Heartbreak High

I thought the Senior high school year would be different. I had hoped so, because in freshman year, I had this perfect outline of how my high school life was going to go, and none of that included not speaking with my best friends or being edged out from every social group in the last few months. It's April, less than 1 month before Spring Prom and I just can't deal with this for the remaining few months before I go to Stanford and become the best lawyer in the whole state. Yes, I have big dreams, get over it. It’s not my fault they don’t or that they choose to ignore anything that comes after high school, but if I’m being honest, we are so different that now I have to ask myself how we became friends in the first place. Olive and Justine like to party, a lot, where I just spend my weekends at home, not that I’d be allowed anywhere else anyways. I had just gotten out of my mom’s car when a beautiful black Mustang pulls up next to her in the parking spot and I don't have to see the driver to know who this is. The whole f*****g school knows, because, after all, he's the football team captain and star quarterback. Almost like a God. Pretty hard to miss around here. Aiden jumps out of his car while every person's eyes in this parking lot are on him, and I choose to be different and ignore him, just like always. I’m damn good at it too. Ignore the popular guys and they might just not pick on you. It worked like a charm so far, because when you’re anything but popular, you usually get pranked. I can't be bothered when he's like completely out of my league, not that I’m interested anyway. I just don’t have time for high school drama. I don’t have time for boy drama. I don’t want to make time for it. It's that simple. I'm a nerd and he's a jock. I like books, he likes parties. I like to be alone, while he’s always surrounded by his friends and teammates. We’re part of two completely different worlds, and that’s okay because I never wanted to be part of his world. “Hey, Chloe, wait up,” he shouts behind me, and I choose to ignore him, pretending I didn’t hear him. I don't have time for whatever games he’s planning to play with me, so I continue my brisk walk toward the entrance of the school, ignoring the 6’4’ giant following me closely. He should get the point, right? Ignore him, play deaf and he should go away. That’s stalker treatment 101. I almost make it to the safety of the building when he grabs my elbow and pulls me aside from the torrent of people going in. Is it that hard for him to understand that I don't like him and don’t want to stick around for a chat? That I’m not interested in whatever he has to say? “What?” I grit out and take a step back to put some space between us. I don’t like how close he’s gotten to me. “I was hoping you had a minute. I have something to ask you,” he utters and his cheeks almost flush. Wait a damn minute! Has the world gone still? Aiden O’Connor is speaking to me and he’s blushing? I’m probably still in bed. That has to be it. “Okay. Go for it,” I urge him and wait patiently. Now I’m curious as to what he’s got to say. “Um, I know you got into Stanford and I'm also trying to get in, so I thought you could give me some tips?” Although I've been avoiding eye contact so far, now I lock eyes with the blue-eyed devil and narrow mine at him. He never spoke a word to me in the 3 years we've been classmates and now he wants tips. I knew the swimmers were arrogant and self-centered idiots, but this is just over the top. “Best of luck,” I snarl low and turn on my heels once more. Wait. How does he know I got into Stanford? It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m not helping the guy. “Thanks?” he replies and starts walking next to me. “But that won't help. Look, I'll do whatever you need, but you and me, we're the only ones going that far, and I think it's best we help each other in any way we can.” I release a huffed laugh. “I don't need any help from you, boy. I am in.” “Damn, you're sour today. Did you have your coffee yet? I'll tell you what, I'll help you make up with your friends if you help me with Stanford,” he makes a deal he knows I won't refuse, with spring prom and my birthday coming up in May, I’m short on friends to celebrate everything with. I stop again and turn to look at him. “And how do you suppose you can help me get back with my friends?” He chuckles and wets his lower lip making something flutter deep inside of me, but I ignore it. No, I do more than that. I push it deep down and. Squash it. “It's easy. If you spend some time with my group, have lunch with us, a few parties, they'll get jealous faster than I can say jealous,” he explains, and a smile plays on my lips. He wiggles his brows playfully waiting for my response. “Okay. Fine. Two weeks. If my friends and I haven't made up by Prom, you're taking me because I'm not going alone!” “Deal, baby,” he replies with a beaming smile, and in the next second, he takes me in his arms and starts spinning me around, making everyone around us look our way. “Should I kiss you and make it a complete show?” “Don't you dare come close to me with those filthy lips, Aiden O'Connor, or I'll punch you!” I warn him when he sets me down on my feet again. He takes a hand to his heart pretending I'd hurt his feelings and I smile again, hoping that I truly did. He kisses like 10 girls a day, minimum. I would never allow him to touch me with those two things, no matter how full and pink they are. Don't get me wrong, Aiden is a good-looking dude and that's why he's always got girls fawning over him, but that's just it. I don't want to be another one of his fans. All I have to do in the time we will spend together is ignore my kryptonite, which is his dimples and I’ll be fine. Should be easy enough, right? “When do you want to meet and discuss Stanford?” I ask and pull him to the side next to the lockers because standing in the middle of the hallway doesn't help with the staring people. “I can come over today after practice if that's okay with you,” he says leaning on the lockers, completely towering over me with his height and build. I swallow and bite the inside of my cheek, trying to not let myself get affected by his charms. I know Aiden all too well to allow myself to fall for this kind of crap. It's just his nature to act like this around girls, I’m sure. “You wish. My dad would never allow a boy in my room even though I'm almost 18,” I laugh at his idea, and just as I do that, my friend Olivia walks by staring at the closeness between me and Aiden, and I lean toward him just a little bit to play the part. I guess he was right. Nothing attracts more attention than being seen with the school's star boy. “Okay, I'll tell you what. Let's meet in the cafe across the street and then after that, we can go to Jeremy's party and introduce you to my friends. It's Friday, you're allowed out, right?” No. But I'm not going to tell him that. “Perfect. I'll see you at 5?” “I finish practice at 5, would 5 thirty work?” “Perfect. See you then,” I reply and leave, this time without him following me. If my friends don't realize the efforts I'm putting to win them back, then maybe I'm better off without them. After all, they stopped talking to me because they felt that I didn't care enough about their friendship just because I was focused on my studies and less on partying.