Everything I Said I Wouldn’t Do

"Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow."

- Robert Kiyosaki

People always say your senior year of high school is supposed to be unforgettable

Mine was supposed to be simple.

Study hard.

Get into Harvard University with a scholarship.

And stay away from boys at all costs.

I've never had a boyfriend before, and honestly, I'm not planning on getting one either. Boys are distractions, and distractions are dangerous when your entire future depends on your grades.

My mother works two jobs just to make sure I have everything I need, and I refuse to let all her sacrifices go to waste. Sometimes I feel guilty watching her come home exhausted while I sit there stressing about college applications and tuition fees we can barely afford.

I don't know who my father is, and whenever I ask my mom about him, she always says the same thing.

"We don't need him anyway."

Maybe she believes that.

But sometimes, late at night when I hear her quietly crying in her room after another stressful shift, I wonder if things would've been easier if he had stayed.

Still, not having a father made me stronger. It pushed me to work harder than everyone else around me. While other students spend their weekends partying or falling in love, I spend mine studying.

Because failure has never really been an option for me.

I was still lost in my thoughts when my alarm suddenly went off, the loud sound making me jump.

"Ugh," I groaned, throwing my blanket off me. "I can't wait to be done with high school."

The cold morning air brushed against my skin as I dragged myself out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. Before getting into the shower, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and played Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift practically soundtracks my life at this point. Every morning starts with one of her songs.

The music echoed through the bathroom while steam slowly fogged up the mirror. I quickly showered, letting the warm water wake me up properly.

Today was the first day of senior year, and there was no way I was going to be late.

This was going to be my year.

I could feel it.

After getting ready, I rushed downstairs and immediately smelled warm pancakes and syrup filling the house. The kitchen lights glowed softly against the early morning darkness outside.

My mom stood by the stove in her blue work scrubs, flipping pancakes like she hadn't just worked an entire night shift. Her hair was messy, and the dark circles under her eyes looked worse than yesterday's, but she still smiled the second she saw me.

Sometimes I wonder how she does it.

"Mom, you should be sleeping," I said, grabbing a pancake from the plate. It was still hot enough to burn my fingers slightly. "You look tired."

"Good morning to you too, my angel," she laughed softly. "And why would I sleep on the first day of my favourite daughter's last year of high school?"

"Mom," I said, rolling my eyes, "I'm your only daughter."

"And your point is?"

I laughed quietly and walked over to her. "Seriously, go to sleep, Mommy. I'll clean up."

She looked like she wanted to argue, but one look at me and she sighed dramatically.

"Fine," she muttered. "But only because my daughter is bossy."

"That's because someone has to take care of you."

I gently pushed her toward her bedroom while she continued complaining under her breath. Those eye bags were definitely not disappearing on their own.

Before closing her door, she turned back to me.

"Have a great first day, honey. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom. And thanks for the pancakes."

A few seconds later, loud hooting echoed outside the house.

I already knew who it was.

Amber.

My best friend since kindergarten.

And unfortunately for my peaceful, distraction-free year... the most chaotic person I know.

I quickly grabbed my bag and rushed outside, the cool morning breeze hitting my face instantly. Amber stood beside her car with one hand on her hip, looking like she had walked straight out of a fashion ad.

She was wearing a white long-sleeve crop top, a pink mini skirt, and white boots that clicked against the driveway whenever she moved. As always, she looked stunning. My best friend seriously knew how to dress.

The second she saw me, she opened her arms dramatically.

I laughed and ran straight into her hug, breathing in the sweet vanilla perfume she always wore.

"This is going to be the best year ever," I said excitedly. "I can feel it in my blood."

She pulled away slightly and raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean you're finally going to get a boyfriend?"

"Ew," I said immediately, making a disgusted face. "You already know I'm only focused on getting into Harvard University. And besides, boys are distractions."

She rolled her eyes as we pulled apart.

"You know you can get into Harvard and still have a boyfriend, right? You're smart enough to do both."

"Yeah... no thanks. I'll pass."

I quickly climbed into the front seat while she started driving toward school. The morning sun streamed through the windows, warming my face while soft music played quietly in the background.

Meanwhile, I pulled out my phone for what was probably the hundredth time that morning just to check my timetable again.

I needed everything to be perfect today.

I didn't want to walk into the wrong class or miss anything on the very first day of senior year.

"You've checked that timetable like ten times already," my friend laughed, briefly glancing at me before focusing back on the road.

"And I'm going to check it ten more times," I replied without looking up. "This year is important."

