Learning Love

Chapter 1: Greetings

Chapter 1: Greetings

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The shrieking of the alarm clock woke me from my deep slumber, lifting my head, I glared at the annoying contraption and reached over- slamming the snooze button. Groaning a bit in annoyance, I turn in my bed and pull the covers tighter around my body. ‘Another year. Great.’ I think to myself as I yawn and stretch a bit. I wasn’t looking forward to my junior year in high school, but I couldn’t really do anything about that as I sat up in bed and blinked the sleep away. There wasn’t any noise coming from downstairs, meaning neither of parents were home, again.

Lifting myself out of bed, I slip my feet into my slippers and run a hand through my thick, dark hair. Sleepily, I walk into the bathroom that was connected to my bedroom and flip the lights on, staring into the mirror at my disastrous reflection. Nothing a little shower couldn’t fix though! After stripping down into nothing, I hop into the shower and take a 15 minute shower before drying off and pulling my clothes on. Though you could hardly call them clothes, an atrocious uniform is more fitting. The uniform consisted of a white, button up, collared blouse and an above knee-length hunter green and navy blue plaid skirt, along with navy blue, knee-length socks and black sneakers.

 After dressing, I looked in the mirror and almost vomited. Really? They need to come up with a better looking uniform if they’re going to force us to wear it. I brushed and dried my hair, leaving it down and spraying it with hairspray. I sprinted downstairs after I had brushed my teeth and applied some light make up to my tired face.

Nothing. There was nothing that I wanted to eat for breakfast this morning. Everything I saw made my stomach churn. Instead of searching for something to eat, I just grabbed a package of pop tarts and my book bag off the kitchen floor and headed out the door.

Munching on my pop tart, I walk to school and shiver slightly at the chilly breeze. Neither of my parents have given me a ride to school since I was 8. My father is one of the top surgeons in town and he’s never home, I hardly ever see him. My mother is a high-class lawyer and she’s always at her firm working on the top cases in the country. So needless to say, I have to raise myself and look after myself. It doesn’t bother me too much though; I’d rather my parents not be home than to be home and at each other’s throats 24/7.

So deeply engulfed in my thoughts, I failed to hear someone come up behind me and wrap their arms around my waist, lift me up and twirl me around. “Lex!” the smooth voice of my good friend, Ethan Marx, fills my ears. Ethan and I have been friends since we were in diapers and we are practically inseparable.

“Ethan! Damn you! You scared me!” I grinned at him and elbowed him in the side. “I know.” He grinned back in response and grabbed my other pop tart, munching on it immediately. I have to admit, he’s grown up to be quite the ladies’ man with his dirty blond hair, and those gorgeous light blue eyes, and can’t forget that sexy, fit body of his. Oh yeah, he’d make any woman swoon and turn into goo. He was my best friend though and I don’t think I could ever see him as anything else.

“So you ready for this year, Lexi?” He asked as he finishes inhaling the pop tart. Seriously, this guy could eat a horse and probably look just as good. “I guess, I mean you know me, I hate school anyway.” I respond to him as I read a text message from my mother. I frown, it was a message from my mother telling me to order pizza for dinner tonight since she and dad wouldn’t be home. Ethan walked beside him, his hands folded behind his head as he glances over at my face and frowns. “What’s with the face?” He asks and nudges me.

“Jack and Laura won’t be home again tonight.” I reply and slip my phone into my shirt pocket, shrugging a bit. He rolled his eyes, “Mom and dad, Lex, that’s what normal kids call their parents.” He said and nudged me again. “Yeah but as you can see, I’m not a normal kid.” I reply and nudge him back.

“Lex!! Ethan!! Wait up!” We both stopped and turned around to see our friend, Cheyenne, sprinting towards us from her house. “Damn!” She said as she caught up to us and stopped to catch her breath, her blond hair blowing in the breeze. “You guys walk fast!” She said and swept her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear, clearly revealing her sea foam green eyes.

Ethan laughed at her a bit, “Sorry Chey, we didn’t even hear you.” He replied and she pouted as we continued on our way to school. We became friends with Cheyenne when we were in the 6th grade. The blond haired, green-eyed girl had moved from Florida to Colorado and was having a tough time fitting in, so Ethan and I invited her to have lunch with us one day and we’d just been friends since. She always had guys hitting on her left and right, but strangely, she never gave them the time of day. I secretly think she’s in love with Ethan, but hell if I’ll ever say anything.

“Alexa, let me see your schedule! I wanna see if the three of us have any classes together!” Cheyenne said and ripped my schedule from my hand and then Ethan’s from his hand. Ethan and I glanced at each other and shook our heads at our crazy friend. “Well Chey? Anything?” Ethan asked after a moment of silence. “Hmm…looks like the three of us only have three classes together, U.S. History 2, Chemistry, and English 2.” She said and frowned. “Aww that’s no fun. Those are the only 3 classes, besides lunch.” She said and looked up at us. “Well…there’s one good thing about that arrangement.” I said and took my schedule back, both of my friends looking at me with curiosity. I grinned, “Ethan can do my history homework!” I said and he raised a brow. “You WANT to fail don’t you?” He said and laughed a little, running a hand through his hair, and I could swear I heard an itty, bitty, dreamy sigh from Cheyenne as she watched him with a big smile on her face.

I inwardly rolled my eyes at the girl, I’m sure she’s liked him since day one, but she’s probably too chicken to say anything. I wasn’t going to say anything to him or her, she needs to toughen up and just say something to him already.

“Alright, get to class! No hanging around the halls!” The vice principal, Mrs. Kipling, roared as she walked down the hallway and ushered everyone towards classrooms. “Get to class!” She shouted and everyone scurried around, going to their classes.

My first hour was English 2, along with my two friends. “Dominic Parker? Who’s he? I don’t think I’ve seen him the 2 years I’ve been at this school.” Ethan said as he took a seat in the empty desk beside me, and Cheyenne took the one beside him.

“Who knows, probably some new jerk off.” I replied and put my English book on my desk and sat back, crossed one leg over the other and my arms across my chest. “Bring him on.” I added and waited for said teacher to enter the classroom.

The class buzzed with the students’ voices as they socialized with each other about their summers, and then all at once, it got quiet. Everyone’s eyes, especially the girls, were at the front of the room where a suave, BEAUTIFUL man stood.

My eyes almost fell out of their sockets as I gawked at the demi-god that stood, leaning back against the teacher’s desk and looked over the class. He was the absolute epitome of perfection. His shiny, dark brown hair was neatly combed back and not a single hair was out of place, his chocolate brown eyes sparkled as he looked over the class- as if memorizing everyone’s face, he wore a simple gray t-shirt with a black blazer jacket and matching pants, and his shoes were cleaned to a shine. His eyes locked with mine for a split second and he smiled before that gaze tore away from mine and he cleared his throat. “Good Morning.” He spoke and I almost melted in my chair; his voice was soft, yet masculine and hard. “I’m Mr. Dominic Parker, and I’ll be your English teacher this year.” He said with a killer smile and I almost died. How was I suppose to concentrate when I have this…this immaculate creation standing right in front of me.

“Oh dear god.” I muttered. Another year, indeed. This was going to be a spectacular one.