Would You Rather?

1. Rather read only a series or stand-alone books? Stand-alone is what I typically read, but if it’s a really good book, definitely series.

 2. Rather read a book whose main character is male or female? I mostly read from the female perspective, but I don’t have much of a preference.

 3. Rather shop only at Barnes & Noble (or other actual bookstore) or Amazon? Barnes and Noble is pretty pricey, but I love going in the and seeing the cafe and running my fingers over the books. I love how it smells and the music section in the back with all of the new PTX albums and the memories I have there. I remember going there alone with my mom and sitting down in the cafe. She let me order the food, which was a triple chocolate cupcake that we split. Then, we went to the back, found me a book, and sat down on little stools and read for an hour. I love that store. 🙂

 4. Rather all books become movies or tv shows? Movies.

 5. Rather read 5 pages per day or read 5 books per week? 5 books per week.

 6. Rather be a professional book reviewer or an author? Author.

 7.  Rather only read the same 20 books over and over or get to read a new book every 6 months? Why do you hate me??? I guess a new book every 6 months if I had to choose.

 8. Rather be a librarian or own a book store?  Own a bookstore.

9. Rather only read your favorite genre or your favorite author? Genre.

 10. Rather only read physical books or eBooks? I have nothing against e-book readers out there… but I love the feeling of an actual book in my hands. I love the smell of the pages, old and new. I love that they don’t die or get their screen cracked/scratched. I love the actual book.

Books A-Z

I saw this post on Jenny’s Blog (http://jennyinneverland.com) and had to do it! 🙂

Author You’ve Read The Most Books Of: Lauren DeStefano. Her books are just… so amazing, and she really does know how to write well!

Best Sequel Ever: Fever (2nd book in Chemical Garden Trilogy)

Currently Reading: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Drink Of Choice While Reading: Bottled water, I guess?

eReader or Physical Book: Physical, for sure. I own a Nook Color, but real books don’t run out of battery life, get their screen scratched, or crash in the middle of reading.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School: Um… I don’t date, but if I had to choose based on personality, probably Gabriel from the Chemical Garden Trilogy.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It bored me to tears at first (I don’t know how, now that I’ve read the whole thing), but about 1/4 of the way through, it got interesting, and I couldn’t put it down.

Hidden Gem Book: The Internment Chronicles by Lauren DeStefano were pretty amazing.

Important Moment In Your Reading Life: When my English teacher, Ms. Seeley, told my mom and I that I was an amazing writer- and genuinely meant it; it wasn’t just an empty compliment-, that was pretty amazing.

Just Finished: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Kinds Of Books You Won’t Read: No erotica or horror. Just, no.

Longest Book You’ve Read: I read a 600-page book that I can’t remember the name of in seventh grade….

Major Book Hangover Because Of: A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Journey by W. Bruce Cameron. I know, a book about dogs seems babyish. But those books…. let’s just say I went three months without reading another single book.

Number of Bookcases You Own: I’ve been buying a lot of books and not liking them as much as I expected recently and blowing like, 50 bucks in one trip to Barnes and Noble and finding out they’re like all about drugs or erotic or something that was NOT mentioned in the description. So… I don’t have book cases. I have bookends on my desk.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times: I’ve read Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret literally ten times.

Preferred Place To Read: On my comfy bed or on this cute little bench I have in my room or upside down on the couch in the living room. 😀 I like, dangle my head over the edge and my head turns beet red and I get really dizzy.

Quote That Inspires You/Gives You All The Feels From A Book You’ve Read:“She leaned down and looked at his lifeless face and Leisel kissed her best friend, Rudy Steiner, soft and true on his lips. He tasted dusty and sweet. He tasted like regret in the shadows of trees and in the glow of the anarchist’s suit collection. She kissed him long and soft, and when she pulled herself away, she touched his mouth with her fingers…She did not say goodbye. She was incapable, and after a few more minutes at his side, she was able to tear herself from the ground. It amazes me what humans can do, even when streams are flowing down their faces and they stagger on…” -Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

Man, italicizing and doing bolds over and over is exhausting. 😀

Reading Regret: Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You by Joyce Carol Oates. As a sixth grader, reading that “you’re fat if you can pinch your skin between your fingers” wasn’t such a great influence. Plus, the F-Bomb went off in basically every sentence. I know I sound like a prude or something, but I don’t cuss. I was around it every day for years, and I just don’t like it. I’ve been cussed out by people a lot, and I just don’t want to use those words…

Series You Started And Need To Finish: If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman. I loved If I Stay, but I don’t know… Where She Went has just yet to be read. But I’ll read it, someday…. 😀

Three Of Your All-Time Favourite Books: Wither, Fever, and Sever by Lauren DeStefano. Amazing Books.

Unapologetic Fangirl For: Honestly, I don’t fangirl over books… I’m not in any books fandoms b/c sadly, Lauren DeStefano’s books are not huge *impersonates Donald Trump* like other books such as… The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, TFIOS, and Divergent… I am a Pentaholic, though, if you’re into Pentatonix’s music! I’m open to discussion on them! 🙂

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others: I always seem to find books once the whole series has come out…

Worst Bookish Habit: Judging a book by its cover (don’t pretend like we all don’t), getting two words in and deciding I hate the book, and staying up late at night until two AM (Thank you, insomnia.), getting bored, and deciding to go to the bathroom and sitting on the floor mat and reading just so light coming from my room or under my blankets won’t look suspicious…. It’s not weird!

X Marks The Spot: Start At The Top Left Of Your Shelf And Pick The 27th Book:Like I said, I haven’t bought many books lately… just the library for now.

Your Latest Book Purchase: All the Major Constellations by Pratima Cranse.

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late): Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

 

Well…. that’s it for me! Hope this gave you some suggestions of what you might (or might not) like to read!

 

Happy Writing,

-Hannah

 

Chapter Ten

We pulled into his driveway at around 9:00, and I sat still in the back. My back was throbbing and I couldn’t move for a few seconds. When Ryan made it to my side with Mason, I tried to move but doubled over in pain, instead. Ryan told Mason to sit on the trunk while he rushed over to me. He grabbed mouth sides of my waist and lifted me to face him.

“Where?” he asked. I cringed and felt paralyzed. I squeezed back tears as the jabbing pain entered my stomach. I grabbed my back, which only worsened the pain. “Help me,” I said, staring into the blur of Ryan’s face. I took his hand and pretty much squeezed the life out of it. I was sure I’d pass out from the pain and dizziness, but surprisingly didn’t. Ryan was frantic, asking me to turn around. I couldn’t move, but tried as hard as I could. He untied the ribbon tying together my dress. Mason gasped, but I ignored it, scared that Ryan would try to touch the gash. He unwrapped the gauze and threw it across to the other side of the car. I could feel all of the blood, but didn’t know what had happened. He carried me to the passenger seat and rushed me to the hospital.

