High school Heartbreak

Chapter One: Unlucky

I’m Janie Rogers, sixteen, and I just started my junior year at Christopher Columbus High School. I moved to Miami with my mom three years ago. My parents got a divorce after a rocky marriage. They were both business moguls, never finding time for each other, often away on business trips. I was always stuck at home to be raised by me grandma, but I called her Nana Gene. My parents often never spoke at dinner, the rare moments when all of us were together, always too busy on their phones to even notice each other’s presence, and on some days Dad never came home at all. I was eleven when Nana Gene died; it was all downhill after that. My parents often argued over who would take care of me while the other one was away on business. Some days I was stuck in an office, or on a plane going to some city with my mother or father. Most days my parents would just argue over the phone, and my Dad rarely ever came home, and I wasn’t stupid I knew what was going on, my parents didn’t look at each other the way they did before, not that they looked at each other at all. Sometimes I think they only stayed together for that long because of my. But by the time I was fourteen my worst nightmares came true. My parents filed for divorce, and I spent the next two years being shipped back and forth, between the two of them, but the custody battle was finally settled when my father re-married and gave me to my mother. We left Arizona after that, and that’s how I ended up in the sunny city of Miami.
I know what you’re thinking, but no, this isn’t one of those sad sappy stories where I complain about my life. I’m don’t think I’m unlucky, I think I’m very fortunate actually, I live in a good house, go to a great private school, and I have everything I need. But there is one thing I wish I could have, Nick Keller, the most delicious piece of eye candy at Christopher Columbus High. I first saw him when I started my freshman year, during freshman orientation, he was a sophomore, and showed our group around the school. Boy, he could make heads turn; it didn’t take a genius to see how girls look at him. He’s tall, lean, broad shouldered, tan, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was the epitome of gorgeous. But of course I couldn’t have him; I was just average, brown skin, black hair, and green eyes, short, nothing like the girls here, who were tall tan and pretty, of course I thought I was pretty, but nothing compared to the girls here in Miami, in Arizona I stuck out, being half Irish half Filipino, I also stuck out here, like a sore thumb, but not in a good way.

“Janie, sorry I missed your call but, I’m in a meeting, I’ll have Meridith remind me to call you back. Love, Dad”
I got another text from my Dad. I called him three times and there was no answer. Of course he was busy, there was never a day that he actually answered my calls, and Meridith, his new wife, was the one who called me back apologizing for my Dad. Meridith was a nice person, and I didn’t dislike her, but it was just that she was a size zero, twenty something, that my dad met at a bar. She was too young to be a step mother, but she made my Dad happy and I guess that had to count for something right? I snapped my phone shut and threw it onto my bed; my mom was out of town for the week and I was stuck in this big empty house by myself. I walked downstairs and sat in the living room looking out the window that over looked the harbor. Being an only child made life lonely sometimes. I just sat there the sun had already set, so all I could see out of my window was darkness. Sometimes that how I felt inside, like a dark shell. The glowing letters on the kitchen clock read 10:30 and I finally remembered that it was Sunday night. This meant I had school tomorrow, which was like my own personal hell. I walked back up to my room, and I had a new missed call on my phone, I called the number back.
“Hi Mom, sorry I didn’t pick up I was downstairs and I left my phone in my room.” I said
“It’s okay sweetie, did you eat? Did you lock up the doors?” My mother responded her voice sounding wary and tired.
“Don’t worry Mom I’m fine, how was Seattle?” I asked, trying to sound interested.
“It was good we got the Johnston account secured and- It went fine,” she said coughing.
“Mom, don’t push yourself get some rest okay? I’m getting ready for bed. I’ll see you when you get back.” I didn’t like when my Mom pushed herself too much, she had been sent to the hospital three times for exhaustion, and one time she spent a whole four days in her home office that I had to turn off her computer and force her to eat something. I worried a lot about her, that’s why I tried to be perfect so she didn’t have to worry about me.
“Goodnight honey, I love you.” She said before she hung up the phone.
I put my phone down on the nightstand next to my bed, and picked up the picture of Nana Gene that also on it.
“I miss you Nana, so much.” I said hugging the picture. “I wish you were still here with me”
I remembered when Nana was still alive, and my parents weren’t home, she would tuck me in and sing me folk songs from the village where she grew up in the Philippines, she was a short old lady, with a wrinkly face, and gray hair. She would hug me as she sang. “Janie, Nana loves you.” She would say to me, a slight accent in her voice. She was there for me when I would cry for my Mom or my Dad. But now she was gone, and I was alone.
“I love you too Nana.” I said as I set down her picture and drifted to sleep.

I woke up and got ready for school, I looked at myself in the mirror, smoothing my gray sweater over the red plaid skirt, I liked our school uniform, it was the only thing that made me fit in with everyone else.
