May 30th

So my family decided to make my life even more difficult than it already is. They have decided to take me and my sister on a cruise around Europe, I just wish that the cruise wasn’t scheduled over my birthday. I haven’t celebrated one at home since I was ten. Now I have to tell my friends that I can’t hang out with them, and I know how well that went last year. We were supposed to go to see a concert, and they had to take someone else because I had to go visit my sister and her kids. Also I found out that my sister and her kids are going to move back in with us. I love my sister but we don’t always get along. She’s only moving back in because her stupid-ass husband cheated on her with some drunken chick at a bar and kept in touch. He said “she’s just a friend with benefits.” I personally think my sister was stupid for even marrying that dumb-ass. I could have predicted a divorce from the day that they said “I do.” But on that note I now have to get ready for school, to which I really don’t want to go, now that I have to tell my friends that I can’t hang out with them. Today is starting out great. Now I have to go to school.









Scarlett Ann Anderson.















Chapter 1- Crushed
My alarm clock is making the most irritating noise I have ever heard, and my mom is knocking on my door every five seconds. “Scarlett, time to get up for school, don’t wanna be late.” I quietly mumble yes I do. I get out of my bed and walk to my closet to find my normal dress for a day like today. Nice and warm is equal to Bermuda shorts and a t-shirt. I hate running late, because it makes me forget things. I would probably forget my brain if it wasn’t in my head. I was running late and it wasn’t a pretty sight.
“Scarlett. Honey come on, you are making the rest of us late.”
“Okay mom, I’ll be there in a minute.” I decided that I can do my make-up at school, and because I don’t have any time to do anything with my hair, I decide that a ponytail is practical. Rushing is not a part of my daily routine. I normally take an hour or so to get ready, sometimes more, it depends on what I’m doing with my hair.
I live in a small town in Texas, so my life is pretty boring. To bring joy to my life I’m almost always with my two best friends Lorraine and Kaydence. I have known Lori for six years but it feels like we’ve known each other forever. Kaydence I met at a summer camp two years ago. Her parents are divorced her mom is a singer/actress, so we get to go to all of the parties and meet all of the celebrities that we want during the summer. But during the school year she lives with her father who is a small business owner. Because Kaydences’ mom is a singer/actress she got us into one of biggest movie premieres this summer. But now I can’t go thanks to my parents.
I hear a faint noise coming down the hallway leading to my room, but I ignore it, which was a bad idea considering it was my father.
“SCARLETT ANN ANDERSON. YOU GET YOUR BUTT DOWNSTAIRS RIGHT NOW! YOU ARE MAKING ALL OF US LATE.”
“Yes sir. I’ll be right down.” Now where did I put my book bag? Scanning the room… ah there it is, right where I left it in the corner upside down. I grab my stack of library books, to return. I’ll freely admit it, I’m a bookworm. I absolutely love reading. When I have nothing to do, my best friends are the characters in my books. They comfort me when I’m sad and they always make me laugh.
To not aggravate my father further I run down the stairs as fast as humanly possible or I will never be able to do anything again.
“Scarlett, are you finally ready to go?”