I couldn’t let my back even touch the seat. It hurt too bad. Ryan still held onto my hand as I fell in and out of consciousness every few seconds. He carried me inside with Mason right at his side. I screamed when he accidentally brushed up against it. A nurse set me on the gurney on my back as if nothing was wrong. I couldn’t take the pain much longer when an IV was hooked up to my arm. I immediately felt relief, hearing the nurse explain to Ryan that I’d gone into shock. He was told to stay behind, and I held onto his hand for as long as possible before I was carried off into another hallway.

—-

I woke in, well, who knew? A hospital room, of course. Where had my Dad been this whole time? I looked to my left, seeing Ryan staring at the TV hooked up in the wall. I couldn’t talk, and the pain in my back was still hurting, but not quite as bad. Ryan startled as I spoke.

“Come here, please,” I said, scared for some reason that he wouldn’t. He rushed over and leaned down. His eyes were almost completely red and bloodshot. “How are you? Are you okay?” he asked, shaking. “How are you? ” I asked him. He repeated his question. “I’m okay- Ryan? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” I said, seeing tears form in his eyes. He spoke as they started to fall. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you. I should’ve let you be last night,” he said, looking down. I shook my head and wiped away his tears. “You didn’t do anything. I promise,” I said, holding his face in my hand. He shook his head and collapsed on my shoulder. I held his head as he cried into my shoulder. He apologized over and over. “Ryan, you’re the sweetest person I know. You didn’t hurt me,” I said, concerned about him. I didn’t know Ryan had the capacity to actually cry.

“Come here,” I said, scooting over slowly to let him on the bed with me. He laid on my shoulder. I wiped away more of his tears and held onto his hand. It took all I had to not cry with him, but I resisted the urge yet again. “What happened to me?” I asked. He wiped at his eyes and explained that I had an infection in my back and had gotten stitches earlier. I nodded and scooted closer to him.

Suddenly, Samantha and Anthony entered with Brooke.

—-

I woke up thrashing and screaming in the dark. I could hear Ryan’s voice behind mine, and I realized that I was in his house. I looked around frantically, scared to see anyone but him. Sweat covered my face, and as I settled down, Ryan held onto my arms, standing over me. I panted and my heart skipped a few beats as I stood up, ignoring the jabs in my back. I walked to the door and locked all of the locks, and walked over to check the windows.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, coming over to me. I locked eyes with Mason, who was balled up in a corner with tears in his eyes. I looked back to Ryan and said, “It was just a bad dream,” as I walked to Mason. I sat with him, wincing when I realized how surreal the pain was, just like in the dream. Mason got up, gave me a hug, and walked over to the couch where I’d been.

“How long have I been out?” I asked Ryan. “About ten minutes. Anyway, now that you’re up, come outside,” he said, shuffling Mason towards the front door. I followed behind Ryan outside and jogged up beside him. “You’re in a bit of a rush,” I said. He nodded, grinning.

We walked along the line of his house to the back yard. a lake was about twenty feet in front of us with the mountains behind it. Trees surrounded the lake, which had a few rocks rising above it and rushing water in the middle. I took off my other shoes and walked to the bank. Ryan and Mason followed. Well, Mason dove into it. I was scared he’d drown the whole time, but he held onto the bank.

The water dipped across my toes and rushed back, kind of like at the beach. Ah, the beach. I haven’t been to the beach in ten years. I miss it, but we can’t afford to go with things like they are right now. that reminds me, I need to get another job to help Dad out. I’m volunteering at the animal shelter weekly, but that doesn’t pay the bills. Anyway, I was snapped out of my thoughts by a wave of water splashing me in the face. Mason did it, of course, laughing and all. I splashed him back.

“Stop it, Mason,” I said, laughing and blocking my face. He did eventually, but my hair was sopping wet along with my clothes. Ryan stood beside me, staring at the mountains.

“It’s amazing here,” I said. He nodded, smiling. I walked over to a small tree and sat down. Ryan stayed with Mason, knowing I’d worry about him if he was alone. He splashed Mason, getting down knee-deep with him. Well, Mason was up to his shoulders, but that doesn’t matter. I smiled, watching them play together.

I touched the grass and stared at the stars, which always calm me. Then I remembered: we had school tomorrow! I didn’t have to go in until noon because of finals, but I still had to take them. I waved at Ryan, panicking because I hadn’t studied enough. Well, three weeks would seem like enough to some, but not me. I needed to study more. They were holding prom after finals at who-knows-where. I didn’t need to worry about that, though, and rushed to tell Ryan that we needed to go home. He nodded, pulling Mason out of the water.

—-

Ryan texted me as I studied in my room, playing “Warrior” over and over again. I couldn’t get tired of that song. I was almost finished by the time one A.M. rolled around. I rubbed my eyes and finished texting Ryan, who sat in my living room with Mason and Dad. Dad had come home about an hour ago, and surprisingly didn’t even kick Ryan out. But we were all exhausted, so it made sense.

Raking a hand through my hair, I opened my closet door and pulled out a tank top and pajama pants. They were clean, now that I’d had the chance to actually do the laundry. We did forget to pay the electricity bill, though, so I had to hand-wash them and we were on a candle-only regimen. Dad just paid it, but the utility company hasn’t gotten it, yet. I pulled on the tank top and pants, then walked slowly down the stairs.

Halfway down, I grabbed my stomach and stopped. I felt what seemed to be needles jabbing through my spinal cord and abdomen, but somehow made it down. Ryan was- get this- sitting with my dad and talking to him. Dad was laughing and talking to him, too. Wow. Mason must’ve been in bed.

“Um… what are you guys doing?” I asked, laughing. My voice was hoarse from speaking my part for the funeral over and over again, so it sounded more like a croak. “Just talking,” my dad said. No. Never would’ve guessed. I walked over and sat beside Dad. “How are you?” I asked. His smile vanished as he glanced up from his phone. “What?” I said, trying to look at his screen. Instead, he hurled it at the wall. Ryan jumped, which I wanted to laugh at, but didn’t. “Dad,” I said as he stood. Ryan looked at me, worried. “What happened?” He shook his head and turned to me. “I just lost my job.” Well, he didn’t say that, but I don’t curse. But that’s a summary of what he said. He proceeded to pick up a lamp and throw it at me, but Ryan blocked it and hurried me up to the balcony in my room with Mason, who was awake now. Great. Just great.

—
Author’s Note:

I didn’t have any time today to edit this or change major details of this chapter… Sorry! I will work on that later!

Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment with any suggestions, comments, or concerns! God bless,

-Hannah 🙂

What I’m Reading Right Now

 

This book has been really good so far… I will probably write a review when I’m finished… but I’m not sure. 😀

Just learned how to edit… loving my new pictures, but it’s a work in progress! 🙂

Updates on My Blog

I know that I have totally neglected this blog lately, and now that I have a new laptop, I have no excuse not to blog. I am going to work on customizing, forming a posting schedule, and editing this blog more in the next month. Long story short, I’ll be working harder on the upkeep of this site for Word Nerds like me and whoever you are reading this. Thank you for being patient with me and all of my procrastination! 🙂

PS: I’m currently searching for a photo editing service online for a better photo quality on here. I’m looking for a free, simple website. Any suggestions are appreciated!

