Spring Unleashed (The Summer Unplugged Series) by Amy Sparling

Chapter 1
    My name echoes through the small auditorium of my high school. I’m surprised I hear Principal Walsh’s voice over the thumping of my heart inside of my chest. I take a few steps forward, graduation gown swishing around my legs and just a tiny bit too long for comfort. If I tripped and fell right now I would be so mortified. This isn’t like falling in the hallway or something—it would be falling in front of the entire senior class and their families.
    Luck is on my side though, because soon I’m right in front of Principal Walsh and he’s handing me a fake diploma because they mail out the real ones and he’s shaking my hand and I don’t even screw up the handshake like I had worried about for the last three days. I can’t stop the massive grin on my face as I walk off stage and join the rest of my graduated classmates back in the folded metal chairs at the front of the room.
    I did it. I am officially finished with high school.
    Somewhere in the audience behind me is my mom and my little brother Bentley. Mom’s probably swatting away tears of pride and Bentley is no doubt bored out of his mind and wishing he had his Nintendo DS to keep him company.
    The person sitting next to my brother is the one I can’t keep my mind off of. Jace Adams. My super-hot and always wonderful boyfriend of eleven months and sixteen days. I don’t normally pay attention to how many days we’ve been together, but our one year anniversary is coming up quickly and I am just as excited about it as I am about finally graduating high school.
    I am eighteen, I am no longer tied to eight hours of school every day and I have almost been Jace’s girlfriend for an entire year. My life seriously can’t get any better than this. I know it’s pathetic, but I feel my cheeks turning red at the thought of Jace sitting somewhere in the audience behind me. I miss him so much even though we’re in the same room together. Unfortunately I have to wait until graduation is over so I can run and find him and my family in the crowd. It’s only a few minutes away, but it’ll feel like an eternity.
    A set of long brown curls swooshes around from the seat in front of me and Becca, my best friend, gives me a quick smile and a thumbs up. I had confided in her before the ceremony that I was terrified of tripping and eating the stage when I walked up to accept my diploma. So her silly little thumbs up is probably her way of congratulating me on not embarrassing the hell out of myself. I give her a thumbs up in return and sink back in my chair, letting myself get consumed in thoughts of Jace until the ceremony is over.
     
    Mom takes everyone out to a celebratory dinner after graduation and her boyfriend surprises me by paying for the entire meal. Mom was single for pretty much all of my life and it’s really awesome seeing her so happy now. Plus Jace and I think that her newfound lovesickness has changed her personality in ways that benefit us. She used to hate the idea of dating and wouldn’t want me to do anything with a guy. Now she encourages my relationship—of course, Jace’s freaking perfect personality probably helps with winning her over.
    Jace grabs my hand the moment we say goodbye to my family in the restaurant parking lot. I wrap my other hand around his arm and snuggle close to him as we walk to his truck.
    “So how does it feel to be an alumnus of Lawson High?” he asks after he places a quick kiss on the top of my head.
    “It hasn’t really sunken in yet.” I roll my eyes in a playful way when Jace pops open the passenger door for me. Ever since I poked fun of him for being too much of a Southern Gentleman, he’s made it a point to open my door all the time. Even when we just take a quick trip to the gas station or something lame. I love it though, secretly, but I still make fun of him. I crawl up into my side of his truck and lean over to accept the kiss he plants on my lips before closing my door. Even after eleven months