It All Started With An Apple

Chapter 1

“You say that like you’re surprised.”  I smiled without humor as I took a step back toward the school building.  “Can we go inside now?”

Kyla huffed, stamping her foot childishly before nodding.  Together we made our way to the school doors, struggling to get by the crowds.  The crew, surprisingly, wasn’t the problem.  They’d dispersed all heading inside to go to class.  Which made sense seeing how it was almost time for classes to begin anyway.

“Brianne, why don’t you date?” Kyla whined, shooting me an annoyed look.

I shrugged.  “I don’t know, because I don’t want to?  That’s like asking why you’re so short.”

“Hey!” Kyla hissed.  “That was uncalled for.”

I grinned, shaking my head.  It was true.  She was shorter than me, and I was short—only five-foot-two.  She was the shortest senior in the school.  She didn’t take pride in the fact that she was shorter than even most freshman, and hated it when people brought it up.  Well, it served her right.  If she wanted to talk about my lack of dating tendencies then I had a right to make fun of her height. 

“Now,” Kyla said slowly, changing the subject back to me as she pulled the door open, “why don’t we talk about how I’m going to find you the perfect boyfriend this year?”

I scoffed.  “I don’t want a boyfriend, Ky.  Haven’t I made that abundantly clear?”

“I don’t care.”  She eyed me sternly.

I laughed bitterly, struggling to push past a girl texting on her cell phone without outright pushing her.  I didn’t need her getting mad at me.  I didn’t even know the girl.  “Why do you care if I date or not?”

Kyla smiled brightly.  “Everyone needs love in their life!  It’s what makes the world turn.  Not to mention keeps it populated.”

I shoved her playfully.  “Yuck!  You’re such a perv.”

Kyla grinned.  “That’s what they tell me!”

We turned, heading down the broad hallway.  I eyed the rooms with curiosity, wondering how classes were taught in these rooms.  Were they strict teachers, nice teachers?  Were there smart kids answering every question, or was everyone silent while they waited for the teacher to answer the questions for them?  Or were—?

“Brianne!”

I blinked, hard.  I turned, facing my friend.  Oops.  Guess she’s asked a question and I’d been so lost in thought that I didn’t hear.  “What?”

Kyla sighed deeply as though I was causing her great pain to have to repeat herself.  “I was talking about the perks of dating, only to realize that you weren’t listening.  It’s very rude to block people out you know.”

I cocked an eyebrow.  “You did the exact same thing to me earlier.”

It was Kyla’s turns to raise an eyebrow.  “I did?”

I scoffed, shaking my head.  It was amazing how well the mind could block out things that it didn’t want to hear.  “Yeah.  When you were, you know, gazing dramatically into the distance, gaping like a fool as a boy walked into the building.”

Kyla laughed, not looking at all ashamed that she’d made a fool of herself.  “Anyway,” she continued, ignoring my comment completely, “I was looking around online last night and I found this website on love.”

I cocked an eyebrow.  A website on love?  It was all I could do not to scuff.  The thought of someone sitting there typing out advice on love was just ridiculous.  It was one thing to rant about it to a friend, but to dedicate your life to spilling out your thoughts about it?  “That’s how you spend your free time?” I mused.  “Stalking love websites?”