Invincible

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

***4 YEARS LATER***

Jay’s POV

“WE’RE SENIORS, BITCHES!” Charlotte yells into the sky as we walk to the front doors of school. Her strawberry blonde hair flies in the air as she twirls, making her white dress to flutter around her.

I chuckle while running up to her and playfully shoving her, “You’re such a freak.”

She shows me her perfect smile and says, “Yeah, I am. But you love me anyways!”

Charlotte tries to hug me and I push her off, “Yeah, Yeah. I guess I’m kind of stuck with you.”

“Damn right, you’re stuck with me!” She sticks out her tongue while opening the doors.

Charlotte Flagg is probably the sweetest and yet craziest girl you’ll ever meet. When I first moved to Los Angeles, California four years ago, she walked right up to me on the first day of school as a 9th grader and said:

“Hi, I’m Charlotte. I heard you were British.”

“I prefer the term ‘English’ and I am Jayden. I heard you were American” I introduce myself to the perky redhead whose hazel eyes sparkled under the florescent lights of the hallways.

Charlotte laughed, “Wow, you’re funny. And I like your accent. But one thing, I don’t think I like the name Jayden for you… I’m going to call you Jay.”

“No you are not! I have only gone by Jayden my entire life, and that’s all I will ever go by- I’m sorry.” I try to tell Charlotte without upsetting her.

“Not anymore! I don’t care what you say, I’m calling you Jay, and so is everyone else!” Charlotte insists. Before I could reply, she drags me over to a group of very trendy boys and girls who were my age and says, “Guys! This is Jay. She is British and just moved here from England! She’s my new best friend.”

Ever since that first day, Charlotte and I have been inseparable. She’s shown me how to live like a true American over the past four years. She’s taught me how to spell words differently like “color” and that nobody here says that something is “massive” or “brilliant”. Also, Charlotte plays soccer, and we’ve been playing on the same team. Until now, at least.

This year, since we’re 18, we’ve both been recruited to play for the West Coast team for the US Soccer National Championship, women’s soccer’s biggest competition in America. Some of my friends tell me that I’m kind of a celebrity now, considering last year I received the title “Best Female Soccer Player Under 18” in the whole country. I’ve been on a few magazine covers, and done plenty of interviews like on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Today Show.

I guess my mum was right when she said California was a great opportunity.

People at my school didn’t think of me as being famous though, although a few people tried to become friends with me just because of my title. By now, my senior year of high school, I’ve found out who my real friends are that accept me as just Jay.

Yes, Jay has kind of stuck. I guess I’ve grown more used to it now that I’m in America. I wouldn’t even consider saying my name was Jayden anymore, Jayden is my past and now that I am more successful than I ever could have been in Holmes Chapel, Jay Steele it is.

The final bell rings and I soon realize that Charlotte and I are the only ones left in the hallway, her face buried in her phone next to me.

“Oh shit,” she shoves her phone in her backpack as she starts to walk away, “I’ll see you at practice later, Jay?”