The best part of everything is leaving.

A party, a bad relationship, and some might even say life for the one after. Leaving is the most refreshing.

To me, the best part of High school was leaving. This might sound cliché, but yes I was that girl. That fat, anti-social, nerdy girl that barely had any friends and who was constantly bullied.

The difference was— I had a gorgeous boyfriend along with it all.

I know. Ugly fat plain ol' me had a boyfriend who literally looked like he jumped out of a Calvin Klein magazine?

Why, you might ask, well let me tell you. It all started when Alex Higgins moved into my neighborhood. He might have seemed like the perfect boy-next-door but in truth, he had big problems of his own.

I remember looking across from my window to see him crying, we were 11 then, and he looked at me, really looked at me. Fat ugly 11 years old me and walked over to the window pane, waved shyly, before shutting his curtains.

I don't remember exactly what 11 years old me was thinking, but I was brave enough to sit next to him during lunch the next day.

Back then, Alex was a scrawny kid, he still kind of was, but looks didn't matter when we were kids, it was all about who had the loudest most obnoxious voice to be heard.

But the both of us liked the quiet, so we ate our lunches in silence.

When fifth grade came around, we were in the same class. Alex smiled at me, called my name and took a seat beside me. We became close ever since then. He would tell me everything and I would listen. He would tell me about his parents' divorce and his father's new family and I would be there for him.

By the time we were in eighth grade, Alex was popular, very popular. So popular he would tell me he had no time to talk to me and sit beside me at lunch, and I was okay with that.

We would still walk home together and we would talk through the distance of our windows right across from each other.

He was all I had back then.

He was my only friend.

The first day of high school the name Alex Higgins was known by everyone. Puberty had done Alex well. He was still tall and a little thin, but his face, no one could deny he had the most gorgeous face. It was almost pretty.

He had girls fawning over him and the guys envied it. Eventually, it was like he was moving further away from me. I was still the same me. Fat and ugly with a few pimples here and there—and let's not forget my horrid fringe and glasses.

Just thinking about it still makes me shudder.

I would sometimes wait beside my window for him, just so I didn't feel so alone, but it was either closed or he wasn't home.

By the end of freshman year, just when I thought we were distant as ever, I heard silent cries coming from outside my window. I got up to check only to see Alex sitting at the edge of his bed crying.

He turned his head to catch me looking and I hid behind the wall quickly.

But not quick enough, I remember. He had already seen me.

I heard Alex call me over and gingerly, I peeked back at him. He was looking at me again, just like he did when we were 11, he was not just looking, but really looking; as if he saw something in me. It was something he looked like he needed.

Alex waved, just like before, and this time I waved back.

"Can I come over?" He asked.

I remember looking at him funny. Why would he want to come over, I thought?

And then before I knew it, Alex was climbing onto the railing between our houses, the thin railing, before sliding through the open gap of the window and into my room.

Alex stood tall in front of me as I gaped at him-- for as long as I could remember he was always much taller than me. About a head taller.

"Y-you can't be in my room at this hour!" I stuttered and he just smiled, tilting his head to look at me as if I were cute and slightly pathetic, I remembered that look perfectly.

"You're different. You don't expect me to be perfect, you're fine with my worst Char," he whispered, tucking a lock of my scarlet red hair behind my ear. "Those people just enjoy me for my company, but you're there for me."

I swallowed.

He was so close, too close and I was speechless. His eyes, his beautiful hazel eyes, his lips, his voice, and his everything made me speechless.

"I—"

I also remember that that day was the day my lip virginity was taken away from me.

Fast forward to when we were juniors. Alex had already asked me out back then and we were still going strong. I was hated even more than before in my school.

The girls no longer just made fun of me, they hated me with a passion, they were angry I was with Alex.

Alex's guy friends, they were nice whenever he was around, but when he wasn't, I would receive the same treatment. But I wasn't the girl to cry to her boyfriend, I was used to it and just because I was with Alex, I didn't expect him to do anything.

It wasn't his fault I was who I was.

Ugly, fat and awkward.

Every day, I would still struggle to understand why Alex ever asked me out. It was a mystery. He told me I was different, yes, but I still was unconvinced.

When Alex looked at me, it wasn't love or anything, not that I knew what a loving gaze looked like.

Not even my mother gave me one of those...

I knew Alex needed me, but there was something missing, there always felt like there was something missing. I was always listening to him, trying to understand him. So maybe he needed me, but he didn't want me.

Not that I was surprised. I mean, would you look at me?

Throughout senior year, I started eating less, started heading to the gym and doing regular morning runs and I even started to lose a considerable amount of weight.

Not that anyone noticed, I was still pretty fat and I was still bullied for it.

That's just the way society was, shamming you for your body, something you couldn't control. Making thin people more advertised so that when you looked like me, 'it wasn't normal'.

At the end of senior year, Alex and I met up at the café nearest to us. He told me he wanted to talk and I remember thinking—this is it, he wants to break-up with you. After all these dreadful years of high school, he has gotten tired of me; he has come to a realization, one everyone already knew.

That I was fat and ugly and basically not worth his time.

"I'm moving." He told me, and the shock was clearly evident in my face. "I know, I know. But we can do the long distance baby."Alex reached across the table and caressed the back of my hand with his thumb and I stared back dumbly thinking:

This boy must be out of his mind!

Long-distance was hard on its own and he wanted to try that with me?

Was he alright in the head?

"Why are you leaving?" I asked and he sighed, drawing his hands away. I know I sounded pathetic but Alex was probably the only good thing in my life and he was leaving.

Leaving me all alone...

I know I said I could face my own problems but it was easy knowing you could come back home to see the gorgeous face of your boyfriend.

"My mom can't afford our house and college at the same time here so we're moving back with my grandparents so I can go to college there." He explains.

"Don't worry, I'll call you every day and things will work out."

I don't remember how the rest of that day went; I just remember I wasn't convinced. I was positive Alex would have a new life, meet a new girl and leave me behind in the dust, and there was absolutely no way I was going to let that happen.

Once Alex had left, I had already applied to a college nearest to him and I moved to the same area he was; call me desperate, into a shitty apartment.

One room with a bathroom and a kitchen. At least I was away from my mother and it was only for the vacation until I moved into my dorm.

I was offered plenty of scholarships for my grades so that was easy.

To my mother, I was a mistake. She never actually meant to have me, hence why the both of us know nothing about my father, but she couldn't exactly toss me out.

Unfortunately.

Mom was close with a lot of men, and she always found ways to get money, it never failed to surprise me actually.

Our summer vacation had ended and there were only weeks left for university to start and Alex didn't keep his promise.

He barely called.

The money my mother gave me in hopes she'll never see my face again was beginning to run out and I knew I needed a job fast.

Somehow I managed to never cross paths with Alex the entire vacation even though we were in the same area. I was too busy working out, getting fit and in better shape and by the time university was around the corner, I was a new me.

My hair had grown way past my shoulders, I no longer felt like cutting it, and it was as scarlet as ever; I was a natural redhead. My stomach had disappeared and my legs looked longer, nicer and thinner. Even my face looked different.

I had cheekbones now.

I felt happier now.

I decided once I enrolled in college and got everything together and ready, I would visit Alex. I was excited to see his reaction to the new me, there was no way he would leave me behind now!

Those thoughts quickly changed the moment I stepped onto campus and I somehow knew my life would never be the same.

__________

Thank you so much for checking out my new story!! It took me forever to get this done so I hope you like it.

Feel free to share your thoughts, I don't mind constructive criticism so don't be shy :)

Alright, so I just wanted to give you background on her life before college and before things start getting good so the rest of the book can flow easily from here on out.

xxx