The Hopeless Romantic ✔️

Chapter nine.

His glance, the colour of his eyes and his heartbreaking smile. Those were the things that sent my heart beating a thousand miles per hour. You didn't see that every day. You didn't feel those things every day. You only ever imagined waking up to that each morning, thinking how happy you were to be with that person. If you lived in a box or in a huge mansion, it wouldn't matter. As long as you're with that person.

There was definitely something about him. In my mind, it lingered like an old song stuck in your head. I knew for sure that I didn't like him like that; I knew for sure that I could never get a guy like Jace to even look at me or touch me. I wasn't that girl. I never would be but something was telling me that this was bigger than I thought, I still had my questions and one day, I might just get to ask them.

But, I didn't always think about these things. Sure, they came up in my head sometimes but my life didn't revolve around them. I had other issues. Like, my dad and I not having a close relationship or that we were struggling to buy food every week or the fact that I couldn't get a job because something was stopping me. It was the reason why I couldn't play sport or do the things I wanted to do. My mother was the only person who believed me, apart from Gwen but my dad didn't and nor did his past girlfriend.

"Are you dizzy again, Avery?" My mother asked, coming into my bedroom. She had that concerned motherly look on her face and I was relieved that she cared enough to ask.

"Yeah, it'll pass." I said with a heavy, annoyed sigh. I looked up at the ceiling, not daring to move my head. I have had this for eight years now, going on nine and I was so sick of it. When I got this feeling, I got the sensation of swaying and moving and if I moved my head, it felt like an earthquake was erupting inside of me. Usually, it passed within a few hours. Sometimes, I got nausea with it and I lost my balance and my legs felt weak.

When I was seeing my dad every weekend, he thought I was only trying to get out of playing sport. I felt like I was a disappointment to him and it was the worst feeling in the world. All I wanted to do was to focus on my studies and to get into college.

"Well, I'm getting sick of those doctors brushing you off like that! I think we should book another appointment with the GP." My mom said as she sat at the end of my bed.

I sighed and nodded. "Yeah, all of those tests were for nothing and now they don't know what to do." I said.

She nodded in agreement. Mom got up and walked to my door. "I'll book one for you on Friday."

"Make sure it's during last period. I really don't feel like going to bio on the last day of the week." I said with a smile and she nodded with a small laugh before she left.

I lied here, thinking through my life and how it kinda sucked in that moment. Oh the joys of being Avery Winters.

*

I was sitting here in History at eight o'clock in the morning and I was falling asleep. No joke. It was really happening. I could barely keep my eyes open as my History teacher went on and on about World War Two. I couldn't really seem to grasp what went on. Gwen was secretly on her phone, although, the teacher was a huge pushover and he didn't really care.

I could feel Jace's presence as he sat at the back corner as I sat in the middle of the classroom but that was not what my brain was thinking. I leaned on the cold desk, put my head on my arms and slowly closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. I was still well aware of what the teacher was talking about and if there was a sudden activity, then I would be awake in seconds but I needed this nap.

I felt relieved that sleep had taken over but I found it hard to get comfortable. Sleeping on a desk wasn't exactly my type of bed but it was all I've got. I finally got comfortable and slowly drifted off as the teacher talked. When I thought about my history teacher, I knew that he was from Boston and he had a photographic memory and he had been everywhere in the world. I was pretty sure he was in his mid to late twenties.