You Can't Choose Your Family ➸ Demi Lovato

{Chapter 15}

As soon as I reached my locker on Monday I was surrounded by a group of girls.

"You're related to Demi Lovato?!"

"Can you get me her autograph?"

"Bring her here!"

Everyone was talking in my face and getting way too close for comfort. I've never been good with crowds and enclosed spaces. Right now I was getting a large portion of both. Consequently I felt my breathing rate increase and my world start to close in.

"Is she nice?"

My legs started shaking uncontrollably.

"Why did you keep it a secret?"

My knees gave way as my vision started to blur. I slid down the locker door, covering my ears with my palms and closing my eyes. If I couldn't hear or see them, maybe my claustrophobia would cease?

No such luck... They continued to throw questions around and enclose me until-

"What the hell guys?! Move back!" An unfamiliar deep voice ceased the girl's raucous. "Seriously get the hell away!" It half shouted. I heard footsteps and mutters.

"Saskia are you okay?" The voice was a lot more calm now and I dared to remove my hands from my ears and open my eyes.

Next to me was the 12th grader soccer captain, Joel Lutterworth. What the hell? Oh my god this is so embarrassing. I just almost had a panic attack in front of one of the hottest guys in the school. Oh geez. I felt my cheeks burn bright red. Wait, he knew my name? How the hell does he know my name?!

"Er- thank you," I murmured. This is was so embarrassing.

He crouched next to me and turned to face me, his hand on my shoulder. I started to get panicky all over again. But this was a good type of panic, nervousness that a really hot guy is touching me. I shivered under his touch.

"Are you cold?" His voice was filled with concern.

"No. I'm fine," I said shakily. God Saskia, stop making a fool out of yourself.

"I'm sorry they surrounded you like that." His ice blue eyes met mine and I literally felt myself melt into them. Ah, get a grip Saskia. You're sitting here like a broken idiot in front of Joel Lutterworth. Get a grip.

The bell sounded and I scurried to my feet. Joel looked a bit shocked at my sudden movement and he stood up rapidly behind me.

"I'd love to grab a coffee with you sometime." He leant over me as I hurriedly collected my books for first period, World History.

Wait?! Did the captain of the school soccer team just ask me on a date?!

"We don't have to." He said awkwardly, I could see his cheeks were tinged pink from the corner of my eye. He thought I didn't want to, oh my fucking word I wanted to! So so bad!

"No, no!" I couldn't pass up this opportunity. It was Joel Lutterworth for gods sake! However it came out a bit too enthusiastically, he's probably going to think I'm some crazy stalker. "I mean- yeh sure, I'd like that." I said smoothly, trying to cover my excitement.

He chuckled, probably at my not so smooth cover up. "Starbucks across the road at 3.30?" He asked.

"Sure." I said without really thinking. I was just so overwhelmed and happy that I'd been asked on my first ever date with one of the hottest guys in the school.

"See you then." He winked, leaving me blushing as he walked down the corridor. I grabbed the remainder of my files I needed for my first classes and jogged off. I was so damn late.

World History and my second period, English passed pretty quickly. I heard the odd whisper mentioning either mine or Demi's name but not much else. Most of the teachers here have a strong policy against talking in class, which I was grateful for today.

When the break between periods two and three came I pegged it to the bathroom behind the gym which no one ever used because it was so far away from the main school building.

It was empty as usual, so I hoisted myself onto the sink block and unlocked my phone. I had 2 texts. One from Marissa and one from Dallas.

They both pretty much said the same thing; checking if I was okay. I replied saying I was good before locking my phone and heading to my locker again. Break was only 10 minutes so it was almost time for double Math.

Math was bad. Really bad.

It started okay but then our teacher, Mr Huston put us into groups to work on some problems. I was put with a few girls who I recognised from round school. In fact I'm pretty sure they were there this morning when Joel saved me.

As soon as Mr Huston allowed us to start group discussion all three girls turned to me.

"Are you seriously related to Demi?" A blonde girl who I recognised as a member of the 'cool clique' Kaitlin was in.

I nodded, looking down at the Math problem in front of me.

"Is this really you and Demi's sister?" She poked her phone between the desk and my nose. On the screen she was showing my Instagram post of the photo of Maddie and I curled up on the bench at Pacific Park.

I nodded again.

"It looks photoshopped." She stated, matter of factly. "I can't believe you're lying about this for attention."

"I'm not lying," I growled, trying to keep my anger at bay. Why the hell would she think I'd make up being related to Demi?! I'm not that shallow, unlike her.

"Why don't you call her now then to prove it?" Another girl, who I had (unfortunately) also attended middle school with called Susannah piped up.

I so badly wanted to call up Demi and prove the little bitches wrong but I couldn't. I'd pushed Demi away and hurt her. I honestly wasn't in the position to just call her up and say hey.

"Can't call her?" The blonde chick jeered. I looked embarrassed and angrily down at the table, not daring to meet her eyes in the fear I'd lash out and punch her pretty little face in.

"Told you it wasn't true," Susannah joined in.

"Attention seeking whore." The blonde snarled.

That did it for me.

"I'm not attention seeking nor a whore you stupid ass!" I whisper shouted at the idiotic blonde.

Suddenly the girl had tears streaming down her face. She sobbed loudly.

"Anna are you okay?" Mr Huston approached our table. Ah, that's the blonde bitch's name.

"Saskia here just called her a whore." Susannah piped up, glancing at me with an evil glint in her eye. I glared at her.

"Mr Huston I prom-" I started to try and defend myself but was cut off immediately by a fuming teacher.

"How dare you use that language in my class Miss Jackson!" Mr Huston, who is usually calm tempered screamed at me. The whole class fell silent and stared at our table. My cheeks burned up. I hate attention, especially negative attention like this. "Go to the principles office now!"

"But-" I interjected but yet again I was immediately cut off.

"NOW!" Mr Huston's voice trembled with anger.

I shot Anna a hard glare before bowing my head and scuttling from the room. Once I made it outside my frustration and anger had now subsided. Tears hit the corridor floor at a rapid pace as I headed to my locker. Why didn't they believe me? Why did they set me up? Why was I the one to get picked on?

I shoved my books in my locker and shut it before heading towards the front doors. I wasn't going to the principle for something I didn't do. It wasn't my fault and this time I wasn't going to let myself be shunned for it.

I didn't choose to be related to Demi. Why the hell can't you choose your family? Life would be so much easier. None of this would ever have happened.

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