Chapter 1

October 8th, Thursday

~

'Ugh. Algebra. Why does there have to be an algebra 2? Like, I think I got enough of the first algebra freshmen year,' I complained in my head. Obviously I'm in math class right now...struggling to survive. It was Thursday and on Thursdays we had test.

I honestly didn't study because how do you even study for a math test anyway? Stare at the formula until you get it? Remember answers to specific problems? Yeah, I could do that, but by junior year of high school, you find out every test you're ever going to take that has a study guide, that the actual study guide doesn't even have what's on there ON the actual test. So by now you ask, why bother?

"What the hell is this?" The guy beside me mumbles. I pathetically chuckle. "Do you get this?" He turned to me. I looked at him.

His black hair even with tan white skin tone that fits his milk chocolate brown eyes, his vampire teeth so white and sharp, you'd think he was one. He wasn't bad looking considering he was on the schools football team for best quarterback, but I didn't have feelings for him.

And I was probably the only girl at Cumberland High who didn't.

"Nope," I told him honestly, but in a proud way.

"What? I thought you would Kit-Kat. You're smart," he hid a smile. I chuckled.

"That's only in English stupid," I commented through my breath. "But what do you understand anyway?" He smiled leaning back in his chair.

"Feisty one today, yes?" I shook my head.

"Shut up Jake, I'm 'trying' to take my test," I looked back at the two-sided paper choosing C after I haven't picked that in awhile.

"Well sorry," he pretended to surrender.

"Uh, excuse Mr. Lander, is there any reason why you're talking?" Our teacher asked him. He glanced at me and I glanced at him back. Since he was a bad boy I was going to think he was going to blame it on me to get him out of trouble even though initially it wasn't any of my fault, but he changed the subject.

"Actually yes. No one gets this test," he said bluntly leaning back in the chair with a crooked smile. I glanced at him along with our other peers.  

"Excuse me?" Our teacher replied. He sat up.

"No one gets this test," he repeated with a shrug. "You see, since I'm failing this class by 3 points, I figured I'd study last night on the review, but none of that stuff is on here from the review, so how do you expect us to pass?" he laughed as if it were ironic. We all did.

Told you so.

"You studying Mr. Lander?" My teacher lowered her glasses. "That's already hard enough to believe." The class chuckled.

"You don't have to believe me, because it's still true. Hey, did anyone in this class look over the review?" Thirteen out of the twenty two people raised their hand. "Now how many of those questions are on this test? Show me the fingers or none at all." Everyone put their hand back down except one person.

"And what question is that Billy?" Jake crossed his arms. Billy was the weird nerd boy who always finished his test in less than ten minutes like a human calculator, but this time he still had it and he smiled saying,

"Well the header's there." We all laughed.

"Be quiet class, this is a grade. Just try your best," Mrs. Leminburger looked down at her desk.

"But how can we try our best if we don't get it?" Jake asked desperately. I chuckled, but since because the whole class agreed they didn't know anything on this test, I figured I'd intervene this one time to get out of it...considering I'm already the teachers pet....and I really just didn't want to take this dumb test.

"Yeah Mrs. Leminburger," I said honestly. She looked at me quickly. "I don't know anything on this test, and I've actually been taking good notes in this class. Do you have to put this on the grade book? I mean, grades go in tomorrow. You don't have time to look over ALLL these test since your already complaining you have too many papers to grade anyway. Please Mrs. Leminbuger? More than half this class are in extra curricular activities. This will either make or break us going to our games and meets next week." The whole class groan in agreement of my comment. "Please, DON'T put this in the grade book," I pleaded seriously. Jake looked at me surprised for being on his side for once and we both looked at the teacher.

"Fine. I may curve the test, but next week expect a pop quiz over this lesson since so many of you don't understand it," she finally agreed.

"Yay!"

"Yes!"

"Alright!" The whole class cheered and like right on cue, the bell rang and I gathered my stuff in my brown satchel with a small grin on my face, and Jake laughed as the class was clearing out.

"Hahaa! I didn't think it was like you to NOT want to take a test Kit-Kat," he told me. I rolled my eyes sighing not looking at him.

"And I actually thought you were going to snitch on me for a minute, and just because I make better grades than you Jake, doesn't mean I actually WANT to or even TRY to," I insulted back. He laughed again.

"Haha! Well thanks for backing me up anyway Kit-Kat," he thanked. I looked at him as we began to clear out the class.

"I didn't help you, I helped myself," I corrected him.

"Hmmhuh, sure you did," he hid a smile. I groan.

