Prologue

(Avery at age 13)

I was heading to the lunch room when Preston, the most popular guy in school, shoved me to

the side like a rag doll.

He narrowed his eyes to thin slits at me. "Move it loser!" he sneered.

I didn't know why he hated me so much but like the coward that I was, I just looked down to the

ground and fidgeted with the hem of my oversized t-shirt.

"I'm sorry Preston," I mumbled softly.

"What?" He asked as he cupped his ear with his hand. “I didn’t hear what you said.”

I heaved a sigh and looked up. "I said I was sorry."

He smirked. "That's what I thought. Now move."

I stepped to the side and let him through. He bumped my shoulders on purpose making me

stumble a bit but I regained my footing. I composed myself and watched him walk away with his

friends laughing about it. I swore I could hear him say "She's so pathetic. I don't know why she

exists in this world."

Well, I was wondering why I even existed in this world also.

Preston.

That name alone had my heart accelerated, hammering rapidly inside my rib cage. My palms

would go clammy and if it was possible, my knees would buckle like a newborn deer attempting

to walk for the first time.

He was after all the school's heartthrob who everybody adored and loved. He had blond hair

that reached to his baby blue eyes that I liked to stare forever. He had an infectious laugh, not

one of those throaty ones that classified as a chuckle but one that came from his belly. His smile

however, was one of a kind. Unfortunately, for a loser like me could never get even a single

twitch from his adorable mouth.

Yeah I like Preston. But he hates me.

He had every reason though since I am not pretty, weird, had a warped sense of humor, a dork,

an outcast, and among other things you can think of me negatively. I had friends. Okay you got

me. I only had one friend. Natalie.

We've been friends since we were four and the funny thing is when we first met, she punched

me in the nose for "stealing" (as she assumed) her barbie doll. I told her I was borrowing it since

it was so cute but she insisted that I stole it. It was a never ending argument but when my mom

handed us lollipops, that shut us up. Then we argued again.

But we became friends though, much to my surprise.

Speaking of the dork, she was bounding up to me like a hyper kid on red bull. Her curly brunette

hair was bouncing up and down and she had on a smile, one you could never help but smile

back.

She skidded to a stop and posed like a ghetto gangster. "What up holmes?" she said in a

I'm-so-fly-and-you-know-it tone.

I chuckled softly and shook my head. "You listen to too many P.Diddy songs, Natalie."

She grinned."You know it. P.Diddy's the bomb."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure you do," I said then added. "Do you even understand what he's rapping

about?" I asked.

She shrugged, not caring at all." How should I know? That's why it's called rap. You're not

supposed to understand it."

See. I told you there was no point arguing with this girl.

"Come on,” I said while linking her arms with mine.”Let's go to the lunch room. I'm starving.”

She grinned maniacally and rubbed her stomach with her free hand, "Rubba dub dub let's grab

some grub."

Talk about dorkiness at an extreme level.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Ave! Hey Ave! Earth to Avery! Yoohoo!" Natalie said while waving her hands in front of me.

I was looking dreamily at the popular table where Preston was sitting. He was laughing and

joking around with his friends as though he was having the time of her life. Deana, the most

popular girl in school, was there too. She was laughing at what Preston was saying. God I didn't

know why he was friends with that stupid girl. All she ever did was flirt around with boys and

order them around like some lap dog. But who could resist her? She was after all gorgeous with

that blond crowning glory of hers. Not to mention that snarky attitude which irked me to all

things that were holy.

I felt someone flicking my nose and I was ripped out from my thoughts. I snapped my head back

and saw Natalie giving me an annoyed look.

I smiled at her apologetically. "Sorry Nat," I said sheepishly.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah. Totally understandable. You were looking at Mr. Douche bag over

there like a love struck fan," she said sarcastically.

I frowned. "I'm not a love struck fan Nat."

"Whatever,” she said as she rolled her eyes again for the umpteenth time today. If she kept

doing that, for sure she was going to be crossed eyed for life.” What do you see in him anyway?

He's just some trying hard wannabe cool guy and it annoys me," she sneered as he looked at

Preston in disgust.

