Chapter One

"Claire, you have another letter, but this one is from Princeton!” my mom yelled while I was in the shower. I quickly rinsed the conditioner out of my hair and shut off the water, and wrapped myself in a towel. I rushed downstairs, almost slipping on the steps. I tore the letter from my mom's hands and started to open it. My mom only rolled her eyes, knowing this was a usual occasion when there was a college letter. I threw it on the counter, unfolding the paper, and began to read it.

Dear Claire Martez,

Thank you for your interest in Princeton University. After taking time and looking over your application we are sorry to inform you that we are unable to offer you a spot at our university.

I sighed sadly and set down the letter, not even bothering to read the rest. This was the college I wanted to get into the most, and the one letter I’d been waiting for all summer.

"Did you get in?" my mom asked; cracking eggs into a pan.

I shook my head. "No. I guess I'll just look through the colleges I did make it into and see if one of those are at least decent," I said before heading back upstairs. I went into my room and grabbed my brush. I started to brush my blonde hair before I laid back on the bed and groaned loudly. It's embarrassing to apply to a school and not make it.

"Claire! Mom said to get ready to go to the store," my sixteen-year-old brother, Jeffery, said walking into the room. "Oh and get some clothes on," he added.

"Nah, I say let her keep them off," his perverted friend Sam said.

"Get out!" I yelled throwing my brush at him. He shut the door before it got the chance to hit him which of course made me scowl.

Damn.

"Dude, that's my sister!" I heard Jeff say after a smacking sound. I got up and walked over to my dresser and pulled out a pair of black high-waisted shorts and a white crop top that said 'Je t'aime' on it above the Eiffel Tower. I put in my shiny, black, dangly, belly button ring and started to walk over to the bathroom across the hallway to dry my hair.

I originally got my belly button done as a dare when I was fifteen. I now knew to never do something that stupid when you have a mother like mine. She grounded me for about four and a half months. No TV. No Phone. No electronics.

Once my hair was dried I grabbed my phone and headed downstairs to the smell of food in the kitchen. "Whatcha makin' me?" I asked my mom, jumping up onto the high stool.

"I'm making your brother and his friend some food before they head to the skate park," she said, causing me to pout.

"Can I have some eggs?" I asked. She rolled her eyes but handed me a plate.

"Thanks, mom!" I said before shoving food in my mouth.

“Claire, manners."

“Love you!" I said with food in my mouth, making her fake gag.

"Hey sweetie," my dad said giving my mother a kiss on the cheek.

"Where are you off to?" she asked him looking suspicious.

"Since it's a week before school the teachers are having a meeting to get ready for all the students coming in a few days," my father answered, stealing a piece of bacon. "I really have to go but I'll see you girls later, but before I go, have you decided on a college Claire?"

"Uh yea I think so," I told him giving him a wide fake smile. "Bye daddy. Have a good day at work."

"Make sure to email them then or else you won't get in. Most colleges are letting students move in within the next few days right after orientation,” my dad said sternly before waving and heading out. I quickly finished up my breakfast when mom grabbed her purse and put it on her shoulder.

"You ready?" she asked once I set my plate on the drying rack. After I washed it I nodded, grabbing my pair of black vans and sliding them on.

"Jeffery! Sam! Let's go we're leaving!” my mom yelled from the bottom of the steps before we headed out the front door. I sat in the front, which of course caused a complaint from Jeffery as he stood outside of the car with his arms crossed.

"Yes?" I asked him, rolling down my window.

"I get the front seat,” he told me with a glare and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm an adult. Therefore, I get the front. Sorry, bro," I said, shrugging before starting to roll up the window.

"Mom!" he complained.

"Jeffery just sit in the back with your friend,” she told him and I smirked at him as he got in the backseat. I turned up the radio and “She Looks So Perfect” by 5 Seconds of Summer was on causing me to squeal. I started belting out the lyrics while dancing as much as I could in a seat.

"If you don't swim you'll drown but don't move, honey.

She looks so perfect standing there in my American apparel underwear and I know now, that I'm so down.

Your lipstick stain is a work of art I've got your name tattooed in an arrow heart and I -"

"Claire please!” my mom yelled cutting me off over the blasting music. I gave her a sheepish smile before turning it down so it was only on low.

"’Standing there in my American apparel underwear?’ This song is so sexual,” Jeffery said, causing my mom to sigh and for me to turn around and glare at him. The moment the car stopped at the skate park, I said, "Out."

"Claire, be a little nicer to your brother,” my mother told me causing me to sigh.

"Goodbye, little brother and his perverted friend," I said before they shut the door.

"Bye dork," Jeff yelled before he ran to the ramps meeting up with a group of people.

"You know at the age of sixteen I wasn't allowed to go anywhere but the mall or the movie theater. How come he can go to the skate-park?" I asked looking at my mom curiously.

"He is allowed because he is a boy and if I don't let him he will try to rebel and be cool,” she told me rolling her eyes. I scoffed, I doubted he would. Everyone knew how scary my mother was when she was mad. I was pretty sure even the president knew. When we arrived at the store and my mother made me get the cart- yes, at age eighteen I still had to get the cart for my mother. She said I had to because it saved her time but in reality I just think she was too lazy to get it herself.

"Sweetie, can you go get some snacks for the house?" she asked me and I rolled my eyes but reluctantly agreed.

"You may be almost nineteen but that does not mean you can go around rolling your eyes at your poor mother,” my mom said.

"Mom it's a little weird when you talk about yourself in the third person.”

"Just go get some snacks,” she told me with a playful glare. I let out a small laugh and headed to the cold section. I frowned when I noticed there was only one vanilla yogurt left. I went to grab it but someone else quickly grabbed it making my frown turn into a scowl.

"Excuse me! I was going to take that!" I told the guy who just looked at me and scoffed starting to walk away. But I wouldn't let him walk away that easily with my yogurt. I wouldn't have problems like this if the store knew how to refill their products.

"Can I please have my vanilla yogurt?" I asked the guy, holding out my hand and he just chuckled.

"You do just realize this is just yogurt and there are a million other flavors right?" The guy’s husky voice said as he stopped to look at me.

"Yes! But I only like vanilla. How about this you give me the vanilla yogurt and you can go get a nice blueberry or strawberry flavor instead,” I told him, crossing my arms over my chest and he let out a deep chuckle.

"If this yogurt means this much to you then you can have it," the guy told me and the scowl quickly disappeared from my face and I smiled.

"Really?!" I asked him and he shook his head.

"No, now go away and leave me alone,” he told me before turning around and walking away. My jaw dropped. I could not believe him. I just met the guy and he completely acted like an insufferable jerk! I glared at the floor as I walked over to the yogurt section sulking. I grabbed some cheese sticks that weren't far from the yogurt and then went and grabbed some fruit. When I found my mom she already had half of the cart filled.

"It took you ten minutes to get apples and cheese?” Mom asked with a raised eyebrow. "And you didn't get yogurt? What's the occasion?" she asked me only causing me to sulk more.

"I'd rather not talk about it,” I told her and she just gave me a strange look before shrugging and heading to the checkout. After everything was scanned and payed for we headed to the car to go home- without my yogurt I may add.