Chapter 1: Lie

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Announcement: this book is being published in February 2020 under the new title THE UPSIDE OF FALLING (previously titled RIVALS) with HarperTeen!!! for more information, go to the last chapter titled "GETTING PUBLISHED"! thanks and lots of love xx

NOTE: the published version of this book is 85% different. Please do not leave reviews for the published version on sites like Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, etc. if you have only read this version. They are completely different. Thanks love u!

Becca

The familiar sound of the school bell pierced my ears as I walked through the hallway to English class.

One more year. 180 days of classes.

It was a mantra. I repeated it to myself daily to help make it through the hell that was high school. I knew most people shared my disgust with school, but I still couldn't help but feel lonely as I forced my way through the crowded hallways of Eastwood High.

Everywhere I looked there were students laughing or kissing.

A jock teasing a cheerleader as she liberally applies her bubblegum-flavoured lip gloss to her already shiny lips.

Two girls shoving books in their locker, giggling flirtatiously as they glance over their shoulders at the group of boys ogling them.

Or, my personal favourite, the dozens of couples making out and publicly groping each other. Ew.

Was it jealousy? Maybe. It would be nice to have someone to love. Someone to hold hands with as I walked through the halls. To text during class and giggle every time my phone lights up and their name appears. But I wasn't that naive.

I went through four years of high school with one best friend and no boyfriends. Nothing even close to a crush for that matter. And truly, I was fine with it.

Or at least that's what I tell myself.

* * *

Minutes later, I arrive at English class and am greeted by the ever-so friendly glare of Mrs. Copper: my English teacher or spawn of Satan. I really couldn't tell the difference. No one could.

Although I disliked her, it was in my nature to still be kind and show her respect. It's how my single-mother raised me.

"Morning, Mrs. Copper." I threw her a warm smile and friendly wave as I walked past her on the way to my desk in the last row.

"Hmph." She grunted in response, not even bothering to shift her eyes off the book in her hand. Whatever, it was progress. Most mornings she just ignores me.

I slumped down in my chair and threw my bag on my desk, massaging my shoulders where the straps just were. As I waited for the class to fill, my eyes drifted to Mrs. Copper. She looked small and fragile, her thin face hidden behind chunky blue glasses and a short, grey pixie cut. Her wardrobe consisted solely of neutral colours, today she was wearing a grey blazer with a matching pencil skirt. I guess she was pretty, in an odd sort of way.

Lost in thought, I looked away from my teacher and realized that the class was nearly full. Almost every desk was occupied by a student and the room was full of laughter and chatter. I scrolled through my twitter feed to look distracted and not like the complete loner that I was.

"Look!" Eagerly whispered the brunette girl in front of me, pointing towards the doorway while trying to get her friend's attention. They both looked up and sighed, resting their chins on their palms and staring dreamily at the door.

I looked up to see what the big deal was. That was when I saw him.

Oh.

There he was, decked out in his navy blue varsity jacket that stretched over his broad shoulders, black ripped jeans, with his backpack slung lazily over one shoulder.

"How's it going, Mrs. C?" His voice was deep and flirty as he gave her one of his killer smiles, exposing his perfect white teeth, before sauntering over to his seat. She looked up from her book and I swear her cheeks turned red. Gross.

I don't blame her though, really. Brett Wells had that affect on everyone. He was captain of the football team and the most adored guy in school. He was a jock in every sense of the word, but he wasn't your typical stereotype. He was actually nice, always smiling and willing to make conversation, regardless of who he was speaking to. His friendliness and easy manner was captivating, it's what made people drawn to him.

He kicked the chair out from under his desk and placed his bag beside it. Slowly, he removed his jacket, exposing a tight black t-shirt that molded his impressive chest. The girls in front of me were giggling non-stop. He looked up and winked at them, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief as he ran a hand through his golden hair.

Snap out of it.

What was wrong with me today? I usually wasn't this distracted, especially not in class.

Mrs. Copper rose from her desk when the bell rang and stood in front of the class, beginning to speak about Romeo and Juliet. I guess that's the first book we would be studying.

As she spoke, my eyes drifted back to Brett. He was gorgeous, but not in a perfect, out-of-this-world way. His features were rugged and strong. His bronze hair was brushed back, with a few pieces falling forwards onto his face and covering his big, blue eyes. His eyebrow was turned down and his plump, pink lips were pursed as he watched Mrs. Copper drown on and on about Shakespeare. His face was a mask of confusion. It was adorable.

That was the thing about Brett, why he was admired by everyone at Eastwood: he was genuinely a good guy. He didn't sleep around or treat girls like objects. He didn't goof-off in class and cause havoc in the hallways (like the rest of the football team did). He was a good student, always in class and paying attention, asking questions or answering them. He was always smiling, every movement of his seemed care-free. He was completely comfortable in his own skin and, just by being around him, it made you feel the same way.