Chapter 9

I counted down to fifteen minutes before people would begin to arrive. Ryan, Victoria, and I lit the candles. I stayed close to Ryan and steered clear of Miss Chirpy for as much time as possible. When we finally worked our way to the front, the church was beautiful. Lights flickered everywhere, and I could smell the peonies from those wax burners. One large chandelier hung above us (Ryan and I), and I glanced nervously at him. He nodded reassuringly at me.

I went over to the door with Ryan and waited for the people to start pouring in. Ryan stared at me for a moment, smiling.

“What?” I asked, smiling, too. “Nothing,” he said. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Nothing.” “I know you’re worried.” “I can’t talk about that, now. Someone’s coming. Get out your candle.” He and I picked up a box each and handed them out as a woman came in.

“Hi. Thank you for coming,” I said quietly, handing her a candle. She nodded, then moved towards the pews to sit. We did that several times, mostly to grinning people from Union High. Then Dad came with Mason. Through tears, Dad accepted a candle. I gave him a quick hug, then went back to business. It took almost a whole hour, but we finally finished and began to walk towards our seats on the front row. I looked around and met the glares of several students.

Before sitting down, we brought around lighters for people to light their own candles. I would start on the outer row and others would pass it down. I smiled at the sight of Mason giggling when he got his candle lit. Dad forced a grin. I didn’t know how to feel for Dad.

Other students whispered behind me as I lit the candles on the final row. “Just ignore them,” Ryan muttered into my ear, putting his hand on my back and rushing me to our seats. When we sat down, he looked at me and mouthed, “You’ll be okay.” I saw Dad and Mason beside me, Dad still upset. Mason was too young to understand the whole process, so I let him play “sticks” with Ryan while I stayed with Dad. “This is my fault,” he whispered. I hugged him tightly as he rested his head on my shoulder. “It’s not. I promise. She loves you, Mason loves you, and I love you.” I could feel stares on my back as we spoke. I let Dad stay where he was, on my shoulder, but quit talking. I’d have to go up soon.

“Maya Collins was an extraordinary woman, wife, and scientist. We will all miss her. Without further ado, Eve Collins, Maya’s daughter,” the pastor said. I’d tuned out of most of his speech before then. Shakily, I stood, speech in hand, and walked up towards the podium, not daring to glance around me in the darkness until I got up there. I stumbled clumsily on the steps, earning myself a chorus of laughter from my school. Ryan stood up, but I shooed him away, laughing with them. When I finally got to the podium, I opened up the parts I’d already scrawled down.

“Hi. I’m Eve. Um, I guess I’ll start now,” I said nervously. Brooke’s laughter was distinct in the audience. “My mom took pleasure in the small things. She didn’t need a 2-carat ring from dad, or a mansion of a house to be happy. She loved the way my dad always left notes on her desk before she left at work, and how Mason would cheer when she cooked his favorite meal. She kept all of the stories I’d write when I had the time to be creative and decided to write novels, which never got finished. And she took a video of everything. My first day of school. My first lost tooth. Mason’s first time on a real toilet,” I said, laughing with the crowd. “I mean everything. But you didn’t come here today for Mom’s autobiography. You came for closure. For comfort. Would it comfort you to know that my mom loved all of us in this room? That she never took anything for granted? Never mistreated anyone if she could help it? I miss my mom. A lot. But she knows and I know that I’ll be okay. We’ll all be okay. Me, Dad, Mason, you. Dad misses her. More than any of you could ever know or feel. But he’s strong. We all know that. I’ll never understand how that feels. To lose the person you love more than anyone else… Like I said, he’s strong. Any other one of us would be curled up in a ball in the corner, sobbing our hearts out if this were to happen to us,” I said. “Mom came down with cancer recently, and there was no time to get her help. I, I can’t think of a stronger person. My mom was so amazing, and I’ll always miss her. She was my best friend, along with the three people sitting right there: Dad, Mason, and Ryan,” I said gesturing to them. I had to pause for a minute before starting again. My eyes watered, but I kept going. “Now listen to the words of this song, my favorite song, for a second-” I said, listening to my favorite part of “Warrior” by Demi Lovato.

“Now I’m a warrior

Now I’ve got thicker skin

Now I’m a warrior
I’m stronger than I’ve ever been
And my armor, is made of steel, you can’t get in
I’m a warrior
And you can never hurt me again.”

“We have to be like warriors for Mom.” My voice began to crack. I stared up at the stars, saying, “I love, you, Mom. I’ll, we’ll miss you. Good-goodbye,” I said, having to stop before I collapsed. I blew out my candle and the audience followed. “But my time is almost up, so I just wanted to thank Victoria, the Priest, and my classmates for showing up and being so supportive. All of you work very hard, and I appreciate you for that,” I said, walking off the stage carefully. Ryan met me at the bottom, where the Priest gave me a hug before sending Victoria up. My Dad sure did pay attention to her speech.

—–

A luncheon was hosted after the service. I ate with Ryan at my side, hoping that no one would bother me. Of course Brooke made a scene, but he ended up “accidentally” flicking mashed potatoes in her hair. We had the burial and went home afterwards. Ryan gathered his things that he’d left that morning while I took off those torture devices they call shoes.

“I told you you’d do fine,” he said, sitting beside me. “Yes, you did,” I said. “And you did great, so stop worrying so much. Brooke’s just a witch.” “Ryan!” “What? She is. You know you think that, too.” Dad came in and signaled for Ryan to leave.

“Eve, I have some… business to take care of tonight. I’ll be gone for two or three hours. Stay here with Mason, and give Ryan a break. He’s around too much, anyway.” I decided to leave his hate for Ryan at rest and just nodded. “Victoria also happened to say she needed the payment. I’m taking another job to pay for this.” I frowned. “We do have money in the bank, right?” He shrugged and walked outside to our car.

“Mason! Come outside! We need to talk!” I yelled up the stairs. He came out of his room, still in his suit. I opened the door to our back yard and sat under one of several huge oak trees with him. “Do you know what happened to Mom?” I said. “She passed.” “What does that mean to you?” I asked. “I don’t know.” “I don’t want to upset you, Mason. But I’m not going to lie to you.” He nodded happily and didn’t suspect a thing. “Mom isn’t coming back. Ever.” “What?” he asked, his expression morphing to confusion. “She got really sick. Then, Mason, she died.” He dropped his head, saying, “But I have to be strong like you, right?” “Well, yes,” I said.

“Want to go up to the balcony?” I asked, standing up out of the tall, flowing grass. He followed me up to my room, where a glass door led to a wood balcony outside. It stood just within reach of our tall oak trees in the backyard. The view amazed me; over the tops of the trees, you had a view of the mountains that backed up to our house. I touched the leaves that had just begun to grow. I lifted Mason up to the edge and let him look out to the mountain. Ryan lived close to there. I hadn’t ever been allowed to go to his house, but I’d wanted to see the mountains since I’d gotten here.

Eve: How are you?

Ryan: Parents fighting again…

Eve: Want to come over here?

Ryan: Do you want to come over here? Want to show you something.

