Chasing Happiness (Rewritten Under My Other Story "It's Just Pretend")

Chapter 1

AN: The picture is Anne.

Eighteen year old Anne Harris walked across her school's campus with her friend, Claire Lewinsky, as they hurried off to their first hour, science. They made small talk and laughed when suddenly, a boy bumped into Anne. Her books scattered onto the floor and both Anne and the mysterious male bent down to retrieve them. Her breath hitched in her throat as she rose. Jarod Basey stood before her with a gentle smile on his face and he held the fallen books out to her.

"Sorry 'bout that. Must not have been looking at where I was going," he chuckled. Anne let out a nervous laugh and mumbled awkwardly, "It's okay...."

Her face heated up and a light blush grazed her cheeks. She reached out, took the heavy textbooks from his slightly calloused hands, and stared intently at the concrete. Ruffling his dark brown, curly hair, he mimicked her motions, also looking down at his grey, converse sneakers.

"So I'll see you later?" they both spoke at the same time as they looked up. Her grey eyes locked with his deep brown ones and they both stood momentarily paralyzed. Blushing deeply, Jarod and Anne muttered their goodbyes before walking in opposite directions. Claire jogged slightly to catch up with her best friend of fourteen years.

"Talk about sexual tension!" she laughed. Her eyes were wild as Anne clamped her hand over the ginger's mouth. Claire tore Anne's hand away.

"Calm down. It would take an idiot not to see you two are perfect for each other. You talk every day, your families have known each other since forever, and you've been to his house for more times than I've been to my last boyfriend's!"

"First of all, are you calling me an idiot? Second of all, he got a girlfriend. Third of all, he doesn't like me. Fourth of all.... Huh... I don't have one. But you get the point."

"No. No, I don't believe I do. I still ship you two one hundred percent!" Anne rolled her eyes and picked up her pace.

"You can't run from this Anne. Or Caleb for that matter." Claire immediately regretted her words as they rolled off her tongue. That stopped Anne in her tracks. Her long, blonde ponytail whipped around as she spun on her heel. Her eyes went wide in shock before they looked sorrowfully to the floor.

"I know." Caleb was a boy who obsessed over Anne. She changed all her classes and ate in one of her teacher's room, Ms. Jansen, to get away from him. Yet she still insisted that everything was fine and there was nothing to worry about.

"I'm sorry Anne. I just... I'm sorry," Claire turned her head to the side; she couldn't look at her friend's distressed expression. Anne place her hand ever so gently on Claire's shoulder and smiled warmly.

"It's alright."