So by now, you would think Jake and I are a thing, or is at least having a thing, but that's far from the truth.

I didn't like Jake and he didn't like me. He harassed me daily in and out of class, but he's always been like that since junior high. I just learned to put up with it and more than half time he was just kidding. You could call us "friends", but he was really there to annoy me when he wanted to, but if there's one thing of Jake I absolutely hated was that he goes out with,

Celeste Hollister.

When we made it out of class, she actually was already there waiting for him and she snagged his collar and pulled him in and literally having PDA in the hallway and SHE LOOKED AT ME while she did it as I was behind him. Even though I hated Celeste with a burning passion, she was very pretty.

She claims she's a model working for exotic, high-end brands, so I suspect you can imagine her body. Toned and fit. Beach blonde hair that was mostly always crinkly and it was pretty thin, and it was down her back and a little past her chest. She had baby blue eyes that reminded me of crystals, and tan skin like Jake's, but I honestly think hers' was spray on because it looked a bit orange. Her teeth was perfect, her body was perfect...she just had a very ugly personality.

I gave a disgust look rolling my eyes and suddenly my best friend Charlotte came up beside me and she must've felt my hate.

"Ugh, go get a room," she said disgustedly not even caring to be heard by anybody else around. Celeste stopped kissing Jake with an evil smiled as he looked down at her smiling too.

"Oh, in sorry. Is this more than you can handle?" Celeste asked Charlotte in a baby voice her hands all over Jake's neck and through his hair.

"Oh no, I can handle it, but I'm just trying to save everyone else from seein' it. They just might die at the scene," Charlotte whispered back. I busted out laughing and Celeste turned red glaring AT ME as if I SAID it.

For whatever reason, Celeste didn't like me. I thought it was because we were both on the varsity cheer team and people always compared us to each other by our looks, or maybe it all started two years ago as freshmen, when this boy asked her to homecoming (that's what she said) but ended up dancing with me and that was her date and everything just declined from there and then, to make matters worst, I accidentally spilt fruit punch on her expensive designer dress at the valentines dance (that apparently came from Japan) last year and it 'forever stained and ruined HER life.'

A girl can really hold grudges.

Ever since then, she did everything and anything to get me back. It's like some chic-flick movie or book or something. I don't even know.

"Ha! Please. You're just jealous. Come on Jake, let's take our company else where in private." I was already disgusted by the thought of that.

"Haha, sure. Byyyyye Deeee," he waved at me with a exaggerating smile. I stared at him with a blank face with crossed arms.

"It's Dawn," I said nonchalantly.

"Oh, right," he pretended not to know. I sighed while Charlotte looked at me.

"What was that about?" She asked with folded eyebrows. I shrugged with squinted eyes.

"I 'helped' him get out of a test last period," I used quotation marks.

"Ha, oh really?"

I nodded.

"Well at least he knows he'll be in the football game next week," she joked. I laughed as it was true and we headed to the girls bathroom.

"Haha, right?" We both went in and were checking ourselves in the mirror and Charlotte groan.

"Ugh. Stupid pimple," she picked at her chin. "He just spouted like a new born baby overnight," she commented. I busted out laughing again.

"Seriously, Lotte?" I asked her. "I can barely see it." She turned to me pointing at it with wide eyes. "Well....when you point it out..." I eased through my teeth. We both laughed.

Charlotte was my best and close friend since freshmen year even though she was a year older than me. She was super pretty, and I can see why every guy wanted her just as much as Celeste but the only difference was, was that the guys found Lotte more approachable.

She had curly blonde locks that went to her jawline and a tan skin tone as well, but hers was a pretty natural. She had a black mole on her left check that defined her face, and unique ocean blue eyes. You best believe she looked like Marilyn Moore just with a darker skin and blonde hair. Her body type was pretty small, like mine, but she was rounder and bigger in those areas way more than me.

I do envy it.

"Are you excited for Caleb Matthew's house party coming up?" Lotte asked me. "It's on Halloween." I looked at her pathetically.

"Ha, I don't even think I'm going," I admitted re-mattifying my face. She gasped at me.

"Are you serious Dee? Then who am I suppose to go with?" She asked desperately.

"Uh, Kevin," I told her shrugging. "He'll go."

"Of course he will that's his best friend. Him and Caleb, but I gotta have my best GIRL friend go WITH ME. It's a crime if you don't," she tugged at my arm. "Besides it's girl code you don't go to a party alone." I pretended to ignore her. Kevin was Charlotte's main, main a.k.a. crush, but at least they had the ball rolling.

