[Currently being rewritten and updated chapter by chapter]
Book One in the "Hard Love" series.
It's hard being knocked down. And it's even harder getting back up.
Thalia Carter grew up on the south side of Chicago with a dead-beat dad and never real...
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My left leg won't stop bouncing.
I can't help it. I'm nervous and new and my eyes flit to the clock as every minute passes by slowly. Too slowly.
I never was a patient girl, and right now it's showing.
I'm waiting on a girl named Fallon Sinclair, who's meant to be my tour guide for the day. I guess Brookhaven doesn't get many new students, so when they do, they feel the need to extend that small-town welcome. Still, I feel like it would take me less than a day to memorize the layout of this place. My last school was at least double its size and probably had three times as many students.
I've never had to deal with the fear that comes with being the new girl. In Chicago, everyone knew who I was. Steven Carter's youngest girl. Granted, that wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement. It was just a fact of life.
Maybe being the new girl is a good thing. Maybe this means I'll get a real chance for a fresh start. I don't have to be Steven Carter's kid. I can just be Thalia. My last school was tainted by memories of the past, so much so that leaving felt like the only option.
"Hi. You must be Thalia."
I look up at the vivacious blonde standing above me, a small folder of papers in her arms. She's a picture-perfect blue-eyed beauty with a light smattering of freckles, and it's kind of intimidating at first glance. Even her body is perfect; tall, slender, and subtly curvy in all the right places. She's probably at least five inches taller than me. I smile, but it doesn't meet my eyes. A year ago today, this would not have been where I pictured myself.
I wipe my clammy hands on my skinny jeans and stand up. "Yeah. Are you Fallon?"
She nods, grinning. "We have the same schedule, so I'll be able to show you to all your classes. They said that you moved here from Chicago. Why'd you want to move to a tiny town in Washington?" She laughs as she asks, as if she can't help herself, and it's a light angelic laugh that could probably make anyone smile.
This girl exudes happiness, and it's a little off-putting for someone like myself. She's quite possibly my polar opposite.
"Family had a job opportunity," I tell her honestly as she leads me out of the office. My sister, Laura, started work at a local publishing company a few weeks ago, which ultimately determined where we went. My other sister, Hadley, could get a part-time job anywhere, and I'm just along for the ride while I finish high school. All we knew is that we had to get out of the city.
"Nice. I've never been to Chicago, but I hear the pizza is awesome and I've always wanted to see the bean," Fallon babbles with an excited grin. I nod and smile and follow her quietly until we reach our destination. Small talk isn't exactly my strong suit, but that doesn't stop Fallon. Her eyes trail down to my collarbone, probably honing in the ink on my right side just under my clavicle. "I love your tattoo!" She gushes.
