Before you start thinking that this is another story about how some hot player falls in love with some nerd, let me get something straight. I'm not a nerd, and I'm not a nobody either. I was just a normal girl. I had a lot of friends, but I wouldn't call myself popular. I wasn't athletic, and I was average when it came to academics. I was just a normal girl, and I think that that's what got Zachary Deveraux's attention. I was just like his usual targets.
But I was also different from the rest of them. I wasn't about to say yes.
And everyone knew Zachary Deveraux doesn't take no for an answer.
It all started on my first day at Corvus High School. I was in eleventh grade, and I was nervous, like any other normal teenager should have been whenever they had to start at brand new school in the middle of the school year.
It was the high school that my parents went to, the place where they had first met and fell in love. My mom was hoping that the same thing would have happened to me, but I didn't think that it was very possible.
I made my way through the crowded hallways, no one even paying any attention to me. This was what I wanted though; I didn't want to make any friends until class started.
When I entered the office, I looked around to see where I would have to go. I nodded to myself and started in her direction when I saw the secretary only a few feet away from me.
"Is there something I could help you with?" the secretary asked from behind the desk as she sat in a roller chair. She moved her glasses down her nose and looked at me.
"Um, I'm here to pick up my schedule," I informed the secretary, not knowing if I was supposed to say anything else to her.
"Oh, you must be that new student," the secretary nodded, immediately rolling to her right and flipping through various papers. "Maxine is your name, correct?"
I bit the inside of my lip to stop myself from making a face. "It's Maxynn, actually. It rhymes with Jackson."
"Ah," the secretary nodded just as she pulled out my schedule. "Maxynn Chase. That's a very unusual name. I don't think I've ever heard it before. I like it."
I smiled awkwardly at her, taking my schedule from her hands. "Thank you."
I quickly scampered off then, not wanting to have any kind of awkward conversation with her. It would have just been best to get to class, since I was already late as it was...
I darted off down the hall, looking down at my schedule to see where my classroom was. It couldn't have been that hard to find...
Before I could make it very far down the empty hall, I smacked right into someone. Luckily I didn't fall over, but my schedule quickly fluttered out of my hand and onto the floor.
My hand shot for it, but another hand beat me to it. Our hands brushed, but I felt absolutely nothing as I looked up at the boy who was now holding my schedule.
"Maxynn Chase, huh?" he asked, reading my name off my schedule and pronouncing my name like Maxine. "So you're new around here, I take it. I haven't ever seen you around before."
Was that not absolutely obvious or was this guy just an idiot? If I was walking in the empty hallways, all alone with a schedule in my hand, what would you think?
"Um, my name is actually pronounced like max-in. It rhymes with Jackson," I replied to the boy, plucking my schedule from his grasp and tucking it in my pocket. Saying that my name rhymed with Jackson was something I had to do pretty much every time someone said my name wrong, which was sure a lot.
"Looks like we have a couple of classes together," this boy now smirked, holding out his hand for me to shake. "I'm Zach. Zach Deveraux."
I stared down at his hand, as if I didn't know what to do with it. Did anyone ever shake hands anymore? What kind of place had I stepped into?
"Maxynn," I greeted, even though he already knew my name. I grabbed his hand and shook it. "Maxynn Chase, even though you already know that, of course."
Zach laughed, and I couldn't help but notice that it was probably the most attractive thing that I had ever heard. I mentally slapped myself at the thought; this wasn't the time to think about some boy.
"How about I walk you to class?" Zach offered, that charming smile still on his face as he took a step toward me. "I don't think you'd be able to find it on your own. This school is actually pretty big."
"Um... no, thanks," I declined, taking a step back and forcing out a smile. "I can find it on my own. Thanks anyways."
Zach nodded, still smiling at me. "Okay, whatever you say."
I didn't move from the spot I was standing in until I couldn't see Zach's retreating back any longer. After waiting for a few more seconds, I looked down at my schedule and quickly started off in the direction of the classroom. Luckily my schedule had a map on the back, because Zach was right. There was no way I would have found it on my own.
