Love Potion Number 9

Chapter 1

She watched him through the small space above the shelf of books. This had been her daily ritual for the past six months. Everyday without fail at the same time, at the same place he was there, always reading intently. He always sat at the same desk and she always watched him through the same shelf. He was so beautiful to her, she loved the way his hair would occasionally fall into his eyes as he read. He would gracefully push it back into place and she wished so much she could do that for him. But how could she? She couldn't even gather the courage to speak to him.

His eyes never left the script before his eyes. Nothing could distract him from his daily reading, not even the strange girl who almost bore a hole through him from so much staring. She had been like him once upon a time. Reliving the memories she closed her eyes. 

She has always been a bookworm, spending most of her time studying and reading instead of social outings. She was never good at conversations and preferred to avoid them completely. She took refuge in her middle school library, a place where she knew not many ventured. All her hard work paid off when she received an acceptance letter and a full scholarship to Quintin Academy. 

Quintin Academy was a prestigious high school for the children of the rich but it had been her dream to attend. She knew if she could successfully graduate from this school with honors she could be someone in the world. What college would not accept her? What job would reject her? Still as a prestigious school Quintin Academy awarded a scholarship to only one 'underpriveliged' person a year. She knew she would stick out due to her lack of pedigree.

Thankfully the school uniform helped her blend in the first few days of high school. However most of these high society kids had grown up together. When they noticed her unfamiliar face they began to ask about her. It wasn't long before everyone knew she was the 'scholarship student'. After that she was avoided like the plague, they claimed poverty was contagious. She thought it funny how they automatically considered her poor. She was actually from the upper middle class but compared to the other students who were heirs to major corporations she might as well have lived in a cardboard box. 

When she accepted the scholarship she understood the consequences. She had prepared for the glares and looks of disgust from everyone. Her first year had gone by surprisingly quick, she made no friends and didn't mind. She spent her free periods and lunch time in the library, her safe haven. Everyday at the same times, at the same place, at the same desk she read her daily novel. She was prepared to do this for the rest of her high school life but when the second year came everything changed.