Love Like This

1

My mother once told me that one day you will find THE ONE. The one who will make you laugh, smile, and cry endlessly. The one who will never ever disappoint you and will love you with all of their heart. Never in my mind did I think that it would be her. My name is Conner Matthews and I have just fallen in love with the girl of my dreams the girl who I hadn't expected to fall for since day one.

1 Year Earlier

July 2016

I was what you could say "popular". My friends told me I was the most popular one at Buckner High. My life was inevitably perfect. I had everything. A perfect girlfriend, an amazing group of friends, captain of the golf team. I may get in trouble but that is what makes me unbelievably popular. Summer of 2016 came around and July was a total, incomplete mess. My parents decided to get a divorce because my father cheated on my mom. I don't think I can ever forgive him for that, ever. My girlfriend wanted to spend way too much time together, she is "kind of" clingy. So, I broke it off with her even though she is a part of my friend group. But the worst thing that happened in July was when me and my buddies went to the abandoned house down off 5th street. We used to hang out there when we were younger, since it is just a 5-minute walk from my friend Andre's house. We usually host parties here because of the huge swimming pool. We don't get caught because one of my friends' father, Luke, is the Sheriffs son. He usually gets us out of it. This time this new kid wanted to join our "gang". So, after the school dance that we went to because I was nominated Homecoming King, and won by the way, and then booked it to the abandoned house right after. We told him that to get into our group he must go through the house and then jump from the roof into the 10-foot-deep section of the large swimming pool. They made me go with him but all along the plan was to trick him by acting like I was going to jump. Once we got up to the top of the old, rusty house he jumped and belly flopped into the pool. He never came up for air, then there he was lying there with his head underwater, dying. All my friends started screaming really loud and I told then I'll jump in and save him. After I get in the water I quickly figure out there was a piece of wood someone must have thrown in there after the last party. "Shit" I say as I pull him out and explain to the group what was in the water. We start to hear sirens out front and all the girls and guys start running back to their cars. Andre helps me get Cooper, the one who jumped, out of the water. Once we got him out I told Andre to get to the car and leave, he refused but after about 20 seconds of stupid arguing he finally caved in. I waited until Cooper waked up and then booked it to my car with only my boxers on and a hand-me-down shirt from my brother. I get in my black sports car and start driving. As I discover a policeman was following me all along, not thinking, I run into a street pole and bang my head against the steering wheel. Causing my head to bleed. The next thing I know I am at the police station for questioning. I lie and tell them we were walking by the house and heard someone jump in and went to check it out. We found him there, got a little spooked when the police showed up, and ran. I knew my mom was going to kill me so I wasn't expecting an "are you okay" or a "do you need to go to the hospital". Nope, the first thing she said to me "are you dumb enough to walk into an abandoned house when you hear a noise, you're an idiot". The next day was Sunday which meant Church. I particularly didn't enjoy church, the preacher talked about the incident last night and everyone by now knows who it was. It's a small town. At home, after church, my mom pressured me by saying she was going to call my dad. We had a little fight, but we always do. School was starting soon so that meant that golf practice was starting up again, so I headed down to the school, to do the only thing I like. Coach Drake called me into his office halfway through the practice. He told me to head into the main building to talk to Principal Sylvester. I already knew what this was about, it's about that night. "I know your lying about your excuse, I know what you were actually doing there". My face goes completely and utterly blank. My cheeks are bright red. He knows. "I used to do the same thing, back when I was your age". In my head I was thinking stop lying. "I got my grades back up after some punishment and went to college and now I'm your principal". I asked "So just get to it, what's my punishment?". "Tutoring at the middle school every Saturday for the rest of the semester, you will also help with the school science fair over the next few weeks, and lastly you will be helping the dance company out with their first production". I didn't even care about any of that. "And lastly no golf for a month". That got me mad "WHAT you can't do that to me! I'll do anything". "That isn't my punishment ask your coach". I stormed out of the office and straight to my car and drove home. Today was the first day back at school and literally everyone knows what happened at the house and what happened to Cooper. Bethany points out a girl named Ashleigh, who may I point out is dressed in the ugliest dress I have ever seen, who is walking by. She asks her "nice dress, is it handmade?". The thing about Ashleigh is that she doesn't care. She says "Yes, it is. Thank You". We all start laughing. The rest of the week goes by just like every other first week. When it comes to Saturday my mom wakes me up at 7 o'clock. Which is way too early. "Mom it's Saturday, no school remember? ". "Conner today is your first day of tutoring, remember? Get up you need to leave in 20". I drive to the school and hop on a bus to head to the middle school with about 10 other anti-social losers that do this for fun. They pair me with an 8th grader that is really struggling but doesn't give a crap about his grades so it doesn't matter. On the way back, I put on my headphones and listen to my playlist when I feel someone slide next to me. I look up and it is that weirdo Ashleigh. She asks me if I would like to donate any money to some fundraiser for the new school off of Elm Street. I tell her I really don't care about education and tell her to leave me alone. When we arrived back at the school I ran straight to my car. Thinking in my head about how much my life is going to suck for the rest of the semester.