They weren't officially "boyfriend-girlfriend" yet, but I felt it was coming. She friend-zoned him for the longest, but she let her guard down when sometime at the beginning of the school year, her car broke down at school after hours and he went all out his way FROM HOME and took HER home and even fixed her car the following day.

When you find a guy like that, he's definitely keeper.

"I mean come on?" She asked me. She paused putting on a creepy smile. "What if Asher ask yoooou?" She teased nudging me with her elbow. I laughed.

"Shut up Lotte, you know he won't do that," I told her hiding a smile.

"You don't know that," she narrowed her eyes at me. I ignored her. She sighed. "You're pretty Dawn. What guy wouldn't want to go to a party with you?" She asked. I faked laughed.

"Ha, ha. Jake," I told her. She laughed too.

"Forget that douchebag, you're better than him. If he goes for low-downers like Celeste, he obviously doesn't deserve YOU!" She pointed at me. I laughed.

"Honestly Lotte, I'd think I'M the one out Jake's league," I told her truthfully avoiding her eye contact. I felt her glare at me quickly.

"Don't EVER say such a thing EVER again," she demanded seriously. "You're a pretty girl and don't EVER underestimate that."

"Oh you're just saying that cause we're friends," I brushed her off. She crossed her arms.

"Not true Dawn," she narrowed her eyes at me again. "I mean, if I was a lesbian, I'd totally want to date you," she admitted. I cracked up laughing.

"Hm huh, sure Hun," I nodded at her.

"I'm serious!" She slapped my arm. We kept laughing. Suddenly I heard the bell ring and she sighed.

"Ugh, I forgot. I gotta go buy my brother lunch today. It's his birthday," she groan. I really started laughing.

"Wait, wait, wait. You forgot you're OWN brothers birthday?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No, no. I didn't forget his birthday I just forgot to get him lunch. It's my secret gift to him. At home I left him a new video game in his mosh pit," she shrugged reapplying her lipgloss.

"Wait, so, where did you put it?" I asked. She shrugged not looking at me.

"If he cleans his room he'll find it," she nodded. I chuckled.

"You're a cleaver sister Lotte. I wish I was him."

"Oh no you don't. I'm just making up for all the crap I've done to him for the past 8 years. Haha! Bye Dee, see you in U.S. History," she waved.

"See ya Charlotte." She left out the bathroom and I was still there judging my appearance in the mirror and I thought about her lesbian comment thinking she just said it to make me feel goodI wasn't anything special. I was pretty much just...average.

Brown sugar skin tone, dark chocolate brown eyes that shined a light brown in the light and black hair that was ombre at the ends that was a almond color that laid a little past my bra strap and just below my small chest. My body type was small I will remind you, but I was fit as I do enjoy exercising and working out....when motivated.

But I was still on the whole 'Jake being out my league' thing too. He was. He really was. I just didn't mind it because I didn't like him in any way. He is cute and all but I can't date him. We go back to 7th grade. We both remember how we look BEFORE puberty.... Anybody you date before that time is simply off limits considering you probably have pictures of them that could ruin their social life.

As I was walking out the bathroom I saw a poster on the door that read, 'Writers Block' and it got my attention.

The poster was explaining a writing contest held for the school sponsored by some company I never heard of. It explained that if you enter a poem, short story, song, or anything that relates to your own writing and it'll be placed in the 'Writers Block Contest'. "A friendly battle to recognize young authors and writers across high school campuses. Get more information from Mr. William."

I shrugged as I was going to him later today. 'I might ask him about it...' I thought. 'And see if it's something I should do.'

Finally I walked out the bathroom to my locker and as I unlocked my combination I saw HIM. No not Jake....

Asher Payne.

Asher was the boy I WAS falling for.

He was a senior on the schools swim and track team and you best believe he was good at what he did...on...and OFF season. I pretended to put my stuff away trying not to make it obvious I was looking at him while trying to actually look at him.

He had a pale white skin tone that seemed so right with his brunette hair that seem to have this shine to it and sometimes he flipped his bangs out his right eye as if it annoyed him, and his light brown eyes seemed perfect with the brown mole right on his jaw line on the left side.

He wasn't as popular as Jake, but I don't see why not. We were friends but I never found the courage to get closer to him. I was simply too scared.

"Hey Dawn," he waved to me with his friends holding his journal walking past me.

"Hey Asher," I said back. When he walked by I literally wanted to melt but then it got me thinking... I MUST'VE been staring at him for him to say hi to me! I started to mentally beat myself up about it, but then it ALSO got me thinking he must've seen me already to have said hey in the first place, and I was now secretly hopping around in my mind about it.

