My name is Hartley Samantha Prescott, but my mom always called me Love, and most people know me as Hart. During my junior year at Greenwood High School, I was the assistant cheer captain, excelled academically, and dated the hottest guy at Greenwood – Paul Jacobs, the captain and quarterback of our football team. Life was perfect; I was on track to become the next cheer captain and even president of the school board in my senior year.
Then everything changed. I fell seriously ill and couldn't attend the season's final football game. I missed out on cheering, and all my hard work during practice felt like it went to waste. To make matters worse, my best friend Blair, who's also a cheerleader, came to me a week later, crying as she confessed to a one-night stand with Paul after the game. I was devastated. It felt like I was sick all over again, and this time there was no healing. I distanced myself from both of them, left the cheer squad, and even skipped school. I couldn't bear being around them.
Eventually, I persuaded my mom to let me transfer to another school for my senior year. Being the amazing mom she is, and knowing what I'd been through with Paul, she decided I deserved a fresh start. With money from her divorce settlement, she bought a new house in Brickwood. Three weeks before the end of the school year, my mom arranged with the principal for me to complete my remaining subjects at home. She convinced the principal that I couldn't continue attending school due to our relocation and made her promise to keep it confidential.
We arrived in Brickwood in the middle of summer. After setting up my new room, I told my mom I'd take a few drives around town to get acquainted with our new place. I took the car and decided to grab a soda for a refreshing break. As I opened my car door, I heard a loud noise.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry..." I blurted out, noticing a guy with toned arms rubbing his neck and picking up his green JanSport bag.
"No worries, my fault for driving too fast," he apologized. When he looked up, our eyes met. He was incredibly good-looking. Not a bad start to my first day in Brickwood. I was so taken aback that I found myself just staring at him.
"Did I scratch your car?" He inquired as he fixed his bike.
"I don't think so. Are you okay? Do you need a ride to the hospital or something?" I asked.
"I'm fine, just a scratch, and I really have to go," he replied with a smile, quickly leaving before I could say anything else. Wait, did he just leave without even asking for my name? Strange. Most guys would seize the opportunity to not only get my name but also my number. Maybe guys in Brickwood are different.
Intrigued, I decided to forget about the soda and immediately got back into my car to follow him. I drove around the neighborhood twice but couldn't find him. Giving up, I parked my car and decided to take a walk in the park. I checked my phone and saw zero notifications, which was unusual. Then I remembered that the only person who knew my new number was my mom, and I had also deactivated all my social media accounts. I sighed; this was what I wanted, and I needed to stick to it. Just as I was about to put my phone back in my bag, I bumped into someone—or rather, someone bumped into me.
"Ouch!" I exclaimed, bending down to pick up my car key and cellphone.
"I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking," he apologized, helping me gather my things. When he looked up at me, I immediately recognized him.
"You!" I said, sounding accusatory. He looked at me with a confused expression, furrowing his brow as he tried to place me. Seriously, he didn't even remember me? What's his deal?
"I'm the girl who hit you with my car door," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Oh... Yeah, now I remember. It's nice to see you again, I guess? Although it's not ideal that we keep running into each other like this," he said, trying to hide his embarrassment at not recognizing me.
"Yeah, we do seem to have a knack for literally bumping into each other. Hopefully, next time it's under better circumstances," I laughed, and he smiled in response.
"So, where are you heading?" he asked.
"I'm heading home; I've got a lot of unpacking to do," I replied, giving him a shy smile, my go-to when flirting.
"Cool. See you around?" he said.
"Sure," I smiled, and he walked away. Wait, did he just say "see you around," implying we'd see each other again, or was he just dismissing me? I was frustrated. Again, I didn't get his name, and he didn't even bother to ask for mine.
So, for the rest of the summer, I spent my mornings fake-jogging, running near the spot where we bumped into each other, hoping to see him again. But I didn't. I really wanted to see him; he was so mysterious and didn't flirt with me. With classes starting on Monday, I decided that Saturday would be my last fake jog attempt. If I didn't see him then, I'd give up.
Saturday morning arrived, and I told myself, "This is it." I wore my neon pink sports bra, which I absolutely loved, and black leggings. The weather was nice, so I decided to actually jog this time. After running for an hour, my muscles started to ache. I really needed this exercise. I spotted a bench facing the basketball court and sat down to catch my breath. That's when I saw him—playing basketball with some other guys. I was so captivated by the sight that I didn't realize I was staring and smiling like an idiot. When he noticed me, he smiled, passed the ball to another guy, and walked over to me.
"Hey!" he greeted me with a smile.
"Hey! So, you're a basketball player?" I asked.
"Sort of," he replied.
"And are you sort of a runner?" he continued.
"Not really an athlete, but I do run. More like running away from my problems," I admitted with a hint of bitterness.
"Oh," he responded.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to unload my drama on you," I said, smiling shyly.
"It's fine. You'll make a great athlete, especially if you're used to running away from your problems," he winked before walking away.
Why did our conversation have to be so brief, and why didn't we exchange names? This was getting frustrating. When would I finally learn his name?
YOU ARE READING
My JanSport Dude
Teen Fiction"I just want to go someplace where no one knows my me." Just like that, my wish has been granted. My mom and I will move to a new place, I had to leave my former school, being a cheer captain is no longer for me. I can finally run away from my pos...
