Broken String

Chapter One

  I hit the snooze button for the fourth time this morning and force myself up. I look over at the dreaded clock 7:01AM.

 "Shit" I bounce up from my bed and scavenged for clothes on my floor. Throwing on the first thing I see and mentally packing my lunch I run over to my vanity and begin my makeup. Its a pretty lengthy makeup routine. I know for a fact I wear way too much makeup for my age but I don't really care, it washes off, its just makeup. Panicking I run downstairs throw together a lunch, pack up my things and walk out the door just in time...to see my bus leave.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me." I kick the bush in my front yard and call one of my only friends who can drive. After about three rings Brendan picks up.

"Hey Am, whats up?"

"Brendan, I missed my bus, can you give me a ride?" I beg.

"Do you have last nights history homework?" he asks.

"Yeah.."

"Lemme copy it during first block and yeah I'll take you. Im gonna be there in like ten minutes." he hangs up and Im left waiting in my lawn for 9 minutes and 47 seconds when he shows up.

"Your early" I smirk at him.

"Well fine I'll just leave and come back late."

"Nononono. Your good." I say and get into his car. Brendan Alexandre (Yes the "R" before the "E") DeBlanc is one of my closest straight guy friend. We met through George, another close straight guy friend. George offered for him to sit with us at lunch the first day of freshman year, we've been friends ever since. "I'm lucky that you failed kindergarten, if you passed you wouldn't be a sixteen almost seventeen year old sophomore, we wouldn't have met and you wouldn't have been able to give me a ride."

"If this is your way of thanking me..." he starts to laugh and shakes is head. I turn around in the seat to see a case of cupcakes and I remember instantly.

"Oh shit, its Crystals birthday. I completely forgot." I say bluntly.

"If you have a pen write your name on the card I got her, we can say we got it together." he suggests.

"Nah, Ill get her something after school." We arrive at Hell, I mean school around 8:20am, classes don't begin till 9:00am. I drop my stuff off, give Brendan my homework and head out to our normal meeting spot, The Orchestra room. I look around the room for my friends. Crystal and her boyfriend, John, are making out in the corner. Kassie and Megan are doing homework and eating breakfast on the other side of the room. "Hey guys." I say putting emphases on the "Y".

"Hello there Amberleen my dearest" Kassie says mocking a British accent and follows up with a quirky "ahhaha" British laugh.

"Oh why ello my dear friend Kassidy." I follow up continuing the accent.

"What am I chopped liver?" says Megan with her normal voice. We all laugh.

"Amberleen? Really? Last time I checked it was just Amber." I say mocking Kassie's fake name she gives me. "Oh! By the way its Crystals birthday!"

"Dammit. I forgot to get her something." Kassie says.

"Haha, I didn't!" Megan sings.

"Its cool Kass, I have to go get her something so I can pick you up on my way and we can look together." I suggest.

"Sounds like a date" Kassies winks at me. I push her and laugh.

"Crystal! Get your tongue out of his mouth and John get your hand off her ass!" Megan yells across the whole room "Your too young for that!" we all die of laughter. Crystal turns around to face us.

"I'm actually sixteen today so.." and Crystal raises her middle finger. The door to the orchestra room opens and Crystal pushes John off her. Our Orchestra/favorite teacher, Mr. Bulitoni, or Mr. B walks in going through a stack of papers in his hand. Crystal grabs Johns hand and they run across the room to us. "You think he saw that?" she asks.

"Saw what? When you broke the PDA or the language policy?" I ask. She giggles.

"I saw both." Mr. B yells from across the room. "...or I saw nothing because I was so distracted in my paperwork." he adds.

"This is why your my favorite." Crystal blurts.

"I know, I know. Happy Birthday by the way." he adds. After a few moments we head to our first block. Luckily, Kassie, Megan and I were all in the same first block, Honors Biology. I have known them since elementary school, I sat next to Megan in first grade and I met Kassie through Megan. We have been inseparable ever since. We met Crystal in sixth grade and she joined our group right away and she met John middle of Freshman year, and they've been dating ever since. When we get into the class I notice that my lab partner isnt there. Which dissapoints me.

"Oh is Am sad her boyfriend isn't here?" Kassie asks playing it off as a joke.

"Please..." I respond.

"Ah right he's not your boyfriend, just some guy your madly in love with, and you only talk to him here." She adds.

"Don't remind me."

"Oh god Am, I'm just playing. But seriously you should tell him." Kassie says changing the tone in her voice completely.

"Tell him what?" I ask playing dumb.

"That your in love with him!" Kassie begins to shake me.

"Shh! Not everyone need to know." I whisper. She and Megan go to there table, which is right next to mine. I begin to read whats on the board when someone collides into me knocking off my glasses. I look over, it was the person

I feared it would be. Luke McDonald aka my lap partner. He helps me up by grabbing my hand.

"Sorry Amber I wasnt even paying attention." He begins to clean the smudges off my glasses. He puts them back on my face for me and smiles. "Much better."

"Its okay." My face is turning bright red. I can feel it. We make eye contact before he leaves for his seat, right next to mine. When I look around the room I discover something. Everyone in class was staring at us, well now me. "God dammit" I mumble.