The Jock's Secret Crush

Chapter one

EMILY

Life is tough.

I don't know about anyone else but it's always been tough for me. Be it school, or making friends, I've always struggled with it.

I've noticed how natural it comes to some other people like my brother, Cale. He's an example of how to become an extrovert and a nerd. He would party hard, study the day before the exam, and...

Viola!

A fucking 'A+'

I study all year and I get a C.

Well, that probably goes to show how dumb I am. Kidding. I'd swallow the largest ice-berg in Antarctica before admitting that in front of my brother.

I stand on the weighing machine and look down at it. I was pretty sure I'd lost a few pounds when I tried dieting last time. I reached for my leftover extra cheesy slice of margarita pizza and took a bite of it. I looked into the mirror and that's when my confidence deflated. My family always told me not to worry, and that I looked great, that being chubby was the new trend blah...blah...and that was bullshit. Literally.

I pulled on a baggy pink sweater over my high-waist blue jeans and ran a brush through my hair. I took some time to apply a bit of blush on my cheeks, then I wore some mascara and a plum red matt lipstick. By the time I was done, my hair was in curls. I liked getting dolled up, I always made sure I would make up in my appearance what I couldn't with my weight. I think it's all about the confidence, and makeup gave me that confidence. It's not that I did a full glam so early in the morning, but since the last couple of weeks, I'd been applying some blush.

It's because of Seth Monroe.

A small voice in my head whispered.

Shut up! I told that voice.

I couldn't deny it though. Whenever Seth came into my mind, I'd have these insane butterflies inside my stomach.

Not that he noticed me or anything. We were barely friends.

Okay fine! We hadn't even said 'Hi' and that's mostly because whenever I tried to talk to Seth or tried to smile or something, he'd quickly look away as if he couldn't stand to look at me.

I went downstairs into the kitchen and found no one there.

Then I remembered, the cook was admitted to the hospital for the past few days. Ruth, the house-help suddenly fainted and had to be rushed in an ambulance. She'd been more like a mother to me, more so since mine had passed away when I was little. So, I was dead worried, what if this was something serious?

I tried not to think about what would happen to me if something were to happen to Ruth.

I grabbed a granola bar from the pantry, a banana, and a flavored yogurt. I'd be having this for lunch today and that was incase if I didn't get hungrier, then I'd have to buy lunch too.

I grabbed for the keys of my BMW and walked out of the house.

* * *

There was a drawn picture of a baby elephant on the locker.

I snatched it, scrunched it up into a ball and threw it in the nearest bin. This was routine and I'd learned to start ignoring it. There were bullies everywhere, and High School was the worst. There was this other girl named Anne who'd always find her books in the dumpster. I tried to convince myself that I was in a better position than she was.

I had to get through one year of high school and then HELLO UNIVERSITY.

I bet kids at university were better and mature. I'd move to somewhere in Europe if I had to. My family had mansions in different parts of Europe that we'd used as vacation homes since I was little. Those houses were collecting dust. I could just move into one of them and live alone happily, without having to worry about this boring little town or the crass people living in it.