The Loving Life of Rosie Summers

Chapter 1

I was so glad our school didn't have a uniform, I couldn't imagine having to wear a stuffy tie and blazer on a day where the sun is beating down on us. The baby pink skater dress I wore today seemed perfect for this day in the sun, although I think everybody in this classroom could do with some sitting in the sun on our football field.

"Miss Summers...", my teacher dragged.

"Yes Mrs Lawrence?" I questioned.

"Is there something outdoors that is so intriguing to you? If so, mind sharing with the class? I'm sure everyone would appreciate it." She looked at me quizzically.

"Sorry miss, won't happen again." I replied, avoiding the eyes of my classmates who looked as if they forgot who I was, even though I've been in the same school with most of these people the past two years. 

"Okay Rosie, don't let me catch you again in your dreamworld please." She sternly said to me before turning to look at the rest of my peers. "Juniors, before the class ends I want to remind you all about how important this year is for you. This is your last year before senior year so it is time to start thinking about your future, if you haven't already. Life is going to get very quick and difficult in the next couple years."

I don't know who even listens to her rambles anymore. Life is going to get hard? She is probably too old to remember her high school years. If I didn't have the goal of being unnoticed these next couple years I would tell her about how life is already hard for some people, i.e. people like me suffering through tragedy and trauma but bringing that much attention to myself might be the worst idea I've ever had.

Just as I finished that thought the bell rings, releasing us from our class and taking us to lunch. We all begin to pack as Mrs Lawrence says, "That is the bell for lunch. Please review your notes from today's lesson and think about what I said. Your future is around the corner and if you don't think now then it may be too late. See you all next time."

That is one way to put the fear of our futures in us. Good thing I am way ahead as always. I'm going to become an editor. Hopefully for best selling novels but for now I am okay with being the paid editor of people's essays and schoolwork. It's great for my college applications and having a successful editing background would put me at an advantage in job interviews I hope. I would be a third generation publishing editor in the best case scenario. The woman in my family, my mother and grandmother, being the inspiration for my nerdy life choices and honestly I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Hey, Miss daydreams! Which clouds is your head in today?" Shouts my best friend of 2 years, Cora Marshall. We met in freshman year, we sat at the same lunch table having no friends to sit with and Cora being the extrovert she was becoming, she couldn't help but strike up a conversation with my shy self and thus began a beautiful mismatched friendship that honestly I don't know what I'd do without.

"Hey, Cora! How was your morning?" I replied curiously. She catches up to me as we walk towards the cafeteria in the mob of hungry students.

"Well, first off I must, love the outfit. Very summery, perfect for today. Makes me excited for summer break, are you sure you can't come with me on my family holiday? You know how much my parents love you, more than me I sometimes think but just imagine it. You, me, a tan from Spanish beaches while we look at Spanish men. What more could a girl ask for? Oh and classes were just the usual. Boring as fuck, Mr West decided that he wanted to give us an unofficial project for the summer to try and keep us focused on school and still have an ounce of motivation when we come back. Like who does he think he is? Summer break is called a break for a reason, it's not for homework that nobody cares about but whatever, how about yours?" Cora replies passionately. Honestly, most days I don't think I even need to speak because she does all the talking for both of us, but it's why I love her. She may be my opposite on social scale but she gets me and she understands when to fill silence and when to leave it alone. 

"My classes were fine. Mrs Lawrence decided to give us the 'your future is around the corner, you better figure it out or you'll become homeless or a stripper, or both' speech. She genuinely thinks that most of the 16 to 18 year olds will have something figured and if not she has to put the fear in them. So dumb. And thank you again to you and your family for the invitation but i really can't go. I'm doing some tutoring over summer to earn some money and credits for college applications. Got to show dedication unfortun-" I reply to Cora before shouting down the hall breaks off the end of my sentence and catches both of us off guard.

"This is bull! You can't force me to do this. I don't care about your shitty teachings. Maybe if you were better at your job i'd be doing better but no, I have to put the work in. All you dumb-ass teachers are the same. All 'perfect' and people like me are the problem. Fuck you!" The shouting and swearing makes the whole hall pause as we watch the infamous bad boy Jace McClane yell at one of the teachers I'm not sure the name of while his best friend Mick Sanders stands next to him. 

"Mr McClane, I am going to ask you to lower your tone and watch your language if you want to leave this school with a completed education. This is non-negotiable I'm afraid. You either go to summer school or you find someone to tutor you this summer and ready you to retake your maths exams afterwards. You need to pass this in order to pass my class and I know I don't want to have you back in my class next year again so I can only imagine how much you don't want to." The teacher replied, looking fed up and exasperated.

"Mr Mac, thank you for the words of wisdom. I am gonna take him away now before this escalates further and I'm not going to promise anything on his behalf but I will try and get him on the right page." Mick said, stepping in before Jace could make this worse for himself. He is lucky to have a friend like Mick, willing to back him up and extinguish the dumpster fires that are his anger fuelled arguments.

The teacher, Mr Mac, looks to Mick and says, "Thank you Mr Sanders. Remember to focus on your studies too, you are doing well so i don't want to see any slacking in the new year."

Mick smiles at Mr Mac as he drags Jace by his arm and walks him outside. Part of me wants to follow out of curiosity. Just then Cora catches my attention by speaking again, she says, "Wow. I don't think I've ever seen him so angry before. Must be pissy about summer school. Too bad you could've tutored him but rumours say his family doesn't have much money so he wouldn't be able to pay you. Probably for the best, doesn't look like he'd put in the effort anyway."

Cora maybe says this on the offhand, not thinking anything of it but for me it sparks an idea. I want to offer tutoring for him, I want to help him. Why? Well, it kind of goes into the past, my reasons but he probably wouldn't remember. I just feel as if I owe him.

"Cora, you are sort of a genius. I'm gonna offer to tutor him." And before she can question me or my reasons, although I'm sure I will get the interrogation the next time I see her, I am running out of the door Jace and Mick went through. My eyes immediately finding Jace leaning against the side of the building looking down at his phone with furrowed eyebrows. Once he hears the door close behind me he looks up with a blank expression.

"If you are looking for me, I'm not interested. If you are looking for Mick, he went to grab food and is probably also not interested." Jace says this to me before looking back down again, disregarding my presence before I even get the chance to speak.

Deciding to put aside the anxiety rising in me, I take a couple of steps closer to Jace before I blurt out, "I heard your conversation, or well yelling match, with that teacher. Mr Mac right? I've never had him as my teacher. Only know his name from Mick saying it. But yeah I heard what happened and I wanted to offer to tutor you. I'm doing tutoring over the summer for money and college credits but you don't need to pay. I just want to help you so I'll tutor you for free this summer." I say this all in one breath so that i don't lose the courage to say it.

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A/N: That's the first chapter written. Been in the making for 2 years. Hopefully you enjoyed this part. Onwards to the next.

p.s. as it stands this part is not edited so any spelling or grammatical mistakes are just that, mistakes. Feel free to point out but please be nice. This is my first story and i can only live and learn. Thanks 

Love Ya <3

Emma Grace