Proud

new obsession.

I was by my locker, selecting books I needed for the next period when I felt a slight tug in my afro hair.

I turned to see a guy behind me, leaning against the locker next to mine.

He got closer to me, overpowering my height by just a few inches, and stretched his long arms to my hair, where he pulled out a pencil. He now had two pencils in his hands.

"Hi." His faint, animated smile had my mind all over the place. He was wearing the same sea blue jacket as the guy who had dared laugh at Gigi back in my first class.

"I'm Travis," he stretched his hand for a handshake, and I timidly took it.

Was I dreaming?!

A cute guy actually walked up to me to introduce himself?

"Brie, right?" Travis inquired finally when I wouldn't speak.

"Y-yeah, but everybody c-calls me Brianna- I mean Brie."

There was that cute smile again. It was faint still, but it met his eyes just like the first one.

I wished someone would just capture this moment so I could replay it over and over since this literally happened once in a lifetime - that is, a cute boy standing with me for more than five minutes.

I had a boyfriend once in my freshman year. He was very popular and a team member of the school's football team, but he didn't like to be seen with me in public. Whenever he saw me in school, he'd just nod and smile and just walk past me like I didn't exist, but when we were alone, he would treat me like I was the Queen of England herself. We broke up when I refused to lose my virginity to him. He told me I didn't care enough so he couldn't "roll" with me any longer, and that was the end of my chapter with boys.

All boys were the same.

All cute boys were the same.

But still, here I was, gawking over Travis like we ever even stood a chance.

The school bell rang, and students began pushing and shuffling their way to class. The hallway was practically flooded.

Travis leaned in closer, his scent breathtaking. I closed my eyes and relished in it, as he whispered. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm on your side." He winked at me before joining the sea of students.

I closed my locker and headed for my class, and all I did all day was to helplessly daydream about Travis and I and our future kids together and what we'd even call them.

***

The day was finally over and I was glad to be home to snack on the last bag of Dorito chips in the house.

My mom arrived two hours later right after I was done with three episodes of Pretty Little Liars.

"Brie, come help me with the groceries!" she yelled from the kitchen. She must've gotten the first, less heavy batch out of the car and was waiting for me to get the rest of it all.

"Brie's not home! She's been kidnapped!" I teased from my room.

"Brie, get your ass down here and pick up these groceries!"

"Aren't I supposed to be just helping out?!" I got off my bed and cleared off chip crumbs.

"The kidnappers returned you already?!"

"They hated my singing! Can you imagine?!"

"Brie, I ain't playing with your ass. Don't lemme come up there!"

Halfway down the stairs, I saw my mom in the kitchen, standing akimbo with a frown.

"On it." I headed straight out the front door and for the car, and after three overloaded bags, my elbows and arms were hurting.

I held the countertop for support, dramatically panting.

My mom shook her head disapprovingly. "Get the last paper bag, arrange everything in the cupboard, and start washing all the vegetables. You better be done by the time I come back down."

I whined, "But I'm tired."

My mom turned to me, a scorn so grave it could split mountains.

I knew damn well she was about to let hell loose.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss-Lay-Around-All-Day, I didn't notice how harsh I was being. Next time, I'll remember to ask for your permission before I clean up after you, work like a slave while still cleaning your room at your age, put food on your table, make life comfortable enough-"

"Mama, I-"

"That's the regretful tone I always wanna hear right after your whining. Now, get to work."

"Mhm."

She was turning to me again so I quickly replied, "Yes, ma'am."

"Better."

***

After two hours, dinner was ready, and I was famished as hell.

Before I could take my first bite after saying grace, my mom jumped at me with the question I'd been dreading she'd ask.

"So, how was your first day at Radiant Ridge?"

I literally choked on air and found myself chugging down a whole glass of water.

"F-fine. First day was cool," I lied. I never ever told my mom about how I was treated in school because of my weight, and she never seemed to notice how off I was everytime I came from school, or never saw me cry to sleep, so everything was, like I said, "cool."

I thought about opening up to my mom once - to just tell her how I couldn't make friends because that one mean kid kept spoiling me to the others - but on that particular day, my dad had lost a great opportunity in his career and I guess every other time was bad timing.

"Will Dad make it tonight?" I asked like I'd been asking since we moved.

I hadn't seen him since we moved.

"Remember Cynthia?" My mom flat out ignored my question.

"Cynthia?" I feigned interest, munching away on the good meal.

"Miss Conley is what you'll remember. You'd find us playing poker everytime you came back from school?"

"Oh yeahh." I remember she'd hand me a bar of chocolate every time I walked through the front door, and then she'd tell my mom once in a while, "Kids are truly a blessing. Just look at yours, Amanda." or  "Amanda, you for sure a lucky bitch." Then she'd pat my head and I'd happily march to my room.

"Didn't she get married to some rich white guy and move-"

"Here in California. Exactly," my mom replied.

"Oh."

"She tells me her husband's son, or more like her son now, is at Radiant Ridge."

"You guys have met already?"

"Yeah. I dialed the number she gave to me right before she left, and we met up and had lunch together yesterday. I should've told you before your first day, but it slipped my mind.  You could've hanged out with the popular kids on your first day instead of them other regular kids."

I frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

A proud smile formed on my mom's lips. "Cynthia's son is popular, so she says. What's his name again?" My mom looked up in thought. "Yes. The name was Travis."

"Travis?" My heart skipped, and my facial expression gave away my pretense to have never heard of him.

"Yes. I remember it starts with a T."

"Wait, does he know me already? Did Miss Conley mention me to him?"

"It's Mrs. Hernandez to you now, and yeah, she probably might have with how excited she was when I told her I'd enrolled you into Radiant Ridge."

Oh wow. I guess I'm in for a real treat.