All Bets Are Off

Chapter One - Ella Fordman: The Queen of Babble

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 Picture of Ella (played by Ashley Benson) to the side! --->

Dedicated to XMyLoveForYouXx for the awesome cover. Luv ya!

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~Chapter One - Ella Fordman: The Queen of Babble~

I will never fall in love with Phoenix Adams.

I know what you’re thinking. Everyone says that, or, How cliché, but I mean it. I will never fall for Phoenix Adams.

Why, you might ask, do I feel the need to clarify that?

Because everyone else seems to think we’re destined to be together. Well, everyone besides us, but even he’s cracked a few passes at me. Since our parents fell in love with each other in their younger years (very complicated, I know) and his older sister and my older brother got married three years ago, people seem to think that somehow Fate is pushing us to be together, like destiny or something.

It wasn’t like we were anything special. Phoenix didn’t have the popularity his brother had once possessed. He had his group of friends, a platoon of worshippers, eyes that melted hearts and a smile that did many girls in. He was adored by many, but not for popularity, or anything. He wasn’t on the football team, he spent most of his time reading, he was intelligent and—most of the time—annoyingly arrogant, and girls seemed to think that was even better than being some juiced-up quarterback with a line of heartbroken girls and many male enemies.

I was one of those girls known for one reason.

Being weird.

It wasn’t like I tried to be weird, or that I especially liked being weird. I wouldn’t say it’s all that great, or special. I’m just somebody who never conformed to the normal. I chose to wear colorful, quirky clothing instead of high heels, lip-gloss and an inappropriate, midriff-bearing tank top. I spoke very loudly and outgoing, did things most people probably wouldn’t, and had a tendency to ramble for no plausible reason other than the fact that it was just an awkward reaction to uncomfortable situations.

Yeah, one of those girls.

“Miss Fordman. Miss Fordman. Hello?”

I felt insistent tapping on my shoulder, and in the distance a bunch of chuckles and giggles. I groaned and groggily opened my eyes, raising my head to meet a pair of frigid brown ones. Mr. Sorenson, my English Lit teacher.

He gave me a wry smile that was anything but nice. “Good of you to finally join us, Miss Fordman. We’re very sorry to interrupt your sleeping session, but unfortunately your raucous snoring is distracting the class. Perhaps you’d like to show mercy on us all and pay attention to the class, please.”

It wasn’t like Mr. Sorenson was the worst teacher at this school, but let’s just say he took his career very seriously. Somewhere in the mid-thirties range, he had unruly brown hair, wide-set eyes and a large forehead. He wasn’t necessarily handsome, but he wasn’t the ugliest person I’d ever met in my life.