Heart Strings of Gold

two

I couldn't have been any more wrong about the outcome of my day. I resisted the urge to bash my head against the crème desk before me. Mr. Smith, I was sure, had the goal of making my ears bleed by the end of the chemistry lesson.

My skirt was also uncomfortably tight and short, as well as something in my top that I couldn't quite figure out, and my beautiful heels were pinching my toes. I was trapped in a skirt that I knew was at least three sizes too small.

But mother gave me no choice. So I soldiered on.

Calm, cool, and collected, I reminded myself, taking a deep breath and trying, but failing miserably, to fix the fabric on my legs.

Instead of caving into my impetuous actions, I opted to nod and smile at the balding man. Bashing my head on the desk would cause my mother to have a hernia from the bruise that would color my face.

I halfheartedly listened to the teacher, the sounds of my stomach grumbling making me lose focus. I noticed his green wool vest was four seasons expired. Maybe I'll suggest a corduroy suit to compliment his green eyes after class.

Since I sat in the middle of the classroom, guys sitting all around the room showcased their most suggestive looks and winked at me occasionally. Such pigs. I smiled and batted my eyelashes back.

I genuinely smiled to the girls who asked me about the latest pep-rally theme, all of them just as excited as me.

"Just you wait," I'd tell them. A pep-rally planner never revealed her secrets. I had a theme in mind that I knew would be memorable for the rest of their lives.

"Hey Charlie, where's the latest conquest?" Adam, my best friend since diapers and the final member of my trusted friends, jabbed from beside me.

Glaring at his boy-next-door handsome face, I said, "He's helping out the freshman boys with their football skills."

Ethan Mathews was my boyfriend of three weeks. My mother was keen on choosing him as my latest partner. This was the tenth boy she had chosen for me in the past 6 months. Needing to be the perfect daughter, I complied with all her schemes.

She liked his background. A.K.A his parents were loaded, and she liked that he was easy on the eyes. A perfect, rich, and spoiled volleyball captain with a perfect, rich, fantastic quarterback.

My stomach twisted into knots. Someday I hoped to be paired with a man instead of an immature boy.

"I saw him styling his hair for half an hour after practice this morning," Adam snickered.

I slapped him upside the head, ruining his cropped light brown hair. "Shut it, you."

"Stop!" He squealed, quickly working to pat down the mess. I rolled my eyes at his hypocrisy.

Adam was right though. Ethan was a bit of an airhead with a pompous attitude. He was a flirt that loved to play football, drink, and waste away the night with a girl in each arm.

I, on the other hand, wasn't one for high school trash parties. If I went to a party, it was a formal one. One with fancy dresses and flutes of peach cider.

My friends and I had vowed to never lay a hand on an alcoholic drink ever since the accident. Out of respect to Adam and his family. His father, who was like an uncle to me, had passed away when were in freshman year. He was involved in an accident with a drunk driver. The tragedy had struck us hard; it was an easy decision to avoid all intoxicating beverages.

"Alright kids, this being your senior year, the science staff have prepared a fun project for you guys to work on," Mr. Smith started. He paused long enough for everyone to quiet down and pay attention. "This year, we will be having a Senior Science Fair, and it will be done in pairs. You will have until right before winter break to complete it."

Since we were in the beginning of September, it gave us almost four months to finish it.

Adam and I grinned at each other, silently agreeing that we would do it together.

"But," he added, "I will be choosing the partners, since the last time I let you children decide, we had four students expelled."

The grins on our faces were wiped away. I didn't have time to work with somebody I didn't know. That required meeting, agreeing on a place, getting comfortable in said place, and attempting to work together in a civilized manner.

With Adam, I didn't have to try so hard.

"When I call your name, move your belongings to a seat by your partner and begin brainstorming ideas." Mr. Smith said.

"Adam and Isabella."

Ugh. He didn't even let me have the buildup of wondering if I would be paired with him.

I didn't bother to kiss up to my teacher in hopes of getting Adam as my partner. Mr. Smith had never put up with my preppy spoiled shenanigans.

Adam smiled sadly at me and started moving towards the back of the class to a girl with daring boxed bangs that accompanied raven hair up to her chin. She also had dark eye makeup and a hooped nose piercing. Risky but sexy. Isabella was a bit of a loner who had started going to East River Elites that same year.

Mr. Smith droned on.

"Jordan and Kyle."

I pouted in my seat. I heard the crinkling of a wrapper being opened and looked over to a girl who started eating Doritos. My stomach rumbled again for the umpteenth time. I wondered what Doritos tasted like. Mother had told me of the many junk foods that would only damage me in the long run. She said, "No use in indulging in useless pleasures." I complied of course. A six year-old girl could hardly try to debate her mother.

I thought of volleyball practice and how I would have my girls work on their serving. In modern day volleyball, the way the ball was served in a game could turn into a powerful weapon.

"Charlie with Ezra."

My face scrunched up in confusion when I snapped out of my daze. Who the flying flip was Ezra? I gave my teacher an incredulous look, being sure that there was no such student by the name of Ezra.

My mind froze when I heard the dramatic screeching of a chair being pushed back against the marble floors and the padding of feet coming to a stop beside me. I slowly looked up to see none other than the beautiful guy who glared at me from the hallway that same morning.

Oh. My. Gosh.

******
So I'm an actual noob and decided to post again...

Albeit it's a short chapter, I do hope you enjoy it. 

Let me know your thoughts!

Till next time!
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