Off the Rails

Chapter One

Dakota
When I arrived in Blackden Ridge, I could have never imagined the mess I'd get into. I just wanted to survive high school, get through my parent's messy divorce, and see my big brother again. I never expected to be pulled into a political war full of ulterior motives and secrets. I never thought I'd be stuck in the middle between two gorgeous guys. One was the town's millionaire golden boy, Liam, who years away from inheriting a company that runs the town's economy.  The other, Drake, was Liam's humble, hardworking, ruggedly handsome best friend who somehow always captured my attention.

But don't get me wrong. I'm not some clingy girl stuck in a love triangle. I'm not so desperate that I need these two boys are my life.

I'm smart, hardworking, and perfectly independent.

Not to mention I was already dealing with my own problems, like my parent's messy divorce and my so called "daddy issues".

But they snuck up on me. What can I say?

Point is, that isn't my story. It isn't just a tale about star-crossed lovers.

There's a lot more to it. Trust me.

Anyway, I never expected— or wanted — any of this. But after I figure out a pretty big secret, the only thing I can do is step up and handle the situation.

But before I got into this whole political scandal, you gotta remember, I was a normal kid in high school. I was dealing with boy trouble and grades and problems with my parents. So, that's what my story is— more than anything else.

So here we go. Here's how I got into this huge mess.

//

When I woke up on a chilly Saturday morning, I automatically felt confusion. I opened my eyes and saw a ceiling I didn't recognize. After bolting upright and looking around, I remembered.

This was my new room, in a new house, in a new town; Blackden Ridge, West Virginia.

Still frustrated by my situation, I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. If I was stuck in this small town in the middle of nowhere after my parent's divorce, I was going to try to make the best of it. I wasn't the type of girl to sit and pout.

So I stood up and walked down the creaky stairs. The old house seemed to moan as I moved.

In the kitchen, my mother was trying her best to make pancakes— cooking was never her strong suit.

"Morning, darling," she said, her voice sweet as honey.

"Hey, Mom," I tried my best to give her a smile.

I checked my cell phone and saw that it was only eight in the morning. Yet, my mom was completely dressed in jeans and a cardigan, with her shoulder length brown hair already styled.

Meanwhile, I stood before her in plaid pajama pants with my blonde hair pulled up in some sort of a messy bun.

"So, I figured today we could do some exploring. Get to know Blackden. I hear the Main Street is lovely. It's supposed to be very classy and charming." My mom suggested as she flipped a very burnt pancake, seemingly unbothered by the charred blackness.

"Alright," I replied.

In my mind, I wished my older brother, Luke, was there. He was always a fantastic chef. But he was back in New York with my dad. Since Luke was a freshmen at a college only miles away from my old home, it apparently seemed logical that he would stay up there with my dad, while I, only sixteen, moved to a slow, small town with my mom.