The Unwanted But Inevitable Choice

Chapter 2

I wake up to my alarm screaming at me.

"Uhhhh, I don't want to get uuup!" I turn off the alarm and groggily get out of bed. Suddenly I'm hit with a delicious smell, coffee and pancakes! I run to my door.

"Dad! That smells amazing. Let me get dressed and I'll be in there ASAP!" I hear him chuckle and holler back,

"Okay Sissy girl, take your time." I close my door and smile, he is the best dad ever. I run to my closet and pick out a hoodie and skinny jeans. It's my go to style. I go to my bathroom and open my makeup drawer. Then I see that all my makeup is spread on the counter. I sign, I'm so messy I really need to get better at picking up after myself. But pull my hair out if the tshirt and my hair looks fluffy but the curls are more defined. I smile and spritz my hair with some hair spray and start my makeup, it only takes me like 5 minutes. I just do my eyes and it's natural so I don't really need much time. Although I hate not wearing mascara.

I look in the mirror. "You clean up nicely" I say to myself with a smile. "Today is going to be a good day. If you see Adam just ignore him. You deserve better than that." I say this with pain in my heart but tell myself I'm not going to cry today. I just walked in my room all weekend and kept my phone off.He is so not worth it. That makes me feel a little better. I skip to the kitchen and dad has fruit and pancakes set out. His coffee smells amazing but I'm not really a coffee drinker.

"Good morning Daddy!" I say with a smile. He smiles back at me.

"Good morning! You seem in a better mood today.." He says with a c****d eyebrow.

"I am, I decided I'm not going to let Adam get to me. Maybe he isn't my, what do you say? Mate?" I laugh. And he smiles at me.

"It doesn't seem like he is."

"Okay Dad, what's my present? Is it these pancakes because DELISH!"I give him my biggest smile. He looks at me and he has a sad lost look in his eyes. "Hey, Dad are you okay?"

"What? Yeah I'm okay, your surprise is after school. You're so considerate. Just like your mother. You are growing up to look just like her. It takes me back sometimes."

"Oh I'm sorry Dad'' I pause. "You never really told me I looked like her. There's no pictures of her or anything. I know I probably get my green eyes and strawberry blonde hair from her since your eyes are brown and you have brown hair.... I just assumed you didnt want to talk about her.."

"Lanie, I love your mother, when she was gone. I felt dead inside. But I had you. A four month old baby. And you saved me Lanie. I dont think I would have made it without you." He is tearing up so I get up to hug him with tears threatening to come from my own eyes.

"I love you Lanie Bug"

"I love you too Dad." He squeezes me tighter then smacks me on the back.

"Okay if you're done with breakfast, time for school. It's raining so I'll take you."

"Yep, let me grab my math book. The thing is $40 if I dont turn it in today!" Dad just nods and goes outside. Probably to start the car. Dad gets off work right before I get home from school but then he works from home.

Dad takes me to school if its really rainy like today but I dont like cars so I prefer to walk. He actually got me a car when I turned 16 but he understands I don't like to be in a car so that's helpful. He has tried to teach me to drive but I couldn't concentrate because I was so stressed.

I grab my book and go outside. I can already feel my hair frizzing up before I put my hood up. I love the rain, I will usually walk but its pouring out today. Well you know what they say, April showers bring May flowers! I open the car door and hop in the front seat. Dad lets me listen to my music to calm me down. He is such an amazing father. He never judges me or forces me to do things I don't like to do. As soon as he starts driving away the anxiety begins.

It wasn't always like this. I liked going places in the car but when I was 11 I was just coming back from a birthday party and all the sudden I became terrified to be in the back of the car. I actually had a panic attack and my dad was freaking out. He pulled over and I passed out. When I woke up I was at home in my bed. Dad said I had slept for 2 days and that the doctor came and said I was fine and just needed rest. Ever since that night I've been afraid of vehicles. I don't have panic attacks in the car anymore but it took a long time to get where I am today. Plus I really only get in the car to go to school which is only 5 minutes.

"Okay, grab that book and your bag and book it outta my car." My dad says with a semi-serious face. I know he is teasing.

"I didn't like your stinky car anyway. It smells like a dog!" I tease back at him. He hates when I say his car smells like a dog. He speeds off then immediately breaks and rolls down his window.

"I love you Lanie Bugg."

"Love you too Daddo!" I walk into school and Sarah is waiting at my locker.