Eve: Where’s your house?

Ryan: I’ll come pick you two up.

Eve: Thank you. I’ll buy dinner. My treat.

Ryan: Why? I can pay

Eve: You’ve been doing so much for me… please

Ryan: But you deserved that, you’re going through hard time

Eve: Please just let me pay. I can do some things by myself.

Ryan: Okay… Thank you

Eve: I’m sorry about your parents, know them fighting is hard

Ryan: It’s fine, coming 2 your house now, can’t txt and drive bye

Eve: Bye

I waited with Mason on the porch for Ryan, hoping we’d get home before Dad. He stood behind me, grasping the back of my dress, which I’d forgotten to even take off. I put one hand one his head and used the other to put my hair back in a ponytail.

I ran inside the house for a few minutes to wipe off the makeup that was starting to run from the humidity outside. For winter, it was awfully warm. I washed my face, but couldn’t reapply any makeup before Ryan got back.

We stepped into his car, Mason in the back with me. Ryan drove for about ten minutes and wouldn’t stop glancing at me.

“What?” I asked. “Something’s different.” I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. “You took off your makeup. I’ve never seen you without it,” he said, smiling at me. “I know, I look like crap,” I said, rubbing my eyes. He shook his head and smirked at me. “I like you without it, too,” he said as we arrived.

Chapter 6

I practiced my eulogy in silent whispers beside him, careful to be extremely quiet. Crickets chirped outside as I recited everything that flowed out of my mouth.

Mom, I miss you. Everyone misses you. I know you’re up there with Chase, happy as can be. You’ve been such a great mom… Not a day goes by that I don’t think about you now. Now everyone’s here for you. Look how many people you’ve touched. We’re all here because we loved you. We still do. Dad, especially. Mason. Me. We all love you. And it hurt to lose you. But we’re going to stay strong for you. All of us.

I still remember when you told me how you saved that owl in the backyard. I still remember you fixing its broken wing. You helped rehabilitate it for a month and a half. I was mad at first. That stupid owl took all the attention. But when I got over it, I’d realized you’d done it because it was my favorite animal, and I felt so bad for getting mad over it. You instantly forgave me, and you told me, “I love you. Nothing will ever change that.” I still love you, Mom, and nothing will ever change that.

I closed my eyes, my lip quivering. Stop it, I thought. You don’t even deserve to be here. Stop. I looked over to Ryan. He stared at me sleepily.

“That sounded great.” “I said it out loud?” I asked, embarrassed. “Yeah.” “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up,” I said as my cheeks burned. “Look at me,” he said. I stared at his forehead. “Look at me.” “Why?” “You know you can talk to me.” “Yes. I know,” I said nervously. “Come on. What’s wrong?” he asked. “Nothing!” “You look so sad,” he said with concern in his eyes. “I’m worried about you, Eve.” “Why?” “Do you miss her?” “Yes,” I said softly. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said. “It’s fine. Go to sleep.” “Are you sure?” “Why do you keep on asking me that?” I asked, sitting up on my elbow. “Eve, you miss her. I miss her. Your dad and brother miss her. All I’m saying is that, if you need someone to talk to, I’m here.” I laughed. “Trust me, I won’t.” “That story upset you.” “No… I’m just tired.” “Okay. Then stop worrying.” he asked, looking closely at me. I nodded, then turned over stubbornly.

“Are you cold? Do you need a blanket?” he said. I shook my head. “No.” He lightly placed his hand on my shoulder. I shivered and buried my head in between the couch and my pillow. He rubbed my shoulder and gently placed his other hand around my waist. Heat radiated off of him, making me even more chilled. Physical contact was not my forte, obviously. But I was freezing cold and couldn’t bear it anymore, so I leaned back against him.

Rain tapped against the window beside me and thunder crashed loudly. Ryan looked up, annoyed, and buried his face against my head, muttering angry comments.

—-

I shimmied into the blue dress and put on the only pair of heels I owned, which were plain black. I pulled out my black wallet, which had a feather pinned to the front. Finally, I went to the mirror and redid my makeup and hair. I’d curled it, and it fell beneath my shoulders and framed my face. The dress wasn’t as tight as it seemed in the store, but was still extremely short. I tried to pull it down to my knees but only hurt my back in the process.

I’d told Ryan about freaky coach earlier, and he’d understood. I was afraid he’d be mad, but thankfully he just laughed and wished me luck. I made my way slowly down the stairs. Mason waited in the car outside, and Dad was at the church.

I got into the car with my adorable little brother. I laughed as he said, “You’re so… pretty!” “Thanks, Mason.” We drove down the road, and I planned my excuse for missing the date. I’d hoped he’d still be there, and I was actually right. He was walking in circles on the field and gave me a hug as we approached. I cringed when he squeezed my back right on the cut.

“Hey, Eric. Listen, um, I really needed to bring Mason with me. My dad’s still at church,” I said. “Well, where’s your mom?” he asked impatiently. I bit my lip and stared at the ground. “Mason, um, go back to the car and bring me my wallet,” I said. I didn’t intend to let him know about Mom yet. “She, uh, she passed yesterday,” I said to Eric once Mason left. “Oh, Eve, I’m so sorry,” he said, hugging me again. I merely patted him on the back as Mason ran back up to me.

I gave Eric a warning glance, and he seemed to get it. I took my wallet from Mason, and we walked down to the small Italian restaurant. Being in heels, I leaned on Mason’s small shoulder halfway there.

We were seated after a ten minute wait, and I let Eric order for me. I sat quietly while we waited. Eric couldn’t stop talking to Mason and me about Mason’s upgrade, the playoffs, and anything else on Earth.

My thoughts were on Mom the entire time, but I occasionally smiled to Eric and would reply with one word if asked a question. I didn’t eat anything, just picked at my food. After what seemed an eternity, we left. At least Mason had a huge smile on his face. Eric grabbed me hand on the walk  back to my car. Mason made faces at me when Eric wasn’t looking. That got a laugh out of me as we finally got to the car, where I thanked Eric for a great night and sped off quickly.

I had to make it to the church for a meeting after dropping off Mason at the house again with Ryan.

—–

“You will perform the eulogy. Afterwards, I will speak until the end of the ceremony.” I nodded. The pastor had invited us to a meeting today to plan the funeral. I still had no idea what I’d say, so I just made something up. He seemed pleased, and left dad and me to talk.

“You sit on the front row and wait until he’s done, then you go on the right side, not left. Then, cross over, wait for the piano to stop, then start talking,” he said. “Okay. Dad?” “What?” “How do I tell Mason?” I asked. “Just wait until I get home,” he said. “Can I go to the mall to get a dress for the funeral?” “When we’re done here,” he said. “I never told you how sorry I was,” I said. “Thanks.” Just then, the pastor walked back inside with an attendant. She had blonde hair and fair skin; she was also very bubbly for a funeral planner. She outstretched a hand covered in bracelets, her nails decorated with… strange… owls.