The drive to school seemed endless, just like torture. I realized I wouldn’t have time to do my make-up when I got to school so I had no choice but to attempt to put on my make-up on in the car. I have tried before and it did not end well. Let’s just say that I looked like a clown walking into my cousin’s birthday party. But I had to make do, so I did. If I do say so myself I don’t look that bad. I guess I mastered a new skill.
I arrive at school minutes before the late bell sounds. Lorraine and Kaydence are waiting for me at our usual table, right now is about the time where we dish all the gossip we’ve gathered from the last 24 hours. It’s pretty pathetic. Right now would probably be a good time to tell Lorraine and Kaydence that I can’t hang out on my birthday. Though they probably won’t take it well, they will probably take it better if I tell them sooner.
“Lori, Kay.”
“Yeah, Scar. What’s up?” Fire replied
“You know how we were supposed to go to that big movie premiere this summer for my birthday. Yeah I can’t go.” I was utterly unprepared for what they then threw at me.
“WHAT!?” they simultaneously screamed in my face
“Girls if you can’t be quiet during announcements, then I am going to send you down to the office. Is that clear?”
“Yes Ms. Waters.”
“Scarlett. You promised you were gonna go. I mean you didn’t go last year. Come on we never get to see you on your birthday. How can you do this? What’re you gonna do? See that deadbeat sister of yours and her shithead of a husband” That did it for me. I already wasn’t in a good mood but that put me over the edge. I might not get along that well with Kristal, but no one calls my sister a deadbeat. Sure she may have married one but that does not make her a deadbeat herself.
“You know what Lori, Screw you. No one calls Kristal a deadbeat. You’re an ass. I really can’t believe you said that. Did you really think that I wouldn’t take offense to that? We may not get along all the time, but she still is my sister and I take pride in that.” I grabbed my stuff and hauled my ass out of that room. I didn’t want to talk to or even see them for a while.
I am actually astonished that they said that. They know how I feel when they bring up Kristal. I am walking down the hall shuffling my books, as they try to fall out of my arms. My first period class today is gym. I hate having gym first because then you smell the rest of the day and also you have to redo your make-up. Though I did mine in the car, it doesn’t look that bad. Today in gym we are starting softball, I used to play, so to help me focus I picture Lorraine’s face on the ball, one by one as they come at me. Hitting them so far out it takes the outfielders five minutes to get the balls back.
Towards the end of gym I start talking to Sarah, asking her about what Lori said. Her facial expression said it all. She had a look of disgust on her face. She said “I can’t believe Lorraine said that, she has never been that cruel before. She went totally out of line.” A minute later she said “I can slap her if you want.”
I’ll admit it, I chuckled. “Thanks but no thanks, Sarah. I have to handle this one on my own.”
As I walk out of the girl’s locker room, I feel a hand grace the small of my back, only to turn around to my boyfriend, Alex.
“Hey baby, did you miss me?” He gently kisses me on the cheek. As I begin to blush I say
“Alex, we’re in school.”
His reply is “so?”
“So…we could get in trouble. I don’t have time for trouble.” Alex pouted his lip out at me. He knows that when he pouts at me I can’t resist him; he’s just too darn cute. “Alex, I have to get to class, or I’ll be late.”
“Okay. Scar, are we going out tonight?”
“I don’t know Alex. I’ll text you later. Bye”
“I can’t wait.”
My boyfriend is Alex Monroe. Otherwise known as the Varsity Basketball Captain, and yes Alex is not in my grade. Alex is a junior here at Madison High. We met at the local coffee shop. He worked there; I was a regular customer. I went there every day. One day he got off work early and asked me if I wanted to go get something to eat. I said yes, because I thought he was very cute. We got to the restaurant and started talking. It turned out that we had a lot in common. We both like sports, we both favor Rock to anything else, the list can go on. But every single word that came out of his mouth was a compliment toward me. It was so sweet.
Since I live in a small town where there isn’t much to do we had gone for a walk in the park. We arrived just as the sun was fading into oblivion as the stars began to reveal themselves to be naturally brighter than the night before. We heard a subtle song playing from a distance, so he took me by my hand and we began dancing to the music. I looked into his gorgeous blue eyes, and he looked into my chocolate brown eyes. He leaned in, I wasn’t sure if I was ready so I quickly turned my head to the side. He looked at me and said “Am I moving too fast?”