"Hi," the teacher greeted me once I walked into her classroom, offering het hand for me to shake much like Zach had done only a few minutes earlier. "I'm Mrs. Ranks. You must be the new student."
"I'm Maxynn Chase," I smiled back at her, knowing that there wasn't anything else I could say. It was obvious that I was a new student... I really didn't understand why people kept asking me if I was.
Mrs. Ranks then clapped to get the class's attention. "This is our new student." She gestured with her right hand over to me. "Maxynn Chase is her name."
"Isn't that a boy's name?" I heard a new voice ask, and I looked over to see the boy who I had run into earlier that morning, Zach. "It's just spelled different, but Maxxon is a boys' name. You just spell it differently and make it look feminine."
I felt like hiding under a desk right then. I knew that my name was for a boy; my parents thought that I was a boy before my mom gave birth to me. They had the name picked out and everything, and they weren't going to change it even when they saw that I was in fact a female.
"You are so right, Zach!" one of the girls beside him giggled, a few other girls agreeing with her. "Maxxon is totally a boys' name!"
"At least I don't have the same last name as a Golden Girl," I snapped, even though I didn't see how this would have been an insult at all. I actually loved that show...
Zach bit the inside of his lip for only a second, his eyebrows furrowing at me as a few people laughed at what I had said. This angered expression soon disappeared though, and was replaced with a smirk.
"How does the new girl already know Zach's last name?" I heard one guy whisper to another, and there was no use since I could hear everything they were saying clearly.
"They must have hooked up already," the other guy whispered, causing me to freeze.
Another guy nodded, joining in on this conversation. "Yeah, they probably did. Zach's running out of girls at this school, so I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to screw a hot new girl."
I did not like how this conversation was going, so I quickly turned away from them and tuned them out.
I could only hope that rumor didn't start about me on my very first day...
"You can sit next to Kate, Maxynn," was the next thing I heard Mrs. Rank say when I tuned back in. She pointed toward a girl in the back with bright red hair, and empty seat right beside her. The redhead raised her hand, as if it wasn't obvious who she was talking about.
I did as I was told, ignoring everyone's eyes on me. I should have been expecting this, since I was the new student and all. It had always been like this at my old school whenever there was a new student.
"Hi, I'm Kate," the redhead smiled at me once I sat down, and I bit down on the inside of my lip to stop myself from saying that I already knew what her name was. "Maxynn is such a unique name, by the way! It's super cute. I just love it so much. I've never even heard it before! Do you know where your parents got it from? Did they make it up? Well, it is a boys' name, so I guess they didn't make it up... But I don't think I've ever seen it in a baby book before. And I would know, because I love going through baby books because I'm planning on having a baby once I get out of high school..."
She continued talking, but I stopped listening. This girl was annoying, and I didn't think I was going to be able to get along with her. I immediately missed my friends from my old school, and I wished that I could have been sitting next to someone who wouldn't talk to me.
"So you know Zach already, huh?" Kate now asked, leaning forward in her seat so she could see Zach, who was across the room from us. "I don't know if I should be surprised or not. Zach is well known for getting to know girls pretty quickly... if you know what I mean. Oh!" She quickly leaned back in her chair, surprising me a little. "He's looking this way!"
I didn't even bother turning around to check, because I honestly didn't care. I didn't like this Zach guy, and I obviously had a good reason to. Everyone was pretty much telling me that he didn't care about girls and would just sleep with them whenever he got the chance to.
Without even realizing it, I glanced over at Zach. We locked eyes and he smirked at me, but all I did was scowl right back at him. I could tell that this was the start of a very... unusual relationship. And when I said unusual, I meant in a bad way.
But this had been a year ago, and now I was a senior and wasn't the newbie anymore at all. I actually had a lot of friends now, as if I had been at Corvus ever since freshman year, but one thing hadn't changed.
I still didn't like Zach.
"Okay, let me get something straight," I began to Kate, who had now become my best friend. "You and Zach hooked up... and you never told me before now? After we've known each other for a year?"
