CHASING MY REJECTED LUNA

Chapter 1

Arielle’s POV

As I gazed at my reflection through my bedroom mirror, I immediately hated the way my outfit looked. Well not the outfit, which was a pair of jeans and a red crop top. I hated the way my body made my outfit look. Big and bloated like a blowfish. On any other girl, it would look fun and chic. But on me, it looked ridiculous. I looked like a bigger version of Winnie the Pooh.

With a sigh of defeat and hunched shoulders, I walked back to my closet and took off the outfit, settling instead for a big brown hoodie that had seen better days and jean trousers that looked like they had been chewed on by a baby goat. I usually didn’t feel bad about my body or at least tried not to, but today seemed like one of those days.

I took one last look in the mirror and frowned. I was a far cry from what I looked like three years ago. I had gone from one hundred and twenty pounds to two hundred and twenty pounds within the space of three years and now that I was staring at myself, I felt disgusting. It wasn’t that I was ashamed of my body, it was that I was ashamed of what I had become.

I tucked my brown hair at the back of my ear, applied lip gloss and moved to my dresser, picked up my black backpack that contained my laptop and writing materials and left my room refusing to think more on my unfortunate lot in life.

I walked up to my father’s bedroom, which was two doors after mine and knocked once, twice. When I didn’t hear any movements inside, I opened the door and found his bed was just as he had left it two days ago, white sheets covering a queen size bed and a brown rug that matched the pillows and walls and dresser. The realization that he hadn’t come home last night dawned on me and my heart sank. It wasn’t the first time either. Ever since my mother passed away, he had been less and less around and who could blame him, she was the love of his life and was taken from him suddenly not to mention the fact that everything about the house was a reminder of her absence. From the kitchen to the living room to the pictures of her lining the hallway, everything reminded him of her. He had taken down some of her pictures because it was too painful a reminder of how happy he once was and how he could never get back the love of his life.

With a defeated sigh, I closed the door behind me and went straight down to have something to take. When I didn’t find food in the refrigerator, I took a bottle of water and closed it. There was barely anyone around when I got to campus, just the football team and a few cheerleaders. My chest tightened when I saw them hooded together in one part of the hallway. I knew I was about to be called all types of names.

As I walked down the hallway, I lowered my head, avoiding eye contact with the cheerleaders and footballers. I wondered what they were doing in school so early. It was unlike them except they had a game and as far as I knew they didn’t. I could feel their eyes on me as I walked further, looking for my next class.

“Hey, fat face, your ass is on the floor.” One of the boys, Jake, on the football team yelled after me. Laughter erupted around him and I looked away in shame.

This was why I hated my body. I was always the butt of the joke in school and the football team was never tired of letting me know how disgusting they found me. It didn’t help that I was an Omega without a fashion sense to save my life.

I wasn’t always two hundred and something pounds. I used to be slim just like the other girls back in freshman year in highschool but when my mother passed away in a car accident and my father started going out more. I was left with no comfort but to eat.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Kendra’s father, a beta, had been the one to give me the news. I was devastated not to mention heart broken. My father was no better. He had been unable to process it and he had turned to overworking himself for comfort.

“Arielle.” Kendra my friend waved enthusiastically at me, as she jogged towards me, with her blonde hair in a ponytail.

“What are you doing in school so early?” I eyed her suspiciously when she stopped in front of me. Kendra wasn’t known to be an easy bed. In fact she usually skipped school if she could help it.

Kendra was like me, overweight but she was really pretty. We’ve been friends since we were kids. She was one of the people that tried to help me during my mother’s passing.

“I’m always early.” She shot back in her defense.

“We both know that’s a terrible lie.” I said wryly.

“Okay, fine.” She sighed “Dad’s back and he’s being a d**k as usual.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I looked sideways at her, my face softening. Kendra’s dad wasn’t the most understanding man in the world.

“It's alright. Anyway, can I sleep over tonight?”

“Ah, yeah sure. We can stay up and watch chick flicks and drink ourselves to sleep.”

“Yay,” she squealed excitedly. “I love the sound of that.”

“Me too.”

“Okay, I gotta go.”

I raised a brow at her, “Where are you going? It’s not time for class yet.”

“I know, I’ve got a um thing but I’ll talk to you later. Okay?” She said as she pulled backwards. Before I could ask any more questions, she disappeared into another hallway.

Thirty minutes later, I entered my next class. I was the first one there and appreciated the privacy. As I walked up to my usual spot, I noticed a bouquet of roses on my desk. My brows knitted together in confusion. Someone must have placed them on the wrong seat. I picked up the white card poking out of the top of the flowers and opened it.

My mouth went dry and butterflies crowded my stomach when I read what was on the card.

‘Hey Arielle, I thought you’d love to start the day with flowers.

Derek.’

I read the card again to make sure I hadn't read it wrong.

Derek, the hottest guy in school, had sent me flowers?

