Falling for my rival

Cecelia

The last place anyone would expect a senior to be hiding out on the first day of school is their car, which was exactly why I was here. Breathing exercises.

This was probably a normal ritual for other teenagers, but not for someone like me.

As much as I hated to admit, I was hiding. After what happened last year, I wasn't ready to face anyone at school.

I brought out my make up bag and decided to prep a little bit. Doing make up always calm me down. But it didn't seem to calm my apprehension this time.

Drawing a sigh, I dumped the makeup kit into my backpack and walked out of my car, slamming the door.

I adjusted my school uniform, a royal blue blazer with the school's logo on the breast pocket, a white t-shirt, and a black flared skirt. Being the queen of the school, my skirt was extra short, but I always managed to get away with it. I'd never gotten in trouble with the dress code committee.

My hair was cut short to my ear, courtesy of months of chemo. I made sure to style it and make it look good. I wouldn't let my hair shame me from having the best first day ever. It looks like a hair cut and not a hair grow to anyone who didn't know what happened to me.

Sadly, the category of the people who didn't know about my illness wasn't that much.

As I walked into school, I noticed everyone staring at me with sympathy in their eyes. Before my sickness, I was the girl everyone wanted to be like. I was the captain of the school's cheer squad, one of the top five students in class, and a daughter of a major shareholder in school, I was used to people staring at me anytime I walked by. Mostly in admiration or envy. But this was new.

I wasn't used to people pitying me. But I guess that's what happens when you're diagnosed with cancer just before the school year ends. I could hear the whispers as I walked down the hallways. I managed to keep my head high and block out the whispers.

“Oh my God, is that Cecelia?!”

“She looks so pale!”

“I can't believe her long, beautiful hair is gone!”

“God, cancer is so difficult.”

I blocked out everything and was so determined not to think about their words. I didn't know if they spoke so loudly intentionally, or it was just a slip up. Either way, I don't care.

“Hey, girl.” Someone called beside me and swung an arm around my neck. A second later, another person joined in.

My two best friends since forever. Luke and Amber.

Despite my insides twisting together and a little anxiety trickling into my mind, I smiled when I saw the both of them. These two people have been my ride or die since the very first day. That hadn't left my side for once at the hospital. I loved them more than anything.

“Why do you look so pissed off? It's the last first day of school. You should be happy.” Amber said.

“Yeah, you've been talking our ears off about how excited you are for senior year. Now that's it here, you look so grumpy. What's happening?” Luke asked looking concerned.

I hate that the both of them knew me so well and they could figure out exactly when I'm lying. But again, I didn't want to remain grumpy for the rest of the day. I wanted to cheer up and enjoy senior year just like I said I would.

“I just want everyone to stop looking at me. It's not like I look that different from last semester, but everyone keeps looking at me in a weird way.” I muttered to my best friends while trying not to look at the other students.

“Oh! Then you're really going to hate what we're about to tell you.” Amber said.

“What?” I asked.

“Luke will tell you.” She said and removed her hand from around my neck.

“What…? Why can't you tell her?” Luke frowned. Amber raised an eyebrow at him. Luke let out an exasperated sigh. He adjusted the strap of his backpack.

“I know you're going to lose your mind, but calm down.” He said.

“Can you just tell me already? It can't be as bad as the whole school labelling me the sick freak.” I rolled my eyes. There was nothing else that could freak me out today.

“We just found out that Alex Gomez is in our class this year.” Luke broke the news.

My mind went blank and I didn't know how to respond to the bombshell Luke dropped on me. My senior year had started out in the worst possible way ever, but it wasn't as worst as the realization that I have to spend an entire year in the same class as my nemesis.

Alex Gomez is in my class?

“Your blank face is making it difficult to know what you're thinking. Say something, CeCe.” Luke said.

But just as I was about to reply Luke, cheers erupted from the hallways. There was no need to guess who just walked in. Those cheers were always did two people. Me and the boy who has been my nemesis since the very first day.

I turned just in time to see the biggest asshole in the world, Alex, emerge from the crowd like a celebrity. His stupid honey coloured hair and irritating gray eyes were the first things I noticed. Then his annoyingly muscled body and equally nauseating personality.

I hated him. Alex Gomez was the textbook definition of devil's heir. He was annoying to a fault and with giant ego. He carried an air around him that somehow makes everyone bow to him, but not me. That's why he hates me too.

“Look who we have here. The three musketeers.” He smirked when he got to us. “Did you lose shoe down the drain and need your minions to fetch it for you again, Celia?”

Another reason why I hate him, he insisted on calling me Celia since the very first time he saw me. I've corrected him countless times before realising he does it on purpose to annoy me.

“Sorry Alexa, your services aren't needed today. I had the remaining cells of your brain cleaned out of the bottom of my shoes.” I smirked.

The hallway fell into a deafening silence. It was like everyone was holding their breath and waiting for the two us to clash like we usually do.

Alex Gomez was the number one asshole at Blackwood High. He is the captain of the football team and one of the best students in school. He hates that he's the second best student and that I'm the best.

Alex and I have always been at each other's throat since middle school. We've always fought to be the best. When he tried out for football and became the star player, I fought my way to be the captain of the cheerleading squad.

The school noticed our competitive behavior and put us in separate classes during freshman year of high school. We've been the top of our respective classes ever since. But being in separate classes did nothing to ease the rivalry between us. We competed at other things. Who threw the biggest parties, who won the most debates, who had the most expensive cars, and other silly things like that.

No one liked it when we were in the same room at the same time, which was why it was surprising that they put us in the same class for senior year.

“I see all the time you spent away hasn't dulled your sharp tongue.” He clicked his tongue.

Luke took a protective step in front of me before I could respond. “Fuck off, Alex.” He groaned.

Alex sized him up. He was a foot taller than Luke so it made it easier for him to stare him down. But my best friend stood his grounds.

“Always the bodyguard.” Alex shook his head and directed his gaze back to me. “Although, I do wonder if you're in the market for a new boyfriend this year, Celia. Considering what happened to the last one.”

I gritted my teeth together. Alex just had to know about Justin, my idiotic ex boyfriend who dumped me few days after my diagnosis because he thought I was going to die. He was one person I would be happy not to run into for the whole of senior year.

I kept the anger to my face and crossed my arms. “Why? Are you thinking of signing up? Sorry, I don't date jerks.”

A loud squeal echoed from a distance and I cringed. I knew who the squeal bring belonged to as she rushed towards Alex and threw her arms around him. Rachel Smith.

Like Alex, Rachel isn't a fan of me, but unlike him, she hides her animosity while pretending to be the sweetest person in the room. But the moment I got admitted into the hospital, she took my spot as head of cheer squad and started a hate club about me.

Amber kept me up with all the gossip while I was gone.

I watched as the both of them kissed in front of me. There are rumours that they're dating but neither of them confirmed anything. It wasn't my business anyway.

“Have a terrible school year, Celia.” Alex grinned as he turned and began walking away. But I wasn't going to let him have the last word.

“Have a distasteful, disgusting year, Alexa.” I yelled after him in frustration.

Amber and Luke were staring at me with varying look of concerns on their face.

“What?” I demanded.

“This isn't going to be an easy year.” Amber said as she kept her eyes trained on our classroom door. The same classroom Alex and his bimbo girlfriend just entered.

“No, it isn't.” Luke responded.

My anger cooled down and I shook my head. One thing was obvious, this isn't going to be the perfect senior year I wanted.