Becoming Relevant

P R O L O G U E

High school is one of the most stressful places on the planet. The four years that are supposed to be a breeze? Couples straight out of high school musical? Cheerleaders dominating over vendies? None of that actually happens. Trust me I would know.

See I started high school off on the wrong foot. The problem was probably that I had too much faith in everyone. I didn't think over the summer my best friends would turn into plastics, the boy next door would get really cute, and all those people I thought were weirdos in middle school...yeah they're more relevant than me.

So here I am approaching the beginning of junior year, and I just want the ground to swallow me up. From losing friends, to making a fool out of myself each time I speak to my crush. I think I deserve an award for most awkward girl in high school. Honestly I don't know why I don't have my own reality show by now.

 "Basically they don't like you, something about being looking too innocent, " an eraser hits the side of my head. "Coco Taylor, I'm trying to tell you something important about the friend group!"

Elle tries to catch my attention for the third time in Algebra today, but I can't stop thinking of how I'm going to finally talk to Alex Montoro today. He is so fine, like literally Lakewood High's personal Alex Aiono. I've been working up the courage to talk to him since last year when I found out he rode my bus. I mean which girl wouldn't, he's not only the varsity quarterback, plays basketball, runs track, looks smexy as hell and most of all- he's relevant.

"Mhmm, that sucks for them. Buhh look at Alex looking like a full-course meal today," I glance out the window and spot him with the football team walking to the field.

"I still don't get what you see in that boy, no one in our friend group likes him and he looks like a monkey."

"Well he's going to be my monkey soon, and I thought they don't like me so who I like shouldn't matter to them," I retort.

Elle and Alex have shared a mutual dislike for each other since middle school, I still don't understand what exactly happened. All I know is someone got cussed out, and it sure as hell wasn't Elle.

"I really don't have time for your games today Coco, besides gals before pals. So what are you going to do about our friend group," Elle readjusts her ponytail, an indication that she's getting irritated.

"Lol, too be honest I don't really care at this point. Y'all have unrealistic expectations for me. I'm a lot of things but what I'm not is ghetto, or crazy and ish. From the get go I thought it was pretty obvious that I stood out from the group, and if they want to distance themselves its fine. Now I just need to look for new friends."

"The problem is your not known-"

"How can I be known known when I gave my everything to be friends with the friend group. Last year I didn't play any sports, took AP classes where there's no time too socialize, and if anyone knew me it was because I hung around the group."

I check my phone and see 5 new messages from Sienna, my on and off best friend telling me she's bringing food, because she was wrong in our last argument. Back at it again with the headassery, she constantly does this rather than apologizing and dealing with issues. Time to get new friends much?

"Well this year you have a chance to reinvent yourself, make some friends in track even though the friend group doesn't like them either. We basically don't like anyone that plays sports though because their the drama queens," Elle reminds me.

"At the end of the day you girls don't like anyone I swear! Welp, I'm done with this bs. I hate how your their little messenger telling me things, and they don't have the balls to confront me themselves. "

Teenage friend groups have some of the most irritating people on the planet, and now I'm so confuzzled even though I'm a teenager too. One moment you're friends when they want you to buy them food, give answers to the homework last night, or even hook them up with your guy best friend. But when you stop doing any of the above for a week, they begin the search for a new tool.

"I don't know what to tell you. You just have to put yourself out there, and become relevant I guess. Look, here are your options join a sport, be a hoe, or crash a wild party and talk to strangers!"

Sometimes I wonder why I'm even friends with this girl. Wait wasn't I supposed to drop her last week?

High school has only two categories. You're either known or not, and this was the day I found out I was not known. I wasn't a useful resource to the crazy, loud girls anymore so it was time to move on to people with the same interests as me. And I was fed up with being the one being dropped, it was time to get into a position where I did the dropping. Junior year was going to be my year.

Watch out Lakewood High, Courtney Taylor is about to become relevant!

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A/N

Thank you guys so much for reading the prologue! I'm so excited for this book and will finally be updating weekly. I thought I would give teen fiction a try and so far I don't know how I'm doing.

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xoxo,

Lyssa