Chapter One

Valerie Brown was born in a middle class family to Thomas J Brown and Jessica Brown.She was the middle child of the three Brown children.Her brother Sydney Brown was eighteen years old and in college.He was in his last year of high school and had applied for a vacancy in Victoria University where he was going

to study medicine.At school, he was a very good student academicwise and also an obedient student despite the  image he had .He was the most popular boy in high school because he played soccer and was very charming.

Her young sister Shantel was ten years and was in middle school.Unlike her elder siblings,

Shantel was a more extravagant

person despite her family's financial status.She was also a very brilliant child and also had

many friends in school.She was loved by everyone and she was her parents' favourite child.

Valerie was three years younger than Sydney and was now in junior high school .She was a middle -sized young lady and was neither slim nor fat.She was just the right size.She had very dark long hair that she always liked pulling back in a bun.Whereas her siblings were very good at making friends, and were known and loved by everyone,Valerie had a problem with making friends.She either made the wrong friends or none at all and thus became a very lonely teenager.

Valerie was afraid of making friends because of her past encounters with her primary school friends who always critisized her about her looks and background.She was called 'ugly' by them and occasionally body shamed even though she had no problem  with the size of 

her body. As a result of this constant bullying, Valerie who was once a very lively person,

she became so uptight with her life that she could not even discuss her own problems with her parents.She gave up on making friends and decided to lead  a lonely life.

As she kept on growing, she became used to her lonely life.

In her high school she became friends with a group of girls who were known as 'The PYT's 'of the school.These girls were known to be the prettiest girls and were also the girls who critised everybody in school.

Though she knew she did not fit in,Valerie kept on being friends with the PYT's though she did not participate in the critising of other students in school.She just minded her business while they were enjoying while making their fellow students feel lower than they already feel.

It was not until she woke up in the dead  of the night at two am and found these same friends of hers criticizing and talking about her behind her back that she gave up on friendships.

Devastated as she was, Valerie decided to start being on her own and not seeking any help from anyone.

On the other side,Valerie,vowed never to befriend any boy since she found out that one of her gentfriends had been given money if he won a bet of just talking to her.Having found out about the bet, Valerie decided to put the males at the backside of her head.Relationships were not so good after all since every boy that Valerie dated was sure to break her heart.After the first two boys she dated, Valerie  began turning down all the dating proposals that were brought to her.Her insecurities kicked in and every attempt to compliment her about of her good looks went to vain since she considered everything as a lie.

Days turned into weeks,to months and then to years.It was the same story for Valerie.The same boring and lonely life.It was always normal for her to crush on a boy but she always just let it go.Her reason for not holding on to her crushes was her fear for not being good enough for them.She didn't even go to her school proms however much she was invited by a number of boys.That chapter of her life was now closed.

She was soon eighteen and was now leaving for college.She had been accepted into Bridgeton University and she was going to study business.Valerie was very good at writing and she had always wanted to be a part time author.Writing ran through her blood but due to her father's persistence she was forced to study business.Since her father had not fulfilled his dream to do business and start up his own company,he put his load onto his daughter so that she could finish what he had not finished.

The day had finally arrived and it was now Valerie's turn to go to college.Since her father had to attend some work over seas,Valerie was escorted to school by her mother.Sydney had been in college for three years and had decided to apply for a scholarship at Bridgeton so as to reduce on his family's expenses since Valerie had also joined college.Luckily ,his application for a scholarship was granted and had already gone to school a few months before Valerie.

It was an hour journey to the college and having checked everything twice and leaving Shantel with the babtsitter, they set off to school. Valerie was dead silent almost the whole journey.Even after her mother's attempts to kill the silence, Valerie barely spoke anything.

She occasionally answered her mother's questions with either a nod or a simple 'yes or no'.

The journey soon came to an end when they finally arrived and they were welcomed by Sydney who had just gotten out of his Biology class.He was still holding his disection kit and his books .

"Hey mam, "Sydney said as he gave a big hug to his mother.

"What's up Val, welcome to college."He said beaming down to her.

"Hey Syd, how are you liking it here?"Val said while smiling at her brother.

Between Sydney and Shantel, Valerie was closer to Sydney.He was her idol and she usually looked up to him.Sydney was also very fond of  Valerie and they always got along very well.

They also backed themselves up whenever they had a problem or when they were either out or sick.Poor Shantel was always left alone since she was born young and had grown out to be a snitch.

"Val,we may not see each other often since we are not taking on the same course.But I will be here whenever you need me and we will always fix something."

Sydney said as he smiled down to his sister.

"Yeah,that will work."Val assured her brother and with that they set off to the house mistress'office so as to check in and also get allocated to her room and roommates.

The process took longer than expected since there were still a few students being allocated to their rooms and roommates.