You Get Me

Chapter 1 — To Get Me

          A familiar squeal wakes my sleepy head. I close my eyes as I wait for the impact of her body as it collides with me followed by her arms wrapping me from behind.

          "Ready for the good news?" Avery, my bestfriend, asks as she hands me out a paper of what looks like a fully furnished apartment in the heart of a certain University.

          "That can wait until we see Zoe," I tell her and her face lights up even more, her big green eyes glittering with excitement. 

          Among the three of us, she's the most excited about college. That explains why she's been preparing for it even though we still have a couple of months before the final exams. She just want to be away from her parents as much as possible. Couldn't blame her tho. Mr. and Mrs. Collins are very strict to the level of suffocation.

          We don't have to find our other bestfriend. We know she's having her breakfast a.k.a her boyfriend. And before your minds go to the gutter, they're not doing what you think they're doing. They're just....

          "...eating each other's faces," Avery tells me as we watch them make a scene against the lockers. 

          "Shocking," I sarcastically says and she giggles. It's a usual scene. They love to display their affection towards each other publicly only to fight like crazies behind close doors.

          "You think we should snatch her?" Avery suggests, her face contorting into something I can't seem to comprehend. There's something really wrong but they left me out of it.

          Months ago when the two lovebirds had a huge fight and they both retaliated to piss each other, I vowed that I never want to hear anything about them ever again. It will only make me want to slap some sense into Zoe or despise her boyfriend whose been a good friend to us prior to their toxic relationship.

          "You mean save her?" I correct her, telling her that I received the message she's trying to relay to me. 

          Avery squares her shoulder and shrugs. I know she wishes she had asked Zoe to do the same, be left oblivious to their relationship, but one of must stay very involved. I'm involved alright. I'm not neglecting my duties and responsibilities as a bestfriend but I have to ask that favor in order for me to stay sane. 

          "Zo!" shouts Avery and they both look to our direction. 

          Elliot, his boyfriend, pouts like a petulant child and to Zoe's amusement, she blushes and giggles. I have no idea what she saw in him. They're toxic to each other but I don't have the heart to tear her from him. She's happy in a way no one else, not even us could give her. I'm just trying to be optimistic that one day... all the toxicity will go down the drain and maturity will set in. 

          We're still young. We got a lot of years to grow and improve.

          "Hey, girls," she squeezes us, her white teeth showing and blinding us all.

          Before I could greet her back, Seb cuts in as they walk pass us. "Hi, Lexi."

          Avery and Zoe's eyes widen and they try their hardest to suppress their giggles. I widen my eyes too but as a warning for them to not say a word about it. 

          "Come on, Lex..."Zoe places her arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer to her. "He's hot."

          I roll my eyes at her. 

          Ever since I—unintentionally—emerges from a known freshman to the so-called Queen Bee, they have been dreaming about my potential future with Sebastian Collins, Avery's cousin. To my disappoint, Avery's into it too.

          "Stop saying that," Avery says as she uncovers her ears and her face contorted in disgust. I feel the same, Ave. I do.

          I'm not a man-hater. I just don't feel like being with Sebastian. When we were kids, he was the most disgusting person I know. He usually spent summer vacation with Avery and his siblings and Zoe and I happened to be there all the time. I witnessed how gross he was. Sure, he grew up into a fine young man with skyrocketing level of hygiene but still... the memory clings

          Like what they say, first impression lasts.

          "Let's focus on our finals," I tell them like a buzz killer I am whenever I want to change the subject.

          "You're no fun," Zoe teases me and then she grins.

          That's a lie. I am the leader of fun in here. Just not the bad fun where bad things usually happen. I like to keep my record clean or else, my sister's going to kill me.

          "Maybe high school drama isn't really my kind of drama," I tell her and they nod.

          I may not say it but they know I'm planning to get out of town too. Away from prying eyes of people who adores me and expect me to behave properly.

          "So that means..." Avery gives us a mischievous grin before squealing, "COLLEGE!"

          Zoe joins in on the fun but that s**t hits me hard. I haven't decided on anything yet. I have no idea where I'm going because all I know is that my decisions don't matter when my sister has the steering wheel. She drives my own car down a path she made just for me. That means, my bestfriends excluded. They could come with me but I could never come with them.

          "So I found this perfect place for the three of us," Avery starts but my minds still out there somewhere screaming at my manipulative sister.

          "Hold on," Zoe raises her hand in front of her face. "Which school?"

          Avery winks first, the kind that tells us we're going to love her plans. I hope I will. I hope she chose an Ivy League school in order to make things easier for me. I won't have a heavy heart on choosing a school if that happens.

          She hands us the paper I saw awhile ago and my face drop at the location. "Tulane University."

          "Oh my god, Avery! This place is..." Zoe trails off, her eyes zeroing on the paper.

          "Paradise? I know," Avery finishes her sentence.

