If Not For Her

Chapter 1. "Hello Sweetheart"

Annabeth was having a terrible day and it was only the first day of junior year. Firstly her idiot brother burned their breakfast, then she stubbed her toe on the doorway, and then with a recent push from one of the jocks her phone now held a long crack, but that was not it now she was forced to third wheel her brother and her best friend.

She tapped her feet on the white tile of their school as they took their own sweet time kissing. Christina, her bestfriend from when they were two threw the girl code right out of the window when she started dating Alex. She was happy for them but watching them kiss, and that too at the start of her day was too much. "Chris, I'll see you in class," she said. "Bye Ollie" Alex called after her. She flipped him off. Olivia was her middle name, she didn't like it at all, it reminded her of her great aunt Olivia. Annabeth would rather go by Anne, Annie, or even Beth, and her brother made a point to use it.

As she walked to her class she wondered what Chris even saw in him, the answer came easily. He was the star athlete,  captain of the school basketball team, and how much as she would hate to admit he was a good student, soon he would leave for college this was his last year. Good riddance. She always felt overshadowed by him, she was always Alexander Reed's younger sister not Annabeth Reed. She wanted to be more and she would when she would win the scholarship to Saint Clare's Academy of Art in London. She would then be Annabeth Reed, but that was a year from now and now all she had to do was focus on surviving two years in her High school.

She walked into her English class. She liked English and Mr. Mays made it much better. Their fifty-year-old teacher was exactly how she would think of an English teacher, tweed jacket and a bright smile. "Good morning Mr. Mays" she said. "Good morning Annabeth" he smiled at her as she took her place in the front. She pulled out her books when the voice came "hello sweetheart". She didn't have to turn to see who it was, she already knew. She closed her eyes, it was too early to be deal with the devil herself.

"Hello, Cole" she said in a monotonous voice and came face to face with a pair of sapphire blue eyes that held all of the boys hearts. Emmalyn Cole was beautiful and Annabeth would by lying if she said otherwise, she was beautiful with her perfectly proportionated face and beautiful blonde hair that fell gracefully over her shoulder. God was truly partial. Some people looked like her while others looked like Annabeth.

Emmalyn sat on the seat right next to her, Annabeth shifted to her left, a bit away from her. Annabeth's day couldn't go any worse or so she thought. She watched as Emmalyn pull out her books, her blonde curls falling to her side. The sun gave her a golden glow. If Emmalyn wasn't that horrible Anne would say she looked a bit like a Greek Goddess. yes, she was that beautiful "take a picture?" Emmalyn said flicking a strand of her hair.

Annabeth turned away without answering. She wasn't staring was she? "there will be surprise quiz take out your pens" Mr. Mays said. Groans echoed. "And the seats you have chosen would be yours for the whole year" now, Anne joined the groaning students. She was stuck all year with the devil herself. None of her friends were in the class, it was advanced English and neither Chris nor Adam preferred it. She took a quick glance at Emmalyn, she was staring ahead.

Annabeth pulled out her pen, she was confident she would do well but again, her biggest competition was sitting right next to her. Emmalyn leaned towards her "you know sweetheart I am going to ace this test"  she whispered. That was what Anne was afraid of, Emmalyn was not only pretty but also extremely sharp, they had been competing for nearly everything since elementary school, be it quizzes or debates it was either her or Emmalyn, the only place where there was no Emmalyn was her art class, her place.

"Stop calling me that" Anne hissed. Emmalyn smirk grew "As you wish...sweetheart" she said. God, she was infuriating. The test was pretty easy, she looked around to see some struggling while some writing. She turned sideways to to see Emmalyn focused on her test and she scolded herself for not focusing she attempted all but the third question was the most confusing when the answer hit her, she knew it and she aced it.

"Pens down" Mr. Mays voice came as nearly  thirty pens dropped. "Annabeth, could you please collect the papers" she nodded and started taking and evaluating the answers...two wrong, five wrong, four wrong, three right....then she reached the paper she most wanted to see. Emmalyn handed her the paper, the third question was wrong...only the third, a smile tugged on her lips. "You sure did ace it Cole" she walked away as Emmalyn's eyes narrowed. "Students" the voice of their principal buzzed from the speakers in every room, "you all are requested to immediately assemble in the auditorium"