A Penny For Your Thoughts

Michelle's Prologue:

"Hi. My name is Michelle Hartford. Like everyone, I have a story to tell. And like every other girl I have a love story. But this isn't the type of love story where two strangers meet at a coffee shop and fall in love or how a high school football jock falls in love with the nerd of the school. It isn't the fairy tale story how of how the prince comes to rescue the princess in distress, and fights the dragon to get the girl of his dreams. It isn't the story of how everything gets fixed with a hug and a kiss. Even though I like that version of the story, it's not mine to tell. My love story does not consist of anything that was noted above, or most importantly the happy ending. If anything, my story is the complete opposite. But before you shut this book and completely stop reading it, I'll tell you this isn't a depressing story. My love life, as short as it was, was happy and filled with sparks just as yours is or was. It was the fairy tale-or a little while. Eventually reality does set it, and you'll realize the 'love' whatever they call it, is not as the story books have it. Sometimes Sleeping Beauty never wakes up, sometimes Cinderella is stuck being the unwanted girl, and sometimes the prince is too late. Now that doesn't mean real life doesn't have its quirks and ups. I'm just saying, a lot of times, we as humans get let down because we were made to believe in something set so high.

Love,

Michelle H."

Chapter One~ Introduction

Michelle Hartford walked into her school just like every other day. She'd talk to her friends as they passed by, put her things into her locker and walk into her homeroom. So forth her schedule would go until finally the bell rang at 4:30 pm and everyone would rush their way out to go home.

Except today wasn't like every other day.

Michelle walked into her living room to see you parents looking very stressed. "Mom... Dad? What's going on?" Michelle asked carefully putting her back pack down. "Michelle please it down," her father ordered. She sat down in front of her parents. "Dad what's going on?" she pressed. "Hun..." her mom started and trailed off. "What is the matter!" she demanded. "Sweetheart I lost my job," Mr. Hartford finally said. "What?" Michelle exclaimed, "But Dad I thought everything was going okay for you! What happened!" "Well they just didn't need me anymore, Sweetheart," her dad said. Michelle felt her palms get sweaty, "Well what are we gonna do? What are you gonna do? Are we gonna lose the house?" "Ok, I think you've scared her enough," Mrs. Hartford said to her husband. He grinned playfully. "What?" Michelle said. "Augh Hun I was having fun with our daughter too!" Mr. Hartford whined. His wife death stared him. "Ok! Alright!" he gave up, "Michelle I got let go because they didn't need me here in Santa Barbara anymore." "OH GOODNESS DAD!" she yelled, "Oh gosh! DAD! You scared me!" Michelle threw a pillow and he laughed. "Man!" she sighed. Mrs. Hartford herself was giggling too. "So like we're moving?" Michelle asked. "Yep that's correct," he nodded. "Wow. Cool! So we're getting out of Santa Barbara," she said, "So like are we going to LA or something? Because that would totally be awesome!" Her mom and dad exchanged glances. "What now?" she groaned. "Well you see Michelle... we're moving to Maryland." "To Maryland?!"

2 months later

The moving van was packed up. Michelle stood there admiring her house for the last time. "I still cannot believe we are leaving Santa Barbara for Baltimore, Maryland," she mumbled. "Oh c'mon it can't be that bad," her mom said. "Oh really?" Michelle said, "Are we talking about the same thing? Because I'm saying we're leaving sunny California for rainy cold Maryland." "It's not always cold," Mrs. Hartford rolled her eyes. "Well on that same point it's not always sunny," she said. "Ok you know what? You wanna be a pussy about go ahead," her mom snapped. With that Mrs. Hartford closed the door to the house for the final time. "Just try to be happy," her mom said.