How I Did It

Chapter 1

At least our meeting was just like a fairytale. First day of freshman year, you've heard it all before. The rest of the story is sad, crazy aggravating, and takes many twists and turns. Love rarely ever has that perfect Taylor Swift ending everyone longs for. Love is a sick twisted thing and yet everyone wants a piece of it.

~oOo~

That morning I dressed in my favorite outfit. Cuffed jeans, a Green Day concert T-shirt, and black Converses. I brushed my teeth for seven minutes and brushed my poofy, curly, dark colored hair until I was afraid it would fall out. My older sister was taking me to school which I was thankful for. If Mom took me she would say something like this-

"Have a wonderful day, Janet! Make friends! Make good choices! Don't go kissing any boys!"

The way people describe my sister Jackelyn is a more intense version of me. Where as I was calm and collected (most of the time), she was loud and an extreme punk-rocker. She wore loads of makeup and thick black eye liner. When I asked her about it she told me it was a college thing.

When she drove me to school it was still pitch black outside. I wanted to get to school early to open my locker and get all of my books situated. My knees were bouncing in anticipation and Jackelyn kept glaring at me through the review mirror, her makeup not drawn yet. I always thought her scowls were much more scary when her face didn't look like she bruised both of her eyes.

"Don't worry, Freshman year is the worst. It gets better over time. For most people." Was that supposed to be sisterly advice, or something? "If anyone messes with you just tell me. I'll pay their house a visit." She mumbled.

"Thanks?" We pulled up to the curb and she very literally pushed me out of her truck. "See you later." I said rubbing my arm. Sometimes we got along great and other times, when she was pissed for some reason, she would treat me like a piece of trash.

"Whatever." And just like that she was gone at eighty mph.

Sometimes I hated my sister, but life without her would be ten times harder if I was an only child. Like I wouldn't know that if you don't cheer at games, older grades with shun you or if it's OK to wear thongs to school. I still was reluctant to go to my sister for boy help because I knew she would beat any boy to a pulp who even came near me.

"Janet!" Someone screamed from the other side of campus. I could hear high-heeled boots clopping all the way from here.

"Maggie!" I yelled in return. Maggie had been my worst enemy from Kindergarten all the way through elementary school. We were complete opposites: she was smart, crazy, and just plain gorgeous with long red hair parted down the middle and bright green eyes. I was awkward, quiet, and had a D average. We still hated each other until sixth grade when we were both sent to the principle's office for starting a food fight in the cafeteria. The principle was not in his room at the moment and his door was unlocked. That day we decided to combine forces and booby trap his office. We glued all of his drawers shut, put tacks on the seats and arm rests, and drew cartoons with permanent sharpie all over his wooden desk. A giant "You Suck!" was written on his door clear enough for anyone who walked by to notice. We were best friends ever since.

She grabbed me in a huge bear hug and spun me around like we were a couple. All of the boys stared at her bright red hair as it flew in the air. It was naturally a auburn color, but she had it dyed red velvet  in eighth grade.

"OhmyGod I missed you so much! Is that T-shirt new? Did you go to a concert without me? But I'm the life of the party! You must have been soo bored."

I laughed. I could feel the huge grin on my face growing bigger. "I went with Jackelyn over the summer. It really was pretty boring, we couldn't even see them." We walked to where we knew the lockers would be from orientation.

We took a look at our schedules and saw that we both had our first period and gym together. First period was World History and gym was seventh period, the last period of the day. The Senior Helpers showed us where the History room was. My thumbs dug holes in the hem of my shirt and Maggie kept swatting the away when she would catch me. She was babbling to me about her trip to Spain and it was hard to focus with the nerves fluttering in my stomach.

"So then my little brother Bobby, you remember him right? -Got stung by the bee on the butt! Funniest shit I've ever seen. He wailed like a baby!"

"I'll do it later."

"...I ate a horse for breakfast."

"Sounds like fun."

"Jan!" She screamed bringing me out of my trance. I jumped a little.

"Sorry. I'm nervous." We were right outside the teacher's door now. My palms were getting sweaty and my hands were shaking slightly.

"Don't worry about it." As she heaved the door open dramatically. We were the last ones in the classroom which was no surprise. As eyes turned to Maggie. The girls glaring and the guys gawking. The teacher told us to choose a place to sit in the back. The only two left were in the corner by a group of jocks. Maggie winked at a blonde one flirtatiously and he almost fell out of his seat. She turned around to me so they couldn't see and grinned mischievously.

Two of the boys, the blonde one and a new curly haired one, chatted with Maggie while the others got their texts books out. The boy who was sitting in front of me in the corner had his head bent to read the syllabus the teacher, Ms. Anson, passed out. His hair was sleek black and from what I could tell his skin could be tanner than mine was. At that moment he turned around in his seat and I realized I was staring. If I thought the back of his head was beautiful, his face was even ten times better. Big brown eyes looked so kind, his perfectly shaped eyebrows and perfectly cut front bangs were about as much as I could handle. If He stood up and I saw just how hot the rest of him was I would faint. I felt myself blush and internally cursed at how stupid I looked still starring at him.

"Aren't you Jackelyn's sister?" He asked.

My voice suddenly escaped me. I squeaked, "Yeah." So much for being calm and collected.

"Did you know she's like a legend here? She was in the grade above my brother. They still talk about her around campus."

"Really? What do they say?" I didn't know Jackie was popular!

"The usual. Head cheerleader, quarterback's girlfriend, and not to mention with all the attention she was still really nice." I snorted at the thought of Jackelyn being a cheerleader. Running around on a football field and having boys whistle at her cartwheels. I imagined it and the scene was like how I would imagine me as a cheerleader. A complete failure.

He smiled brightly and I smiled back, my stomach churning and heart thumping unbelievably fast. "My name's Tristan."

"Janet." Knowing Maggie she was listening to the whole thing. I heard her little school girl squeak in the background.

"Mister Woods and Miss Long, I suggest you two stop talking unless you want to both be sent to detention in the first week of school." Tristan smiled again at me before turning back in his seat. The sharp gab from Maggie in the gut for my attention didn't even hurt. She ripped off a piece of paper from her spiral and slide it to me.

"He totally likes you ;)"

I scribbled down on the backside and slid it back to her.

"Shut up" She burst out into a series of giggles and Ms. Anson had to sent her out in the hallway for disrupting class.

My first day at Nelson High was going very well so far.