Love at First Fight

Chapter 1

"Ariel. Come on, get up. You're going to be late for your first day back!" My mother called out from outside of my bedroom door.

I sighed to myself from my spot on my bed. I had been up for an hour, but I hadn't been able to get myself to physically get out of bed.

If I pretended that it wasn't my first day back, then it wasn't really my first day back. At least, that was what I told myself.

I didn't want to be back. I wished that I could've been back in Ireland, not worrying about having to face the people I'd run away from two years earlier. The fact is that I was scared. I was scared to face them.

I mean, after the way that I had been treated it felt like anyone would be scared to face them again. But it was time. I couldn't stay away from my parents any longer, and considering the next closest high school was a half hour away, Baker Hill High School it was.

I checked the time and realized I couldn't procrastinate any longer, so with a loud groan, I threw off my covers and got out of bed. I went into my bathroom and showered quickly, choosing to not wash my hair.

I then got dressed for the day, deciding on simple jean shorts, white vans and a black shirt with short sleeves. My dark hair went up into a ponytail and I went light with the makeup, just using concealer, powder, mascara and some lip gloss.

I went back into my bedroom and grabbed my backpack before heading downstairs for breakfast.

I went downstairs and headed to the kitchen, where my father was sat at the island on his computer, while my mother was on the other side across from him, making a smoothie.

"Good morning." My dad said brightly when I slid onto one of the barstools next to him and accepted the bowl of fruit my mom handed me.

"Morning." I replied before taking a bite of a strawberry.

"So. It's your first day back. How do you feel about it?" He asked, looking up from his computer screen to look at me.

I shrugged, "I don't know how to feel about it." I said simply.

"So you're nervous." He concluded, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah I am." I said quietly.

"Sweetheart look at me," my dad said quietly.. I looked up at him, "I know what you went through was hard for you. But you can't let it define you. You are not your past. Keep your head held high." He said to me.

I gave him a small smile and nodded, "Yeah. I will." I said.

He leaned over and kissed the top of my head, "You are so much stronger than you think. Don't be afraid." He said before closing his laptop and sliding it into his book bag.

He stood up from the island, "Alright well I need to head out. Its Syllabus week. Don't want to be late." He said.

He walked over to my mother and kissed her on the cheek, "I will see you tonight." He said, heading out of the kitchen.

My father's a history professor at Boston College. He specialized in the ancient world and was a complete nerd. But I loved him for it.

After he left, my mother closed the lid on her travel mug that had her smoothie, "Okay well I have a shipment coming in to the store today so I need to head out now." She said.

I nodded, "Don't forget to lock up and shut the lights off." She said as she grabbed her things.

"I won't." I said.

"And Ariel, sweetheart," she said, making me look up from my bowl, "listen to what your father said. Your past doesn't define you. It's been two years. You've changed and so have they. Don't give them a reason to think you haven't." She said.