Ruby Love

Lily POV My family life is tough. My mom is an alcoholic, and my dad is doing his best to raise me on his own. I see how hard he's working to make ends meet, and I try to help out wherever I can. It's not easy, but we're a close-knit family, and we always stick together. I know that my dad loves me more than anything in the world, and I want to make him proud. Despite the challenges, I'm grateful for what I have, and I know that we'll get through this together.I'm a good kid. I always try to do the right thing and make my parents proud. Even though things are tough at home, I know that getting good grades is important. It's my way of showing them that I'm doing okay and that I'm going to be okay. I work hard in school and try to stay focused, even when things are tough. I know that if I keep pushing myself, I can achieve anything I set my mind to.I walk into school on the first day of my junior year feeling a little nervous. I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm excited to see my best friend Sarah. I spot her in the hallway, and we run up to each other and give each other a big hug. It feels good to be back with her again. We chat about our summers and catch up on everything that's happened since we last saw each other. I'm feeling a little more relaxed now, and I'm looking forward to seeing what this year has in store for us.Sarah pulls me aside and tells me about her latest boy troubles. I listen attentively, trying to be a good friend. I know how important it is to have someone to talk to when things get tough. I offer her some advice and tell her that everything will work out in the end. She thanks me for listening and gives me a big hug. I'm glad that I can be there for her when she needs me.As I'm walking down the hallway, I see Tyler walking by. He's even hotter in person than I thought he would be. I know that we can't be together, but I can't help but admire him from afar. He catches my eye and winks at me before he walks away. I feel my cheeks turn red, and I try to play it cool. I know that I shouldn't get involved with someone like him, but a small part of me can't help but wonder what it would be like to be with him.Sarah catches me looking at Tyler and starts teasing me about it. I try to play it off like it's no big deal, but she knows me too well. I tell her that I'm not interested in him and that I'm just looking around. She laughs and tells me that I should go for it if I want to. I shake my head and tell her that it's not worth the trouble. She gives me a knowing look and tells me that I'm missing out on all the fun. I roll my eyes and we head off to our first class together.As I walk into my first class, I realize that I have a class with Tyler. My heart starts to race as I remember that he's a senior, and I try to keep my distance. But as the bell rings, one of Tyler's friends bumps into me, and my books go flying. Tyler and his friend laugh as I pick up my books. I can't help but feel embarrassed, but I try to brush it off. As I look around the classroom, I realize that there are no more seats available except for the one next to Tyler. I take a deep breath and try to prepare myself for what's to come.The teacher welcomes us back to school and begins the lesson. I try to focus, but it's hard when Tyler is sitting next to me. I can feel his presence next to me, and it's distracting. I try to ignore him and focus on the lesson, but I can't help but be aware of him. I feel his arm brush up against mine, and I try to ignore the tingling sensation that runs through my body. I know that I need to keep my distance, but it's hard when he's so close to me. I try to focus on the lesson and not on him, but it's easier said than done.At the end of the lecture, the teacher gives us an opportunity to partner up with people to work on a project. Everyone fights to work with Tyler, and I'm left alone to work with Alex, who has a crush on me. I feel embarrassed and frustrated, but I know that I have to make the best of the situation. I try to be kind to Alex and work together on the project. I know that it won't be easy, but I try to keep an open mind and work together as a team. I try not to think about Tyler and the other students who are laughing and joking around with him. I know that I need to focus on my own work and not worry about what other people think.The bell rings, signaling the end of class, and I quickly gather my things, eager to leave the classroom. I try to be the first one out of the door, but I'm held up by the crowd of students rushing to leave. I feel a sense of relief as I finally make it out of the classroom and into the hallway. I take a deep breath and try to shake off the frustration of the project partner situation. I know that I need to focus on the positive and not let the negative thoughts get the best of me.As I try to leave the classroom, Alex catches up to me and starts asking me about my summer. I try to be polite but also make it clear that I'm not interested in talking to him. He just keeps trying to hang out with me and work on the project together. I feel uncomfortable and try to get out of the situation by suggesting that we work on the project at his house. I quickly leave him and try to find Sarah, hoping to avoid Alex for the rest of the day.I find Sarah and we start talking about our first period class. We compare notes on the teacher and the material covered so far. I feel relieved to be talking to someone who I'm comfortable with, and I try to forget about the awkward situation with Alex earlier.I bring up Tyler being in the class, and I can