“Hi! I’m Victoria, your funeral manager! And what’s your name, sweetie?” she asked, bending over top of me. I’m not five years old, lady. I took her hand after she shook dad’s hand, then spoke. “Eve.” “Eve! So nice to meet you! Come right this way.” My dad followed behind me to the chapel. Her heels clanked against the floor as she spoke. “So, we’ve already decided on the date, tomorrow. Everything but the cosmetics has been covered. Do you want heavy, light, or no makeup for, um, Mrs. Collins?” she asked as she batted her long eyelashes at Dad. “Uh, Eve?” he asked. “No! No, um,” she said waving her hand, waiting for him to get it. “Mom,” I said monotonously. “Just light,” he muttered. She nodded and walked us to the door. “Here’s my number, err, card, if you ever need to make extra arrangements,” she said, slipping it into dad’s hand. I rolled my eyes and got into the car.

“Can you just drop me off when we get there?” “Mm hmm,” he mumbled, saying, “And buy me a pretzel while you’re in there.” “Nice funeral planner they’ve got there,” I said, laughing as I got out of the car. Dad blushed and drove off quickly.

I headed down to the cheaper stores. I typically get my clothes at Walmart, other than special occasions, but that’s just me. I raked through racks of black dresses, trying to find one that would be good for me.

“Hey.” I nearly wet myself before turning around. “What are you doing here? Shopping for a prom dress? Oh. Just buying a dress for the funeral?” Samantha asked. “Yes, Sam. For the funeral. What do you need?” I asked. “Nothing. Just wanted to tell you that I’ll be there with all of my other friends. Just for support. Aren’t I so gracious?” I turned back around to the dress I’d been eying, picked it up, and worked my way to the cashier.

“But, wait. Your mom’s dead. How will you even give a speech? I mean, you can’t even manage to go back to school after she gets sick.” “Keep the change,” I said. “You can’t just keep on ignoring me.” I stopped and glanced over my shoulder. “What do you want from me, Sam?” I asked. “Oh. Look! There’s Anthony! Come here!” she said, grabbing and pulling my arm toward the bathrooms.

“I don’t see him, Sam,” I said anxiously. “Oh, trust me, you will.”

Chapter 5

My dad walked down the hall with a nurse, his eyes sunken in and stubble beginning to grow on his face. How long had it been since he’d come home?

“Is she?” He nodded slowly. “Go home, Eve.” “But I just got here,” I said hesitantly, afraid of the answer. “Eve, do you have any idea how it feels to love someone? I gave everything for that woman! Do you know how that feels? No!” he shouted. Ryan stepped in front of me protectively. I tried not to let my emotions take over. I’d been yelled at by Dad my entire life. Why let it bother me now? Ryan guided me back to the parking lot as Dad went back down the hall with a nurse.

Heat blasted from the vents in his car, but I still shivered. Ryan looked over at me and handed me his coat. “Thank you.” I huddled against the window and laid my head down. “Can I ask you something?” he said. “Go ahead.” “Why aren’t you even upset?” he asked, glancing at me. “It’s not my place,” I said. “Yes it is. You’re her daughter.” “Ryan, it’s not bad to be strong. That’s what I’m doing,” I said, laughing. “I just wanted to tell you that if you need anything, you can come to me,” he said as he pulled on to my street.

“Thank you, but I think Mason needs it more than me,” I said. “How is he?” “He got upset this morning because he missed mom. Now I don’t know what to tell him.” “Wait until tomorrow,” he said as he helped me out of the car. Mason came running up to us with a smile on his face, to my surprise.

“I fixed dinner.” My eyes popped open. Run-limping inside, I was pleased to see he hadn’t burnt the house down yet. I took boiling water off of the stove, wondering how he thought of that as dinner. Then again, he was only four.

They walked in just as soon as I finished making chicken sandwiches. I set them on the table and went upstairs to change clothes.

“Need a little help there?” Ryan asked. I could barely make it up to the first step. Why was falling on my butt so painful? It was supposed to be sore for a few minutes, not excruciatingly painful. “I’m fine.” He came over to help me anyway and told Mason to pray, then start eating whenever he was ready. Ten o’clock was a bit late for dinner, but Mason hadn’t eaten yet.

“Thank you for staying,” I said as we reached my room. “No problem.” “Do your friends think we’re dating?” I asked. “What?” “Brooke called you ‘Prince Charming’ a few weeks ago. Do people think we’re together?” “I was hoping to never have to worry you about that, but yes. But there’s bound to be rumors at that place.” “How many people think that?” I asked. “Anyone you ask. But don’t over-think it. No one talks about it much anymore.” I sat down on my bed. “I need to change. I’ll be down in a minute.” He walked out and shut my door.

Since I had nothing else to wear, I just pulled out pajama pants and a t-shirt from my dirty basket of clothes. After ten or fifteen minutes, I was finally able to get the shirt over my head. I made my way downstairs slowly, the floorboards creaking with every step.

“Mason, are you done?” I asked. “Yeah. Can I stay up and watch TV?” I shook my head and led him up to his room. “No. You’ve already stayed up later than you should have.” “Will Mommy come home tonight to tuck me in?” “No.” “Okay. Will she tomorrow?” “I don’t know, Mason. Just get in the bed, and I’ll tell you a story.” He hopped in his bed and sat up anxiously.

“Once upon a time, there was a boy who needed to go to bed,” I said, annoyed. He crawled under the covers chuckling. I turned out the light and followed Ryan back downstairs.

I laid down on the couch in our living room and went through the events that had all happened in this one day. First, I had to wear yoga pants to Mason’s baseball practice. The coach asked me out, and then I left for the hospital. I visited with mom, then left for the mall. At the mall, I found a dress for that date with the coach. Oh my gosh! I forgot about the date! I’ll meet with him tomorrow and do it then.

I also saw Brooke and Samantha together, but got out before they spotted me. On my way back, Ryan called. He was really nice and, when we got to the hospital, I found out she was dead. Then, we came home and I’m here now. I closed my eyes, finally getting a moment to rest.

“What are you thinking about?” Ryan asked from the doorway. “How am I going to tell him?” “Tell who?” “Mason,” I said. “I don’t know. Let your dad do that.” “No. Dad can’t even handle it himself. I don’t want to put him through it,” I said. “You’re right.” “But I don’t know what to say.” “Just tell him that mom is okay, but she’s not coming home,” he said. “That will upset him.” “Listen. You are one of the smartest people I know. I’m sure you’ll come up with something,” he said, moving over to the side of the couch. “Just relax and go to sleep,” he said. I looked up at him worriedly. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure nothing happens.” “It’s just, I don’t know how Dad’s going to cope, or Mason. Dad tends to get… violent when he’s upset.” “If he lays a hand on you,” he said, balling his fists. I laughed. “Just worry about yourself for now.” He helped me off the couch into the bathroom after a few minutes, waiting for me outside. Luckily, I just needed to examine at my hands and face. I decided to look at my back, just to see if it was bruised at all. I took a picture, since twisting wasn’t an option.