I grabbed my self made lunch from culinary class I made last night at home and I headed for the football field to practice a cheer routine.

~

When I made it no one was there as usually another girl on the team would be there, and her name was Amanda, but I figured she was just running late. I sat there, eating my turkey wrap with secret sauce reading 'Last Breath' on my phone until I was interrupted by someone sitting next to me on the bleachers.

"Jake?" I asked. He smiled at me.

"In the flesh," he nodded. I rolled my eyes.

"What do you want? And no I don't want to give you a BJ like all the other girls in this school want to," I looked back at my phone. He laughed.

"Whoa, whoa. Why we gotta take it there?" He asked. "Just wanting to drop by."

"Yeah sure you did," I didn't looked at him. He chuckled.

"Well what are doing out here alone? Where's Charlotte?"

"She went to buy lunch for her brothers b-day today," I replied still not looking at him. "And I'm out here because why not? It's a good fall day to be out." He nodded looking in a distance. I looked at him weirdly. "Wait, what are YOU doing out here?" I asked. He laughed.

"Guys wanted me to get a football to play with in the courtyard," he explained. "About to get one from the locker room 'till I saw you." I shook my head smiling looking at my phone again.

"Man I don't get it. Why do guys like playing sports all the time? Why can't you guys just sit and talk like girls?" He laughed.

"Simple. 'Cause we're not girls," he told me like it was an insult. I glared my eyes at him. "We don't have time to sit down. If we do its one on one with our close friends or off field at a game." I nodded as that made sense.

"Sure, well where's the bitch at?" I asked scrolling on my phone. He laughed.

"Celeste?"

"You're bitch. THE bitch. Whatever floats your boat." He kept laughing.

"She went to get Starbucks with some friends. I don't see why though. Starbucks isn't a real lunch." I chuckled as he didn't get it.

"The girl is getting ready for the dance stupid," I commented. He looked at me. "She's going to intake less calories to fit that, 'one of kind designer dress'. Hopefully I won't spill anything on it this time," I inside-joked. "Surprise her own boyfriend didn't even know," I said with huff. He chucked throwing his head back.

"And I didn't. Well I got to go Kit-Kat. Guys are probably wondering where I am," he told me.

"Hmhuh, in the principles office with a detention slip," I joked eating my wrap. He laughed getting up.

"Should be proud of me actually. Haven't had one since the last week of school," he raised an eyebrow at me as if I really should be proud. I looked at him.

"Congrats on your clear record so far Mr. Lander. I hope you learned NOT to steal administrators golf carts anymore when unattended," I told him. He laughed.

"It's their fault for leaving the keys in the ignition," he backed himself up. I shook my head with my eyes on my phone hiding a smile. "Haha, see you Dee." He hit my thigh running down from the bleaches.

"It's Dawn!" I called to him.

"Yeah, I'll try to remember that!" He turned around with squinted eyes from the sun picking up a football back to campus. I shook my head sighing.

"And I still don't understand why I actually waste my breath with him," I mumbled under my own.

"Hey Dawn!" I heard someone call to me.

"Amanda! I was beginning to think you weren't coming," I told her. She sighed sitting beside me with her brown sack lunch.

"Oh of course I was, I was just in the library picking up on some books," she told me. I nodded. Amanda did have a 3.9 GPA. "But I did see you talking to Jake," she admitted. I nodded.

"Oh yeah him," I didn't deny it. "He's annoying." She looked at me like I was crazy.

"Are you serious? You're talking to greatest quarterback in all off Cumberland High!" She exclaimed. "Weren't you nervous talking to him?" I shook my head with folded eyebrows.

"Of course not. We go back to 7th grade," I told her. "He's just another guy to me." 'Because Asher was MINE,' I wanted to add.

"Oooh, okay well I think he's totally cute. If he wasn't going out with Celeste, I wonder if I'd have the courage to ask him to homecoming," she thought. I shrugged.

"Hm, don't waste you're time on him. He's had more girlfriends than my fingers can count," I said to her.

"Yeah....but...I can't help to think it. He's just so cute." I sighed.

"Whatever you think," I told her. She chuckled.

"Sorry Dawn. Come on let's practice the new routine." I chuckled getting up.

"Alright." I got down from the bleaches and I looked toward the main buildings of the school where Jake would be.

'Jake did talk to me like I was his friend even though he insults me all the time...but him going out with me is something I'll never see happening and I was defiantly going to keep it that way, especially with Asher being my one and only....well for now,' I thought creeping a smile.

~