The Quarterback, Outcast and Me ✔

Chapter One - Hell Awaits, I Mean School.

First day of junior year; summer holidays were over and nine months of torture was about to start. Sure, a small part of me was excited to go back to the institution that had kept me academically focused for the last two years, or at least tried to. Did I mention it was a really, really small part.

"Chloe, you're going be late if you don't get a move on." My mother's voice carried from the kitchen and up the stairs. I glanced at the alarm clock on my bedside table and cringed. I was definitely going to be late.

Checking my appearance in the full-sized mirror hanging on my closet I went over my chosen out-fit once more for the billionth time; a floral skirt ending three quarters down my thighs and a white tank top tucked into it, completed with a brown leather woven belt around my waistline.

I grabbed my comb and rearranged my wavy fiery red hair, making sure my bangs were where they were supposed to and shifted the large gold locket necklace so that the clasp was once again in the back.

Hoisting my schoolbag onto my shoulder I left my room and bounced down the stairs. Before I'd gotten halfway down, a high-pitched yap filled my ears and my dog Zeus came barrelling towards me. In one fluid motion I scooped him up in my arms and continued down the steps. Zeus was a small Pomeranian with fluffy golden brown fur and always with a smile on his cute little face.

I entered the kitchen and saw my mom await me with a packed lunch and breakfast cereal on the table. I put down Zeus and he skipped over to strike my mother's calf with his front paws, causing her knee to buckle. She turned and teased him with her foot, making him yap even more.

Despite Zeus being my responsibility, my mother loved him just as much as me, and if I didn't have time to walk him, she was more than happy to help out. No one could resist his charms.

"Morning mom."

"Morning darling."

Grabbing the bowl of cereal I shoved as much nutty crunchy goodness into my mouth, trying to chew as fast as I could. My mom rolled her eyes at me and went behind me to place my lunch in my bag. My feet could hardly keep still, making me jittery as I tried to eat.

"Honey, you should really consider getting up earlier now that school has started. You barely have time to eat and then what will become of you?" I frowned and filled my mouth again, a small ache already spreading in my bottom jaw from chewing at too high a speed.

"Mum, I fiwn rweally," I stopped to swallow and had to gasp for air afterwards. Eating was hard work.

"I'm fine, I could never not have time to eat your amazing food." With that I went and placed the empty bowl in the sink of our small, but quaint kitchen and raced for the bathroom down the hall to clean my teeth. Having nutty crunch for breakfast was always heaven, but not if you carried it around on teeth display at school all day.

"You only say that because it came in a box!" I chuckled at my mom's reply as I hastily brushed my teeth. My mother was great in just about all motherly areas except for cooking, unless you counted take-out and preparing it on plates a cooking quality.

My father had always been the chef in this household, but four years ago he had decided he would rather cook for his blonde co-worker than his family. I missed him, and his cooking, but I could never forgive him for bailing on us like that. We hadn't been in contact since. Not even on my sixteenth birthday last year did I expect a present, a phone call or even just a card, and I had not been disappointed.