She Will Be Loved ~Johnny Kavanagh
53 parts Ongoing MatureWhen her dad told her he wanted better for her and her brothers-that he wanted her dreams to come true-he saved and borrowed money just to send Poppy to Tommen College.
Poppy was scared. She'd never fit in anywhere. Why would this be any different?
She'd grown up in a house where love didn't come easy. Her mother never wanted her-only ever wanted her father. From a young age, Poppy was used to being ignored or told she wasn't enough. The words her mother said clung to her, shaping her into someone insecure, anxious, and full of trust issues.
When her dad finally left that toxic marriage, he packed up their lives and moved the family across Ireland to Cork. They weren't rich, but they were finally safe. Her dad, James O'Conner, worked long hours building the business he'd always dreamed of, just to give his kids a better life. He wanted his sons to succeed in law, sports, and music-and he wanted Poppy to chase her dream of working in fashion.
Poppy had always felt like an outsider. Growing up with just her dad and brothers, she was the only girl in a house full of boys. She never had close friends, always feeling like the awkward one. At her old school, BCS, only Joey and his girlfriend Aoife made an effort to include her. They let her sit with them at lunch, but she was never sure if it was out of kindness... or just because Joey worked for her dad.
The things that kept her going were small but powerful: clothes, fashion, romance novels, music, her little dog Goose... and seeing her dad and brothers finally smile.
Now, standing at the gates of Tommen, she didn't know what to expect. The loud whispers, the stares-they weren't new to her. She was used to people noticing her. Ginger girls weren't exactly everywhere, and apparently some lads found her "attractive"-which she thought was total bull.
Still, walking into the dining hall on her first day, she wasn't looking where she was going and-
Slam.
She hit something solid. Or rather, someone.