1 Chapter 1

There's a lot of things people can't stand; anchovies on pizza, touching slimy stuff...but for me, it's people asking me that one question over and over. It's like a horrible record being played over and over in your head till you wanna claw out your eyes. That one question....

"Hey Melissa, why are you single?"

Normally, anyone would just say 'None of your business' or flat out just ignore them. But I, I just responded as calmly as possible, "Because I want to."

I'm 17 year old Melissa and I've been single for 2 years. Apparently that's a disgrace and unheard of in high schoool but high school can suck it. After my last relationship at 15, I stopped trying and then I stopped caring.

There are those girls who think that life is just a fairytale and that they're entitled to love. But what is love? To me, love is often confused with lust or temporary passion and that love is just keeping betrayal and hurt on a leash. This emotion, makes us feel in a "fairytale", then it's taken away and left us with hurt. For me, it's the greatest form of torture. Me? I don't believe in it, much less for it to be everlasting. You might not like what I believe but that's my thought processes now.

"But look how happy I am with my boyfriend Trent," Julie said beaming.

"Bragging's a bitch," I mumbled.

I sat there across from my best friends, Julie and Amelia, the two people that I trusted enough to be close to me. They invited me to the Rose Café to "talk" but it's more like pestering. They both have boyfriends and sometimes they unknowingly shove it in my face but they mean well.

"I mean Jason takes me on wonderful dates, gives me gifts and loves kissing me and spinning me around in his arms," my other bestie, Amelia, said dreamily.

"I don't have anyone to spin me around but I'm still living," I pointed out.

"Sweetie, without love you're not really alive," Julie replied.

"Tell that to my beating heart," I quipped.

I'm a girl that likes to either read, eat or listen to music for a hobby, when I'm a tad bit emotional or stressed. Sometimes I feel that I'm reading myself to death because of the stories where the characters have their perfect love life, whereas I lost mine. I don't know how people manage to watch romance movies and not want to jump off a cliff. Maybe they want to know what other people's lives are like, but in any sense, curiosity kills the cat.

"Come on Mel, love is a beautiful thing," Amelia smiled as she reached across the table for my hand.

"That makes you do stupid things," I rolled my eyes and retracted my hand.

Julie took over the conversation as it seems Amelia gave up trying to convince me.

"I'll set you up on a date and you'll love it."

"I'm good."

"Alright, how about this. We take you places to meet guys and for you to see what we're talking about. If you can prove to us why love is so horrible and non existent, we'll stop pestering you."

I looked up,considering. Now that's music to my ears.

"Deal."