Trusting My Friend

Chapter 1 - Present Time

May 2015

Alissa

I sit staring at the board, counting down the hours, the days before graduation, until summer, when I can escape this hell town and everyone in it and go somewhere where no one knows me.

My two friends, Kat and Meg, will be heading across country with me to get out of the town. We have had this planned since sophomore year when we were forced to hang out while our parents sat talking and drinking wine or beer. The three of us couldn't be more different than cats and dogs, but we have gotten along and been best friends ever since. The only things we have in common are that our parents are filthy rich and don't give a shit about us. Our parents want us to be just like them, my parents don't care what happens to me at school.

Most people believe that students whose families are rich, just like mine, are the popular kids, but not me, Meg, and Kat. I have been bullied since sophomore year and Meg and Kat have stood beside me since we became friends. I have tried telling my parents about the bullying, but they won't listen. I have been through so much and they think I am "just going through a phase." Their words.

My siblings get all the attention. They are the "perfect kids." They do everything. They play sports. They get the perfect grades. They get all the love. Meanwhile, our parents look down on me and say, "Lissa, look at Miranda. If only you were as pretty and as smart as her, you could be dating such a wonderful guy." Or, "look at Keith, he is getting a full ride to Harvard because of sports and he is studying to be a doctor."

I want to yell or scream, saying that I don't want to be like them. So what if I don't have a four point zero grade point average. I don't care! I am fine with my three point five GPA and have been accepted into a wonderful school. It is not like our family is poor and need the scholarships to pay for college. I have my funds that I have been saving. I don't need to go to an Ivy League school to do well in life. Because of my parents, I don't do anything. I don't want their acceptance. I don't need it. I am Alissa Jamieson, and I don't need my parents to define who I am.

Kayden

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I grab it, and look at the text from Ryan about how the teacher is not really teaching anything and just rambling on and how we should just ditch. I laugh out loud and try to cover it up with a cough. Unfortunately, it doesn't go unnoticed.

"Mr. Ross, is there something you would like to share with the class?"

I look up and see Mrs. Lewis standing in front of the classroom, waiting for me to answer.

"No, Mrs. Lewis."

"Ok, then. Put whatever it is away and PAY. ATTENTION." She accentuates the last words.

Whatever. There really isn't any reason to listen anyway. We graduate this weekend and we take the final tomorrow. Why is she even trying to tell us how college is going to be the beginning of the rest of our lives? I listen to her anyway and put my phone in my backpack, along with tucking a reminder in the back of my head to talk to Ryan about texting me in class.

Mrs. Lewis drones on and on, and by the time class is over, I am ready to fall asleep. Once the bell rings, I grab my bag and head out the door and turn to go outside to hang out with friends during lunch. I practically run through the halls, not even stopping at my locker to put my books away. I don't watch where I am going and suddenly I am stepping backwards to avoid falling.

"Ow." I hear a girl say. "Watch where you are going." She mumbles before stepping around me.

As she is walking away, I turn around to see who it is. It is Alissa Jamieson, the richest girl in school. She was part of our group part of freshman year, but then something changed and everyone started being mean to her. Why? I have no fucking clue why. As though she feels me staring at her, she turns around and starts walking back toward me.

"What is your problem? You practically run into me and then don't even apologize and then you stare at me?" She waits for a second for an answer but I don't even get a chance to say anything as she starts talking again. "What happened Ross? Cat got your tongue? Do you even know who I am or are you like everyone else who just calls me names?" She is on the verge of tears and yelling. I am so glad everyone is at lunch.

"Liss," I start saying quietly while lifting my hand up towards her. She shies away and I drop my hand.

"Don't call me that." She snaps at me.

I don't know what to say. She closes her eyes and I can see tears in the edges. She turns on her heels and runs away from me, not giving me a chance to talk.

"I'm sorry," I whisper into the air, knowing that she doesn't hear me.

Alissa used to be my best friend, and then when we got back from winter break during freshman year, she started sitting by herself at lunch and wouldn't talk to me. She wouldn't answer my calls and she unfriended and blocked me on all social media when I tried talking to her through that. I turn around and instead of going outside to the group I head to my car and head to the lake, ditching the rest of school.