But, the most surprising thing about Brett Wells was his history with girls. Or, I should say, his lack of one.

Through all four years of high school he never had a serious girlfriend. Sure, he was a flirt and always surrounded by beautiful girls, especially the cheerleaders, but he was never in a serious relationship.

I broke out of my trance when I heard Mrs. Copper calling my name. Looking up, I realized the entire class was watching me as I stared at Brett.

Oh. My. God.

My cheeks immediately turned bright red. How long has everyone been watching me?! I wanted to sink into a hole and die.

"Miss. Hartwell? If you're done with your daydream, I would appreciate if you answered my question." Her arms were crossed firmly over her chest as she stared at me, clearly annoyed by my utter lack of attention.

Did she say daydream? I wanted to scream.

Everyone was staring at me, covering their mouths as their shoulders shook with silent laughter. Brett glanced over his shoulder at me, his eyes twinkling with laughter as his lips formed into a teasing, lopsided grin. He winked at me before turning his attention back to the front of the class.

I cleared my throat and shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts and focus on Mrs. Copper.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Can you repeat the question?"

With an exaggerated sigh, Mrs. Copper asked what my thoughts were on Juliet's decision to kill herself after seeing Romeo dead.

I had an answer formed in my mind, but with everyone staring at me and waiting for me to embarrass myself again, I forgot how to open my mouth and speak.

"Miss. Hartwell?" She repeated, her voice heavy with annoyance.

I sat there dumbfounded, grateful when I noticed another student's hand raise into the air.

"Yes, Miss. McHenry? Would you like to answer the question?"

McHenry?

No. Not-

"I would love to answer the question for you, Mrs. Copper." Her voice dripped with fake admiration as she addressed the teacher.

I glanced over and rolled my eyes.

Jenny McHenry.

Her entire existence can be summarized into four words: Cheerleader, fake and raging-asshole.

Her platinum blond curls bounced as she enthusiastically answered the question, waving around her slender arms to emphasis her point. If a Barbie doll suddenly came alive and was a functioning human, that would be Jenny. She was tall and thin, with luscious platinum-blond curls cascading down her back. Her bold lips were always shinning red with lipstick and stood out on her caramel skin. Her cat-like blue eyes gleaming with mischief. She was head cheerleader and every guy at Eastwood was lusting after her.

I guess in a perfect world, she and Brett would be dating and stomping over us mere mortals. But that was not the case. Even Brett could see past her phoney attitude and recognize her for what she truly was: a manipulative monster who derived pleasure from putting others down.

I quickly glanced at him and smiled when I saw him rolling his eyes in annoyance as Jenny answered the question. Hearing my own name snapped me back to reality.

"You'll have to excuse dear Becca, Mrs. Copper," She went on, her voice oozing fake sympathy. "You see, she's never had a boyfriend, so she wouldn't understand the concept of love." She shrugged, flipping her curls over her shoulder with a perfectly manicured finger as the class laughed at my expense.

My eyes were blazing as I stared at her, I wanted to rip every single curl out of her perfect head.

What the hell? I've never even spoken to her before. What does she have against me? And why did she just assume I've never had a boyfriend? She was right, but how did she know?

She glanced back at me and her mouth broke into a huge grin as she took in my anger. She twirled a curl around her finger and winked at me before turning around.

The class was roaring with laughter and I wanted to let it consume me.

I looked at him to see his reaction and he was leaning back in his chair, fingering one of the holes in his jeans. His eyes were turned downwards and his long lashes casted shadows onto his cheeks. Clearly, he was bored and unaffected by the scene around him.

I, on the other hand, was ready to kill.

"ENOUGH!" Shouted Mrs. Copper, her face red in anger as she tried to catch the attention of her students. "That is enough. Now. Miss. McHenry, think twice before interrupting my class with such immaturity or next time you will receive detention." She shot Jenny a look of pure malice before picking up her novel and continuing her lesson.

Jenny was snickering quietly to her friend beside her, completely nonchalant about the trouble she just caused.

One more year. 180 days of classes.

I. Can. Do. This.

* * *

When the school bell rang and class was dismissed, I sprinted out of there as fast as I could. Maybe I should visit the guidance counsellor and request a class change? The thought of stepping another foot in there made me nauseous.

I arrived at my locker and took a deep breath. The familiar feeling of entering my combination was enough to momentarily calm me down.

As I placed my books into my locker, I heard the click-clack of a pair of heels walking towards me. Slamming it shut, I looked up and stared into the ice-cold eyes of none other than Jenny, who was now accompanied by her best friend and fellow cheerleader, Izzy Jones.

Standing there in their matching royal-blue cheerleading uniforms, eyes boring into me expectingly, I tensed and willed myself to not stoop to their level. I rolled my eyes and began to turn around before her sugary sweet voice interrupted me.