“What the heck?” I said loudly. My lower back was fifty shades of black and purple. I wasn’t even daring to look any lower. I trembled violently. The sight of my back was already nauseating me. Ryan knocked on the door several times and called out to me before I unlocked it for him to come in. I looked up to him and turned around, lifting the back of my shirt for him to see.

“Please don’t touch it,” I said, my head swirling. “I won’t,” he said as he looked at it. He looked up at me and said, “Do you have any gauze?” “Yeah. Why?” “You’re bleeding,” he said. “What? I wasn’t before. Let me see it,” I said frantically. He stopped me. “No, let me do it. I’ll take care of it. Just give me the gauze.” I reached for it in the cabinet and gave the gauze to him. “I need a wet cloth.” I ran my hands under the cold water, then handed it to him. I cringed as he patted and compressed the scrape or whatever it was. To keep from pushing me forward, he held the front of my stomach as he pushed and wrapped the gauze around my waist. Shivering, I put my hands on the sink as he wrapped it, his other hand occasionally brushing against my stomach.

“Sorry. Know this is weird,” he said as he tucked the gauze inside the wrapped portion. Pulling my shirt back down, he turned me around gently by the waist.

“What if it doesn’t stop bleeding?” I asked. He helped me back down the hallway. “I’ll make sure it does. Just go to sleep,” he said, covering me in a blanket again on the other couch that wasn’t stained with blood. “Night,” he said, laying down beside me on the floor.

“I don’t want you to sleep down there. We’re in the middle of winter,” I said. “The other couch is bloody and wet, but it’s not your fault. I can sleep down here tonight. I’m fine.” I tugged on his arm. “Get up here.” He laid down, facing the opposite direction of me and sighing. I turned away after giving him a blanket. “Try to get some sleep,” he said. “What about school tomorrow?” I asked. “Tomorrow is the weekend.” “Good. I can’t handle Brooke anymore.”

“She needs to do some soul searching. Maybe she’ll find one,” he said, chuckling. I laughed as well and turned around slowly to be careful on my back. He turned towards me, too. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep, now. I’m too paranoid about Dad getting a restraining order for ripping phones out of the hospital walls.” “He’s done that before, I’m guessing?” Ryan asked. “When my mom had a miscarriage.” “He ripped a phone out of the wall?” “No. He, well, he punched the doctor in the face.” Ryan laughed. “I don’t think he likes me,” Ryan said sarcastically, faking a sniffle. “I would’ve never guessed,” I said, laughing, “He’s just overprotective. Doesn’t want anyone to take me away from him.” “How would I take you away from him?” he asked. “No idea. Anyway, thanks for staying. And being so nice to Mason,” I said, looking at my phone as it went off.

“Just got a text from dad. One minute.” “Mind if I see?” he asked. “No.” He looked over my shoulder, his warm breaths on my neck. This sent a chill down my spine, but I read on.

—-

Matt: How are you?

Eve: Fine. You?

Matt: Don’t even ask. How’s Mason?

Eve: Okay. He doesn’t know yet, but I’ll tell him tomorrow.

Matt: Has he gotten upset yet?

Eve: No. I haven’t either.

Matt: Good. Is anyone else in the house?

Eve: Um, Ryan’s been over here to help out with Mason.

Matt: …

Matt: Anyway, stay safe, lock the doors

Eve: Well, I need to go to bed.

Matt: Is he sleeping on the other couch? Don’t want you two on the same bed.

Eve: The other couch is bloody- err, I mean wet.

Matt: Why’s it bloody? Did you get hurt?

Eve: I’m FINE. Just scraped myself. My bed is uncomfortable, and my back hurts every time I sleep on it. Ryan’s sleeping on one couch with me, because I don’t want him sleeping on the floor. Not a big deal.

Matt: Okay… Night.

Eve: When will you be home?

Matt: Tomorrow

Eve: In time for the meeting?

Matt: Yes. Night.

Eve: Night.

—-

I still couldn’t sleep. I just stared at the couch for a minute before Ryan spoke up.

“Do you want to talk about it?” “Mom or my back?” I asked. “Your back. What happened?” I told him about that morning and he nodded. “Do you want to talk about your mom?” he said. “I guess. Promise you won’t send me to therapy?” He laughed and promised.

—–

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment below with any comments, suggestions, or questions you may have. I will have more chapters out soon. God bless! Have a great day! 🙂

Chapter 3

“Where’s mommy?” Mason asked. “Mom is over at the doctor.” He frowned. “Why?” “Well, mom got a little sick. She’ll be home soon. She just needs to let go of this,” I said, trying to explain it in a simple way. “You know how when you get sick, mom takes you to the doctor?” “Yeah.” “Daddy just had to take mom to the doctor this time. And it may be a while before she can go home.” He smiled. “Okay. I’m going to make mommy a card.” He ran inside the house, which was looking pretty rusty at the moment. Wilted flowers stood on the shutters, and the roof had a coat of black mold on the shingles. Suddenly, my phone rang for the fiftieth time that day.

—

(Unknown number): So… I heard about your mom. Too bad it wasn’t someone else… say, you!

Eve: Who is this?

(Unknown number): Doesn’t matter. The whole school knows, anyway. And everyone agrees with me. You don’t belong here. By the way, your mom deserves it.

Eve: Who is this?

(Unknown number): Who do you think? For an Honors student, you’re not very bright.

Eve: …

—

So the whole school knows. Great. One more thing to worry about. But there wasn’t a reason to sit around and mope all day. I breezed through the house, adjusting pillows on the beds and putting Mason’s backpack in his room. As I made my way to my bedroom, the door opened behind me.

“Dad?” I called out. “It’s Sam. Want me to help you study?” I nodded. “I thought you had a date with Anthony,” I said. “Oh! I totally forgot about our date! Sorry, I have to go,” she said, running out the door. “That’s what I thought.” I saw a slip of paper she’d dropped on the floor on the way out. When I picked it up, it read:

Cut it with her or we’re done. –A

—

Eve: What’s “cut it with her or we’re done” supposed to mean?

Sam: What?

Eve: Come on. You dropped a paper with that on it when you left.

Sam: Oh. That. Something I need to tell you…

Eve: You left for your jock boyfriend at his first beck and call, but when I need your help, you don’t even care.

Sam: OMG. Chill. I just needed to stay committed to Anthony. That note? It’s not important. Don’t worry about it. IDK why you’re so worked up over one note.

Eve: Your “committed” boyfriend wants you to drop it with me. I’m not Captain of the cheer team, and he doesn’t want to be associated with me. You don’t either, do you?

Sam: That’s totally a lie. You know we’re besties, right?

Eve: My mom is on her deathbed. You couldn’t stand to even help me study for five minutes to get my mind off this. You just had to get ready for your date three hours early.

Sam: Look. If you can’t accept that I’m in a relationship and you’re not, that’s your problem. I’m trying to be nice to you. But you need to quit being conceited. I have a life, too.

Eve: Really, Sam? I know you have a life. I’m not jealous of your relationship, either. Just wishing you’d value a friendship more than a boy you just met. Just saying.

