The CEO is in Love With Me? *Under Construction*

Two

Having your birthday on a school day is probably the worst thing to happen to a person. And when it lands on a Monday? The most dreaded day of the week?

It totally sucks.

It's like the odds are against me this year.

My day starts as I eat a special breakfast, which consists of a bowl of oatmeal and a bagel, (more filling than my usual cup of joe and Tic Tac's in the morning) and head out the door to my bus stop. Everyday I thank the heavens that it's right in front of my house and that I don't have to walk up the longest (and steepest) street in my neighborhood everyday.

The bus comes at exactly 6:23 a.m. I say a 'good morning' to the driver and take a seat 5 rows back. Once again, I thank the heavens that not many people ride my bus, fearing that I, a senior who still rides the bus to school, will be seen by my fellow peers.

I'm not sure if it's because it's a full moon, or people are still party rocking from the weekend, but as I walk into school I notice everybody seems a bit more rowdy this morning. Groups of girls chatting away with their friends. Kids frantically looking through textbooks and notebooks. Jocks in the gymnasium shooting hoops. Even the kids who wear pyjama-like-clothes with a coffee in their hands look a little more alive.

I walk to my locker and place my folders and textbooks into my backpack. I am glad I didn't have much homework over the weekend since it's the last week of school before fall break and this coming up Saturday is Homecoming, so I imagine the teachers are slacking a bit off our shoulders. Of course, not all are this way. Like my math teacher, who decided it was a great idea to put a test on the last day. I swear every student in my class groaned when he announced this.

As I finish stuffing my bag full, I turn the corner only to bump into a figure. My calculus folder that I was carrying dropped and all of it's contents spilled out all over the floor. I look up at the person. Jackson Michael, a family friend of mine. He stands there laughing before bending down to pick up my papers.

"Hope I'm so sorry!" he laughs out. "It was unintentional, I swear."

"Yeah it better be unintentional, or else I would've beaten your butt."

"You wish you could beat this butt," he says. Then he winks.

I laugh at his comment then bend down to help him pick up my papers. He is that kind of guy who always has something witty to say.

He helps me collect the rest of my fallen papers and we head together to first hour: Calculus. We both hate the class, but we won't deny that we are good at the subject. The teacher doesn't help either. Mr. Rush. The crankiest, oldest, most saggy man to ever live. I swear if he got the chance, he would yell at every single student here for just breathing.

"Happy Birthday," he says out of the blue.

"Oh, you actually remembered it this year?"

Jackson awkwardly scratches the back of his head and winces as if I stabbed him in the heart. "How many times have I told you 'I'm sorry'? I wasn't counting, but I know it's at least more than my ten fingers."

I smile and playfully nudge him in the ribs with my elbow. Last year my 17th birthday landed on a Sunday and my mom planned a family party with family and family friends. Needless to say, Jackson totally forgot about it, going off with his friends to go fishing and leaving his poor mother worried sick at the party. He did get grounded and apologized to me about every day for a month.

I tell him, "I'm only giving you crap. I forgave you long ago, don't worry about it anymore."

He sighs but doesn't say anything more.

When we get to Mr. Rush's class, we take a seat next to each other by his two friends Steven and Kyle. They both lighten up when they see Jackson.

"Jackson!" They both yell. The few other students in the class give daring glares at the boys.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Jackson replies.

Kyle elbows Steven in the ribs and does a dance with his eyebrows. "Steven's going to ask out Hailye Johnson to homecoming."

"You're asking Hailye to Homecoming?" Jackson asks.

Steven slumps his head on his desk. "I know! It's a long-shot, but I figured I have a 35% chance of being her date."

Kyle laughs, "More like 0%!"

Steven sits back up and punches him in the arm. He then looks to me and asks, "What do you think Hope? Do you think I have any chance?"

My mind goes blank. I definitely know Hailye would never say yes to Steven. Let's face it, Steven is a dunce cap doofus and Hailye is a plastic Barbie doll who cares only of her looks and her friends. Even if she was to say yes Steven would be miserable with her. Constantly be nagged about his appearance and status would not go well with him for even a week. Yet, I know Megan's secret crush on him. If I could somehow change him mind about Hailye and focus on Megan, that would make her entire life.

"To be honest," I take a deep breath. This will hurt his feelings, but it's for his own good. "No."

Stevens face droops and becomes sad. "I knew it! She would never like someone like me!"

"Wait Steven, just hold on," I pause him. "Hailye isn't the girl for you, but I know just the one."

He lifts his head and his face shows excitement.

"Do you know my friend Megan?"

He stares at me in thought before saying, "The Megan with big tits or the Megan with small tits?"

Wow.
What.
A.
Sleeze.

See? Dunce Cap Doofus at your service.

"Big tits?" I answer back.

"Oh hell yeah! What about her? Did she say anything about me?" Excitement beams from his face that matches his tone.

"I'm not saying anything...but, you may or may not have a good 90% chance of being her date for Homecoming."

Steven hangs his arm out with a fist. "Pound it, dude."

I let out a laugh before "pounding" Stevens fist with my own. Just then the first bell rings signaling first hour has begun and Mr. Rush walks in with his clipboard.

Not glancing up, he walks to his desk and says, "Good morning."

His voice is dull and tired (like normal) and his presence dims our cheerful moods. He takes attendance while we wait in our seats to take notes. Then he smirks, stands up, and clears his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen we have a birthday today!" He says sarcastically. "Let's all sing Happy Birthday to Hope!"

He evilly stares into my eyes, very well knowing that I would be embarrassed of everyone singing to me for my birthday. What did I ever do to him? I'm a straight A student in his class, shouldn't I get good treatment? The class begins to sing while my face turns bright red (thank you sensitive skin). I do not like being put at center attention, I'd rather be watching another kid suffer this pain.

Oh dear God (if there even is one) please do not let my day of birth be the cause of my embarrassment today!

••••

Hi everyone!

Thank you so much for being so patient for this new update to chapter 2!

Chapter 3 update will probably be in another 2 years :)

Just kidding...but we'll see.

If any of you haven't noticed, I'm changing the plot a little bit so not all chapters will correlate.

Thanks for reading!

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