“Well here we go.” I whispered to myself as I got in my car. It took me ten minutes to drive from my house to the school. I pulled into the parking lot, that was already half full, I parked my car and climbed out, grabbing my book bag out of the passenger seat. I walked to into the school, which was full with kids talking and giggling. I found my best friend Monica standing by my locker, she was Mexican, she had pale skin, curly brown hair, and was about my height. I met her my freshman year here at Colombus, she was my partner in crime. She was an outcast, just like me, and I guess that’s why we got along the first time we met, she was holding two green tea frappes in her hand, just like always.
“Hey Moni,” I said, grabbing the frosty drink she held before me.
“Hey Janie,” She said looking at her watch, “8:10, almost time.” She said as we both turned to look at the staircase that was in front of my locker. Nick Keller and some of the other boys on the soccer team walked down the stairs together. He was a god. It was just unfair that someone so handsome could be right in front of you but totally out of reach. He had looked like he had just jumped out of an Abercrombie and Fitch magazine, his blonde hair in spikes. His red blazer and gray tie suited him well. At that moment he caught me gawking at him and made eye contact with me as he walked by, and looked away sheepishly.
“Did you see that?!” Monica practically jumped as she grabbed my arm.
“S-See what?” I said, heart still fluttering from the brief encounter.
“Nick totally looked at you!” She almost yelled as I covered her mouth.
“We’re going to be late, let’s get to homeroom.” I linked my arm with hers and we walked to homeroom.
We entered Mr. Dahller’s room and sat at our usual seats, and Eric Walace and James Pallock walked towards us.
“Hey pretty thangs.” Eric said as he sat on the edge of my desk.
“Get lost dweeb.” I said shoving him off.
“H-Hi Monica,” James said nervously as he took the seat in front of her, running his hand through his brown hair, he was a short geeky kid, with braces, but a cute face.
“Hi James.” Monica said coolly. Monica had had a crush on James ever since freshman year, James like her too, and everyone knew they liked each other. Except for them.
“C’mon baby, why you gotta be like that?” Eric said to me, flipping his black hair at me, batting his eyes. He was taller than James, and he was also cute with sharp features and brown eyes, but he was totally not my type.
“One, there’s no chance in hell that I’ll ever be your baby, and two, GET LOST.” I said pushing him, and he fell into the desk in front of me. Monica giggled, and James patted Eric on the back. Eric had been hitting on me ever since I got to this school. Other girls would have fell for his playboy ways, but not me. I had my eyes only set on one person.
Mr. Dahller walked into the room but the whole class kept talking, most of the teachers allowed students to use homeroom as a “study hall”, “study hall” as in “I’ll let you guys talk until the period is over, but if the principal walks in pretend like you’re studying.”
“So Janie, the winter dance is coming up soon…” Eric said to me.
“So what?” I said to him looking uninterested. He turned around, straddling his chair, so he could fully face me.
“So how ‘bout you and me? You know?” He said smiling at me.
“Give it up Eric, Janie’s already got a date.” Monica all of a sudden said to him, I looked at her wide-eyed. “You don’t know him but Janie’s totally head over heels about this guy.” I shot her another warning glance and she smiled at me.
“Oh.” Eric said turning around. “So bro, have you asked Monica yet?” He said looking at James. It seemed that since Eric had got shot down, he was trying to ruin it for James as well.
Monica blushed, as James turned red. “No I hadn’t gotten to it yet…” James said looking down.
“I’d love to go with you.” She said. James stared at her blushing. Monica looked at me with a huge grin across her face.
“Thanks for your help bro.” James said to Eric, as Eric huffed and turned to look away from him. He was upset that his little plan didn’t work.
The bell rang; Eric rushed out of the room, still disappointed from his rejection. James following behind him.
“Monica! Why would you tell Eric I had a date?!” I said as we entered the room.
“C’mon Janie, it’s not like you give Eric the time of day anyway! Besides you still can ask N-“
“SSSSHHHHHHH!” I covered her mouth with my hand looking around to make sure no one heard her, I slowly took my hand off. “Yeah right, there’s no way I can ask him. So what now when I show up to the dance with no date????”
“Janie. Just ask him, I know you saw him look at you this morning; what do you have to lose?” Monica said as we walked down the south corridor.
“Everything.” I sighed, the thought of me asking Nick to the dance? Yeah right. “Like he would even say yes to me. There’s a better chance of me flying than there is of Nick saying yes to me.”
She rolled her eyes at me as we started to go our separate way to our classes. “See you in lunch.” She said as she walked away.