"I hope you weren't offended by my little joke in there, Becca. I am so sorry, I was just teasing."

She batted her blue eyes at me, a look of sympathy dawned her delicate face but I was smarter than that. I had a talent for detecting fakeness and right now, my bullshit-radar was going off.

Izzy snickered and quickly covered her mouth while Jenny stood there obnoxiously smacking her pink bubblegum.

I mustered up as much courage as I could and tried to not sound hurt when I opened my mouth.

"Whatever, Jenny. I couldn't care less." I fought the urge to flash a specific finger in her face.

Turning around, I grabbed my bag off the floor and began to walk away.

"Becca!"

I stopped abruptly, waiting for the sword to fall.

"Is it true though? Have you really never had a boyfriend?"

I could hear their raging giggles behind me. They thought this was a joke? Bullying someone publicly and then harassing them in the hallway? What the hell was their problem?

I had enough. Screw being the better person, I wouldn't stand still and let people walk all over me.

Spinning on my heel to face them, I flashed the best fake smile I could muster.

"Of course that's not true, Jenny." I spat, my voice imitating hers. In a snap decision, I decided to lie. Hell yes, I had never had a boyfriend. Was that a bad thing? Of course not, but I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of making fun of me.

"I do have a boyfriend, you didn't know?" I placed my hand over my chest and batted my eyelashes, feigning ignorance. Their eyes narrowed as they awaited my next words. "We began dating at the beginning of summer! He's perfect, truly."

I crossed my arms over my chest and flashed them a smile, waiting for them to take the bait.

"Yeah, right." Izzy scoffed. "Invisible ones don't count, Becca." They burst out laughing at her joke, high-fiving each other and flipping their hair.

I looked around and noticed a crowd had begun to form. Fights were rare at Eastwood and students were eager to catch every bit of this one. While surveying the crowd, I noticed Brett standing behind Izzy, watching me. He looked...angry. His eyes blazing with a fire that seemed foreign on his normally kind face.

My attention snapped back to Jenny as she launched her next insult.

"How pathetic. The only boyfriend you'll ever have doesn't even exist. Don't worry, Becca. Some people are meant to die alone."

She giggled joyfully at the look of hurt on my face. I was furious but, most of all, I was embarrassed. I had never wanted to slap someone so badly in my entire life. My palm was tingling just thinking about it.

They stood there giggling and time stood still. I was trapped in a nightmare of hurt and horror. Students around me had their phones out, recording this entire moment and surely planning on uploading it online tonight. Jenny and Izzy looked triumphant, pleased with their ability to cause me pain.

I didn't know what to do. I willed the tears not to spill but I didn't know how long I could hold off.

Before I could run away, I noticed Brett quickly walking towards me. The look of anger on his face was gone, replaced by one of...adoration? What was he doing?

"There you are, baby." He threw his arms around me, pulling my body firmly against his before I even had time to react.

The Brett Wells was hugging me.

What the hell?

He pulled away, his hands placed gently on my shoulders as he stared at me, his back towards Jenny and Izzy. Discreetly, he winked at me and gave me a dazzling smile before he turned around. I stood there, limp, unable to move. My head was spinning.

"Leave my girlfriend alone, Jen. Don't you have a pompom to wave around or something?"

The look of hurt on Jenny's face made a gigantic smile stretch across mine. The students around us were roaring with laughter as Jenny stood there dumb-founded. Finally catching on to his act, I mustered newfound courage and placed my hand in Brett's, intertwining our fingers together.

His hand was warm and soft, completely engulfing my tiny one. His thumb began to stroke the back of my hand reassuringly. I felt at ease.

Snapping out of her trance, the horror was gone from Jenny's eyes, replaced by a burning hatred. Her blue eyes narrowed as she took in our locked hands, a look of pure envy crossing her face.

"I see you lowered your standards, Brett." She no longer tried to hide behind a sugary-sweet voice, letting her anger seep through in her every word she spat out. Suddenly, she laughed. Her curls bouncing around her head as her shoulders shook enthusiastically.

"Fine, you're dating. So you wouldn't mind kissing her then, would you?" Her eyes shone with a challenge, waiting for Brett to crack his facade and admit that it was all just an act.

I took a deep breath, preparing for him to admit the truth when his mouth slammed against mine, knocking the breath out of me.

His hands grabbed my hips and pulled me towards him while he gently kissed my mouth. Instinctively, I reached up and hooked my arms around his neck, pulling him down and leaning into the kiss.

I was kissing Brett Wells.

Brett Wells was kissing...me?

I was tingling everywhere. He gently bit my bottom lip before pulling back, his eyes blazing in mischief as he licked his lips. I stared at him in awe, unable to speak.

What the hell just happened?


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