"An American Werewolf in Idaho" by Katella Stegmann

I strolled the parking lot scanning for Joy’s car amidst the menagerie of colors of students’ cars. I inhaled through my nose and was able to catch the scent. It smelled like Joy: textbooks and paper.

There was another engaging aroma filling my nose. I closed my eyes as I walked towards the sweet scent.

When I opened my eyes I saw him. He was leaning against a black GT. The boy I had been daydreaming about all morning was now right in front of me. We had the entire parking lot to ourselves. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I had been obsessing about meeting him all day long, but I had never decided what I would say to him when the time came.

Oh, God. Think, Cassie. Think! Ugh, don’t vomit on his expensive car.

He looked at me with the same gaze he had given me earlier this morning. Finally, my brain started to work again, and I was able to form an introduction.

“I’m Cassie.” I smiled.

His facial expression remained the same as he politely met his eyes with mine.

“Jackson. Nice to meet you.”

When he smiled back my heart picked up its pace. We locked eyes and I felt my soul burning with passion. Hmm, this was new.

My brain was frozen in an idiotic state. As he glanced around the parking lot I quickly dabbed the edge of my mouth to make sure I wasn’t drooling like a dog. When he looked back at me I smiled again and nervously chuckled. My brain screamed at me to say something.

“It’s nice out.”

The weather? Was I really talking about the weather with someone I had never met? I could have smacked myself. Where had the verbal part of my brain run off to? The only thing running through my head was an inner monologue of things that weren’t even remotely helpful.

Duh, me woman. You man. Me like you. You hot. We kiss now?

“I like the cold weather,” he responded.

He didn’t run away screaming. I was surprised.

Play it cool. Don’t do that nervous girly jabbering thing you do. I was startled when I heard Kat giving me advice.

I swallowed a knot and cleared my throat and then made eye contact with Jackson again.

“I like the cold weather, too. The winter can get brutal here, but I love the snow.”

Crap. I was jabbering. I tried to get a read on his thoughts again.

Still nothing.

“You’re new to Crossport, right?”

“That obvious, huh?”

“It’s a small town. When someone new comes into town everyone notices.”

God, why was I so nervous?

Just be yourself. Sean tried to help me.

That’s the worst advice I’ve ever heard.

If I did that Jackson would surely run away in terror.

If you enjoyed this sample, be sure to read the rest of "An American Werewolf in Idaho".