A Diamond in the Rough

Chapter 1

Alexis

I think I have a disorder. Every time I ask my dad about doing something even closely related to freedom and he rejects me, my eyes automatically roll. I can't seem to stop it. Sometimes I don't even realize when I do it. I guess it's become such a routine thing for me. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my dad and have all the respect in the world for him but... I guess you could say I just don't understand his ways.

I've been homeschooled for as long as I remember, only going to another school with actual people for preschool. My dad has yet to give me a legitimate reason for this but I know he never will, so I try to piece it together as best as I can.

He always claims that people could come after me because the history of my life isn't really kept within our family. Nothing is. My dad is one of the top business men in Chicago, and not to mention one of the wealthiest.

We live in a small little town right outside of Chicago called Old Town. My dad thought living out of the city would keep us safe from "criminals" and "thugs" and so on and so forth. But there can be crime anywhere.

Crime hasn't ever happened in Old Town, for as long as we've lived here, but there are some pretty strange people. There are three elementary, two middle, and one high school. The only high schooler I know is Tyler, and we're both seniors.

Personally a weird name if you ask me. We're eighteen, not sixty five.

My normal teacher was having a hard time teaching me the math we had to do, so my dad hired a kid who was doing it every day, was at the same level as I and had the perfect grade in it. When Tyler and I first met, everything went well. We got all the work done quickly and I actually understood, he was a great teacher.

But then out of nowhere he started acting weird. He immediately complimented me whenever he saw me, he'd help me up from everywhere I sat, if I wanted to get a drink or food he'd get it for me, if I dropped a speck of dust he'd even pick it up for me.

My home school teacher, Katie, is fairly young, only twenty six. She claimed that Tyler had a crush on me. No one had ever liked me before, mainly because I never had the chance to get close to someone. Tyler was a good guy, he was really smart, he was funny, and he treated me like, I don't know, like I was special.

So we went out, the only dates we were allowed to go on were to the movies at the next town over because it was dark and no one would see me. He would grab my hand, and put his arm around my shoulder. He would see me when my constant battles with myself would make me cry. I'd be in a state of almost craziness from having no freedom. He was like my hero.

But of course I spoke too soon. He came over one day about four months ago so we could do our homework, and he was talking to my dad in the kitchen. I slowed my walking and hid behind the wall.

"You're doing great. Just keep it up for a few more weeks, and you'll have the full payment." My dad said.

I assumed he was just talking about Tyler's money for being my math teacher, but of course I spoke too soon. Again.

"Alex, is a great girl Mr. Brown, she makes pretending to be her boyfriend as easy as it could possibly be."

I felt heartbreak for the first time that day. I wasn't in love with Tyler, far from it, but he was the only other person I had. I trusted him, I felt safe with him, I cared about him, I liked him. I really liked him. I didn't say anything after that. I went back upstairs and quietly shut the door. I fell back on my bed, and I swear I stared at the ceiling for the next four hours, pondering if this is what the rest of my life would be like, people coming to me, pretending to like me, just for my dad's money.