I walked back to my locker. Me asking Nick? Even the thought of it made me laugh. I started laughing out loud as I took my books out of my locker. At that moment a group of girls walked past me, one of them slamming into my shoulder causing me to drop my books. The girls here were ice cold, none of them stopped to even look at me. The warning bell went off and I rushed to pick up my books. I ran to my Spanish class which was located in the east wing. I made it just in time before the bell rang. I took a seat in the back corner of the room, and the lesson started. I rarely paid attention in this class, anything I didn’t know I just asked Monica for help. I looked though my bag for my doodle journal that I drew in whenever I didn’t pay attention in class. I couldn’t find it. I could’ve sworn I took it out of my locker. “Shit.” I thought, I must’ve not picked it up. Which meant it was sitting in the hallway, no one could ever see that journal, I wrote personal things in my doodle journal, poems, my dreams, and I drew a lot of pointless pictures in it. I closed my eyes hoping that it would still be there. When the period was over I rushed back to my locker, to see Nick Keller leaning against my locker. What was he doing there? I walked up to him slowly.
“Janie right?” He said his voice deep a mesmerizing. I couldn’t speak so I just nodded my head.
I found this, he said handing me my journal. My hand touched his as I grabbed the book and my heart jumped. “uh, thanks.” I said to him. Thinking this was so unreal.
“No problem,” He smiled, flashing pearl white teeth at me, looking more handsome than ever. “There’s some pretty cool stuff in there.” I stood without saying a word, I couldn’t believe he looked in it, at least I didn’t write anything about him, I think. “Well I’ll see you around sometime.” He walked off. I still stood there, did this really just happen? Or was I dreaming.
The rest of the day sped by, I told Monica what had happened at lunch, and she almost fell out of her chair.
“You’re telling me you didn’t say anything at all!?” She said as we walked to my car.
“I thanked him for giving me my journal.”
“That’s it? Janie! You’re such a dork” She stuck her tongue out at me as she climbed into the passenger seat.
“Whatever! I was totally frozen I didn’t know what to do!” I tried to defend myself.
“Boo you whore.”
“Blah blah blah.” I replied. I drove back to my house, Monica always came over every Monday, it was routine. I saw my Mom’s car parked in the drive way as I pulled in. We walked into my house and heard my Mom chatting away at her phone, laughing.
“Mom?” I said
“In the living room Jane.” Monica and I walked into the living room. My mom turned to face us. “I got sushi for dinner and I have a gift for you girls.” Mom always brought home a gift for me when she came back from a business trip, it was her way of apologizing to me I guess. She handed us silver boxes, we opened them to see matching charm bracelets, personalized to say Janie and Monica.
“Thanks mom.”
“Thanks Lauren.” My mom only allowed Monica to call her by her first name.
“Don’t mention it girls.” She said covering the phone with her hand, then turning and walking up stairs chatting away on her phone.
Monica grabbed the bento boxes as we walked up to my room.
“So what are you going to wear to the dance?” Monica said shoving a California roll into her mouth.
“’The dance is still two weeks away.” I said as I ripped a soy sauce packet open with my mouth.
“Sho wut, awe you gowing to ask heym ohr wut?” Monica said talking with her mouth full.
“I don’t know!” I said.
“If you don’t I’m going to do it for you.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Janie, we both know I would.”
“UGGGHH!” I groaned as I threw a soy sauce packet at her.
“Either you ask him or I do.” She threw the packet back at me. “Besides he talked to you today, so just thank him for finding your book.”
My phone rang, it was a blocked call.
“Hello?” I said
“I see you.” A raspy voice said on the other end.
“Give it up Eric. I’m not falling for your stupidity anymore.” I growled angrily, I looked at Monica and she rolled her eyes.
“Janie baby, why do you have to treat me like this? You and I were meant to be together!” Eric said, there were voices in the background shouting ‘yeah’ and ‘go get your girl Eric’
“Who’s there with you? Am I on speaker phone?” I was truly angry now.
“It just me and the rest of the soccer team” More sounds came from the background.
“The soccer team?” My voice went weak and Monica looked at me with her mouth hanging open. She mouthed at me ‘HANG UP’
“Yeah all of the guys are over and I decided you can’t reject me with all of them listening.” He said, he was sneaky, and smart. But this was a dirty move. She knew that Nick was probably with them, listening to me talk to Eric. A lump rose in my throat.
“Look Monica already told you. I have a date. So stop.” I said sternly, Monica punched her hand into the air doing a little boo-yah type of dance.
I heard voices through the phone saying ‘treated’ others were saying ‘c’mon Eric stop being a wuss!’
“Shut up!” he shouted at the rest of them. “You can’t get rid of me that easily beautiful, this isn’t over.
I rolled my eyes, hanging up.
“So you’re going to ask Nick right?” Monica said to me laughing uncontrollably.
“He was there with them. So now he probably thinks I have a date.” I said covering my face with my hands.
