forever my always

Chapter 1 -Sofia

            

           ❀

I don't think I ever quite realised how powerful the action of "submitting' something was. There is no going back its out there in the universe for eternity and the consequences that comes with it could haunt and torment you for the rest of your life, or it could be the best decision you ever make and change your life forever. Someone special once told me that if any opportunity ever came along that you have to grasp it to make it become a reality and go through with it because second chances don't come along easily. Now this opportunity that ive just received was a chance to change my life and my sibling's life. Life could become bearable again and I would do anything for Oscar and Eloise, my little sister and brother, they mean the world to me and if this would make them have the childhood they deserve then I had to do it there was no other option unless i wanted my brother and sister to have the childhood i never received . After hovering over the obnoxious (and extremely large as if it was meant to be seen by giants) green submit button, I entered the contest. This contest could lead me to potentially meeting my soulmate, However unrealistic and cheesy that sounds. I need this, if not for me then for the second set of children my parents created as if they hadn't already messed up their first child. this contest means having the chance to win 100 thousand dollars and just the sight of that was enough for me to enter, people do stupid things for money and I had this chance standing right in front of me. Even though I know the contest isn't about the money, I had to go through with it. Every teenage girl fantasises about meeting their soulmate at-least once a day, their other half, the person who understands you above anyone else, the one who you will want to spend every second of every day with in the limited time you get on earth. Most people are lucky to spend their life with a partner or at-least somebody who will love them unconditionally. Lucky for me I have my best friend Noah, I know he would sacrifice his entire life for me and sometimes it feels like he already has. At least if I never fall in love or get out of my house I will have him and his amazing family who I sometimes wish were my own family. No Never mind , not sometimes, always. 

Noah was the only person on my mind when reading the email. I felt like I was betraying him somehow. Considering this is the boy I tell everything too and the boy who has listened to me pour my heart out about a million times in my seventeen years on earth, i felt like this is just something i had to keep to myself. Noah has done so much for me and I don't want him to believe everything he has done for me and my siblings isn't enough and that I'm ungrateful, I'm more grateful to Noah than anyone I've ever met and the fact I'm giving up my heart to a total stranger to win a bit of money could potentially hurt my most favourite person in the world.

I decide to fill out the first part of the form. You have to describe yourself in 10 000 words. I imagine this is to see if you're a match for the other 100,000 people that are also mindless idiots like me, signing up for this contest. The next segment tells me to add a few photos of myself. I add a photo of me next to the tree that's half in my garden and half in noahs and a picture of me and my two siblings. I usually feel quite confident about myself, so im looking forward to this. I scroll to the final segment which asks what im looking for in a significant other. These are the things I put:

1. Must like kids

2. Attractive enough to be able to look at him

3. Kind

4. Likes to read

5. Generous

6. Good hearted

That's all I can think of for now. I shut the computer off and fall back into my pillow. its oddly quiet in the house today. I had today off of school and work for the first time in forever and my siblings are at school. That normally worries me as I can't be there watching over them and waiting to see when my parents will show back up to try and take Oscar And eloise. My parents are once again not home and they havent been home for two weeks now. I assume theyre probably drunk somewhere in another state sleeping in a bunch of bars ive never heard of and honestly, I prefer that to them being home and poisoning my siblings brains with their awful behaviour. Instead of having a much needed nap I pull out my phone (one ive had for almost six years now) and text Noah. He has a little teddy bear emoji next to his name, symbolic of our childhood. I ask him what he is up too. Normally I would climb through my window and go into his bedroom through the tree that connects our backyards but I don't know if he is actually home and I don't feel like eating a bowl of his moms delicious cookies right now because this contest is the only thing on my mind and she will know straight away that something Is wrong. Its all I can think about, I know I should be thinking about school or even work but this contest could really change my life.

"Hey! what are you up too?"

I make sure I spell everything correctly before he once again teases me for my lack of correct spelling.

"About to go to the bookstore want anything?"

"Can I come? I love to annoy you when you're busy"

"Sure, meet me outside when you're ready"

I put my phone on my bed and give my hair a quick brush. I apply a thin coat of mascara to my eyelashes and grab my jacket running with the keys in my hand i unlock the car. He holds onto his door handle as if he needs extra protection from my driving. It's not totally bad but it's not great either. We spend the next 10 minutes having him grabbing the edge of his seat and him telling me directions to the book store as if we haven't been a million times before. When we arrive at the bookstore Noah gives a sigh of relief as if he didn't think he would make it and he shows me the message his mom set him telling him how much she loves us because she thought we were going to crash too.

"Stay safe my darlings, I know sofia still

cant drive properly after all this time"

Does anyone have any faith in me? I mean I wouldn't trust my driving either but that's completely beside the point. He doesn't even wait for me to get out the car before he is out of it and walking into the bookshop. I love seeing him in his element, he has that twinkle in his eyes and he looks so happy. Seeing him happy makes me happy and it's just a never ending cycle- I run to catch up with him and my hair whacks him in the face and he is pulling hair out of his mouth for the next ten minutes claiming it tastes of Strawberries. I have been trying a new strawberry shampoo, atleast I know its working now. I swear I caught him trying to lick it at one point I think he was joking but I wouldn't put it past him to actually be trying to taste my hair. I tell him I'm going to look in the romance section while he is looking at the classic books but he comes with me anyway

" You don't have to if you don't want too, I know you don't really read romance books and we did come here for you" I tell him

"One day Sofia I'm going to write a romance book dedicated to you just because I know how much you love it" he responds and a tear almost falls from my eye.

I catch noah glimpsing at me but I don't say anything, I wouldn't wanna embarrass him and it honestly raises my ego being looked at like that, of course that's something I would never ever tell him though. I pick up one of the two romance novels I selected and start reading. I wish I could take them home with me but the money I earn needs to go on food, electricity and water. Oh to have a huge at home book shelf. Noah has one but it is filled with tons of classic books. I mean sure, pride and prejudice and jane eyre are great but i do love modern romances. I turn each of the pages over, reading someone else's perfect life and the problems that also come with that perfect life and i get lost in another world.