Sam: 1, he is a man. 2, I do value our friendship. But not enough to neglect another relationship. I think you need to quit being so annoying, rude, and grumpy. I know this is hard, but that gives you NO RIGHT TO TREAT ME LIKE THIS.

Eve: Okay. I’m sorry. Just hear me out.

Sam: STOP! I’m sick of it being all about you! Consider me for once! I always comfort you when you’re sad. I always help you when you need it. You are so annoying! Just shut up and be a good friend! You haven’t been since we met. Never once did you do what I wanted. You’re sick. You’re not even nice. You’re ugly inside and out. I’m only friends with you now because I’ve felt bad for you. You don’t even deserve me or Ryan.

Eve: …Think about what you just said to me. I hope you know what you’re doing. And don’t bring him into this.

Sam: I’m done with you and your drama. You’re just an idiot who no one will ever like. By the way, Brooke says hi.

Eve: … Why are you with her?

Sam: At least she’s not a worthless brat like you. You take after your mom. She does deserve it.

—

Well, it seems to me that I’ve just lost one of my best friends.

Chapter 2

—–

A/N: I know these are boring typically, but just so you know, the last chapter was a flashback for Eve. This chapter is present-day. And thanks to all of you who liked this! I wasn’t expecting that much. But thank you!

God bless! Thanks for reading!

—–

“Anthony’s so sweet… tonight we’re going on another date,” Samantha said dreamily. She’s been all over this guy for a month now. Quarterback on the football team, admired by whole student body, and anything else he could want. Samantha doesn’t really have time for anything but him now, so I spend most of my time alone at home or with Ryan. I don’t mind it much, though. Finals are coming up, and I’m a huge ball of stress. I’ve been studying nonstop, and I’ve only gotten halfway through.

“Good… Can you come over to my house Friday? I could use your help studying.” “No, sorry. Anthony’s helping me pick out a prom dress today.” I laughed. “Sam, prom is two months away. And I thought you weren’t going.” “Well… Anthony asked me, so I have to go! Everyone’s coming! What senior doesn’t go to prom?” “Um, I don’t. Even if I wanted to, my dad wouldn’t dare let me go.” Sam frowned. “You’re not going? But who will I have to talk to?” “Hmm. How about oh, I don’t know, your date?” “Eve, please come. I’ve never even seen you in a dress. Please!” I stood from the table. “I just told you. My dad won’t let me go. Wait a second. My dad just texted me,” I said, walking outside.

—

Dad: Eve go to the office.

Eve: Why?

Dad: Your mom’s in the hospital.

Eve: What?

Dad: She fainted at work. Coming to pick you up.

Eve: Okay. Coming.

—
“I need to go. Get Ryan.”

I ran down the hallway just as the bell rang, weaving through crowds of students, leaving Samantha behind.

“What happened?” I asked as I got in his truck. “She just fainted at her desk. Someone found her in the floor and called 911. She’s bleeding internally. Her, her heart stopped-” he said, placing his hand on his mouth. Tears welled in his eyes. “I’ll meet you at the hospital. I’m driving my own car.” He nodded and drove off quickly.

I paid the toll at the hospital gate and walked into the ER.

“What room is Maya Collins in?” I asked the desk attendant. “Are you family?” I rolled my eyes. “Yes! Let me see my mom!” “Social Security Number.” “Who cares about hers? Just let us see my wife!” my dad yelled from behind me.

A nurse quickly waved us into the room. Mom laid in a bed with about fifteen IV’s hooked up to her arms.

“The patient has been diagnosed with leukemia. She has scarred tissue on her stomach lining and was diagnosed too late. We apologize for the inconvenience.” I looked at the nurse. “What are you saying? There’s nothing you can do?” I asked. She looked at me sympathetically, ignoring my father. “The doctor will be in shortly.” My dad turned away from me, his voice wavering. “I need to go somewhere,” he said, opening the door again. I continued to stare at my mom’s now lowering heart rate.

“Hey, mom,” I said, “It’s me. It’s Eve. Don’t leave us. Don’t leave Dad and Mason. Don’t put them through it. Don’t do it. Hold on. Just hold on a little longer.” I held her hand and listened to the silence. My phone went off soon after that, scaring me half to death.

—

Ryan: Where are you?

Eve: Hospital.

Ryan: Are you ok? What happened? Tell me you’re ok.

Eve: I’m fine. My mom isn’t.

Ryan: What happened?

Eve: Fainted at work. Internal bleeding. Leukemia. One-Two weeks left.

Ryan: …

Eve: I’m sorry. Talk to you later.

Ryan: You don’t have to be sorry. Not your fault.

—

Dad walked back in with the doctor, rubbing his eyes and his face tear-stained. “There’s nothing you haven’t already heard; she doesn’t have very long. We’re considering Chemotherapy, but that may put the patient through more trouble than it’s worth. I recommend we just let the cycle run its course. Not much we have left to do,” he said expressionlessly. My dad turned around, his anger evident. “Take my daughter with you. Leave me alone.” I followed the doctor out to the hall. He entered another room and shut the door loudly. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the wall, of which I could hear my dad’s choked sobs through. The silence of hospitals always bothered me. Nothing seemed to be going on, and even surrounded by hundreds of people, you’d still feel all the more alone.

—

Ryan: How are you doing?

Eve: Alright.

Ryan: Your dad?

Eve: Sobbing in the room. I’m outside.

Ryan: I’m on my way with Sam right now. We just got out. See you soon.

Eve: Okay. Thank you.

—

I leaned against the wall and let out a sigh, hearing my Dad choke over his cries through the walls.
—–
Samantha ran towards me as soon as we saw each other. She hugged me tightly and knocked the air out of my lungs. I hugged her back gently, willing the tears that stung my eyes to go away. As soon as she let go, Ryan caught up to us. He waited for a moment, staring at the door. I got away from Sam and looked up at him.

“Is she in pain?” he asked quietly. “No. Two weeks left. Too late to really do anything,” I said expressionlessly. I walked past them, heading for the cafeteria. “I’m hungry. Are you guys coming, or not?” I asked hurriedly. I sniffled as quietly as possible and closed my eyes.
Ryan jogged up in front of me. “Are you okay?” he asked with concern in his eyes.

No. I honestly want to crawl up in a ball right now. No, don’t think like that. There’s no point. You’ll be fine.

“Yeah! I’m fine, just tired,” I said, biting my lip. Whenever I’m nervous (or lying), I always bite my lip or adjust my hair. Also, dirt specks on the ground become extremely interesting. “I don’t buy it,” they both said in unison. Samantha gave me a long hug and finally stepped away towards the cafeteria, glancing at me before disappearing.
“You okay?” He asked, touching my arm gently. I nodded and stared intently at the floor. I felt the tears begin to build up more and more, but I knew I had to keep it in.

