Chapter One
Portland, Oregon
It was raining again. The steady drip drop of water outside my window caused me to groan, pull my blankets over my head and try to catch the fifteen minutes of sleep remaining before my alarm would sound off. The damp weather meant my frizzy hair would now be an unmanageable mess. Like it mattered anyway. After 16 1/2 years on the planet I was getting used to being invisible, especially when it came to boys. I could probably show up to school in nothing but my underwear and no one would notice.
With a sign I flung my blankets to the foot of my bed and stumbled to the bathroom. There was no point trying to get anymore sleep. I blasted the shower to full heat, hoping that the pounding spray would help wake me up a bit. Lately school had become an exercise in the mundane and I found myself checking out of lectures more and more. I couldn't wait until I graduated and could escape. My mother had plans for college. I had plans to see the world. It was still unclear who would win.
After my shower I pulled on my usual wardrobe of jeans, t-shirt, hoodie, and tennis shoes. I debated putting on make-up. It was a brief 30 seconds of indecision before pulling my thick wavy brown hair into a ponytail. Slinging my messenger bag over my shoulder I thumped down the stairs and headed to the kitchen for some breakfast. My mom was leaning over the sink, eyes glazed over in though as she stared aimlessly out the window to the gray and soggy world outside.
"Hey mom," I mumbled a greeting.
"Morning, Jessie-bean. You hungry?" she smiled in response.
"No. Not really. I'll probably just grab some toast."
"Okay sweetie," and she turned her gaze out the window again.
I stood in our falsely cheery yellow kitchen and studied my mom for a few minutes before grabbing a package of pop tarts and heading out the door. I preferred them cold to hot. Despite her use of my childhood endearment I hadn't been Jessie-bean for a while. We had been growing further and further apart since my dad died two years ago. I was in the car when we here hit by a drunk driver. I think she resented the fact that I lived and her great love had not. She didn't understand that dad was my great love too. He was the one person who knew what to say and when to say it so that everything was automatically better. My dad was my best friend. For a few weeks after the accident I got some pitying glances from the popular kids at school, but the novelty of losing my dad soon wore off and I was once again invisible; just plain, uninteresting, completely forgettable Jessica Martin.
Other than my dad's freckles and thick wavy hair I had also inherited his old car. A 1983 maroon Mercury Zephyr. It was a heavy solid car that I had affectionately nicknamed Tank. Sliding into the seat I tossed my bag next to me and started it up. The engine roared to life and I eased out of the driveway and headed to school. It was a short drive, only a few blocks that I could easily have walked, but I enjoyed the time spent behind the wheel of the Tank. Somehow it made me feel closer to my dad. As I turned into the school lot I drove past the lade model luxury cars and token pick-up trucks to the farthest corner. I could have parked closer, but if I parked in the back corner I could skirt around the tennis courts to my first period class and avoid walking past the popular crowd. Truthfully I just wanted to avoid Alex and Seth Parker.
Alex ruled the popular kids like a queen. She kind of resembled one too, well maybe Snow White. Her long, smooth, dark hair shined like obsidian in the waning sunlight. Her complexion was pale porcelain and I wondered if it would crack if she was forced to smile. Full red lips and large bright blue eyes were the icing on the beauty cake. She was without a doubt the most beautiful girl at all of Wilson High. What was worse, she knew it. If you wanted to get close enough to talk to her, let alone dare to date her, you had to go through her brother Seth. Where she was dark and fair, he was golden and bronze. Tan skin, chiseled features, muscles on top of muscles and eyes that blazed like fire. Seth always wore gloves, even when it was hot outside. It was like he was dressing the part of body guard as well as acting as one for his sister. If I were being totally honest, I just wanted to avoid Alex, not like she would notice me anyway, but deep down I wouldn't mind if Seth noticed me. So did every other girl at school. It was widely known that Seth didn't date, so the chances of his suddenly noticing me and all my average glory, declaring his undying love and us living happily every after were nil. It was easier to avoid them both all together rather than wonder what could be.
First period gym was like every other day. I was still struggling to finish my laps when the rest of the class was heading in to the showers. Math was a snooze fest as usual. English was third and I had to suffer through the stilted stuttering of your average teenager attempting to read Shakespeare out loud. Fourth period was a free period which I spent in the back of the library reading through Jane Austen and dreaming of a woodland encounter with Mr. Darcy. By the time lunch rolled around it had stopped raining and the sun was defiantly shining through the remaining clouds. I hustled through the cafeteria line, and settled on a bench outside the cafeteria window, barely noticing my food as I continued to read Austen. I was just about to the part where Lydia runs off with Wickham when I thought I heard my name.
"Who drives that ugly maroon beast in the parking lot?" one of my classmates asked. Turning I looked around the courtyard trying to discern where the voices were coming from. It wasn't until a discarded apple core hit the back of my head that I thought to turn and look at the open window slightly above my current position. If I stood I could just barely see the students sitting at the tables lined up inside.
"I don't know man. Some freaky girl who never talks," another replied.
"Who never talks?" I hastily ducked as none other than Seth Parker himself started talking about me.
"You know that freak Jennifer or Jessica or something that drives the big maroon car from 1980-lame."
Carefully I raised my head and met the molten gaze of Seth's amber eyes, "I doubt her car makes her a freak."
"Whatever Parker, you probably think she's cute. You want to get freaky with the freak?" the boy laughed.
Our eyes were still locked. I began to turn a furious shade of red, from embarrassment or anger I didn't know. I had the distinct feeling that Seth knew I was the girl they were talking about, so his next words surprised me.
"Maybe," he grinned, "I really just wanted to tell her that her back tire is flat." His statement elicited hoots and hollers from the boys and high pitched giggles from the girls at the table. Of course he didn't want to hook up with me. He was just being a body guard again; looking out for anything potentially harmful or dangerous.
Shaking my head I dumped my tray and headed toward my next class. Dwelling on Seth and what he did or did not think would get me nothing. There was no world in this universe or the next where we would end up together. The rest of the day was uneventful; History, Chemistry, Government, and Home-Ec went by in a blur. It wasn't until I headed out to the parking lot, glad to escape to the comfort that Tank provided that I remembered what Seth had said during his lunch. Sure enough, the back tire on the driver's side was flat, a rather large and slightly misshapen nail sticking out of the back. Great. I added it to my list of reasons why I needed a cell phone, pulled out the nail for proof and began the short walk home.
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