A/N I just wanted to say to any returning readers that I'm really grateful for you sticking with this story! I feel much happier with this version and hope you are too! To any new readers, thanks for taking the time to read my story, I hope you enjoy! Rated M, so there will be graphic scenes throughout, and characters can be OOC.
Beep, beep, beep… I groaned, rolling to the other side of the bed, slamming my hand on top of that dreadful alarm. Beep, beep, beep… I smacked it harder, growing increasingly frustrated at the relentless noise. Beep, beep, beep… "For Christ sake!" I sat upright, grabbing the little devil box and throwing it across the room. I am so not in the mood for an early start. Throwing my blankets off myself, I stood up and dragged my feet across my room to the bathroom. Throwing my hair up into a messy bun, I turn on the water and splash my face, looking up into the mirror. My blue eyes staring back at me, I sighed.
My name in Ana, and I am 17 years old. Pale, brown hair and average. I'm very slim and scruffy and I hate it. Don't get me wrong, I don't go around feeling sorry for myself all day but when the rest of my peers are tall and curvy, it dents the confidence a bit. I am currently about half way trough my senior year, and I'm in the top 5 of all of my classes, studying AP English, Art, and AP Biology.
I finished washing my face, and added just a touch of makeup. Letting my hair down, I attempted to wrestle it into a decent look, eventually giving up and leaving it in a simple pony tail. Making my way back into my room, I pulled out a pair of jeans and a simple t-shirt, pairing it with my favourite brown jacket and ankle boots.
"That'll do." I muttered to myself. I picked up my backpack and made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen,
"Morning, sweetie." Ray acknowledged. Ray is my father… not biologically unfortunately. Mom is on soon to be husband number four, with Ray being number 2. My real dad died before I was born, and mom met Ray when I was about 3. He's been the only one I've ever really considered my father, as they were together until I was 12. Ray still stuck around though, he never left me. He was there for my first father daughter dance, he done the whole dad intimidation thing with every boy I've ever brought home, and most importantly, he's just always been there.
"Hey, dad." I kissed him on the cheek, before walking around him to the cupboard. I live with Ray full time as my mom and Bob, (husband number 4) are always travelling. They offered me to go with, but with school it just wasn't the right choice, so I moved in with Ray. He seemed all too happy with the idea and it's been that way four about a year and a half now. I poured the chocolate rice krispies into a bowl with milk, and shoved a massive spoonful into my mouth. "What time you leaving for work?" I sputtered.
"Annie darling, really?" he chastised me for talking with my mouth full. I shrugged him off with a smile. "In about 30 minutes." He answered. We sat in silence, Ray reading the newspaper, and myself flicking through Facebook on my phone.
"Ok, I gotta go, or I'll be late." I kissed dad on the cheek, and waved goodbye and I left through the door, picking up my bag on the way passed. I jogged down the steps, nearly missing one and falling on my face. "Whoa!" I shouted, my arms flying out to steady myself from falling. "Geeze Ana, you're the biggest clutz…" I muttered.
Half an hour later I pulled into a parking space smoothly, I got out of my little vintage VW beetle, Wanda, and made my way towards the front door. I was walking down the hall way of the school towards my locker with my head down and my earphones in listening to Gavin DeGraw, 'Sweeter.' I love this song. I walked up to my locker and put in my combo, 0141. I started looking through it to find my English books when my phone buzzed.
"Hey, Ana." I turned to see Kate dodging through everyone to get to me, her strawberry blonde hair bouncing around her shoulders.
"Hey Kate." I said taking out my earphones.
"Hi, did you do that Bio homework? I totally spaced." she asked slightly breathless.
"Yeah, I did. You know Mr. Bates is going to kick you out of that class, you never do his homework." I laughed, swapping books in and out of my locker. "Why are you so breathless?"
"That's not true, I always do it, just never on time. He hates me, he always has you know that. I'm breathless because I had to walk like 20 flights of stairs." She exaggerated.
"Twenty? Dramatic much. Where's Jose? He's normally here by now." As if on cue, Jose came up behind me and throwing his arm over my shoulders.
