Bailey Bloom

Chapter 1:\\ Last Semester

TW: just read cautiously

It was a Monday morning, the cool breeze hit me square in the jaw while I walked toward Rosemond High School. I didn't live very far from school, but I also didn't have my driver's license yet. It was the first day of my last semester of senior year, and here I was, walking alone to school and hoping nobody could see me. It was around this time that we would start getting our college acceptances— or rejections. And I knew that in only a few months, I would be away from this town. Away from the weirdos that surrounded me. I was genuinely sick of Rosemond and of seeing the same faces every single day.

My older sister, Jamie, was already off and away at college, I rarely saw her now. Though, I'd rarely seen her before anyway. My younger sister, Amy, was a sophomore who got rides from a hot, tall, handsome guy who'd gained quite the popularity over their years at Rosemond. He'd made the varsity basketball team during his freshman year and continued this streak during their sophomore year. Basketball season would end soon this year anyway. He was great at what he did, but I didn't know when they'd started hanging out; he was around more often now.

I was kind of jealous that she had gotten far more action than I ever could have. Sure I had lots of boy friends, but never any boyfriends. But I was honestly more annoyed at the fact that she had a ride to school when we only lived a ten-minute walk away. We could've walked together, at least.

I was walking alone and I hoped nobody would bother me, I hoped nobody would shout out the window and call me fat. Because that honestly happened more often than I cared to recount. It felt exactly the opposite of what getting hit-on might feel like.

I tightened my grip around my backpack, forcing my legs to keep moving forward as I approached the front gates. It was packed and empty at the same time. The majority of the kids spent time with their friends in the parking lot. I had a few friends, but none that I particularly liked.

"Bailey!" Someone called me over and I smiled at her. It was Stephanie Wazo, my biology lab partner and fellow cheerleader. She called me over to their table and I sat with them. There was no uncomfortable shift in the environment, I was aware that they'd gotten used to hanging out with me by now. I was also used to their crude humor and constant complaints by now.

The bell rang and excitement clouded the air. Hannah Blop was halfway through her currently list of college acceptances and I was thankful that I could stop listening to her brag. It wasn't that I wasn't excited for her— I just didn't have any acceptances so far. But also, yeah I didn't really care for her... or any of them. I had only applied in-state, so those acceptances wouldn't be out for another two weeks or maybe even more. I feared the possible rejection letters.

"Bails!" Hugh shouted from across the hallway, running over to catch up with me. I wasn't sure why everybody wanted my attention today, but I didn't really mind it.

The day dragged on. I turned in my winter-break assignments, which were ridiculous because they'd assigned too much work over a break, but whatever. Anyway, lunch had arrived at some point and I honestly was just going through the motions of today. It was like there was no gap between the semesters. Everything resumed as usual and I found myself at cheer practice after school.

"Ladies! There's a football game next week so we have to refresh the half-time routine and make it spotless. Let's line you up!" My cheer coach said enthusiastically, assigning me to the back (as usual) and assigning the other girls to the front. Honestly, it hurt a little that I had been sent to the back for being fat, but also, I was only on the cheer team for an extracurricular boost for colleges. I had no motivation to cheer, no desire to kick my leg in the air while smiling. No desire to lift up skinny girls while I remained on the ground. I just didn't find it enjoyable, but I forced myself to do it. For colleges.