          More like hell. That'll mean I will be miles away from them. I bow down my head and try not to listen. It hurts me that I can't be with my bestfriends and it hurts even more that I can't tell them. Zoe and Avery hates my sister so much already and if they knew...

          "Lexi?" calls Avery.

          ...that she's sending me to Harvard or somewhere in New York, they will strangle her.

          "Hello! Earth to Alexine!" Avery exclaims and I snap out of my reverie.

          "Yeah?" I ask as I blink several times, trying to rid myself of my sister-induced trance.

          Avery sighs and her arm goes where Zoe's was awhile ago. "You're not really into this, are you?

          I notice Zoe biting down on her lip, her mind's already thinking what could possibly be the reason why I'm not sharing their enthusiasm. I half-prayed she won't know. 

          "I am," I force a smile which I reckon I shouldn't have done.

          "Is it Louvelle?" Zoe asks, her eyes sharp with my sister's name.

          Count on Zoe for being a damn genius when it comes to my f****d up relationship with my sister but never on hers and Elliot. She's fully aware that my sister is the only family member of mine who's toxic as hell. It only took them a week to stay in our house at the mere age of 12 to know.

          Avery grits her teeth as she lets go of me. "Where is she sending you?"

          The three of us enter our classroom with a perfect attendance of seniors. Standing at the podium is my sister's boyfriend and our teacher for today. I shake my head at how perfect the odd are on Louvelle's favor.

          "Don't tell me to an Ivy League school?" Zoe has said that a bit louder sending gossiping eyes and ears to my direction.

          Of course who wouldn't miss the amazing adventure of Alexine Wilde. Everybody wants to be a part of it and everybody envies that Zoe and Avery gets to witness it at the front seats.

          "Shhhh..." I warn them about our Psychology teacher, Troy Morgan.

          "And the devil has her own ears," Avery says and I bet my Ivy League application forms that Troy heard that.

          Troy clears his throat and everyone settles on their seats. My eyes try their best to avoid his. I don't have the heart to look at him now. It's unfair that I'm partly blaming him for my fate with Louvelle. In my own view, he is his boyfriend, someone who has a big influence on my sister's perspective in life—and in mine. He is also a Psychology major, meaning he could counsel my sister with how toxic she is for me.

          But I guess love really does a number on people. They could make them shut the hell up just to keep their person.

          My mind's been drifting in and out of the classroom. 

          I'm planning to ace all my subjects while living my best few months remaining as a college student. I want to be carefree while still being me. 

          How can I rid myself off my sister? My brother and my mom can have my back at all times but sometimes—or all the time, she could be a b***h and she'll use the I-just-want-what's-best-for-you-because-I-love-you card on me and I will turn into a puddle of goo.

          "Before I end our class, I just want a few words..." Troy says and despite of being too deep into my reverie, I caught that. "In a few months now, you'll be entering a different world. High school is far different from college and I suggest that you decide for yourself."

          My eyes widen and I'm back to reality. Did I hear Troy right? I have been avoiding his eyes and now's the only time that I redirect them to him. He is looking at me and I'm sure as hell Avery and Zoe can notice too.

          "Don't let people dictate you where you want to go. Don't tell yourself that you don't have a choice. You always have a choice and those choices and decisions we made are what makes us. It only takes an ounce of courage and hell lot of determination to stand up for yourself. You are the author of your own life. Let no one take your own pen and write on your own paper."

          My jaw's lying on the floor. I'm shock and confused with him. Did he really subtly tell me to go against my sister, his girlfriend?

          Zoe slowly turns her head to my seat sharing the same confusion as I have. "Did Mr. Morgan just grow some balls?"

          Avery, who apparently was drinking a water from her bottle, spits everything to the back of the person sitting in front of her. The boy yelps and everyone's looking at us again.

          "Sorry," Avery says between her chuckles.

          "Okay children. Time to get out of here," Troy gathers his stuff on the table as we all scurry out of the room. He clears his throat for the last time, "One more thing. Face the demon."

          Now's my turn to choke on my own saliva. Did Troy really referred to my sister the demon? Was Louvelle a demon to him too? I chuckle to myself with that thought. 

          "Can I breathe now?" Avery asks when we haul ourselves inside the locker rooms at the football gym. 

          "So did Louvelle really wants you to go to an Ivy League?" Zoe continues our conversation that was cut short because of Troy's presence. Now that he's not in the vicinity, I can say it's safe.

          I grimly nod. 

          "What does Mr. Morgan even see in her?" Avery slams her locker door shut, making the other students jump to their feet. She apologizes before turning to us. "Why can't she just focus on her own damn friendless and boring life?!"

          That stings a bit. One reason why I found myself letting Louvelle do the controlling in my life is because she has no one with her. She has few friends but none of them can stay with her for long. She's not their go-to person so she usually stays at home and gloat to herself. The only time I saw her socialize was when I started earning the spotlight.

