Opening Bet
My name is Alicia Daniella Whitworth. I'm seventeen years old, and I live in the lovely little town of Maple Hollow, Iowa.
I live with my amazing family: the Whitworths, my mom, dad, and my brother Nathaniel. Mom works at the local daycare by the park, Dad's a nurse at the town's only hospital, and Nathan? He's in the Navy, stationed overseas. He left around the same time I started high school. Weird, right?
Anywayyy, I go to the amazing, chaotic, cheer-infested world known as Hollow Grove High School with my best friends: Tanner, Alex, Quinn, Mikey, and Gracie. We've been a group since preschool. Gracie and Quinn met in the sandbox, Alex and Tanner were inseparable on the swings, and Mikey and I were playing hopscotch when we all got grouped for some activity and we've been stuck together ever since.
I'm head cheerleader. Center midfielder in soccer. In my spare time (which is rare), I'm in art club, debate, e-sports, and yearbook. My parents say I'm an overachiever My friends call me "Ms Popular" which I hate. That label screams "mean girl, airhead, plastic princess," and I'm none of those things.
I'm ranked fourth in our class. I've had a 4.5 GPA since freshman year. I've won the citizenship award every single year since elementary. I try to make sure no one feels left out, sad, or alone-ever.
When I'm not buried in school or club meetings, I volunteer at The Venetian, the local animal rescue run by our neighbor, Mr. Shawn.
I've always loved animals.
When my brother and I were little, we used to chase rabbits and birds in the woods behind our house. We even had a bunny-Snowball, because of his white fur. One day, we went out to feed him and found... well, we found what was left of him. A fox had gotten to him first.
I remember standing there frozen, staring at his fur stained with blood. My therapist later called it "trauma paralysis."
I don't remember much else except Nathan screaming and pulling me away. After a few months of therapy, I told my mom I wanted to help animals. I wanted to save the ones like Snowball.
That's still the dream.
I mean, Maple Hollow is safe. Sweet. Normal.But every now and then... it feels like someone's already shuffled the deck.