"Nat, he's not trying hard. Look at him! Ain't he gorgeous?" I said dreamily as I looked over

again at the popular table and saw Deana giggling. She saw me looking and she then smirked

as she leaned on Preston's ear to whisper something. He grinned, clearly pleased with whatever

she said to him and stood up from his seat. He picked up his soda and started walking to our

direction with a breathtaking smile plastered on his face.

Oh my god.

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.

My eyes bugged out and turned my head hastily to look at Natalie with a panicked look. "Nat,

Preston's coming over to our table. What should I do?" I scrambled to fix myself and see if I

looked alright but what the hell, who am I kidding of course I didn’t look spiffy right now.

She shrugged, not caring about my current nervous breakdown as she continued to eat her

lunch. "I dunno."

I scowled. "Not helping Nat,” I snapped at her while smacking the back of her head, making her

glare right back at me. “Come on. Be my wing man," I pleaded to her with my puppy dog face.

She grimaced as took in my pleading face. "Don't give me that look Ave. You're killing me," she

complained.

I glanced back and saw Preston was almost at our table then turned my head again to Natalie

with another pleading look. "Come on Nat! He's almost here! Quick! What should I do?"

She was about to say something but was cut off by Preston's cute voice. "Hey Avery!" he

chirped.

I blinked. Holy crap noodles.

"Hey Preston." I said shyly.

He smiled as turned on his charm. "I just wanted to come over and say I'm sorry for shoving you

in the hallway. It was rude of me."

What? He was apologizing? To me?

I glanced over at Natalie and gave her a disbelieving look and I caught her mirroring mine as

well. For some reason, I convinced myself I was in some parallel universe where everything was

hunky dory or better yet, in a twilight zone. Preston was apologizing to me, Avery, nobody.

"I-t-t's was nothing. Really. Accidents happen all the time." I tried to sound nonchalant but failed

miserably.

He frowned. "Oh no no. I was really rude. I want to make it up to you."

"Uh what?"

"I'm giving you a peace offering. Here,” Preston thrusted the soda cup to my face, “ this soda is

for you. This is my way of saying sorry," he said, smiling breathtakingly.

I gulped and smiled shyly. Never in a million years would Preston show compassion towards a

nobody like me but I was going to soak this up like a sponge, living the moment. I reached my

hand to take the drink from his hands but all of sudden, he jerked the cup back and dumped the

soda on my head.

The cool soda rolled to my face down to the crook of my neck all the way to my shirt. I was

totally covered with cool sticky soda. I was not even aware that most of the people in the

lunchroom were laughing at my expense.

I looked up and saw Preston laughing like a hyena. How could he do this to me? I thought he

was being nice. I scanned the room for Deana. She was smirking at me.

I lifted my head up, "I thought you were apologizing?" I said with a small voice.

He scoffed, "Please! Why would I apologize to somebody? You shouldn't be here. Hell, you

shouldn't be alive! You are just a waste of space."

At this point my eyes were brimming in tears with this humiliation. I've been duped.

I felt someone wrapping their arm around me. I looked up and saw Natalie giving me a

sympathetic smile. I didn't want to be sympathized. I didn't need pity.

"Let's get you cleaned up." She said softly.

I just numbly nodded and stood up and walked with her. We passed by Preston who was still

laughing but I didn't have the energy to look at him.

"You know what Preston, you are such a jerk." Natalie growled.

Preston snorted, "Tell me something I don't know dike."

"What did you say?" she snarled. She unwrapped herself from me and charged at Preston but I

wasn't having that. I grabbed Natalie's arm to stop her.

"Nat, stop." I said.

She snapped her head to me and scowled, "That douche just called me a dike!"

I looked over at Preston and frowned, "It's not worth it. Just let it go."

"But but..."

I cut her off, "Let's just get out of here."

She heaved a heavy sigh and nodded. She wrapped her arms around me and led me out of the

lunchroom. I could still hear their loud laughter.

I just shook my head.

Someday Preston.

You'll get what you deserve.

Like they say, Payback's a bitch.