The Road to L.A. Read Free Page A

Roy soon announced her arrival.  Jake glanced outside the large eatery window and saw her swinging into the parking lot in front of the diner. 
                  “It’s about damn time,” Jake grumbled under his breath.
    Before long, Carly had joined them, sliding into the booth between Jake and Aaron.   
                  “Where’ve you been?  We were about to send out a search party,” Roy teased while also rewarding her with his amazing grin that always brought out the dimples in his handsome face.  She reciprocated the smile.  She also couldn't help noticing how the tight tank top Roy wore accentuated his athletic build.  It was hard not to take note of Roy's impressive physique, which probably explained to a large extent why he was one of the best players on Clanton's high school football team.  That body also required discipline to maintain.  Roy worked out at least 15 hours a week at the school gym.  He also ran laps around the track every morning before school.  Jake also had a toned body that corroborated his strong athleticism, although he was not as muscular as Roy.  Jake was, however, taller than Roy.  Whereas Roy was 6 feet 1 inches in height,  Jake nearly hit 6 feet 4 inches.  Jake was also a hot topic among the female student population.  But then, most of the football players were.  Jake, however, stood out for three reasons.  He was the quarterback of the Lakeview Panthers, which naturally added to his prominence.  He was also expected to eventually be recruited in the NFL just like his father had been.  Of this, everyone had no doubts.  Coach Harmon made sure to push Jake hard enough and the old man still had connections in the industry.  Finally, his looks were beyond handsome, they were completely mesmerizing.  It was easy to get lost in the depths of his large, light blue eyes. And the boyishly handsome smile on his chiseled face could make even the most prude girl blush crimson.  Jake’s dark blonde hair had grown thick and ran nicely down the nape of his strong neck.  Carly always seemed to notice that when Jake perspired from either a long workout in the gym or a Friday night varsity football game, the damp hairs curled slightly around the sides of his neck.  She didn’t know why she’d notice such a minute thing like that.  In fact, it was somewhat unnerving, considering Jake was her best friend.  
                  “Sorry, guys,” Carly said to placate them, “but practice ran a bit late.”  
                  “Ah,” Amanda replied in a mocking tone, “the important world of cheerleading.  What happened?  Was there a cheerleading crisis?”
    Carly shot Amanda a disapproving glare before explaining.
                  “There were some issues with getting an extension just right.  But we eventually got it.  Susan always likes things to be perfect.”
    Carly knew that Amanda couldn’t stand the cheerleading squad, particularly the head coach of it, and she definitely made her disdain known at every available opportunity.   Amanda was not the cheerleader type.  She was more of a soccer player type and had the body to prove it.  Her athletic tone was most apparent in her strong legs, and Carly always marveled at the thick muscles of her calves.  The female twin also wasn't into excessive primping as she usually had her long black hair swept back into a ponytail and only wore minute amounts of makeup on her face.  Her tomboyish demeanor did nothing to hide the fact that she was a pretty girl, though.  In fact, Carly admired Amanda's porcelain complexion that glowed in contrast to her black hair and shockingly green eyes.   Aaron, of course, was the antithesis of his sister.  Carly could still recall the day she and Jake had first met the twins.  She had been over at Jake's house that day playing video games.  He always did have the latest gaming system along with the latest game to go with