He gently pulled me into a hug and ran his hands along my back.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into my hair. I wanted to lose it right there- and I almost did- but I choked back anything related to tears. I shook a little bit from shock, but I think he pretended not to notice. “I’m so, so sorry,” I whispered. “It’s not your fault,” he said into my ear, putting his hand on my head. “I-she, I,” I stuttered as I tried to hold back my tears. He pulled me closer to him protectively and slipped both hands around my waist, pressing his face into my neck. I sighed and finally relaxed, laying my head against his warm chest. He leaned his head against mine and rubbed the back of mine with his thumb.
“Come on. I’ll get you something to eat,” he said, letting go of me after a few seconds.

Chapter 1

I still remember the first time we met, last year.

On that day, I sat in the back of the class, anxiously waiting to get to the library. Mr. Bowen’s voice boomed and radiated against the walls. I snapped to attention as my name was called.

“Eve Collins.” “Here,” I said quietly. Eventually, role was finished and he left the room to meet with another teacher. Here we go. Brooke swirled around in her seat.

“So, Eve, when does that Appearance Improvement club of yours meet? As far as I can see, you’ve still got a long way to go,” she said, zeroing in on my nose with her perfectly painted, violet fingernail. I returned to my book, ignoring the continuous snickers throughout the class. “Hey,” she said, snapping, “pay attention! I’m serious! How about going for a walk once in a while? It couldn’t hurt,” she said, giggling. “And besides,” she said, “you wouldn’t be nearly as disgusting if you-” She was cut off by another student. “Leave her alone. She never did anything to you,” a guy from the back corner of the class said. I didn’t know his name at the time.

As soon as the bell rang, I bolted for the door, nearly taking Mr. Bowen to the ground. As I reached the library, I saw Samantha sitting at one of the desks.

I set my books down on the table heavily. “What was it this time?” she asked. “The usual. I should exercise more, blah, blah, and blah, blah. Nothing that I haven’t already heard. Some guy told her to cut it out, then the bell rang.” This got her attention. “Who?” I shrugged. “Describe him,” she said eagerly. “Dark brown hair. Wears hoodies all the time. Sits in back of class. Seems nice enough.” She smiled. “Ryan Ellis? Aww…” she cooed. I glared at her but couldn’t help laughing at the dorky faces she was making. “So. Tell me. Do you think he’s cute?” she said. I slapped her arm. “Stop. Hey, can you come to my house this afternoon?” I asked. “Sure,” she said, “but can Ryan come, too? I want to let him know about boundaries,” she said, pounding her fist on the table. I shook my head. “Why? I want to at least meet the guy,” she begged. I told her I’d call her as soon as I figured something out, then left to my next class.

——

The opportunity to talk with what’s-his-name came at Track practice after dismissal. I was a nervous wreck, which doesn’t make sense, since I barely even know the guy.

Cautiously, I jogged up behind him on the first lap. Keeping a few feet away, I started to talk quietly.

“Uh, hi. I, um, I,” I stuttered. Nailed that one. He looked over at me expectantly. “I, um, I just wanted to, uh, tell you that I, I appreciated what you said earlier today. Thank you,” I said quickly. “Didn’t think a girl like you should have to take that,” he said, eyes forward. “What’s a ‘girl like me’ supposed to mean?” I asked. He laughed. “No offense. I just wanted to help you out. You’re nice and smart, and that’s why I thought you wouldn’t want to say anything to them. But they’ve still been doing this too long.” By “them”, he meant the group of six that practically the whole school worships. Every school has them. The ones everyone’s too afraid of to say anything to. Well, except for Ryan. That’s his name, right?

“Well, thanks, anyway. That’s my other friend, Samantha,” I said, pointing to the frizz of curly red hair bouncing up behind us. “Hey…” she said, winking at me. “Can you come to her house after practice today?” she asked suddenly. I glared at her, my face on fire. He seemed stunned and just as embarrassed as I was. “Um…sure?” he said doubtfully. I grabbed Samantha by the arm. “Excuse me for a minute.”

After a long lecture and being forced to give him my address, practice finally ended. We got into my car, Samantha in the back.

“He’s cute. You don’t mind if I steal him, do you?” she asked, giggling. I didn’t reply. “Eve? If it matters that much, you can have him. Something wrong?” I laughed. “No, I’m just tired. I’m fine. Just ready to get home.” When we got inside, I immediately saw my dad’s disappointment. He didn’t even fake a smile.

“Eve, who’s this?” I smiled nervously. Standing beside Ryan, I said, “Dad, this is Ryan. We’re working on a project for Biology. We’ll be done by dinner. Okay?” I said desperately, my eyes pleading. “Okay,” he said, eyeing Ryan as we sprinted up the stairs.

Samantha nearly died laughing once we got in my room. “You’re a great liar,” she admitted. Ryan stood in the doorway, gazing around my room. “What did you want to tell me, exactly?” I motioned for him to sit down on my bed. Then, Samantha began the interrogation. “Why did you even say anything in the first place?” “She’s a nice girl from what I know. She didn’t deserve it.” “Do you regret doing that?” “Of course not. I just made a new friend.” I blushed, staring at a suddenly very interesting piece of dirt on the floor. “Do you plan to treat my girl well when you two go out?” “Samantha Colleen Maxwell!” I whisper-yelled. I looked up to see his face bright red, like mine. “No comment,” he said shyly.

After another thirty minutes of pure torture, I finally got Samantha and Ryan out the door. My dad called Mason into the kitchen with me.

“Mason! How was school?” I asked. “Good. Ellie’s birthday was today, and I got a green cupcake at lunch!” “Cool! It’s your turn to pick where we eat tonight!” He tapped his finger against his chin. “Pizza!” “Good choice. That okay with you, dad?” He glared at me, still fuming from earlier. “Mom?” I hadn’t seen her all day. “Sounds great.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” he said. “Hmm?” “You heard me. I’ve told you no boys. Until you’re out of my house, no boys.” “Dad, he just came over for that project. Nothing more. Okay? Nothing more.” He stared blankly at his food. “No. He doesn’t come over here. No exceptions. No more.” “Why would he, dad? It was one time.” Mason stared at dad. “Fine. Just finish your dinner.”

“Stop being a grump, Matt. If she wants to have him over, let her,” my mom said. “He’s not coming over. My house, my rules!” he said, walking outside.

Author’s Note:

Thanks for reading if you got this far! 😀 This is the first chance I got to post… I’ve been really busy. Hope this first chapter wasn’t too bad. Let me know if you have any suggestions, and if you want to keep on reading, I have several websites where I write other chapters ahead of time. This is the first one: http://shrib.com/numberone?v=nc.

Thanks for reading! God bless all of you~ Happy Writing! 🙂

Introduction

So… I’ve been working on a novel for a while now, and I was going to use this blog to post chapters. I can’t promise I’ll post daily, but I’ll post as often as I can. 🙂 Chapter 1 should be out soon!

Feel free to leave questions, suggestions, and comments below. Thanks for visiting! 🙂

Hi, Fellow Writers!

Need something to read? Want a book review? Need literary (or personal, if that’s what you need) advice?

I’ve started this blog to share my love of reading and writing with others. I’ve attempted to keep three blogs before this one, but they never got much traffic or interest. If you have any suggestions or questions for me, please let me know through email, or reply to one of my posts.

Thank you! 🙂

-Hannah