"Mira, rise and shine! It's already 7 am. You're gonna be late again!" Mom hollered from somewhere in the house.
"I'm up!" I yelled back. Morning wake-ups never get easier. I rushed through my morning routine - a quick shower, teeth brushing, and throwing on my usual outfit of a plain tee, baggy jeans, and my comfy rubber shoes. Done and dusted. It's a non-uniform day, so we get to wear whatever. Honestly, I'm not much into fashion, and who cares anyway? I was about to leave my room when mom barged in, without even knocking.
"Hurry, remember, I'm dropping you off at school before I head to work."
I let out a sigh. "Can't you see? I'm ready to go!" I retorted, showing her I was dressed. Mom gave my outfit a once-over. I quirked an eyebrow, "What?"
"Are you sure about your outfit? You wear the same style every day, Mira. Change, we're leaving at 7:30 sharp." She exited before I could even respond. Sometimes, she can be a real pain. But hey, she's mom. I checked myself in the mirror, wondering if I should switch things up. Maybe that's why Liam never notices me, because of how I dress.
I opened my closet to a mix of dresses, old and new, all gifts from mom, but never worn. I sighed, shutting the closet.
"No, this is ridiculous. Everyone would just stare," I mumbled to myself.
I stepped out of my room, outfit unchanged. Mom couldn't do anything about it anyway. And it doesn't matter what I wear, I feel invisible at school. But hey, I guess I look okay, at least. Looks aren't everything, right? It's the inside that counts.
As I walked towards my classroom, I saw Liam hanging out with his best friends, Ace and Ken. I couldn't help but stop and stare. He's just too irresistible. Perfect in every way.
Lost in my thoughts, I was rudely interrupted. "Hey, loser!" I squinted in annoyance, turning to face the voice. Of course, it's Rhian, one of the girls who's into Liam and makes my life miserable.
"Did I interrupt your daydreaming? You know what? Quit spying on Liam. It's pointless. Why don't you just give up? You think he'll ask you to the ball? Dream on! He's going with me, and you'll be sitting alone, watching us dance."
Oh right, the Student ball is in two weeks. I hate events like that. I wish they never existed. I didn't bother responding. I'm not in the mood for a squabble.
I headed straight to the classroom and sat next to my best friend, Sophie. She's pretty and popular, so people often wonder why she's friends with me.
"Hi, Mira!" She greeted cheerfully.
"Hey," I responded with a weak smile.
"What's up? Let me guess, Liam still hasn't noticed you?" I sighed. Everyone seems to know about my crush on him. I don't know, maybe I'm too obvious. He's the only one who seems clueless. Well, with so many people crushing on him, it's not surprising he hasn't noticed me.
"No. It's Rhian. She's becoming unbearable. It's like her daily routine to ruin my day." I replied, irritated.
"Just ignore her. That's what everyone does, and you should too. She's just a bored soul."
"Yeah, I suppose so." I sighed, feeling a bit down.
After a while, Ace came over. "Hey, Sophie! Want to hang out after class? Maybe you can help me decide who to take to the ball." He said, winking.
This guy is so flirty. Sometimes, I feel like punching him. Why can't he just be straightforward with Sophie?
"Sure. I can suggest someone who's really attractive and has a strong presence, just like me," She replied playfully. Seriously? They forgot I'm here. I groaned in silence.
"Or maybe we can skip class right now and get to know each other better," Ace suggested. What on earth were they talking about?!
"Sounds very tempting," she replied in a seductive voice.
Ugh, I can't handle these two anymore. "You know what? Why don't you two find a room right now, because our teacher is already here!" I pointed out, noticing our teacher setting up his things in front of the class.
Ace just glared at me. "See you later Sophie." He said then went to his seat which is beside Liam and Ken.
"Mira, just because you can't get Liam's attention, doesn't mean you can ruin my moment with Ace." She pouted. She's acting like Ace is such a heartthrob.
"Could it be that I'm just saving you from his pathetic attempts at flirting?"
"Sure, maybe I just didn't realize it was pathetic." She replied, her words dripping with sarcasm.
"But you're not going to the ball with him, right?" I tried to shift the topic.
"Of course not! You and Jhea are my dates for the ball, remember?" Before I could even respond, she continued, "But I can't promise 100%." She chuckled.
"What? Why?" I asked, bewildered.
"If I see Ace there alone, maybe I could ditch you guys and go with him instead." Such a flirt.
But despite her flirtatious nature, Jhea and I truly love her. She's the kind of person who always tells the truth, even when it stings. She's not only honest with herself, but also with those around her.
In class, my eyes kept drifting towards Liam. I don't know why, but it has become a routine of mine, especially during class.
"Now, Liam, who lost the Battle of Waterloo?" Sir Valdez asked.
From the look on Liam's face, it seemed he didn't know the answer. Luckily, I did. But should I help him or let him figure it out on his own?
"Why do you seem restless?" Sophie asked.
"I know the answer. Should I help him?"
"No. Let that jerk figure it out."
Against Sophie's advice, I whispered the answer to him, careful not to be heard by the teacher.
"Napoleon." He answered simply.
"Very good, Liam." The teacher praised before moving on with the lesson.
Liam glanced at me and smirked. "Thanks." He said. Did he just thank me?
His simple acknowledgment lifted my spirits. I forgot about Rhian's mean comments in the morning and Sophie's and Ace's flirting.
After class, I went to the cafeteria with Jhea, our friend. She's part of the student council.
"Why did you help Liam? What if Sir Valdez caught you? You would have been the one in trouble." She scolded.
"I don't know. I just wanted to help him. He seemed helpless." I defended myself.
"Helpless? But when Sophie and I need help, you can't help us. You're so unfair."
I laughed. "If only you knew how he smirked at me, you'd understand." I said, recalling the butterflies in my stomach when Liam smirked at me.
"Whatever. He's still not good for you. He's a playboy and a jerk. You know he's not into girls like you, so stop chasing him."
Her words hit me hard. She's right, he will never like me because I'm not like the other girls who constantly surround him. No matter how I present myself, nothing will change.
I know Sophie and Jhea are just looking out for me, but I can't help but desire him. Ever since he transferred to our school, I've had a crush on him.
I know deep down, he's a good person. He's not as much of a jerk as he appears.
After eating in the cafeteria, Jhea left to fulfill her duties as the head of the student council. I decided to go home since we didn't have any more classes.
As I was walking down the hallway, I noticed a group of students huddled together. It seemed like a fight had broken out. Out of curiosity, I went to see who it was.
"Don't you watch where you're going?!" Liam yelled at a guy slumped on the floor, clutching his stomach where Liam had punched him.
"Do you know that my shoes are worth more than your life?! How would you like it if I poured soda all over you?!" He continued. He kicked the guy one more time before leaving. The crowd dispersed, but I stayed. I helped the guy up and handed him his glasses.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
He nodded. "Thanks." He said before running off as if nothing had happened.
I was about to leave when I noticed a black journal left behind. I was going to run after the guy but he was already gone. I quickly checked the notebook for a name and was surprised to find his name. It wasn't just any notebook.
It was a diary!
Liam was keeping a diary?