The New Leaf Project

Chapter One

"Do I really have to? In case you forgot, it's your engagement party not mine." I said while dodging the baby blue tube lace dress Lily tossed in my bed. "And I would have to live with the fact that my ex-boyfriend dumped me even before we could celebrate our first year as a couple."

"Well, at least please dress pretty enough to be my sister. Terrence is a psycho, Loise. Listen, remember Frank? He kept asking about you at work. I think he has his eyes on you." How many times do I have to repeat myself? I don't need a guy – yet. Not after that awful heartbreak my jerk of an ex-boyfriend Terrence put me through. I don't think I'm ready to date again.

"Sure. Tell him I'm allergic to guys. Maybe he'd think twice about it." I rolled my eyes in utter disgust.

"Loise Jane Trescott, what am I ever going to do with you?! Wear that dress and look decent. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go. Be at the restaurant tomorrow night early. And prepare your speech please. I don't want you to look retarded in front of everyone." She said while slamming the door on her way out.No way am I going to hook up with any of my sister's colleagues. The day Terrence broke up with me through the phone was the very same day I swore I'm not falling that easily again. I'll make sure to put my guards up. I threw Tutu, the stuffed panda he gave me to the other side of the room, hitting my 'I Heart NYC' poster. If there was one reminder of how much of a "bad guy beneath the charming looks" he was, it would have to be Tutu. But I can't move myself to throw her away. She's far too precious and doesn't deserve the beating Terrence needed. I was contemplating whether to attend Lily's engagement party or not when I heard a knock on the door. I carried my lazy body out of bed and realized it was my best friend Paige.

"Hey! How are you holding up?" She said, hooking her arm to mine.

"Trust me. I'm not as put together as I look." Paige and I have been really close friends ever since college. 

"Yeah well... You can't just sulk for the rest of your life right? Cheer up. I'm pretty sure there are loads of other guys out there dying to meet you." I wish I could say that to my stubborn self.

"Really? Name one." It's not just Terrence I was frustrated of. These feelings of raging embarrassment and heartaches after my boyfriend decided to end our relationship through a phone call and the red hot indignation of being given every possible ounce of bad luck from getting fired from work all on the same day. I'm actually surprised I hadn't run over by a bus on my way home.

"I can't believe this is happening!" I cried, throwing myself onto the sofa. Paige poured a glass of champagne and passed it onto me.

"I know I shouldn't even bother," I grumbled. "I mean, I had to digest all the lame jokes whenever people would ask me about my job. They think I was trying too hard to be like Hilary Duff on her Beauty and the Briefcase movie. And that I was spying on hot male models and potential husbands at work! The thing is 'Engine' isn't some glamorous magazine where I get free samples of Victoria's Secret perfume. I write descriptions for cars and leather jackets for crying out loud!" Halfway through my fifth glass, my thoughts were already stirring in a whirlpool. Even if I really should have been too heartbroken after Terrence, my boyfriend broke up with me to care about the fact that I was fired from my job, I'm starting to feel a pang of utter defeat for the group of people I left behind.

"As much as I hate my job, I feel bad for leaving especially at a time like this when we're about to cover an important car racing event in London." I could only let out a deep sigh on how the timing was unbelievably crap. I have worked for Engine Magazine as an article writer ever since I stopped attending College; which made me feel old every time I think about it. But according to Paige, I'm only 23 and still have all the time in the world to fix my life.