Under the Stars

Chapter 1

  ~CHAPTER ONE~

Dear Diary,

  
    There’s a girl who just wanted to feel loved after her dad passed away. Despite giving her best, she’s always felt worthless in the eyes of others. She fell in love with the wrong person at a young age, and it left her feeling cheated, betrayed, and played. Does love still exist in this world? Is she truly that hard to love?

   With a million thoughts running through her mind, none seem to find answers. Will she ever be loved the right way? Whenever she tries to glow up for herself, people assume she has a new crush or lover. Can’t they just let her be? She sees herself as ugly, worthless, and undeserving of help.

   As the oldest, her family depends on her, and she often finds herself crying on the floor with no shoulders to lean on feeling constantly pressured.

Well guess what? that’s me.

Now welcome to my last senior high school life with me.

It sucks to be honest.

My life sucks.

MONDAY,AUGUST 26,2024

     The bell rings; its shrill sound signals the end of my solitude and the beginning of yet another year here on Riverside high of pretending to be okay. Footsteps echo in the hallway, growing louder as our professor approaches the door. The chatter in the classroom dulls, and then I notice him—a new boy. Whispers and curious glances ripple through the room. I can’t blame the other girls; he’s undeniably handsome.

    I mean his tall frame and confident stride immediately drawing everyone's attention. His blonde hair was neatly styled, and his striking blue eyes seemed to take in everything at once. He looked almost princely, but I couldn't help but feel a mix of curiosity and irritation at his seemingly effortless charm.

“We've got a newbie,” someone murmurs, barely audible over the low hum of excitement.

“Silence,” our professor commands, and the room immediately falls quiet.

“This is Carl Stevans,” the professor announces. “You may sit beside Billy Dawson.”

    Carl nods and walks over to the empty seat. I watch him, a mix of curiosity and indifference. New faces usually mean new complications, and I have enough of those already.

…

“Carl Stevans, from London,” I repeat to myself, trying to process the whirlwind of introductions and new faces.

     As I make my way to the cafeteria, Billy walks beside me, chattering about the school and its quirks.

    We grab our lunches and find a table where a group of students is already gathered. Billy introduces me to his friends: three boys named Jake, Lucas, and Sam, and two girls Violet and Emily.                                                                                                                      
“Hey, everyone, this is Carl. He just moved here from London,” Billy announces as we sit down.

“Welcome to the squad, Carl,” Jake says, offering a fist bump.

“Yeah, man, hope you like it here,” adds Lucas, nodding.