I Was Normal Until I Met You | Original ✓

Chapter One

It's funny. This thing that we call life. Millions of events connected and suspended above us in space and time. How quickly things can change. One moment you feel like you are on top of the world and the next instant you are in the murderous depths of hell. All it takes is a second and the world is changed. A car accident might only take, a few simple seconds. But it could change your life forever by rendering you're a quadriplegic and that you'll never walk again. You'll live in a wheelchair envying those who take the opportunity of walking for granted. You live forever changed. I've never had one of these life changing moments but there's always a first for everything.

I always used to wonder about two completely different perspectives. A simple story told by two people. My mum always said that there were two sides to every story, mainly when she was reading to me. I used to daydream about the two different perspectives of Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. Was the wolf really the bad guy? That all depends on the way that you look at it. Was the wolf angry about Little Red Riding Hood trespassing on his property or was Little Red Riding Hood completely justified in her story. My mum doesn't read to me anymore though and not just because I'm a teenager and all of that. My mother hasn't cared about me for a long time.

It all started when my older brother Simon got his first gold star in Kindergarten. My mother thought Simon was so amazing and all focus was immediately shifted to him instead of the focus that we had shared for the past two years. It is heartbreaking, how little attention my mother shows me but it can be handy sometimes. I never have to ask her if I'm going somewhere, Simon just lets her know. Simon has been amazing, he is incredibly supportive despite my situation. I've grown up with a supportive older brother who does try to make sure I have my own share of attention, a less supportive mother whose focus is always on my brother, a blog and a camera.

Well, that's only a brief description of my life but that isn't what this story is about. It is a story about two perspectives, the two sides of every story and how easily things can change. It's also a story about the quiet boy with scars down his back, who doesn't want to live anymore and the girl he fell for. A series of events connecting two people who would otherwise live separate lives with separate people. I just wish that the story didn't have such side-effects. A story of love, hardship, suicide, cancer, photography and abuse. And that's only the beginning.

Cue the dramatic coming of age music while a girl or boy stares out of the window as a car travels through the countryside. Oh, I'm sorry that was weird.

I'm Annie. Annie Byrne and clearly sometimes I like to pretend. Make-believe was a constant term in my childhood. I can never blame children for playing make-believe. Living in make-believe is certainly better than living in the real world. Why would I want to live in the real world? With a mother who doesn't care about me and every time I go to school, I get bullied for just being me. I just can't agree when children play house or pretend to be parents. Surely children don't want to grow up that quickly? But, that is the thing with modern day culture, we can't wait to grow up.

I remember in primary school when no-one could wait for the moment that they could try makeup, drive a car, have a boyfriend or girlfriend, start a career, eat chocolate all day long. Of course, these are just fantasies. Growing up is a long difficult process and I'm not even done yet. I'm in high school (Yeah, I know, shocker) and I've already decided that I don't want to grow up. Career choices, providing a living for yourself and your loved ones and the hated (still don't know what they are) taxes. It never appealed to me and I'm dreading that alarming moment when I graduate. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm weird, I already know that I'm normal and nothing special, so go on, add insult to injury.

Everyone at school does that already anyway. Add insult to injury anyway. I've been bullied my entire life. Today was no change. It started the minute I walked in. Those big guys who love playing sport, (I don't like stereotyping!) started to call me, 'weird loner girl', even though now I was being bodyguarded through the halls by my two best friends. Cassius Jackson and Bronte Percival. I'm very lucky to have them.