“No. I wasn’t sure if I was ready. But I am sure now.” So l leaned in to kiss him. We still danced to the music, and by the time the kiss ended the song ended as well. So I knew that our song was “Secret Valentine” by We the Kings.
My parents aren’t happy that I have a boyfriend that’s sixteen, considering the fact that I’m only fourteen, I see their concern. But they understand my judgment and are okay with Alex. Actually later this month he is supposed to come over for dinner and meet my entire family. I think he’s excited, he’s only vaguely met my mother, and that was when she picked me up from his house.
As the day ends my thoughts drift away from the English lesson toward Lorraine and Kaydence. I am totally pissed that Lori called Kristal a deadbeat. But they are my best friends, I think that I just need time to calm down and de-stress. With a million things going through my mind at once my English teacher interrupted my thoughts “Scarlett! If you don’t pay attention then I am going to give you a detention. Do you understand?”
“Yes Mrs. Turner.”
“Now class your homework assignment is to write a short story. It will be read aloud, so make sure that its school appropriate.”
When the bell rang I rushed to my locker, and then I ran into Alex’s arms. I felt as if I belonged there. The ride home went quickly. We didn’t talk too much. When I got out I said “thanks for the ride Alex. I’ll text you later.”
We kissed and nothing else was said.
I open my door, and called my mom at work. The phone rings seven times then an answer. “Hello. You have reached Anderson Lawyers Inc. This is Jennifer. How may I help you?”
“Hi Jenny, it Scarlett, can I speak with my mother?”
“Sure I’ll connect you.” The most repulsive holding music played for about a minute. Then my mom picked up.
“Hello, this is Melissa Anderson. How may I help you?”
“Hey mom it’s Scarlett.”
“Scarlett, is something wrong?”
“No I have a question.”
“Well I don’t have all day, I have clients waiting.”
“Can Alex come over for dinner tonight to meet the family? Evan is coming home from college, and Kristal is bringing the girls over.”
“Sure. You’ll have to figure out something for dinner because I won’t have time to cook anything. Why don’t you tell him to be there at seven?”
“Okay I will. Thanks mom I’ll see you at dinner. Bye.”
“Bye honey.”
The line went dead so I got out my cell and texted Alex
Scarlett: Hey you want to hang tonite?
Alex: Sure where?
Scarlett: my house
Alex: your house?
Scarlett: you’re gonna come over and meet my family.
Alex: Oh am i?
Scarlett: Yes you are. I’m cooking dinner and you’re gonna meet my parents and siblings and my two nieces. Oh be here at seven. K
Alex: yea k ill be there @ 7
Scarlett: c u soon
Alex: bye love
Scarlett: bye love
It is one hour until seven and dinner is done so I begin getting ready. I shower and start picking out my outfit. Tonight is special so I need a cute outfit that is casual yet cute. I iron a white collared button down and put a dark purple tank underneath and I get out my dark denim mini-skirt. I wear my hair down with a part off to the side. My parents are home getting ready. Evan is on his way. And Kristal should be here shortly. I finish my make-up in time to get my dessert out of the oven before it burns. It’s a chocolate cake and I’m going to cover it in icing. As I’m working on the cake, Kristal walks through the door with multiple suitcases and her two kids, Lilly and Danielle
“Hey Scar, how’re you?”
“I’m good Kris, how’ve you been. I know you’ve been having a hard time lately.” Kristal starts to cry, I didn’t mean to make her cry.
Sobbing she says “I can’t believe Doug would do that to me. I thought he was the one who I was supposed to be with. He had her over when he was watching the kids Scar. The girls were napping in their room and he was having sex in ours. I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out sooner. I’m so mad at myself.”
I let her vent to me until seven. Then I patiently waited for Alex. We ate dinner waiting for him and we had dessert while waiting for him too. I constantly checked my phone looking to see if he texted me. Nothing. At ten I gave up hope. I began crying and ran upstairs to my room where I grabbed my diary and started writing.

May 31st
Tonight Alex was supposed to come over for dinner. I made dinner and dessert, I waited until ten and he never came. I can’t believe him! How could he do this to me? He knew how important this was to me and he just completely ignored it. Also with Lori and Kay they called Kristal a deadbeat. They haven’t texted all day so I’m gonna be alone all weekend. I am so upset right now. I don’t understand how people hurt my feelings with the knowledge of how fragile they are. People make me so mad. I just want to punch somebody.









Scarlett Ann Anderson