"We did not hook up," Kate hissed, hitting my arm and looking around to make sure no one was listening in on our conversation. "We only made out. And it was in sophomore year, before either of even met you. I thought you wouldn't want to know because of how much you hate Zach."
I couldn't help but make a face. "So he really has been with every girl in the school."
"Except for you," Kate made sure to point out in that sing-song voice of hers. "But I'm sure he hasn't been with every girl in the school. Not every girl in the school is hot, and Zach only goes for girls that he thinks are hot."
I shrugged. "And unfortunately..."
"He thinks you're hot," Kate finished for me, giggling after she had done so.
"I didn't even think that guys like Zach even existed," I groaned, my lips curling in disgust. "I mean, I thought that guys were always fictitiously dramatized as players that hook up with every girl in the school in books and movies. I guess I was wrong. They do exist."
"He's a boy," Kate started, a grin plastered on her face, "not a unicorn."
"I'd rather have a unicorn," I muttered, stabbing the lettuce of my salad with my fork before shoving it in my mouth.
"Oh, I'm going to be late!" Kate suddenly squealed after she had glanced at the time on her phone, suddenly jumping up from her seat next to me at the picnic table outside as she began to shove her things into her bag. "I'm going to be late to the debate team meeting again!"
"It wouldn't be the first time," I smirked at her, but she either wasn't listening or didn't hear me. "People don't call you Late Kate for nothing."
My best friend stuck her tongue out at me. "At least people don't get my name wrong every time I meet someone new, Maxine."
I made a face once again. "Please don't call me that horrid name."
There honestly wasn't anything wrong with the name, it was just that that was seriously my biggest pet peeve. I really couldn't stand it when people called me Maxine. That wasn't my name and it wasn't how my name was pronounced!
"Kate," a new voice suddenly said from my left, and Kate and I turned to see our friend Todd as he timidly looked back at us.
"Oh, hi, Todd," Kate greeted, not even looking at him as she continued to shove her things into her bag as quickly as her hands would let her. "Everyone else sent you out here to come and get me, right?"
"Yeah, they sent me out to look for you," Todd told Kate, barely even looking in my direction. "You and Maxynn always eat here, so I knew that this was where you'd be."
"Oh, okay," she nodded, finally done with shoving all of her things in her bag. I couldn't even remember the reason why she had taken so much out of her bag. "I'm really sorry!"
Without even waiting for Todd, Kate took off in the direction of the classroom that the debate team was meeting in. I let out a sigh, shaking my head and turning back to my food. I then realized that Todd was still there, standing right before me.
Todd and I had been friends since the year before, so I knew that he could be awkward and geeky at times. This didn't bother me at all; I had gotten used to it. I just didn't know why he would just be standing there...
"Aren't you going to go with her?" I asked him, looking off in the direction that Kate had gone off in. "You're a part of the debate team too, aren't you?"
Todd nodded. "I am."
I blinked at him. "Then... so..."
"I was just wondering..." Todd started, his hands in his pockets as he stared down at his shoes. "I was just wondering... if... if you wanted to, uh, go out with me?"
I stared at him for a moment, surprised that he had asked me this question. This wasn't like Todd at all...
"Oh... Todd," I started, not knowing how I could reject him nicely. "I'm... I'm really flattered that you like me and all, but... I'm sorry. I just don't like you that way. I'm really sorry."
The shy smile on Todd's face disappeared, and I felt so guilty for rejecting him. He had been my friend ever since my second day at Corvus, and I never would have suspected that he actually had a crush on me.
"Oh, it's okay," Todd finally said, but I really didn't believe that he was okay with this. "I understand. I'm just glad that we're able to be friends."
I forcefully smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm glad that we're friends."
"Todd!" I heard Kate call out from the entrance of the courtyard. "Hurry up, will you? We can't start without you!"
It still surprised me that Todd was a part of the debate team. Kate was perfect for the debate team, because she always seemed to win an argument even when she was wrong. But Todd was just so shy... I was even surprised that he had the guts to ask me out.
