Dirt Off Your Shoulder never happened. This is my introduction of Imogen Moreno.
As soon as I got home from school, I ran to my bedroom, slammed the door shut and dropped into the chair in front of my desk. I opened my newly bought Degrassi yearbook and flipped through the pages. I skipped to the juniors section and to the G's. My eyes scanned the page for the name: Eli Goldsworthy. There! I admired his picture. He was the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen. I picked up a sharpie and drew a heart around his face. I looked over to the M's and found my picture. I cut it out and tried to find a glue stick in one of the desk drawers. When I found what I was looking for I rubbed the glue onto the back of my picture and stuck it right next to Eli's. After I grinned at my creation, I found the sophomores section. I looked for the E's and found her. The girl I loathed; the girl who took Eli Goldsworthy away from me, just to break his heart. The girl Eli Goldsworthy was still in love with. I tore her picture out of the book, went into my desk drawer for one final thing: a lighter. I went outside of my apartment complex and I clicked the lighter on, an orange flame erupted from the top. I put the flame to the corner of Clare Diane Edwards' picture and watched as it engulfed her ugly, manipulative, judgmental face. A sinister smile crept upon my face and I dropped the picture as the flame burnt my finger.
"OUCH!" My finger turned bright red and I put it into my mouth to ease the pain. "This is all your fault, Clare, YOU STUPID BITCH!" I screamed, looking at the place where the picture fell and feeling pleased when passing people stopped and turned around to look at me. I went back into the complex and into my room again. My mom should be home from work soon. She works as a clerk in a hospital and she's a single mom.
My father is out of the picture. My mom got pregnant when she was twenty and my father didn't feel like sticking around so, he left her to raise me on her own. I've never spoken to my dad. I've never even seen a picture of him. I don't intend on ever meeting him, though. He probably doesn't give a shit about me. He probably never thinks about me, though he crosses my mind at least once a day.
I go into the kitchen, sit at the table and start my Algebra II homework. After I finish and I start putting my homework away, my mom comes home.
"Hello mom. How was work?" I asked my mother brightly.
"Oh, it was fine. How was school? Do you have any homework?" My mother asked me, putting her bag on the table.
"I just finished it. What's for dinner?" I asked.
"Hmm…" My mom said opening the fridge. "How's chicken casserole sound?"
"It sounds good. I'm gonna go check Facerange, okay?" I replied.
"All right. I'll have dinner finished soon."
I went into my room and over to my desk again and turned on my computer. I waited impatiently as it turned on and I opened the browser. I logged onto Facerange and searched Eli's name. He wasn't my friend on Facerange, since I've never talked to him before, but his profile wasn't protected so I could see all of his pictures and status updates. I looked at his most recent status and I figured they were lyrics to some emo love song. I became upset because I knew they were probably about the bitch. I looked through his profile pictures to see if the photo of him and Clare was still up. Every day I check to see if he's taken it down. Sure enough, there it was. It's been two weeks since Clare broke up with him and he still had that picture up. I winced as I noticed Eli's arm was around her shoulder. My blood was boiling. How could he still love the girl who broke his heart? The girl who didn't care about him enough to stay with him at the hospital after he crashed his car for her? He should love me. Not her. I would appreciate him like she never would. A rage shot through my body and the next thing I knew, I picked up my Algebra textbook, turned around and threw it, full force at the wall, my face felt hot and tears were streaming down my face. Realizing that Eli would probably never stop loving Clare and that he probably would never like me made me upset.
"What was that, Imogen?" I heard my mom's distant voice.
"Nothing, I just dropped something!" I yelled back.
Everyone at school thinks I'm a freak. I haven't had a real friend since middle school, but she thought I was a freak too and stopped talking to me. Everyone always leaves. I'm never good enough. That's why I make up lies to pretend I am.
"Dinner, Immy!" My mom's voice rang out again.
I went back into the kitchen and started eating.
"So, do you have any plans with any of your friends this weekend?" Mom asked while I put a forkful into my mouth, thinking of an answer.
"Yes, actually." I answered after I swallowed. "I'm going to go to hang out at The Dot with a couple of friends on Friday." I lied.
"Oh, really? Who with? Eli, Clare and Adam, like usual?"
"Yeah, we have a project we're working on for English class."
"So, how are things with you and Eli? I still haven't met him…"
"Everything's great, thanks." I lie to my mom a lot. I care about what she thinks. Even though she's my mom, I don't want her to think I'm a loser.
I went to bed that night and lay imagining myself as Eli's girlfriend, for real. We're sitting at our special bench, or Clare and Eli's special bench, but now it's ours and Eli doesn't love Clare, he hates her.
Thank you for reading! Four reviews and I'll submit the next chapter, just to make sure you guys are enjoying my story. Criticism is welcome!