy here. Way, way popular. But, oddly enough, he isn't your normal meathead who's mad about football and dating the prettiest girl in school. Shane Corelli actually takes most of the advance classes. Which makes the entire student body adore him all the more.