Todd nodded a goodbye to me, and I waved back at him as he left to join Kate. I let out a sigh after he was out of view, happy that I was now out of that awkward situation. I really was never good in awkward situations...
"You put the nice guy down nicely, right, Maxynn?" a teasing voice suddenly said from behind me, causing me to groan and roll my eyes.
"I don't think that it concerns you at all, Zach," I replied emotionlessly, turning toward him and glaring. "Why would you even care?"
Zach smirked. "I care because that loser just asked out the girl I've been after for over a year."
"One of the girls you've been after," I made sure to correct, knowing that I wasn't the only girl he was trying to get with.
"No, it's only been you," he insisted, taking a step closer. "All the other ones have given in already."
I scowled at him. "You really are disgusting."
He smiled. "I know."
"How about you just finally leave me alone, Zach?" I asked snippily now, really not in the mood to deal with him. "I heard there's a new redheaded junior girl today. Maybe you should go check her out and leave me alone."
Zach nodded his head in approval. "I'll add her to my list."
My eyes widened at him. "You have a list?"
Zach winked at me. "That's for me to know and for you to find out."
"I think I'll pass, Blanche," I replied sarcastically, crossing my arms over my chest as I continued to look up at him. Zach's eyebrows furrowed, his forehead wrinkling as he glared at me. I couldn't help but smirk now. "Problem?"
"Will you stop calling me that?" he snapped, and my smirk grew even more. But when he began to smirk, I knew he was going to say something I didn't want to hear. "Maxxy?"
I was the one to glare at him now. "Don't call me that."
"It's better than being nicknamed after a Golden Girl," he now glowered, and the two of us just stood there glaring at each other until someone's hand was placed on Zach's shoulder.
"You two should probably stop flirting for once," the new person said, the grin on his face showing off his white teeth. "You're making all the other girls jealous."
Johnny Walker, probably the hottest guy in all of Corvus High School. He was also one of Zach's best friends, so he obviously didn't have the greatest taste.
Zach shrugged his best friend's hand off of his shoulder, not denying that we had been flirting. I knew that that was what Zach was doing, but it definitely wasn't what I was doing. That would have been the last thing I would ever do.
"So, how have things been with you, Maxynn?" Johnny now asked me, almost completely ignoring Zach now as he continued to stand next to him. "We haven't really talked much since that project in English ended at the end of the school year last year."
That hadn't been my fault. I would have loved to talk to Johnny more, but I was always just too nervous to. And he was pretty much always with Zach, so even though I got to see him a lot, talking to him was something I rarely got to do because of who his best friend was.
"I'm fine," I shrugged, trying to act cool and uncaring, as if talking to him wasn't making me dizzy. "And it has been a long time since we've last talked. Mrs. Sparks's year-long project made us talk a lot last year though."
It was true. Our English teacher from junior year had assigned us a project that lasted us the entire year the year before, and I was lucky enough to become Johnny's partner when I had entered the class because his partner had to move. That was probably my favorite class out of all of my seven classes, all because Johnny had been my partner.
"Okay, enough reminiscing, you two," Zach now butted in, elbowing Johnny away from me. "I think that you two are the ones flirting, not her and me."
Johnny winked at me, and I felt heat rise in my cheeks. "Can you blame me?"
I turned back to my salad, afraid that my blush would give away how I was feeling. I don't think hotter words had ever been spoken!
I quickly excused myself from the two of them, deciding to spend the rest of lunch with Kate and the rest of the debate team. My face would have been able to cool off when I was with them...
The rest of the day went without any incident with Zach or Johnny, and I was thankful for that. I didn't think my cheeks would have been able to take any more interaction with Johnny...
When I finally got home, I let out a sigh and dropped my backpack next to the stairs before starting up them. A nap was definitely something that I needed right then after a long day at school...
"Welcome home, Maxynn!" my mother suddenly greeted, descending down the stairs like she usually did whenever I got home. She was as beautiful as usual, but that didn't surprise me. "How was school?"
