Bruised Affections

Chapter 1

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I CAN'T BELIEVE this. I don't know how many times I'm gonna file for a locker change and I don't know when they would finally heed to me. My locker's rusty but that's not the problem, the problem is that it's low. I thought high and low lockers were a thing of middle school but apparently its not and for years I've been stuck with a low locker that is slowly but surely driving me crazy.

Now my skirt won't stay still and let me get my books out in peace, I noticed it's short but I didn't know it is this short.

I bunch my books up in my arm, shut my locker and stumble up to my feet, a file slipped and fell to the floor.

"Smile!" A familiar, now annoying voice says as a white flash of light escapes the camera pressed to her face. I ignore her and squat down again, picking up the contents from my file. "Ugh, why is your face like this?"

I stumble back to my feet with a groan, "maybe because I'm super frustrated, annoyed and tired? I don't want this locker anymore."

Jamie smiled, "sorry but you should really try to smile for the camera. This is going into the yearbook."

Jamie Lane – always cheery, never glumly – I'm pretty sure if she was to have a slogan, that would be it. She was always happy and smiling and if she wasn't then anyone and everyone could tell because unfortunately or fortunately she wears all her emotions on her face and they are always crystal clear. Since I met her, two years ago, Sophomore year, we've been friends and she's always dreamt and had a passion for journalism. Which is why she now runs the School's Paper — The Galaxy.

Its the perfect job for her because not only is she so cheery, she's also really really curious, likes to butt into everyone's business - an annoying trait I've learned to live with - and she also a wonderful talkative. Jamie's slightly chubby and before her I thought fat people were all short but she proved me wrong, we're almost the same height and I'm tall. Although now, I don't think she can still pass for fat, just a little chubby. She's got short curly blond hair with a red streak running down a side.

"You're in charge of the yearbook photo, since when can you use a camera?" I asked slinging my bag back over my shoulder.

"Since I got myself a new assistant at The Galaxy." Jamie said still looking at the screen of her camera.

"New assistant?"

"Morning." Christine Hoff greets panting as she slows to a walk beside me adjusting her pointy glasses.

Christine Hoff is another friend of mine and last one in our trio. Christine and I have been best friends since diaper days, our mothers were friends so it helped our bonding a lot. We rarely ever spent time away from each other and even went on family vacations together. Christine's petite, the smallest in our group and she's the complete nerd. With her red pointy glasses, black ink hair and long bangs, she fits into the label perfectly.

Christine and I had a pretty bad fallout freshman year for stupid matter and our friendship was threatened. We weren't friends for over a year until I got back my senses and returned to her. I like to think that our friendship have never been stronger.

I checked my tiny gold chain wrist watch clasped over my left wrist. "You're just ten minutes late. What's the miracle?"

She raised her hand up showcasing the key dangling over her fingers. I'm pretty sure the whole hallway heard Jamie and I gasp. "You got a car?!" Jamie shouted and now I know the whole hallway heard that.