The Nevers He Broke That Year by Sarah McKellen - HTML preview

PLEASE NOTE: This is an HTML preview only and some elements such as links or page numbers may be incorrect.
Download the book in PDF, ePub, Kindle for a complete version.

Chapter 1

Amy fell for John because of a sentence.

Amy was 17 when she met John. John wasn’t the likeable type of guys. He was notorious at Redwood High School, a rowdy, a loner. He never cared about his grades, failed as many exams as he could, he fought anyone who got on his nerves and rarely lost. If John had been a popular guy or if he had had lots of money, he could have been as arrogant or as unbridled as he wanted. Yet he didn’t have any of those advantages. He wasn’t even the good-looking guy; he was tall and well-built but with common facial features. Thus, nobody had any reason to be around such a troublemaker. Every time Amy saw John, he had some stitches or some band-aid sticking on his face. Amy could recognize John easily because he almost always dressed in a pair of old jeans and an army-green jacket. She had never given more than one or two thoughts about that guy. And one of the two thoughts was about his … moans. Yes, you heard it right, his moans. Amy happened to hear John moaning once after his fight with another punk of the school. He won, like always though looking especially rough, breathing heavily and slightly moaning due to the pain. At that moment, Amy thought that it was the sexiest sound she had ever heard. Such a delinquent yet Amy fell for just because of a sentence.

Amy lived in a very different world from John’s. She came from an old money family; she wasn’t a bourgeois; she was raised with etiquettes and manners of true age-old upper-class society members. Everything was taught: how to eat, how to greet guests, how to walk, what knife was used for what, and so many other things. Unlike her younger sister, Caroline, Amy did not hate this lifestyle. She had never shown any sign of rebellion: she excelled at school and agreed with whatever her parents planned for her. She was the parents’ pride, the perfect girl. Amy would not ever, in her wildest dream, think that she’d be involved with a guy like John. The closest contact they’d ever had was that one time Amy was assigned to collect students’ money in supporting of victims of a typhoon, John didn’t have enough money with so she told him to go find her the next day at The Student Center. She saw him a few times after that but also just for collecting donation money. And that’s that.

Everything began when Jessica came bothering Amy after school one day. Amy knew this day would come. Jessica always wanted to be the prettiest, the most popular girl at school and obviously, Amy was the one standing on her way to ‘the throne’. Amy had never cared about these trifles but troubles came her way anyway.

“What do you want?”, asked Amy, calmly looked at Jessica and the other two girls.

“I want you to give up running for the Student Club’s president”, Jessica jerked up her chin.

“No, I won’t”, Amy replied with a smile after a few seconds.

Jessica’s expression became twisted as she heard Amy. Jessica disliked that face, always so poised, like Amy didn’t care about anything yet she always won everything. Jessica suddenly stepped forward and violently pulled Amy’s hair. Even the other girls were scared by her abrupt move.

“You don’t seem to realize your position, do you?”, asked Jessica with threatening in her voice.

While Amy was thinking how to diffuse this situation, out of nowhere, a black backpack was flung at Jessica’s arm, forcing her to let go of Amy’s hair.

“What are you doing?”, screamed Jessica at the guy who had just blithely flung the backpack at her.

“Slip”, he replied curtly, staring at Jessica with a challenging look.

Of course Jessica recognized who that was - the infamous John. She bit her lips, not knowing what to do as he still stood there, having no intention of going away.

“We are in a private conversation right now, do you mind?”, she asked angrily.

“I do mind. You are interrupting my nap.” John pointed to a corner hidden from view, implying where he had been sleeping. “And if you don’t want to leave, fine, I’ll make sure everyone knows about your private conversation”, said John as he pulled out his cell phone and showed Jessica everything that had just happened, recorded on his phone.

Jessica had no choice but leaving the scene in anger.

“Thank you,” Amy picked up her stuff, she wasn’t sure how to deal with John.

“Treat me lunch.” John suddenly requested, looking as calm as usual yet Amy noticed he gripped the backpack’s straps so tightly in his hand.