"Jess! Breakfast!" My older brother, Johnny, shouted in my direction as I applied my last coat of mascara. I had to make sure I looked perfect for the first day of school.
Looks are very important to me. I was queen of the school last year, and I intend to stay up there this year. So, in order to do this, I have to give more time to be sure I look perfect than the average girl gives.
It's really not hard to look perfect though. I hate vain people but I hate overly modest people even more. So ya, I call myself gorgeous. Everyone thinks I am, so why bother to play dumb and call myself ugly when I'm obviously not.
I slung my book bag over my shoulder and skipped downstairs. Johnny is training to be a chef so he makes breakfast everyday. Well, there's no one else to make breakfast so he kind of has to. I don't have a mom and I barely have a dad. My mom ran off with another guy when Josiah (my youngest brother) was born, and my dad is an alcoholic. Jared (my oldest brother) still lives with us, but only to support Johnny, me, and Josiah.
I scarfed down my waffles in 2 minutes flat and ran out the front door with a brief, "See you later!" to my brothers. My best friend Michelle was already outside waiting in her convertible for me. I hopped in and closed the door harder than I should have.
"Woah. What's with you?" Michelle is very blunt.
"Just eager to leave that testosterone filled prison." I replied honestly.
Michelle merely chuckled. She gets quiet when I complain about my family because she doesn't know how to respond. She truly has the perfect life. Her dad has a high paying corporate job and her mom is a personal trainer. Both her parents love her very much and always make time for her. She has one sister whom she has a very good relationship with. She never complains about her family because she can't complain.
"Hey did you hear about Luke's party tomorrow night?"
"Of course I did, Michelle. Who do you think I am?"
"Just making sure." she said with a grin. Her expression went back to serious,"So are you going?"
I looked at her suspiciously. Everyone knows that I go to every single party. That is, if it's held by someone popular. And Luke is the quarterback of the football team. She should know that I'm going.
My eyes narrowed at hers. "Okay Michelle, spill."
"Ugh. Fine." We can never keep secrets from each other for too long. It's impossible for us. "I hear Luke has a thing for you, but you know my past experience with Luke and well...I...um...I just don't think you should go." Last year Luke and Michelle hooked up. He charmed his way into her life and dumped her when things started to get serious. The thought of commitment scared him.
What a scum bag
"I'll just avoid him."
"Jess, I'm serious."
"But Michelle, you know I have to go to this party. If I don't go my reputation will die!" She knows that up-keeping my reputation was what kept my mind off my messed up family. Why wasn't she understanding this?
"If you go to the party your virginity will die!"
"Oh my god Michelle!" I managed out a whisper. "I had no idea!" My voice came back to me. "We will talk about this after school at my house."
Wow. Luke really was a scum bag.
The rest of the car ride to school was filled with tension.
As we drove up into the student parking lot the first person to greet me was Caleb. Don't get me wrong, he's a very nice boy and the only guy in school with a trace of chivalry at all, but I tried to stay away from guys. I didn't like anyone but Michelle to see my family. Besides, if I had a boyfriend my brothers would pummel him without a second thought.
I really didn't want to talk to Caleb right now.
Be nice to the boy.
But he's weird!
Suck it up. He's nice to you, be nice to him.
My conscious was always right. As much as I hated it. It was always right.
"Hi Caleb." I tossed him a fake smile as he opened up my car door. He glowed with happiness.
I could totally use this to my advantage.
Tread lightly, Jess. People are fragile.
I guess my conscious had a point. No taking advantage of him.
"Hi Jess!" man this boy was hopeless. "How has your day been so far?"
I wanted to say 'Considering it's 7:30 in the morning, and I am NOT a morning person, plus you're here..' but I spared him the thought. "The few hours that I've been awake have been o.k I guess." oops. Sounded nicer in my head.
"That's great, Jess!" He absolutely beamed.
"Soooo..... what's your first class?" Wow. This is going to be tough.
"Honors pre-calc with Payne. What about you, Jess?" He seemed to take great joy in saying my name.
"Oh, I have French 4, see you around." Phew. Finally gone.
I walked to French with Isaiah. Isaiah was my other close friend, but he didn't know anything about my family. No one but Michelle did.
Isaiah poked me in the rib and started singing "Jess and Caleb sitting in a tree K-I-S- ow!" I punched him in the shoulder. Oops.
"Ya right you big sissy! That didn't hurt!"
"It did!" he put on his best innocent face and looked down at me with doe eyes, that didn't really work.
We teased each other all the way to French class. I stepped into class dripping with confidence. This was my first impression of the year, it had to be a good one. People stared at me, but I was used to it by now. One kid even whistled, which I thought was a little too much, but whatever. Isaiah shot the poor guy a stiff glare, Isaiah was sort of like my body guard. He knew I didn't want to date guys, but I just told him it was cause my brother would pummel the guy. That sounded normal enough.
French class seemed never ending due to the fact that I sat in the very back of the room. I was isolated back there. Mr. Smith -seriously? he couldn't even pretend that he was French?!- seemed miles away up in the front and I sat with a bunch of nerds who's names I don't know.
RIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG
People rushed towards the door to get out of class. It was obvious that French was going to be my most boring class. and it was the only class I've had so far today. That's saying something. As I made my way towards the door people cleared out of my way.
I love being popular.
