Chapter One

You know that feeling of staring longingly at something inches away from touching or reaching out to…. but can’t get..?

That’s how I felt watching the cheerleading team practice. You might wonder why I couldn’t join them or what was holding me back….well a lot.

For starters I obviously didn’t fit in or so I was told, I sighed as Alison’s shrill voice pierced the air as she yelled unfiltered insults to one of the girls who fell behind in step.

Alison was the queen bee of my school. She was the dream of most boys here. Not short, stunningly gorgeous, long sexy legs, and perfect shape and figure but she was mean as a stray cat.

She was one of the reasons I couldn’t join the cheerleading team. Alison had been a thorn in my side constantly reminding me of how quaint my background was compared to hers, she was the daughter of the most wealthy, renowned and dangerous billionaire in the city and she was someone you obviously didn’t want to mess with

Yeah, now she made sure to make my own life hell

Like how bad could things get?

I watched them practice for nearly an hour and managed to slip away before Alison could notice me staring like a mesmerized deer

Shit!

In my curiosity to watch them practice I forgot that Alison and her crew of mean girls just like her loved to find me and bully me. Now that I had the chance to flee I had waited and had been watching her practice

I ran for my locker and pulled out my bag and my things and stuffed them in as I closed my locker. Alison's face popped up and I screamed behind her was five of her mean-girl gang, glowering at me.

“Look at what we have here babes? Lady Lena of where again….oh you live in the slums” she said and behind her the other girls laughed.

I held in my breath and tried to step around her but she blocked my path and she grinned revealing dazzling white teeth

“Can I pass?” I said timidly which only seemed to make her amused.

“Why? There’s nothing at home for you, there’s no need to rush, we're having fun right?” She purred and I resisted the urge to push at her.

“I have homework to do Alison” I replied and she pouted.

“Awwww…..genius no you do not” she brushed a strand of hair from my face and I backed off

“What do you want with me Alison? What did I do to you?” I whined and she chuckled. She smiled like she was really concerned and if I didn’t know her well I would have thought she was

“What do I want sweetheart….just fun” she grinned “you know, I saw you watching me practice were you staring at my butt”

I closed my eyes and turned away “No”

She scowled “You don’t like my butt?”

“Alison I…..”

“You bitch” she shrieked and grabbed me by the collar and slammed me into the locker “You ugly piece of junk do you think you’re better than me?”

My head snapped back against the metal, a sharp pain rang through my skull.

Before I could respond, she yanked me forward and shoved me again. The girls behind her inched closer, blocking any escape route.

"Tracy, get your phone out," Alison commanded, not taking her eyes off me. "Record this. I want to remember every second."

My heart dropped into my stomach. "Please don't—"

"Please don't," she mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "Please don't what? Please don't show the world how pathetic you look? How you stuff your face every lunch while the rest of us actually watch what we eat?"

Tears burned behind my eyes but I refused to let them fall. I wouldn't give her that leverage. I'd learned that lesson a long time ago—crying only made Alisson even more of a mean person

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Alison grabbed my chin, her nails digging into my skin hard enough to leave marks. "What? Nothing to say? The great Lena Hartwell, top of every class, teacher's pet, thinks she's too good to even look at me?"

"That's not true," I whispered.

"Then look at me."

I forced my eyes to meet hers. Up close, she was even more beautiful which was ironic considering her evil nature.

The flawless skin, perfect teeth, not a single hair out of place and those cold blue eyes that showed how much she was enjoying making my life hell

"You know what I think?" She tilted her head, studying me like I was something stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

"I think you need to learn your place. I think you need to understand that no matter how hard you study, no matter how many scholarships you get, you'll always be nothing. You'll always be the stupid girl from the wrong side of town who doesn't belong anywhere near people like us."

The locker room door suddenly swung open.

I felt a small shard of hope—maybe that was a teacher, maybe someone who could stop this—but any hope I had died the moment I saw who walked in.

The football team.

The freaking football team

All of them.

They were at least fifteen guys in their jerseys, fresh from practice, with sweat still

 on their skin and leading them was none other than……

Jace Dawson.

Jace Dawson, the quarterback.

The most handsome guy in school, whose posters hung in half the girls' lockers. Jace Dawson, who I'd stupidly and pathetically had a crush on freshman year before I learned better.

Before I learned that guys like him didn't even see girls like me as human.

He stopped when he saw what was happening, so did everyone

Oh the aura

For one foolish moment, I thought maybe, he'd do something.

Tell them to all back off and leave me alone, he was the team captain, they all listened to him.

Even Alison….because she was eyeing him like candy

Instead, he pulled out his phone.

"Make room," he said casually, not even looking at me. "Tracy, angle it better. We want to see her face."

Whatever stupid, foolish hope I had smashed into tiny pieces.