LOVE IS FAKE Club

❤️Chapter 1: If Love is Real💔

The first day of school was always the worst. Teachers repeated too many rules, kids were rushing around from one classroom to another, and the ever-so enticing name games students recited in order to help the teachers' memorize their seats were tedious.

This first day was no different. Same rules, same antsy kids, and same names being said aloud with some other word that shared a common first letter.

The only thing different about today was a piece of paper with questions, printed on the front, numbered all the way from one to ten. First year teachers always tried to shake things up; they were too naive to the common high school student's lack of compassion, Ms. Samba was no exception.

She looked around twenty-four, smooth skinned and still had the same thin body I'm sure she went through all of college with. She talked as if she was one of the students, had plenty of energy to use, and an optimistic smile yet to be crushed by the crude remarks of heartless teenagers.

I let out a sigh, finally summoning the energy to grab my pilot pen and answer the survey.

1. What are your hobbies?
Riding bikes and skateboards.

2. What kind of food is your favorite?
Cuban.

3. Do you like to read books?
No.

4. What is your favorite subject?
History.

5. Any school programs/activities you're
involved in?
None.

6. What is your family like?
Average divorced Caucasian family, I guess.

7. Anything you wish teachers would do?
Not yell.

8. What is your dream?
Haven't gotten that far.

9. Any college plans?
None.

10. Do you believe in love?

My hand froze. Love? Do I believe in love? What kind of question was that? I rested my forehead between my thumb and index finger, my elbow propped up on the desk.

This wasn't a question to just answer. I looked around me to see most of the students were already done with their questionnaire.  Their papers were flipped on their plain backs, so that no one could see what had been written down.

How could they answer a question so fast? I had never really thought about love before, maybe that's why I'm still staring at the question.

My parents divorced when I was five, the day after my birthday. Since then, I've been living back and forth between them. One week at Dad's and one week at Mom's. Despite being shared between them, I never had a good relationship with either.

My dad married into a new family after he divorced a second time. This was his third wife and she had one son. Well, they had one son. His name was Maverick Blue and my dad loved him. Maverick was ridiculously athletic which brought my dad back to his glory days playing professional football.

My dad was an NFL linebacker for the Red Skins, until he had an injury and shattered his knee. He was over the moon when Maverick picked up an interest and has fawned over him ever since. He hardly talked to me anymore when I was over.

My mom was no different. She divorced my dad, married again, divorced, married, divorced, and now, once again, married. She fell head over heels for not just a man, but his two twin daughters that came with him.

My mom has always wanted a girl to braid their hair and dress them up. She was practically chomping at the bit to play mom with her husband's daughters, Lizzie and Layla. In my opinion, she only married him for his girls.  They were her new love, I was just a broken one.

I was traded back and forth, never really wanted by either party. Hell, I still am traded back and forth.

I've never known a stable relationship or one fostered out of love. My parents didn't love me, at least, they never acted like it. They didn't love each other, and the number of divorces they've had alone speak for themselves.

I'm not sure if they love the person they're married to now or just gave up on trying and settled. A loveless marriage. There was nothing wrong with that, it was just convenient and required no true commitment.

If love is real, why do people waste their bodies on hookups? Why do happy newly weds cheat on one another? Why are there more divorces than marriages? Why are couples only together for a few months? Why are there more broken hearts than whole families?

If love is real, why have I never felt it?

"Nash, is it?" I looked up to see Ms. Samba, a sweet smile plastered on her thin lips.

I nodded, finally noticing the rest of the class' completed papers held in her left hand. "Are you finished?" I glanced at her outstretched right hand, picked up my pen, wrote a quick 'no', and handed my paper to her.

"Thank you," she traveled back to her desk and sat down. Ten minutes idle conversation passed, and she had finished looking over all of the answers, a slight frown dimmed her shiny pink lipstick.

She spoke to the class in a gentle voice, "who would like to share what they wrote, specially for the last question?  Please say your name, it helps me learn."

A girl in the front row, Annabel I think, raised her hand, "I'm Annabel Price, I believe love is real. I mean, there are examples of it everywhere! Romeo and Juliet for crying out loud!  So romantic." If by romantic, she means irrationally blinded by a three day impulsive fondness of one another.  They were so invested in each other, they rather die than live without the other, what a waste of two meaningful lives. 

Another girl raised her hand, Jessica Andrews, "I'm Jessica Andrews and I believe in love as well. My parents started dating in high school and have been together ever since!"

They could've been teenage parents and had to stay with each other for the sake of financial reasons. I know plenty of parents like that. They don't get along, but stay with each other out of circumstance.

"That's great. Thank you two for sharing, anyone else put down something different that they want to share?" Ms. Samba asked, shooting a not so subtle glance at me. Surely, I wasn't the only one who didn't believe in love.

"Nash, perhaps?"

Apparently I was. "Nash Blue and I don't believe in love." Annabel gasped dramatically as did a few of the other students, "what? How could you not?" It was more of a growl than a question.

I shrugged, "love is the most overused word of all. Couples say 'I love you' all the time without actually meaning it. Divorces slice marriages in half, spouses stay together out of convenience or their own comfort."

"So, you believe every couple that's together is together out of convenience?" Jessica asked, a bit startled at my answer.

I nodded, "that and comfort, fear, simplicity, or settling."

Just as Jessica opened her obnoxious mouth to retort, Ms. Samba piped in, "thank you for your perspective, Nash. If you would put your things away, the bell is about to ring. It was nice to meet you all!"

Finally, one more class out of the way.

A/N

Ayeeee, did y'all enjoy this chapter?

Are you team Jessica and Annabel or team Nash?

Also, do you think Ms. Samba believes in love?

Thank you all SO much for reading, it truly means a lot to me!! Every vote, comment, share, etc. lightens my day.