"This is what she had become."
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Cleopatra Banks' last week in the small town of New Chelsea is nothing like she would have imagined it, but nothing could have prepared her for the stinging betrayal she's faced with and suddenly the prospect of...
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The incessant shrill alarm blared loudly, frightening Cleopatra and pulling her back to consciousness.
What time did I even fall asleep? A very disoriented Cleopatra questioned herself.
The last thing she could remember seeing before her heavy eyelids closed was Maxwell Benson's handsome face. Those dark irises were looking at her intently, smiling...speaking words she could only dream he would tell her in real life. His pink lips were formed in a smile just for her and his hearty laugh when she had said something funny reverberated in her mind.
She smiled a sad smile.
Would Maxwell really miss her when she and her family finally moved away?
Cleopatra shook her head in an exaggerated manner, almost willing her brain to reboot as though there was something seriously wrong with it.
To him, she was just a mere lab partner.
And the only reason we're on speaking terms is solely because of that fact! She told herself.
She was nothing more than that girl he went to school with. He was the soccer jock, the super smart soccer jock with the appearance of a demi-god. On several occasions when she and her girlfriends went to wait for Nigel at the soccer field she'd caught more than just a glance of his toned, well defined and strong muscles as he ran around with his shirt off during practice. He held more than half of the female population at St. Michaels High in the palm of his hands and most of those girls were gorgeous glamazons, they were like grown up versions of Terry and she was the complete opposite.
I'm being ridiculous He will never notice me. She frowned.
"No one ever notices the unpopular fat girl," she chided herself, rolling her eyes as she finally rolled out of bed.
She had to hurry up a little if she wanted to get to school on time and not keep her father from work.
She filled up the tub and made sure there was an ample amount of bubbles before she soaked herself in the hot water in an attempt to ease some tension from her muscles. She finally relaxed, reveling in the feel of the hot water and the smell of the Berry scented bubble bath. Tiny goosebumps appeared all over her skin and her eyes fluttered closed.
But not even the smell of fresh berries and the feel of warm water seeping through her skin could keep those thoughts about the move at bay and soon they were wrecking havoc on her mind again. Maybe if she weren't the anxious type the whole thing would be easier to deal with.
Moving was a pretty big deal. It meant leaving behind everything she had come to know for the past ten years. Everything that was home to her would become a far distant memory, her friends, the house, her school...Maxwell.
Was she being selfish? Her father had worked so hard and his dreams were finally coming true. He had gotten his big break and all she could think about was leaving behind some boy she liked. She counted herself among the lucky ones. She truly had the best parents imaginable. They were a bit overbearing when it came to the whole parenting thing but she knew they had her best interests at heart.
