BOYFRIEND EXCHANGE

Chapter 1: All Is Fair In Love And War

The photo above is from Chapter 24. (I found him recently). I'm posting it here too so new readers would have an idea of what he looks like as they start to read.

Short introduction to a twisted story about love.

CHAPTER 1: ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR

I once heard that staring at people was rude, that publicly scrutinizing someone's appearance was often frowned upon, and that the outcome of doing so could either give you an enemy or make you the object of the bullies' attention.

But unfortunately, that wasn't the case at Dawson High.

The way people swiveled their heads at my direction as I walked across the hallway reminded me that for the students here, good behavior was nowhere near important and gossip and popularity were like subjects that they needed to pass.

I continued walking, trying hard to fight against the urge to glare at them and to hit their heads against the wall. Because contrary to popular belief, I really hated being watched.

Cheerleaders with annoying squeaky voices greeted me. Since I couldn't act the way I normally do because of some bizarre arrangement I had made with my sister, I was obliged to plaster a huge smile on my face.

That was a great achievement on my part because I didn't do that on a regular basis. I just couldn't see the significance of interacting with people that weren't your friends and pretending you knew every cool kid just to stay on top of the social ladder.

After a sea of students and hallways that seemed to split off into more hallways, I finally reached homeroom. I stood frozen outside, thinking of worst-case scenarios. Could I really pull this off? The moment I opened the door, more high-pitched voices and fake smiles welcomed me so I flashed them the famous Mendez smile.

"Hi Serene!"

"Serene! Let's hang out after class!"

"Ohmygosh! You bought a new bag! Nice Serene!"

"Sereeeeeeene!"

"What did you do this weekend Ser?"

"Looking hot Serene."

"Wow Serene, nice dress."

That last comment caught me off-guard. I almost forgot I was wearing a dress my sister literally forced upon me. A lot of hair-grabbing and slapping were involved. Well, most of it came from me. My sister wasn't the violent type. She's into rainbows and unicorns and princesses and all that girly nonsense.

When our adviser came inside everyone took their seats and the loud chatters turned to whispers. Mr. Copperfield, being his slow self, gave my seatmates a few minutes of gossip time. The girl from my left leaned at my desk.

"Ser, congratulations for your nomination. It is such an honor," she whispered.

I stared at her blankly, having no idea who she was and what she was talking about. "Thank you," I replied simply, beaming. I should get used to smiling at the end of my every sentence from now on.

"Chase would be so proud," she added. I shivered a little at the mention of his name. Chase, my... boyfriend. The sound of it was strange yet so natural.

"Ser," the girl whispered again, pulling me out from my reverie.

"What?" I asked.

"The teacher's calling your name." My head automatically turned to the teacher's table in front.

"Yes sir?"

With that, the whole class burst out laughing. I had no idea why.

"Ms. Mendez, I'm assuming that you are indeed in class," Mr. Copperfield declared. I looked back at Gossip girl on my left and saw her mouthed attendance.