          From what I see and I try to understand for Louvelle's sake, she's meddling with my life because it's the life she secretly wishes for herself. A life surrounded with friends and various opportunities are within my reach. In my defense, I worked hard for all those. Louvelle chose to be an awful person. 

          "Which school?" Zoe asks. 

          I shrug. I feel embarrassed about this kind of grand decisions my sister does for me. "The 8 schools."

          "You kidding?" Zoe's eyes are wide, same as Avery's. Her jaw's on the floor and waiting for me to say I'm just messing with them. But I'm not.

          I roll my eyes. "You know Louvelle. She gathered every application forms from the eight schools. All I need to do is choose and sign." 

          Avery rubs her temple. She's clearly getting stressed about this because she spent a lot of time googling and searching for places we could live in while we're in Tulane. The school really doesn't matter for the two. They will find a perfect place with aesthetic decorations that pleases their eyes and wherever it's near, that's where we're studying. 

          "As much as I want to be with you, I don't think Harvard or Dartmouth will accept my application," Avery pouts.

          A deafening slam of the locker door erupts. That's Zoe's way of seconding the motion. 

          "I h——"

          Coach Wilson whistles, cutting me off my sentence. We both look at each other before running to the field. One of his annoying golden rules is the last person or persons to come to the field will run 10 laps. 

          I am so not in the mood to exhaust myself and it's only 11 in the morning. I still have a long way to go for the whole day. Not to mention I have cheering practice.

          "Wilde! Collins! Snell!" Coach shouts at the top of his lungs and I wince. That's a first.

          Avery grins at me. "Looks like you finally got a stain on your record," she teases and I thwack her head forward making her yelp then giggle.

          "What's so funny, Collins?" Coach Wilson asks and I devilishly smiles at the back of my mind. Karma is a b***h.

          My bestfriend shakes her head then glares at me. "Sorry for being late."

          Our classmates were assembled like soldiers, all lined up and frozen to their place. Some are looking at us and hiding their smiles. 

          "And you know what that means..." Coach says as he gives us his creepiest smirk. He doesn't like Zoe and because we happen to be always around her, her fate is our fate.

          "We'll be early next time?" I joke in hopes that it could lighten his mood and lessen the laps we have to do. Our classmates chuckle in response.

          Coach Wilson shakes his head but I can feel him softening. From my peripherals, I can see my bestfriends stealing glances on me and the vibe they radiate off says I need to keep going.

          "5 laps, Wilde," he announces and I sigh in relief, my bestfriends didn't. 

          I take their shoulders and shove them towards the running track. I lower my head and whisper to their ears, "I'd rather run and walk 5 laps than do 10 so suck it up!" 

          We haven't made five steps yet when Coach Wilson calls us back. My heart flutters with joy because I thought he had a change of mine but instead he says, "I'd like you to meet our new student first."

          The three of us pivot on our heels and standing next to Coach is a tall guy with muscular arms and chiseled jaw. The sunlight's adding extra glimmer on his features making me drop my jaw.

          "Done checking me out?" the new guy says and that's enough for me to recoil back to my sanity. Wow, he is full of himself.

          The three of us look at each other and I'm proud we're all sporting the same facial expression; annoyed.

          "Kai, introduce yourself," Coach says and that Kai steps forward, his eyes never leaving me and that smirk still plastered on his face. 

          "Hi," he says directly to me before turning back to the group. "Kai Hunter, New York, bad boy."

          I raise my brow at him. He gives me this red flag feeling so I'm marking him as one of the few people I have to stay away from. He is the kind of guy my mom warned me about.

          "And you are?" he asks me, all eyes are on us now and my brows shoot up higher.

          "Alexine Wilde," Avery starts. 

          "New Orleans," Zoe continues and I nudge her ribcage with my sharp elbow. She winces but ignores me. "The Queen Bee."

          I face palm myself. I hate being referred to as that stereotypic b***h. I'm not a silicon barbie doll with a rude ass and trashy attitude.

          Kai scrunches his nose. "Too bad. I don't do Regina George."

          "She's not a Regina George," a girl from the group jumps to my defense and my heart melts.

          Don't you just love that when another female defends you or hypes you up or fixes your crown? 

          "That's Alexine Wilde, she's the face and the brain of this school. She matters to us and we know her to roots so I think it's safe to say that she doesn't do you too. She doesn't do dreamless boys like you," another girl says and fight the urge on scowling at her.

          As good as it feels that she's on my side, that doesn't mean she has the right to belittle people just because bad boys are stereotypically just bad boys with no plans in life and no future.

          "Okaaaay!" I cut in and everyone's now looking at me. I take Avery and Zoe's shoulder again and push them away from the party. "How about we run?" 

          I have a weird feeling that if they pushes him even more, he'll come after me and I don't want a bad boy to get me.