Unscripted

Chapter 1

Love has many properties. It can be chemical, physical, metaphorical... need I continue?

But love is subjective. Its strength, power and effect can vary from person to person. You can never be sure how someone else views love, and whether they feel it the way you do.

But if there's one thing I know for sure, love is not like what you see in the movies. Okay, so there may be the odd couple that has a perfect love story, but the odds aren't in your favour.

I'm going to tell you a love story that isn't like the movies; that's not how life works. Life is hard, and things don't come easy to anyone. Life is full of curiosity, happiness and heartbreak. So here is my unconventional love story, and it begins with a breakup.

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"CLEO SUMMERS AND RYAN FIELDING END TWO-YEAR RELATIONSHIP"

"GET YOUR HOPES UP BOYS: CLEO SUMMERS IS SINGLE"

"CLEO SUMMERS AND RYAN FIELDING SPLIT AFTER TWO YEARS TOGETHER"

"RYAN FIELDING & CLEO SUMMERS CALL IT QUITS AFTER TWO YEARS"

"18 YEAR-OLD SUPERSTAR CLEO SUMMERS HEARTBROKEN AFTER BREAKUP WITH RYAN FIELDING"

I rolled my eyes as I scanned the headlines on various gossip sites.

'They really don't know what the hell they're talking about,' I muttered.

My sister who was brushing her teeth while rummaging through the fridge turned to me. 'Huh?' she asked, her voice muffled by the foamy toothpaste that filled her mouth.

'Look at these headlines,' I said, gesturing to my laptop which sat on top of my marble kitchen counter.

She poured herself a glass of orange juice and spat her toothpaste out into the kitchen sink. I winced as I watched her. 'Can't you do that in the bathroom?' I muttered, visibly annoyed.

She just grinned and ignored my comment before pulling up one of the designer bar stools that sat under the counter and made herself comfortable next to me.

'Now let's see what's apparently going on in your life,' she said, sliding the laptop over so it was in front of her.

I munched on a piece of toast as she went through the stories, reading them out aloud. Meanwhile, I checked my Twitter. There was a Tweet from Ryan Fielding that read:

"@ActualCleoS and I have broken up for real. Sorry guys."

'Oh, I didn't know you guys broke up because you found out you're long-lost cousins,' she said with a faux-shocked expression. 'You never told me!'

I just laughed and gently shoved her shoulder. 'That's not even the most ridiculous one.'

'Hmm,' she said, scrolling through another story. 'He cheated on you, boring; you cheated on him, boring -'

She paused as her eyes scanned the screen. 'Now, I think this one's my favourite,' she said, suppressing a laugh. 'He broke up with you because the two of you are involved in a love triangle with Aaron Ames and you're pregnant with Aaron's baby.'

I almost spat out the coffee I was taking a sip of.

'Surely that can't be a real story?' I said, convinced that she was just pulling my leg.

'As real as your nose,' she said, pushing the laptop over to me. 'Which, according to last week's story on you, is fake.'

I self-consciously raised a hand to my nose as I placed the laptop in front of myself again.