My Unavoidable Fate

Part 1

I sat in my last class of the day, Languages, tapping my pencil on the edge of the desk. I watched the clock tick down the miserable seconds before I could leave with my best friend, Hailey, to go over to my house. I swiveled my head over to the side, sneaking a glance at the jocks who were currently throwing spitballs at anyone who dared. I rolled my eyes, fiddling with the dark curl that suspended itself from my head.

The bell rang and echoed throughout the halls. I snatched up my backpack and joined the herd heading out the doors of the jail we call High School. I fished in my pocket for the keys of my hand-me-down car, a 2000 Honda CRV. It wasn't bad, in fact I loved it.

"HEY!" Hailey called, catching up to me.

"Hi..." I said, still digging for those stupid keys.

"You're looking for...?" Hailey asked, trailing off. "Keys?"

"How'd you know?" I rolled my eyes as she pulled them out of her pocket and dropped them into my palm. She had the opposite lunch as me, so usually she'd go to my locker, take the keys, go sit in my car and eat and end up putting them in my bag later.

We got to the car and I popped the trunk, shoving those useless books into a dark hole I could forget about for a while. At least, until the weekend ended.

"So." She said, turning down the radio, a mischievous look plastered over her naturally light-toned face.

"What?" I replied, curiously grinning at her, keeping my hands on the wheel as we pulled out of the parking lot. "What aren't you saying?" I said, giggling. I only giggle when I'm nervous.

"Oh, it's nothing; maybe just I saw someone checking you out today. Nothing much, yeah?" She deadpanned, looking me dead in the eyes. A smile poked at the edges of her mouth.

"Nuh-uh. Who?!" I said giddily.

"That new guy. What's his name? Ty? Tyler? Todd? Tim? Whatever. The tall stupid one that you are head over-freaking-heels for." She said, picking at her nails. "He's an idiot, you know, more of a dick than you could imagine."

"Oh mi god Hailey we've been through this. He is not!" I said, getting a little bit upset.

"Oh jeez okay whatever just wait. Wait and let me say 'I told you so.'"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Let's grab a snack and head inside for some COD, yeah?"

"Definitely." She replied. Ever since we were fifteen, we came to my house after school on Friday and Hailey stayed until Sunday. Her parents were rarely home, and Matty, her little brother, often spent his time at their Grandparents'.

I walk up to the door of the house and I hear voices coming from inside. Assuming that my mom was just on a phone call, I opened up the door.

"Hey! There's the one I've been telling you about." My mum said, practically running over to the door to usher me into the living room. As I was swept in, I noticed that there were two men, middle-aged, one bald and short, the other medium height and fat. "The deal's still on...?" Mum asked, in a worried tone.

I glanced over to Hailey. 'Get the gaming system up' I mouthed. She gave me a quick nod and bounded up the stairs and into my room.

I focused my gaze back on my mom, who was looking anxiously at the men, who were discussing the matter, whatever it was, with each other.

"Can I go into my room now?" I asked, tugging my arm away from my mother's tight grasp.

"No, don't be so disrespectful. Go pack up." She said cooly, going to sit on the couch in front of our company.

"What do you mean pack up?" I asked, I was confused and getting really annoyed.

"Oh goodness Maddi don't act so stupid! You're going to, er, umm, find a suitor."

"What do you mean? Oh god mom just explain this." I said, putting my hands on my hips.

"Well..." She goes, glancing over to the men. "A while ago I met up with a friend, and we both agreed that our children couldn't find someone, uh, suitable for them on their own. So we agreed that when you turned 18, you'd go and live with my friend's son and three other boys, but you won't know which one you're going to marry."

"Wait a minute," I gasped, shaking my head, "marriage?! I'm barely out of high school! What about college?! What about my career! What if I can pick a 'suitor' for myself?"

"Shh shush Maddi it's no big deal we've arranged for everything, classes, a job, living arrangements-" she tried to explain, me cutting her off.

"LIVING ARRANGEMENTS?" I grasped at my roots. I saw Hailey peek her head around the corner. "This is insane, Mom! How can you not see this? ME, going to live with FOUR OTHER BOYS THAT I DON'T KNOW. I'm not even given the opportunity to say goodbye to my old life?" I was getting angry.

"Madelyn Louise that's enough. Go pack up." She said, waving me off and receiving a thick suitcase from the man. 

"No! What's going on? Why am I doing this?! Why are you doing this?" I screeched at my mother, who shrugged in reply. One of the men stood up and started to walk my direction. He stopped inches away.

He cleared his throat, announcing that I needed to be ready in only 30 minutes. Bring 8 months worth of clothes, he said, and anything else I could want because I wouldn't be coming back for a long time. And if I didn't? There was 'plenty of things I could have' back at the place where the boys and I would be living. He'd be taking me anyway.

I run up the stairs to my room, taking two steps at a time. I burst through the door and find Hailey, sitting on my bed with the controller in her hands, shooting. 

"Hola," she says casually. "I overheard a little. You going to stay with someone?"

I sighed, heading to my closet. "No," I replied, shoving a few articles of clothing into my bag. "I'm going to live with them." 

Hailey cocked her head. "What do you mean?" 

I explained the whole situation to her. She paused the game, turned and looked me straight in the eyes. She deadpanned: "And what if they're cute?" 

I had to laugh at that. She rolled her eyes. "For real Maddi, but what if you really do love them? What if it goes good?" 

Again, I laughed and shook my head. "More than likely, I won't. I'll just end up married and a dropout that lives in an alleyway with this guy our parents picked for me." I slammed shut my suitcase. 

"How long will you be gone?" she asked, handing me a pair of socks. 

"Eight months."