I didn’t have time to process the whole thing, when a bunch of students filled the classroom. Quickly I tried to hide the flowers but before I could hide them, some random girl from the cheerleading squad walked up to me.

“Ouu, are those flowers? Who are they from?” She asked in a mocking tone.

“Nobody.” I snapped almost immediately.

“Hey guys, looks like fat face got a secret admirer.” She shouted at the football players that had just walked in.

Everyone looked at my table and at that moment in time, I wanted to melt into my chair.

“Who are they from?” She questioned again in a salty tone.

“It’s from no one.” I said, trying to hide the card. She snatched the card from my hand before I could put it away and read it out loud.

“Give that back.” I tried to snatch it from her but she was too fast. She read it aloud and began to make fun of me.

“Alright students, settle down.” A teacher walked in, stopping her in her tracks.

She threw the card at me and went back to her seat.

~

“Oh my God , they are gorgeous,” Kendra said two hours later during lunch at the cafeteria as she stared down at the flowers. “Who are they from?” She asked.

I handed the card to her.

“Oh my God, Derek? Football star Derek? The hottest guy in school Derek.”

I nodded, kicking my fit underneath the table in excitement. I was more than giddy. I have had the biggest crush on Derek since freshman year. The first day I saw him, I was dumbfounded at how beautiful he was. It had been the first day of school, I was signing up for my classes when I heard him laugh. He had been with two brunettes. I remembered how I had been immediately smitten by him but I knew at the time that he was out of my league

“Oh my God.” She squealed, covering her mouth with her hand in girlish excitement.

“He totally likes you.”

“It would seem so.” I said with a grin I couldn’t seem to control.

“I…” Kendra was about to say something when a familiar voice started.

“Well, well, if it isn’t fat face and her friend blow fish.” Ana, leader of the cheerleaders and the prettiest girl in school came to stand at our table with her two lackeys, Stacy and Sophie.

She looked beautiful in a crop top and high waisted jeans. Her index hair fell in waves to her back. Before I could say anything, she splashed the content of her cup on me. Kendra gasped in her chair and so did half the cafeteria. I stood up from my chair with a slacked jaw at what she had done. I was covered in milk.

She smiled at my discomfort.

“What was that for?” I asked, on the verge of tears.

“That, you worthless Omega is going around on campus lying about Derek giving you flowers. Do you think you are in his league now, maybe you want to become popular?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about…”

“Shut up and lick my shoes clean.” She snapped, staring at me with venom in her eyes.

“What?” I said, looking down at her shoes.

“Are you deaf, stupid or both? You got milk all over my Louis Vuitton shoes. Lick it off!.” She yelled glaring at me with menace.

I was about to bend down when I felt a hand pull me up.

“Enough Ana!” Derek said as he brought me to stand at his side.

“Derek!” She said with a surprised tremor in her voice.

“It's so good to see you. We were just teaching this fat skank a lesson not to…”

“Leave her alone Ana. I don’t want to see you bothering her again.” He cut her off.

“But..”

Derek did not wait for Ana to finish her sentence before he spun me around and led me out of the cafeteria.

“Are you alright?”

He asked, wiping my face with the handkerchief he brought out of his backpack. I was too dumbfounded to speak. I was being touched by the hottest guy in school. I wasn’t sure what to say. He was too close. I was literally breathing him in. His scent was intoxicating in the sweetest way.

I looked up at his handsome face and almost melted in the spot when I saw him watching me. I’d always known he was handsome. Hell, everyone knew that but up close, he looked even better. I felt like I was standing in front of Adonis because of how blindingly beautiful he was.

“Yeah.” I nodded a little too fast when I realized he was waiting for an answer.

“I’m sorry about Ana. She can be a little much sometimes.” He said.

“It's okay.” I plastered my lips together.

He handed me his hoodie and escorted me to the bathroom. I put on his hoodie when I reached there. It smelt of him and all of a sudden I never wanted to give it back.

“Thank you for the flowers you sent unless you weren’t the one that sent them.” I said when I came out of the bathroom.

“I was and you are welcome.” He flashed me a smile which made my feet suddenly feel like they couldn’t carry me.

“Can I ask why?” I asked him. I needed to know why he was doing it, or if he had ulterior motives.

“Why what?” He looked at me pointedly.

“Why did you send me flowers?” I asked with a little more confidence.

“I like you.” He blurted out.

I snorted at that. He couldn’t be serious. I might be the girl everyone picked on but I wasn’t dumb.

“What?” He asked when he noticed my skeptical look.

“A guy like you with me?” I laughed at that. It felt like I was narrating a fantasy straight out of my dreams.

“Are you free tomorrow?” He ignored my question.

“Yes.” I eyed him, wondering where he was going with this.

“Good, I’m taking you out on a date, I’ll pick you up at 8.” He said before he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek before he strolled off, leaving me a mess of jelly legs and shock.