“Just ask him already!”
“Fine! I will!” I said to her
“When?” She looked at me, while she flipped through channels on my tv.
“Soon.” I said, finishing my sushi.
My phone kept ringing. I silenced it and put it under my pillow, I would never date Eric, and I don’t know why he kept chasing me. It got annoying at times, but it was good to know that guys found me attractive.

Monica’s mom came to get her around 9:30, and I stayed in my room all night. I checked my phone it had thirty missed calls. “Ridiculous” I said out loud. I fell onto my bed not knowing what to do about the whole Nick situation. I got ready for bed, showering and brushing my hair until it was dry.. It was close to midnight when my phone began to buzz again, without checking the number I picked up.
“Dammit Eric STOP CALLING ME!” I shouted into the phone. There was silence on the other end. Then it was finally broken by a voice that wasn’t Eric’s.
“Honey?” The voice said. I froze.
“Oh, Hi Daddy.”
“How are you Janie?”
“I’m fine, how are you and Meridith?” I questioned trying to sound happy. I hated making my Dad worry about me. So I tried to pretend to be happy for him and my Mom.
“We’re fine, Meridith says hi.” He said, he sounded better, happier.
“Tell her I said Hi.” I said trying to be polite.
“I will, sorry I’ve been missing your calls, I’ve been busy.” He said apologetically.
“I know, its okay Daddy. I have to go to sleep I have school later, I’ll call you later.”
“Okay pumpkin, I miss you.”
“I miss you too Daddy.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.” I hung up the phone. I missed him terribly. Last time I saw him was last Christmas, when he came to visit me. He was supposed to stay for a week, but work called him away and he only ended up spending one day with me. I didn’t cry, I know his job meant a lot to him, so I let him go without any tears. But now I could cry all I wanted, so I did. I cried myself to sleep then slept dreamlessly.

The next couple of days were the same as usual. Eric constantly trying to catch my attention, Monica and James being all lovey dovey, obviously something happened between them that Monica didn’t tell me about, and of course I spent my days gawking at Nick from afar. It was all the same usual stuff. At the end of eighth hour I met Monica under the bleachers as we watched the boys’ soccer team practice. Eric and James were goofing off as usual, and Nick was kicking the ball doing drills with another player. He was so graceful and athletic it made me jealous that I couldn’t be like that.
“So, have you asked him yet?” Monica said to me
“Its’ only been four days! Can’t I wait just a tiny bit more?” I whined
“Fine.” Monica said as she put lip gloss on. I noticed that the past couple of days Monica had started wearing more makeup, and making an effort to look good.
“Moni, is there something that you’re not telling me about you and James?” I eyed her
“Well…Okay, He asked me out!” She said with a smile that went on for miles
“About time!” I said smiling, sharing her happiness with her.
A soccer ball came flying at the bleachers exactly where we were hiding.
“Nick go get the ball!” I heard someone shout.
“Crap!” I said to Monica, as we ran off towards the parking lot. We reached my car as we were laughing uncontrollably.
“C’mon let’s go to Crusty’s to get some pizza!” Monica said. I drove the car to the pizza joint.
We ordered our usual ham and pineapple pizza and sat in a corner booth. As we sat chewing our pizza, the bell on the door rang, and a group of guys walked in. To my dismay the whole soccer team walked in. Thankfully I didn’t see Nick.
“Janie baby.” Eric said plopping himself down next to me. I groaned, just my luck.
“Hey babe.” James said taking the seat next to Monica, kissing her one the cheek. Eric leaned in to do the same to me, but I shoved a piece of pizza into his mouth before he could get anywhere close to my face.
“Don’t even think about it, you creep.” I said to him, as he pouted.
“One of these days you’ll give in to my love for you!” He said as he chewed on the pizza
“HA! Don’t make me laugh. Love? More like sick obsession.” I pushed him out of the way to go refill my cup. I walked to the soda fountain and Eric followed me.
“Janie, let’s stop pretending and how about you just let me get some of that.” He said as he grabbed my waist. I pushed him away and turned to walk back to my table. But before I could even take one step, I crashed into somebody spilling my pop all over them.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” I said wiping the soda off of the person’s shirt with a napkin; I looked up to see Nick Keller standing in front of me. Before I could say anything he swatted my hand away and stared at me with cold eyes.
“Watch where you’re walking.” He said coldly, as he walked away and sat at a table surrounded by soccer players who all stared at me with wide eyes.
What had just happened? Did he really just do that? It was an accident he didn’t have to be so rude. Then I finally thought about it. For three years I’ve only watched Nick from afar, I didn’t really know who he was, and I just met the real him. He was cold, and rude, and something about him scared me, but then again it still attracted me to him. Little did I know that this moment would be the unluckiest thing that could ever happen to me.