1 Chapter 1

This is it. I was finally starting my senior year of high school. I was excited, but since I was taking Advanced Placement classes, I wouldn’t be having many classes with my friends. Sure, I would see them at school still, but I would have classes with new and unfamiliar people. Understandably, I’m a nervous wreck.

Cactus High School was a big school. Such a big school, in fact, that we even had sports teams for lacrosse and golf, for God’s sake.

There were so many students that each grade was housed in its own building on the campus. The gigantic football field looked like it was collegiate level. Our football team, the Cactus High Armadillos, have been state champions for the past ten consecutive years. Our teachers and students take a lot of pride in that.

I am not athletically inclined. I was student body president each year of my high school career. I was on honor roll. I am already getting scholarships. I had so many obligations already that sports weren’t on my mind at all.

My home life was rather picture-perfect, as well. My mother was a stay-at-home mom. She cooked Food Network-worthy meals, cleaned the house top-to-bottom each day, drove my brother to and from his practices every week. My father was a well-known business man. He owned an insurance company in town, and work long hours, practically every day of the week.

He and my mom are very much in love—I envy their relationship. They had been high school sweethearts. He was the varsity quarterback and she was the head cheerleader. He proposed to her at their high school graduation. She said yes.

Then there is my brother, Brandon. He was in his senior year, again. He failed last year, but it didn’t seem to bother him. He loved playing football and hanging out with his friends at school. Personally, I think he knows he is going to peak in high school and is afraid to leave.

My daily routine was extremely bland and I didn’t expect it to change this year. In fact, it would be getting even duller with my extra classes. I would wake up every morning, take a shower, eat breakfast, drive to school (I had just gotten my license, so this was the only change in my routine), take class after class, meet with the student council at the end of the day, drive back home, eat dinner, study, do homework, watch an hour of TV, and go to sleep.

I know that I seem boring, but I actually have a sense of humor. I’m also not that glasses-ponytail-and-sweater-wearing girl. I am decent-looking—at least that’s what the hormonal teenaged boys say. I never dated any of them, to Mom’s disappointment. I always reply that I am too invested in my studies to lose focus on some boy. And it was true. But also, it’s because I am into girls. And very much in the closet. 1

“Attention everyone: let’s stand up and introduce ourselves, okay? Tell everyone something interesting about yourself,” the teacher suggested and I rolled my eyes.

Why must we always do this? What fun fact am I supposed to say? Hi, I’m Ashley and I’m hiding the fact that I’m a lesbian’? Or maybe, My name is Ashley and a fun fact is that I think these introductions are stupid, a waste of time, and pointless’?

“Hey, I’m Fred. I play football,” the red-haired muscle head in a letterman jacket stood up. I know him, at least. Not sure if it’s really a good thing, though. He is one of my brother’s best friends. They have been playing football with each other since they were kids. He is relatively good-looking, so all of the girls swoon over him. He has never kept a steady girlfriend and he constantly hits on me. Luckily, my brother tells him to knock it off whenever he’s around.

“My name is Geraldine,” a timid, frail girl with glasses stood and sat down just as fast. Poor thing. Who names their daughter Geraldine?

“Hi, I’m Keira,” another girl stood and I didn’t recognize her, unsurprisingly. She had long brown hair and bright brown eyes. She was wearing our school’s golf team uniform—khaki pants, black UnderArmour shoes, and a dark green polo with the Armadillo logo on it. She was really tan—from playing golf, I would imagine. “I’m the captain of our golf team,” She finished.

“Hello, I am Lisa,” another student stood and sat. “Oh,” She stood back up. “I like horses.”

I kept glancing over to Keira, for some reason. There was something about her that kept catching my attention. She was absentmindedly doodling in her notebook. The girl next to her stole the pencil out of her hand and stuck her tongue out at her. She tries grabbing it back, to no avail. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it seemed…flirtatious?

“Miss?” I heard our teacher’s voice and glanced up at him. He was talking to me. I was so engrossed in watching the two girls that I totally spaced out. God, I hope no one noticed.