"LANIE! Why didn't you text me back? I was worried sick." She glares at me. And now people are looking at us because of her outburst.

"Sarah you are embarrassing me." I roll my eyes at her and place my few items into my locker. I brought my bag just in case but I really didn't need anything else since I cleaned out my locker on Friday.. I still don't understand why they made us come to school on a Monday.

"I'm so sorry about Ada-" I cut her off.

"Don't even say his name, I've moved on."

"You moved on?" She asks me with her eyebrows raised.

"Oh my God, Sarah! Not like that!" I punch her arm lightly and she laughs.

"I am sorry though.." She whispers and bumps her arm into me. We start walking toward the homeroom.

"Yeah, me too" I give her a small smile.

We sit in our normal seats in the back and watch videos while we wait for the teacher. She finally comes in and tells us to do whatever we want but don't get her in trouble so me and Sara go and sit on the floor in a corner and send each other memes and funny videos. After a while Sarah looks at me with a serious expression. Then she starts to smile.

"What? Why are you looking at me like a psychopath?"

"Let's do something to him,"

"Who?"

"ADAM!" She smacks me in the arm and gives a look that says "duh"

"I told you, I'm over it. I don't want to hurt him."

"Oh come on, we won't hurt him. We'll just scare him or toilet paper his car!"

"Sarah! He is your cousin!"

"But he hurt you and you're my sister" I never had any siblings or cousins growing up. Sarah moved here in the 4th grade and we've been friends every sense. We both get teary eyed and hug each other.

"You're my sister too, I'll think about it" we break apart. And she starts her psycho smiling again.

"Okay, I have plenty of ideas, like-"

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIING"

"Oh!" I say, "Saved by the bell!" She just rolls her eyes at me and makes her way to class. We only have our first and last glass together but I'll see her at lunch. So I go to my next class. The rest of the day is mostly just sitting in class. A few teachers made us do an End of the Year Review on their class. I answered everything as nice as possible. I haven't seen Adam today which is actually a little disappointing. After everything that happened I know I should let him go but at the same time it hurts.

"Lanie!" I hear a man's voice behind me and my heart skips a beat. I turn around and it's only Austin. Austin has had a crush on me through high school. He is very attractive, he is tall and built well. He is the Quarterback so everyone adores him. He has brown hair and green eyes with freckles that I call adorable and he hates that. Even though he is very attractive he is a player and I don't date guys that do that. He is a nice guy though. We wouldn't even be friends if it weren't for my Algebra teacher. In 10th grade I got assigned to be his tutor in Algebra and we became close friends. He always flirts with me but I try to reject him kindly.

"Austin!" I say excitedly like he did and he picks me up into a big hug.

"Okay Austin you are…..squeezing me" I cough out.

"I heard you and Adam broke up, what happened? Do you want me to kick his a*s?"

"Who told you that we broke up? And no," I giggle." I don't want you to hurt him"

"I don't want to be the one to tell you this but.. I assumed you broke up because he was kissing Stacy Chapman in the locker room." I instantly get dizzy and grab my head. How? How could he do this to me? "If it makes you feel any better, she aint all that special." I walk outside, it's not raining anymore so I sit on the steps,I hear the bell ring but I doubt anyone cares if we are late.

"I'm sorry Lane" I look in his eyes and he is sincere. He sits down beside me and opens his arms to hug me. I cuddle into his chest and I have to admit, it feels nice to be close to someone. He kisses my head which makes me roll my eyes and pull away but he still has his arms around me.

"Austin, you're so bad!" I flick his nose.

"Owe!" He says grabbing his nose and puts his hands on his face

"Oh, Aust! I'm sorry I didn't mean to actually hur- wait are you laughing"

"You think I'm that weak you're one little finger is going to make me cry?"

"Wow! What an a*s!"

"You know you love me" I nod, that I do. He smiles at me big. This boy.

"As a FRIEND, Austin. I love you as a friend"

"Obviously, I don't date minors." He laughs. Wait what day is it…? Oh my.

"Austin I'm so sorry! I totally didn't forget I just had so much on my mind. Happy Birthday!" I say giving him a big hug.

"I know what I want for my birthday, the only thing I want." He asks while I look up at him still embracing him.

"Oh and what is it that you want?"

"You." He says and his eyes are a shade of brown I've never seen before. Almost black..