The relationship between Rory and Jake was easy for me to write. It was like reliving my first year of high school. I too had a crush on a senior, and though are friendship wasn’t a secret one, he, like Jake, was completely oblivious to my infatuation.

He took me with him to all kinds of places, even taught me how to drive a stick in his very nice Mustang, but at the end of the day he’d pat me on the head and call me his “little buddy.” Yeah, it made for some very frustrating first-year moments, but I always think fondly on this first crush. A senior thought I was cool enough to hang out with. It gave me all kinds of confidence—a precious commodity for anyone who has to traipse the halls of a high school.

Now, to be honest, I’ve always wondered what it would’ve felt like to be kissed by him, so when I wrote Rory’s Choice this was the one experience I made sure Rory had 🙂