"Right here." He smiled, kissing both Kate and me on the cheek. He took some books out of his own locker which is a few down from me. I always knew Jose had a thing for me but I liked him as a friend and nothing more, a conversation I have had to have with him too many times. He is really good looking and such an amazing person, but friends is all it will be with us. "So Ana, party tomorrow night at mine?"
"Um, I think I'll skip this one Jose."
"Aw come on Ana, you've missed every party in the last month! That's a lot of parties." Kate complained. Jose came up beside me and leant on the locker facing Kate with his arms folded.
"I know, but with my mom getting married again, I have to help her and everything is just so stressful at the minute. I'm sorry, but look the wedding is in a few weeks, so after that, I'm all yours." I smiled.
"I didn't even know your mom was home again, wasn't she in like Thailand or something?"
"She was, but she came back a few days ago, she wanted to get married in her hometown so here we are. It is ok Kate, there will be plenty more." I smiled lightly at her and started slowly walking towards Biology with the other two on either side of me.
"I know, but we haven't hung out in ages, it's not about the parties!"
"I just can't afford to come home drunk out of my head at the minute Kate. Besides, we had exams and everything coming up, you should be focusing on those."
"Those exams are like four months away." She c omplained.
"All right, how about we all go out to a quiet bar tonight?" Jose suggested. "So we can hang out and you won't have to worry about getting drunk."
"Yeah, ok. That could work. No shots or anything though." I smiled, warning them.
"Off course not." He kissed me on the cheek and walked away to his class.
"Why are you two not going out again?"
"Because. He's Jose and I've known him all my life, it's weird." I laughed. We walked off to Bio arm in arm laughing.
"Are you two ready yet?" Jose shouted up the stairs.
"I am, Kate isn't. Give us five minutes!" Kate was trying to straighten her hair and it was doing the same thing mine normally did... not sit right... ever. "Kate hurry up." That's why I threw mine into a messy pony tail, I couldn't be bothered with it.
"All right fine, I'm coming." She got up and fixed herself in the mirror before walking out and down the steps to find Jose waiting.
"Ready?" He asked and we nodded. "Finally."
"Wait, I left the straightners on, I'll be back in two seconds." She turned and ran up the stairs.
"So, Ana. How have you been? With the whole new dad thing?"
"He's not my dad, just another husband." I looked down at the ground.
"What about Ray, how did he take the news?"
"Fine, he doesn't care much anymore; I mean he still cares about her but just not in that way. He's happy for her." I smiled at the thought of Ray.
"You have a beautiful smile Ana." I blushed, and looked down. He reached forward and lifted my face up to see him. He moved in closer towards me and was about to kiss me.
"Whoa…" I lifted my hand and put it on his chest, pushing him away while turning my head to avoid his lips at all costs. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I just… Ana come on. We would be great together."
"Jose, please don't go there again…" Saved by the Kate. She came jogging down the stairs at the perfect time.
"Ok, let's go... What's going on?" I retracted my hand from his chest quickly and I looked anywhere but at my two friends.
"Nothing." Finally, Jose spoke. "We should go." He walked out the door with me and Kate behind him.
"What was that?" Kate whispered.
"Nothing." That should not have happened, or nearly happened. Oh crap. Please don't tell me Jose is going to try this again? What do I do? I can't be with Jose; he's my friend and I don't like him like that.
I was pulled out of my thoughts as we came to a stop outside a bar. We got out and walked into the bar, finding a seat at a round table. We all ordered soft drinks and sat there just talking about everything. School, exams, boyfriends (For Kate), family, everything.
"So, Jose, how is Sam doing?" Sam was his younger sister. He was very protective.
"She hates me at the minute, she's only 14 and she has a boyfriend. I told her she shouldn't be going out with him and to leave him but she doesn't understand."
"Why would she leave him?"
"He's 16, she's 14! That's nearly a three-year age gap. Besides, she's too young anyway."
"Ok, three years is so not that bad, and I started dating at around that age."
"Yeah, but she's my baby sister. I don't like it."
