Chapter 1Jennie
Some people say that there's a thin line between love and hate, and for a time, I believed them. But I'm here to tell you that line on the side of love doesn't exist when it comes to her. It never did. Its entire existence became benign, non-existent because I believe if you hate someone with every atom of your being, then it leaves no room for anything else. I hate Lisa Manoban. I hate her.
Simple as that. Lisa is a snotty, know-it-all soccer player that had one class with me, which happened to be my first period. Honestly, it was the Devil's work. It had to be. Not only did she absolutely wreak havoc in my Honours English class, but she ruined my mornings as well. It didn't help that everyone adored her because of some record or because she played forward in soccer. I am not even interested to find out why people love her.
We were the home of the Vikings - the great warriors, and Lisa Manoban made the school's soccer team proud and blah, blah, blah. Our poor Honours teacher, Mrs. Lee, was usually the witness to our fights, debates, and the way we brought each of her lessons to a screeching halt as we attacked each other's points or opinions.
However, Mrs. Lee and our other classmates were more than entertained by our daily quibbling. A student even brought a bucket of popcorn with him once, while others claimed we made them eager to come to school. Lisa wasn't just the school's star athlete, but she was also incredibly intelligent. A book-savvy athlete who didn't give a shit if anyone saw her studying or working hard in the library.
Just another notch on her academic post and résumé that everyone fawned over. The teachers patted her back, her friends high-fived her in the halls, and the girls oohed and awed while tossing their panties at her during her games. Lisa didn't date. She didn't do girlfriends, but that didn't stop the girls from throwing themselves at her like she was the last human specimen to walk this planet. Lisa was put on a high pedestal because she won a few awards and medals for her acrobatic performances.
I wasn't jealous; of course, I was just as good as she was in every aspect, maybe except the athletic part. I didn't have a single athletic bone in my entire body. I was the student that people would describe with too much school spirit. I was Valedictorian, the classmate that organised bake sales, charity events, fundraisers, helped newcomers with orientation, and planned and detailed every school event.
I did that, and everyone knew me just as much as they knew her. The school had an ongoing joke that we fought because we chose to argue rather than have sex. As if that was what I needed, to have sex with Lisa Manoban. The thought always made me gag, but other than the bile rising in my throat, it made me absolutely furious that people assumed we had some sort of tension when all we had was a competitive streak with one another.
I mean, albeit it was far from natural, it was still just a competitive streak.
We both loved to win. We both loved to be right. And we both hated, fucking hated losing. So we jumped at each other's throats with every opportunity we had. Even though we only shared Mrs. Lee's class, I still saw Lisa Manoban around campus and at events that the soccer team would have to show up in, which was every single event.
The school advertised her so much that they were automatically invited to every event I planned and organised. So she wasn't just ruining my mornings like at the beginning of the year, but my entire day too - especially now that we were nearing the end of the year and I was planning the end of the year trips and dances.
Lisa Manoban was every girl's fantasy. Smart, soccer player, adored by all, and handsome. As much as I hated to admit the last one, Lisa Manoban was a very, very attractive person. Yes, I said that, because of how she was built, spoke, and carried herself. Attractive was the only word I could use, and even then, I felt like it did nothing.