"Fine," I answered, just like I always did, as I passed by her on the stairs.
"You have singing lessons in an hour, remember!" she reminded me, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. It wasn't like I didn't like singing lessons; they were always so much fun. It was just that sometimes I just wanted to go home and sleep for the rest of the day after school.
"Okay," I said, though I didn't sound enthusiastic at all.
Obviously noticing how unenthusiastic I was, my mother let out a sigh. "Isn't singing what you want to do with your life, Maxynn? I would think that you would be happier about going to your lessons."
"I am happy about having lessons, Mom," I informed her, even though my body language made it look like I was lying. "I'm just... tired, that's all. I'm going to go take a nap before we leave and I'll probably be in a better mood."
"But before you go to your room, I have good news," my mother smiled, her hands clasped against her chest. "Guess who I just got off the phone with before you came home!"
"Dad?" I asked, my face immediately lighting up at the thought of my father. "He called? With good news?"
The job that my father had would always make him go away on business trips, being away for months at a time. He would only be able to stay with my mother and me for a few weeks before being sent off to work again. I missed him a lot, and I hadn't seen him since senior year had started.
My mother nodded as she said, "He'll be coming home next week!"
I felt like screaming, but I didn't. I was definitely excited, but that just mixed in with how tired I was. I was probably going to start screaming about it once I woke up from my nap later in the day.
My mother now waved me away. "Now go take a nap so you're not cranky during your lessons!"
I nodded at my mother with a big smile on my face, turning away from her and continuing up the stairs. My father was coming home after months, and I couldn't wait to see him. It always got so lonely when it was only my mother and me at home.
I collapsed onto my bed, out like a light only a few seconds later. I only had an hour to sleep, and I wasn't about to waste any of it.
As I slept, I began to have a dream that I was being placed into a gigantic oven. It was hot, uncomfortable, and hard to breathe in. I coughed a few times, but this did nothing to help me as I continued to burn in the oven.
I didn't know how long I had been out for, but I was quickly shaken awake. I sat up, the heat from my dream not disappearing. I turned to see my mother, red and orange flames all around her as she stood before me in my room.
Was this another dream? It had to be, because there was no way my house could have been on fire...
"Hurry," my mother ordered, grabbing me by my arm and forcing me off of the bed. "Hurry and get out, Maxynn! The house is on fire!"
This didn't feel like a dream; it was all way too real. I started toward my door, tripping over my own carpet in the process and falling right onto the ground. I let out a shout, removing my arm from the fiery patch of carpet that it unfortunately touched.
"Maxynn," my mother coughed, grabbing onto my shirt and helping me up off the ground. "Get out of here, now! Hurry up and get out of here!"
I did as my mother told me, thinking she was right behind me the entire time. I hurried down the stairs, smoke filling my lungs as the fire moved in around me. As I got to the bottom of the stairs, I tripped, but I didn't fall onto the ash-covered floor.
I pushed myself off the ground, feeling even groggier than I had when I had gotten home from school. I pushed myself out the front door, jumping off the porch before tripping and collapsing into the grass of my front yard.
I coughed, finding it hard to breathe. I was out of the house, yet I still felt smoke smothering me. I yanked at the collar of my shirt, but it did nothing to help me. I thought about taking it off for only a second, but then remembered that I was outside.
I was still hoping that this was a dream, but the pain in my arm told me that this was all real. My house was on fire, and I couldn't just wake up to find myself still in my bed, perfectly unharmed. There was nothing I could do.
I closed my eyes, giving up on breathing and fading into darkness just as I started to hear the sirens.
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I know I have four other stories to write right now, but Part of Your World only has two chapters left so, you know... I think it's okay to upload this now. xD And this is for the Watty Awards, and I didn't know if I'd be able to finish it in time if I started it later... x)
This is a humor story, even though some of the earlier chapters won't be very... humorous. But it's only the beginning, so just stay tuned. ;)
This story is in the Watty Awards! Please vote and share!
I wonder how many people thought Maxynn's name was pronounced Maxine until she corrected the secretary. ;D