"She'll be fine Jose." Kate consoled. He shrugged in defeat, knowing we won't take his side on this one. "Ana, who is that?"
"Who?" I furrowed my bros, looking around.
"That serious hottie, over there. He's staring at you."
I looked over at the bar and came in contact with a pair of gray eyes. He was looking right at me and I admit, he was gorgeous. He smirked at me and I felt it in my stomach. That smirk is so sexy!
"I have no idea." I murmured lowly. He refused to break contact, as I continued to look into his eyes. I started to feel nervous, glancing away. "He is gorgeous!"
Jose was looking between us, a look I couldn't figure out on his face.
"Girl, go talk to him! If you don't I will!" she wiggled her eyebrows at me.
"Ana, no way! He looks way too old."
I glanced back at him again, he wasn't looking at me now, but as if he could sense me, he turned his head towards me right on que. "Off course, I know that. I could never just go over…" Kate stood up, drawing my attention back to her.
"Yes, you can. Jose come on." She put her hand on his arm, attempting to pull him up.
"No way, I'm not leaving Ana here to get raped by some creep." Kate rolled her eyes, forcing him up.
"Now." She demanded, dragging him off as he looked back at me. I didn't know what to do, I never went up to a guy before, so I just sat there. Eventually, he got up and started to make his way over to me. Oh my god!
"Hey, this seat taken?"
"No." I muttered. He sat down across from me.
"I'm Christian."
"Ana."
"Ana, beautiful name. Can I get you a drink Ana?" I didn't want to say I was actually underage so I agreed.
"A beer, please." He smiled and walked off to get them. He came back not moments later with two beers and sat down again.
"Who was that?" He asked. "Your boyfriend?"
"Who? Jose? No, he's just my friend."
"You're not leaving with them?" he asked.
"No, I'd rather stay here." He smiled taking a sip. I smiled back.
"So, Ana. Tell me about yourself. What do you for a living?"
"Oh, well… I'm actually still in school." This is it… he's going to know.
"Oh, what's your major?" Major? Shit.
"English… I want to go into publishing."
He smiled, "I'm actually an English teacher, high school level."
"Oh, that's cool. You look pretty young; have you been teaching long?"
He laughed lightly. "About 4 years, I'm 28." My eyes widened. 28? He's 11 years my senior… I should leave, but I really don't want to. "What? You look surprised."
"I just, thought maybe you were closer to your early 20s."
"I'll take that as a compliment." He smiled. We talked for the better part of 4 hours, eventually, the bartender came over and told us it was closing time. "yes, off course." He stood, offering his hand out to me. I took it eagerly, standing up. He dropped some money on the table, then led me out towards the front door.
"Can I take you home?" He offered. "It's pretty cold out tonight." I looked around, it was pretty late and dark. I figured it would be the better option. I nodded, quietly, feeling very shy. "come. My car is down this way." He took my hand again, guiding me down the street a block until we arrived at a large parking complex. We took the stairs to the top level, talking about anything and everything.
"Where's your car?" I asked glancing around. He pulled out a car key fob and pressed a button. The lights lit up on an Audi jeep. "Woah…" it was a beautiful car. He placed his hand on my lower back, pushing me towards the car gently. It sent shivers up my spine, and I couldn't help the smile that played on my lips.
The drive home went by way too quick; I didn't want the night to end. He pulled up outside Rays house, slowing to a stop.
"Will I see you again?"
"Maybe." I hope so. I smirked at him and opened to door. I felt his hand on my arm, stopping me. I looked back at where his hand was touching my skin, and then up at his eyes. He leaned forward slowly, tucking a strand of loose hair behind my ear. Leaving his hand resting on my cheek, he leaned in closer, his lips mere inches from mine. Oh my god…
I closed the space between us, our lips connecting lightly. His hand moved behind to the nape of my neck, holding me in place. All too soon, he slowly pulled back. "Here." He handed me a piece of paper; a number scribbled in black ink stood out to me. "Call me." He pulled right back. I slowly got out of the car, walking up the steps, looking back only once to see those eyes one more time for tonight.