"I know," she said softly. "But you seriously need to relax a little."

Relaxing was not an option.

Not when my entire future depended on this year.

We quickly arrived at school.

The parking lot was already packed with students laughing loudly and reuniting after the holidays. The first day of school was always chaotic-the hallways buzzing with conversations, lockers slamming shut every few seconds, and the smell of cafeteria food already floating through the building.

Amber and I made our way straight to the bathroom.

Of course, she needed to check her lipstick for the hundredth time today because her boyfriend was apparently "on his way" and she had to look perfect for him.

Amber was dating Joseph, and they had been together for a year now. He was a good guy, and he treated her really well. I was genuinely happy for her. She deserved it, especially after everything she went through in her previous relationship... but that was a story for another day.

I was still lost in my thoughts when Amber suddenly clicked her fingers in front of my face.

"Earth to Chloe," she said, raising an eyebrow.

Before I could respond, her phone beeped. She glanced at it and immediately smiled.

"Joseph is here. Let's go see the love of my life."

We turned to leave the bathroom, but Amber suddenly stopped and looked back at me.

"You know Wes has a crush on you, right?"

I let out a long breath. "Amber, I said no boys. Plus, he's not my type."

Wes was Joseph's friend. And I've known for a long time that he liked me. Every few weeks-no, every month-he would try again, asking me out in different ways. And every time, my answer was the same.

A polite no.

Not because he was a bad guy. Not because he was a player or anything like that. If anything, he was the kind of guy any girl would be lucky to have.

But I wasn't looking for a relationship. Especially not this year.

"Chloe, you've never even had a boyfriend," Amber said as we stepped out into the crowded hallway. "So how do you know it's not your time?"

Before I could answer, I was saved by a familiar voice shouting Amber's name across the field.

Joseph.

We followed the sound and spotted him easily near the bleachers.

Did I mention he's the captain of the football team?

Amber immediately lit up, running straight into his arms. The moment they met, they kissed like they hadn't seen each other in years.

I quickly looked away, shaking my head slightly.

Next to them stood Wes, hands in his pockets, watching the scene with an amused smile. The breeze lightly moved his dark blond hair as his eyes landed on me.

Those ocean-blue eyes.

"How are you, Chloe?" he asked.

"I'm good, Wes," I replied, forcing a small smile. "How are you?"

"I'd be better if you agreed to be my girlfriend."

I let out a small laugh, already shaking my head. "Wes, not this year, please. I want to focus on my studies."

He shrugged lightly, still smiling. "I can wait. I'm planning on going to Harvard University next year too. We can start our relationship then.

I blinked at him, completely caught off guard by how confident he sounded.

Amber, who had just pulled away from Joseph, immediately pointed between us with a dramatic gasp.

"You two need to stop flirting," she said, smirking.

Warm heat rushed to my cheeks instantly.

Before I could respond, the school bell rang—sharp and loud—cutting through the noise around us.

Saved by the bell.

Students immediately started moving across the field, conversations blending together as everyone rushed toward their classes.

My first class was physics-one of my stronger subjects, which is exactly why I liked starting my day with it.

The classroom smelled faintly of old textbooks and dry-erase markers by the time I walked in. Sunlight streamed through the windows beside the desks, making the room feel warmer than the hallway outside.

Mr Daniels stood at the board explaining Newton's Laws of Motion, his voice echoing slightly through the quiet classroom. He was talking about inertia, how an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force, and how every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

While he spoke, I quietly took notes, the scratching sound of pens filling the room. For once, I actually understood everything.

Then the classroom door suddenly opened with a soft creak.

A tall guy with dark, shiny hair stepped inside.

Cool air from the hallway slipped into the room behind him.

And for a second, the whole class went quiet.

Who is that? I asked myself.

Mr Daniels cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ahh, you must be Oliver."

The guy—Oliver—didn't say anything. He just shrugged slightly like he didn't care at all.

That was when I noticed something else.

He looked exhausted.

Not tired in a normal way, but the kind of tired that sits heavily in someone's eyes.

Mr Daniels introduced him to the class, explaining that he had just transferred and would be joining from today.

The second Oliver walked farther into the room, whispers immediately started spreading between the girls.

Every single one of them was staring.

Not just looking... staring.

The kind of staring that says new distraction unlocked.

I quickly looked away and focused back on my notes, trying to ignore the sudden shift in energy around the classroom.

Still, for some reason, I could feel his presence from across the room.

When the class finally ended, chairs scraped loudly against the floor as everyone stood up at once.