feel my face start to blush. Sarah notices and teases me a little bit, but I try to play it off and not let it bother me. We continue talking and laughing, and I feel grateful to have such a good friend to share my day with.As we head to lunch, Sarah starts talking about a party that happens at the beginning of every school year. She tries to convince me to go, but I'm hesitant. I explain to her that I want to focus on my school work so that I can get everything in line to go to college and get away from my mom. I know that partying won't help me achieve my goals, and I don't want to get sidetracked. Sarah understands and doesn't push the issue, and we continue talking about our plans for the future.Sarah eventually convinces me to go to the party, and I reluctantly agree. After lunch, as Sarah walks away, she tells me that the party is at Tyler's house and that I can't back out now. I start to feel nervous about going, but I also feel excited to try something new and have some fun. I hope that everything will turn out okay and that I won't regret my decision.As I walk to my next class, I start thinking about my mom and dad. My mom can be difficult to deal with sometimes, and I'm lucky to have my dad to help me through it. He's always been there for me and supports me in everything I do. School and Sarah also help me deal with the stress of my mom's behavior. Having friends who understand what I'm going through makes everything a little bit easier. I'm grateful for the people in my life who support me and make me feel loved.I know that Sarah is much more popular than I am, and sometimes I wonder how we've stayed friends for so long. But then I remember that we've grown up together since pre-school and have been best friends ever since. We do everything together, and I love how different we are from each other. It's what makes us such good friends and feels like she's the sister I never had. I hope that we'll always be there for each other and that our friendship will never fade away.After lunch, I had my math class. It was a little boring, but I managed to pay attention and take some good notes. I'm determined to do well in this class, so I want to make sure I understand everything. After math, I had English class. We're reading "To Kill a Mockingbird," which is one of my favorite books. I always love discussing it in class and hearing other people's perspectives on it. During my free period, I decided to go to the library and work on some homework. I'm glad I did because I got a lot done. I also ran into one of my classmates, who I don't talk to very often. We ended up chatting for a while, and it was nice to catch up with her.Next, I had history class. We're learning about the Civil War right now, which is really interesting. I love learning about history and how it's shaped our world today. After history, I had gym class. We played basketball, which is one of my favorite sports. I'm not the best at it, but I always have fun playing with my classmates.Finally, the school day was over, and I was ready to go home. I walked to the bus stop and waited for my bus to arrive. While I was waiting, I went on Snapchat and saw that Sarah had sent me a message. She was excited about the party and wanted to know what I was going to wear. I hadn't even thought about it yet, so I told her I'd have to figure it out later.When I got home, I started working on my homework. I had a lot to do, but I managed to finish most of it. I also spent some time talking to my dad about my day. He always listens to me and gives me good advice. After dinner, I decided to take a break and watch some TV. I watched an episode of my favorite show, "Friends," and laughed at all the jokes.Overall, it was a pretty good day. I'm excited for the party tomorrow, but I'm also a little nervous. I hope everything goes well, and I have a good time.Sarah came over to my house, and we started getting ready for the party. We talked about boys, and she helped me pick out an outfit. I was feeling really nervous because I didn't know anyone at the party, but Sarah was so good at calming me down. She made me look really cute, and I felt like I could take on the world.When we walked down the stairs, my dad asked where we were going. I told him we were going to a party, and he asked me some questions about it. He was always a little overprotective, but I knew he just wanted me to be safe. He let me go, and I was grateful for that. I felt like he was finally starting to trust me and see me as a normal teenager. I couldn't help but think about my mom, though. and I missed her every day. I knew she would have loved to see me all dressed up and going to a party with my friends. I wished she was there with my dad.When we got to the party, it was already in full swing. There were people dancing, laughing, and having a good time. I was really nervous at first, but Sarah was so outgoing that she quickly made friends with everyone. She introduced me to some of her friends, and I started to relax a little.We talked to some boys, and I was surprised at how easy it was to talk to them. I had always been really shy around boys, but Sarah was so confident that it rubbed off on me. We danced and had a great time, and I felt like I was finally living my life instead of just watching it go by.Oh, Tyler was at the party, and I couldn't believe how good he looked. I had always had a crush on him, but I never thought he would notice me. Sarah saw me staring at him and nudged me, telling me to go talk to him. I was so nervous, but I finally worked up the courage to go over and talked to him.