Love at Sight

Chapter 1: Heart Shaped Necklace

I was sitting in my room watching anime on a cool summer night. I have the smallest room in the house, even though there were bigger rooms available. However, my aunt doesn't want me to have one of the bigger ones. She considers me a "waste of space" and a "waste of valuable time and energy."

"Camari!" my aunt yelled from downstairs. "There's some mail for you!"

I went downstairs to find a small package with a letter on it.

"It's from your dad's side of the family. Ya know, the weirdos who live in Japan."

"Are you sure it's for her, Mum?" one of my snobby cousins Laura asked. "Why would someone give Camari something? Especially if they lived so far away. No one in their right mind would spend so much on her." Laura's such a bitch.

My aunt chose to ignore her. Smart move on her part. "Oh, and, uh, happy birthday. You're eleven now, right?" my aunt said to me.

"Fourteen, ma'am." I replied. She forces me to call her "ma'am" because she thinks she's more "upperclass" than me. I don't really care anymore, so I just go with it.

"Just be grateful I remembered."

"Um, yeah, thanks..." I muttered as I went upstairs.

When I got to my room, I shut the door, sat on my bed, and stared at the box. I only got gifts on my birthday and Christmas. I was hesitant to open it, despite the fact that they send me stuff every year. It only happens twice a year, so I'm always unsure to see what they sent me.

I pushed my insecurities aside and read the letter.

Dear Camari,
We hope you are doing well. We all wish you were living with us, or at least visiting. Anyway, we've sent you a necklace that is...special, to say the least. When you put it on, it will show you a person's name, age, gender, sexuality, relationship status, and their crush/partner. We know how hard it is for you to make friends, so we figured this would help. We're sorry that your aunt and cousins in America treat you badly. We love you so much. Happy birthday, Camari.
Love, your distant family (who misses you)
P.S. Don't ask where we got it. It's been in the family for years now.

I smiled. They were all so sweet. I wish I could see them.

I opened my present, slightly confused. Inside, like they had said, was a heart shaped necklace, but it was shaped like an actual human heart. Weird. I thought. Let's try it on and see if it works. I put the necklace on and went downstairs. I looked at Laura and almost screamed.

It worked.

Name: Laura Shaw
Age: 13
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Heterosexual (straight, for all you people that had to look it up)
Relationship Status: Single
Crush/Partner: (N/A)

It worked.

I ran back upstairs. This...this can't be happening. It's impossible! And then it hit me. A devilish grin spread across my face. I had so much power. I could easily find a friend, or even a partner.

For the first time in a while, I was looking forward to something. I hadn't been even slightly happy since before my mother died.

I heard a knock on my door. "C-come in," I called.

Evan, the most tolerable of my cousins in America, walked in.

Name: Evan Mattew Shaw
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Homosexual
Relationship Status: Crushing
Crush/Partner: Tyler Joe Davis

"Mom is gonna take us school shopping tomorrow," he told me.

"Oh yeah, school is starting soon," I sighed. "Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem." He started to walk out, but he stopped in the doorway. "I have a feeling you might make friends this year. After all it's your first year of high school. Trust me, it's not that bad."

I smiled at him. "Thanks Evan. I hope I will."

He smiled back and shut the door. He's the nicest person in this house. He is also the most troublesome in a way. He dyed his hair all black without his mother's permission and it covers his left eye. He's considered an emo kid. Evan also fucks around with a lot of guys on a daily basis. Sometimes he invites boys over to..."study"...And because his room is right next to mine, I can hear everything, and it sure as hell isn't studying.

Although he's not the best role model, Evan genuinely cares about me, and I appreciate him for that.

I went to bed that night not dwelling on the fact that my family barely acknowledged my birthday like I had every other year, but actually looking forward to going to school. Everyone thinks I'm crazy because I rarely talk, but I have a feeling I can change and make at least one new friend. I really need to talk to someone and hang out with someone like a normal human being.

The next day, we went school shopping like Evan said. There were seven of us. My aunt, her boyfriend, Laura, Evan, Sadie, Dylan and I.

Name: Kimberly Emma Shaw (my aunt)
Age: 31
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Relationship Status: In a relationship (boyfriend)
Crush/Partner: Harvey Simon Hills

Name: Sadie Anne Shaw (my cousin)
Age: 12
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Relationship Status: Crushing (super lowkey)
Crush/Partner: Dylan Corey Shaw (her fucking twin brother)

Name: Dylan Corey Shaw
Age: 12
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Relationship Status: Single
Crush/Partner: (N/A)

As we were shopping, I saw a girl
with wide green eyes and long, ginger hair with bangs. Ironically, her name was Ginger.

Name: Ginger Fawn Duerr
Age: 14
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Homosexual
Relationship Status: Single
Crush/Partner: (N/A)

She made eye contact with me, and though I didn't think it was possible, her eyes got wider. She started to make her way towards me.

"Hi!" She said cheerfully. "You're going to go to Eppingswood High, right? I'm Ginger. Ginger Duerr! And you're Camari Austin, aren't you? I've heard so much about you!"

I had so many questions for her, but the only thing that managed to come out of my mouth was, "Who told you about me?"

"Eveyone! They didn't say many good things though. They really don't seem to like you."

"I'm well aware," I replied grumpily.

"Teehee! But I like you!" I blushed awkwardly. "Haha! You're so cute! Let's be best friends," She said with a bright smile. She doesn't even know me. I thought. Why does she want to be friends with me? Let alone best friends.

"You look like you need someone to cheer you up. Everyone said that you don't have any friends. They told me not even your cousins like you!" Ginger now had a worried expression on her face. "That...that isnt true...is it?" I didn't know how to respond. I looked down at my converse. "That really sucks," she whispered. She tilted my chin up so I could see her. She smiled. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Camari. Here," she pulled out a small piece of paper and wrote something on it. "It's my number! In case you want to talk before Summer's over. But school's starting soon, so we'll definitely talk then! See ya later!"

"Uh...b-bye..." I replied shyly. Ginger waved and disappeared behind some clothes racks.

We soon left school supplies and new clothes. I got a backpack with cats on it, pencils, pens, the usual. My Aunt Kim even let me get a new phone case, since Sadie broke mine by chucking it through the second story of our house. This time I got a life proof one.

When I got home, I texted Ginger and we talked for an hour or two, just discussing our interests. For juat about the first time ever, I was happy.