Anna's Tale

The beginning

I am Anna and this is my story. This is real life, and I don't believe in happily ever after. I will start at the beginning. Almost eighteen years ago, I was born to Todd and Mary Clay in Hope, Texas. They already had a five-year-old son named Carter. Life was simple for the first ten years of my life. We were a mostly happy family. Carter adored me from the start and has always been very protective of me. I love my big brother. One day, two weeks after my tenth birthday, which is on Christmas Eve, by the way, my mom and dad tell us that they are getting a divorce. It was a shock to us. We had never even heard them fight. Mom said she just didn't love Dad anymore. She met someone else and wanted a chance at a life without him and Ben didn't like kids so we were going to stay with Dad. The next day she was gone. We would get cards for Christmas and birthdays but other than that she was like a ghost.

My Dad tried to be there for us, but he had to work so much to support us that it was just me and Carter most of the time. I didn't blame Dad for not being around, he didn't have a choice. Carter and I just got closer over the next few years. Then one night, Dad was on his way home from work and there was a terrible storm. The road washed out from under him and he died. Carter was eighteen and I was thirteen. When the state called Mom, she said to stick me in foster care, so Carter adopted me. He finished High school and worked at the auto shop in town. We got by, barely, but he wouldn't let me quit school to find work. After a couple years, it became me, alone. Carter worked so much that he was barely home and I was so lonely.

My junior year of high school started my downfall. Hope Senior High School was a small school in a small town. Everyone knew everyone. I had a small group of friends and was a normal sixteen-year-old girl. I was short, 5 foot tall, I had long black hair that hung to my waist, crystal blue eyes, clear fair skin, I was a little on the skinny side but I had some curves. My best friend, Ally, was always telling me I was so pretty. Ally is very tall and stick thin with shoulder length blonde hair that was straight as a pin. She was very loud and outgoing and I was quieter and more reserved but I have a wicked sense of humor. The third person in our trio of trouble, as Carter calls us, is Matt. Matt is super tall and buff, oh and super gay. He has red hair and green eyes. We have all been best friends since we were five. I wasn't popular, in fact, I was mostly ignored throughout high school, which was cool with me. People didn't really make fun of me or anything so I was cool with being ignored. About halfway through junior year, just before winter break, is when shit went crazy. Everyone was excited about having two weeks off of school and what their parents were going to buy them for Christmas. There was a buzz through the school that day. I was dressed in my usual style, Fall out boy tee, purple hoodie, acid washed skinny jeans, and combat boots. My hair was in a ponytail and I had very little makeup on. I jumped into Mr. Long's math class two seconds before the final bell.

"Good timing, Ms. Clay. Now, if you'll take your seat, we can begin." Mr. Long said with a smile. Mr. Long was like a walking ruler. Tall, stick thin, and always wore brown. He was about forty-five, but very nice. I nodded and slid into my seat next to Joey. Joey was the typical nerd, but a sweet kid. As Mr. Long started his lesson, Lauren leans over to Joey and knocks his stuff off of his desk. Lauren is one of those perfect people. Tall, beautiful, has money, and the perfect life. She is also a first-class bitch.

"Oopsey. Sorry, Joey." She says with a smile that is about as real as her tits. Joey nods and jumps up to start picking his stuff up. No one says a thing, they act like nothing is going on. This pisses me off. Joey does nothing to these plastic bimbos and they are always picking on him. I get up and help him pick up his stuff. With a real smile, I hand him his paperwork.

"Thanks, Anna. You didn't have to help me though." He says softly.

"It's all good, homey. You can't help it that plastic is spastic." I grin at him. He smiles then his eyes get wide when he realizes I just insulted Lauren loud enough for her and the whole class to hear me. There are some giggles and some gasps behind me but I don't give a shit. I plop back in my seat and go back to listening to Mr. Long, who hasn't stopped a bit.

"Listen here, troll, you better watch your fucking mouth before I make you" Lauren hisses at me.

I smirk at her, "How do you expect to do that? If you hit me, you may break a nail or something." This earns me another round of giggles from the class.

"I will end you!" Lauren says loud enough for Mr. Long to hear her.

"Ms. Mathews, if you are going to disrupt my class, I will remove you." He tells her and then goes back to his lesson.

"This isn't over, bitch" she whisper-yells at me.

" Oh joy, it's just what I wanted for Christmas" I snark at her. More giggles. Oh, look, a death stare, I'm so scared. Bah!

The bell rings and I gather my stuff and put it in my bag. As I'm zipping it up I see Lauren head my way but my view is suddenly blocked by a large blue object. I look up right into the smiling face of Connor Reigns. He a beautiful person too, but he is a bad boy. Dark brown hair that is slightly shaggy, brown eyes, perfect tanned skin, muscles for days, tall, like six foot. He rides a motorcycle, wears a leather jacket, and is oh so dreamy.

"Hey, Anna. I didn't know you were so funny." His deep voice is absolutely hypnotic. I look into his eyes and smirk.

"Well, I -"

"Connor, why are you talking to the troll?" Lauren's voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Sheesh. "Come on, stop wasting your time on this trash and take me out this weekend, you know you want to." She bats her fake lashes up at him. Christ, is there anything on her that isn't fake?

"Lauren, I have told you a dozen times, I'm not interested in you. Plus I was just about to ask Anna here out on Saturday night." He looks from Lauren to me, those beautiful brown eyes begging me to say yes.

"And I was about to accept." I smile up at Connor. He winks at me. Aw, come on I had to help him out or he would have been stuck with Blow up Doll Barbie. "Don't forget to text me, Connor." I call out as I leave the room.

"Wait, Anna, I don't have your number. "Connor comes jogging after me. Lauren huffs off in the opposite direction.

"Listen, Connor, I was just trying to help you out of an awkward position, you don't really have to take me out. It's no biggie." I smile at him.

"What if I want to? I really was going to ask you out, I didn't just make that up to rid of Lauren." He looks sincere so I give him cell number and head to my next class.

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Ah, Lunchtime. This should be interesting since my BFFs don't have the same lunch hour but Connor and Lauren and the Plastics do. Fun times. I bring my lunch, the food here sucks. So I grab it out of my locker and head to the lunch room. I usually eat by myself and read. I love getting lost in a good book. Somehow I knew today was not going to the peaceful lunch that I was used to. This thought was confirmed as I plop down at my usual table in the back corner and begin taking my sandwich out of the bag.

"Why are you sitting here?" That deep voice makes my head pop up. Shit, he's hot.

"This is where I always sit, duh." I roll my eyes at him and it earns me a small smile.

"You should sit with us, after all, we are going out now." He winks at me.

"One date that hasn't happened yet doesn't count as 'going out'. Plus I can't stand your Barbie doll groupies." I told him. This gets a full out belly laugh.

"They are pretty fake, but that is why I want to go out with you. You are real, Anna."

And that was the hook. I fell for that line and all his charms. In the beginning, he was sweet and loving. We would spend a lot of time together. He bought me stuff, which to me didn't matter because I am not superficial but what he bought me showed that he was paying attention to who I was. We had been dating for a few months when he started to change, or I should say when I noticed the change. Looking back now, he didn't really change, he just let his true self out.