Chaos followed instantly.

Katie practically threw herself toward Oliver before he even properly made it out of his seat.

Let me tell you about Katie.

Katie is a real-life doll. She's so pretty that every guy wants her, and every girl wants to be her. Long blonde hair, flawless makeup, expensive perfume—you notice her the second she walks into a room.

And she knows it too.

Her dad is very rich, so she gets whatever she wants, whenever she wants it.

Did I also mention that she has been in an on-and-off relationship with Wes? And that's one of the reasons she and I don't get along. She knows Wes kind of likes me, and she hates it.

She walked right up to Oliver and smiled brightly, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Hi, I'm Katie," she said sweetly. "I heard you're new here, so if you need anything... I mean anything... you can come to me."

A small laugh slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

Her head snapped toward me immediately.

"What's funny, Miss Goody Two-Shoes?" she asked sharply.

The classroom suddenly felt quieter around us.

I quickly shook my head. "I'm just thinking about something."

"Think somewhere else," she said coldly. "You're disturbing our conversation."

Oliver stood up before things could go further.

For half a second, his eyes landed on mine.

They were dark.

Unreadable.

Then he walked straight out of the classroom without saying a single word.

And just like that, Katie turned all her attention toward me.

She stepped in front of my desk, crossing her arms tightly.

"Why did you distract me like that?" she snapped.

Before I could answer, Emily's voice cut through the tension.

"Leave my friend alone and go find someone your own size," she said, standing up beside me.

Katie scoffed loudly. "Who said we're fighting? Are we fighting, Chloe?"

Her eyes locked onto mine, waiting.

I paused, gripping my notebook slightly tighter.

Before I could respond, Emily stepped in again.

"Just leave."

Katie rolled her eyes dramatically before finally walking away, her heels clicking against the classroom floor.

"Ugh, she's such a bully," Emily muttered as she sat beside me.

I sighed quietly and started packing my books into my bag. "Let's go before we're late for stats."

We made our way out of the classroom and headed toward stats class while students crowded the hallways around us.

Stats class felt longer than usual.

The classroom was freezing, the fluorescent lights buzzing softly above us while the teacher continued explaining formulas that seemed to go on forever.

By the time class finally ended, I was starving.

As soon as the bell rang, students rushed out of the classroom like their lives depended on it.

I slowly packed my books, taking my time before standing up.

"Finally," I muttered under my breath.

Amber was already waiting by the door, bouncing impatiently like she hadn't eaten in days.

"You move so slow," she complained as I walked toward her.

"I'm hungry," I said simply.

"Same," she sighed dramatically. "Let's go before I pass out."

We joined the crowd heading toward lunch, the hallway louder than ever. Lockers slammed shut while groups of students laughed loudly around us.

And just like that, the day didn't feel as long anymore.

We quickly made our way to the cafeteria, immediately hit by the smell of fries, pizza, and sugary drinks filling the air.

Students crowded around almost every table, their conversations blending into one giant wave of noise.

After finally finding a place to sit, Amber immediately started talking about something—probably Joseph—but I was only half listening while opening my lunch.

That's when Joseph and Wes joined us.

Joseph looked irritated for some reason.

Amber immediately lit up and wrapped her tiny arms around him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Who made Papa Bear all angry?" she teased.

Before Joseph could answer, Wes leaned back in his chair and spoke up.

"His stepfather asked him to babysit his stepbrother."

Joseph straightened immediately. "He's not my stepbrother. He's my stepfather's son and—"

"Babe, you have a brother?" Amber asked, looking genuinely shocked.

Joseph ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "We're not brothers. He's my stepfather's son. I didn't even know he was going to come live with us."

I frowned slightly. That was new.

Joseph had never mentioned a stepbrother before. I knew his mom had remarried three years ago to some rich guy, but I didn't know there was a son involved.

"Why is he suddenly living with you guys?" I asked curiously.

Joseph's expression shifted slightly.

"He's been living with his mother, but she recently passed away," he said more quietly this time. "He doesn't really have anyone else, so now he has to stay with his father."

"Oh..." I said softly. "That's so sad."

A small silence fell over the table.

Even Amber stopped talking for once.

Then she suddenly smirked, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

"So when are we meeting your mysterious brother?" she teased.

Joseph let out a dry laugh.

"You'll meet him soon," he said. "But I need to warn you guys... he's bad news."

I immediately raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

But before he could answer—

The bell rang loudly through the cafeteria.

"Ughhh," Amber and I groaned at the exact same time.

We had been so close to getting answers.