Fooled by Laney Maki at Inkitt

Chapter 1

How in the world did I get here?

Here in a locker room full of half naked boys?

Me, Sawyer Lee Sullivyn, an 18 year old senior girl.

I glared at the boy across the blue metal filled locker room as he smirked, winking , running a hand through his curly black hair, water still dripping down his glistening toned and natural tan chest.

That's right, he's the reason I'm in this mess.

It's all your fault Ajax Romano.

He's the co-Capitan of the swim team, gorgeous and charming to acquaintances, funny and caring to team members, loud and fun to all his friends.

The biggest pain in my ass.

Like every Cliche romance, action, fairy tale, ok any story ever, let's start back at the beginning. It was Tuesday night and it was after the first day of senior year. Me and my dad, Louis, were eating Chinese take out on the floor since last week we found bed bugs in the sofa which was now sitting out in an alleyway a few apartments over. We lived in a city in New York, now it wasn't as big as actual New York city but still pretty big, but if you actually lived in New York city our home would be considered rat shit.

My dad worked for the Newspaper and so we didn't have a whole lot of money. Since me and my twin brother Shawn were nine we've lived in this one roomed apartment. We shared a bed with dad until we were thirteen and we, well, our dad, decided I was a young woman so he and Shawn slept on the couch, not anymore obviously he sleeps on the floor and Shawn was away at boarding school on a scholarship. After my mom passed my dad really didn't have the money for a better apartment. Not that my mom was rich or anything, I mean she simply worked at a bakery, but at least there were two parents in the picture to help pay for school, clothes, and the bills.

"I wanted to ask you something, Soso." My dad said pulling out a pack of M&M's.

A sharing size. He only ever got them when there was very serious or upsetting News. I was quick to slurp the rest of the noodles that were on my chopsticks and turn to face him.

"Yeah?"

"Um, how would you feel about moving?"

I laughed sitting up straight.

"Dad, I'd love to get out of this house." He scratched his neck and looked down at his brown mop of hair going down with him. He still had that annoying stubble of beard hair he refused to shave as well.

It didn't take me long to know what he meant.

"Where?"

"It's just an hour away in Riverside, Kourt asked us to move in with her. I mean we were putting it off for a long time but she's almost nine months and she does not want to live in the city with the baby, and I certainly don't either"

Kourt. Kourtney Jeen. My dad's girlfriend of about 4 years now, or at least that's what he tells me and Shawn, when in honesty I know they have been together for Basically six years. She wasn't terrible, she was Ok I guess, a bit immature, what can you expect from a 28 year old though. I honestly wanted to thank her for making my old man happy. I could hardly call him an old man though, he's only 33. Mom and him were dumb freshman who had a baby -wait babies- at 15. I didn't at the same time though, because at the same time I blame her for everything because I just didn't have the heart to be mad at dad, I think he was relieved I didn't talk to him about, hell I don't think he even knows I saw him all those years ago.

She was pregnant with my half brother for sister. Dad was absolutely thrilled, I didn't know how I felt honestly. I loved kids that was a given fact but I didn't know how fit of a mother Kourtney would be since she always seemed to be out of the house, hardly ever for the reason of actually working.

"Whatever makes you happy dad. Plus we are in desperate need of a couch!" He laughed and teared up a bit which made me roll my eyes and hug him tight. Sometimes I felt like I was the father in this relationship.

That night I sat on the roof of our crappy apartment looking up at the sky. Hopefully I'll be able to see the stars in Kourtney's town. She would always tell me we should run away together. She said somewhere like the Italian mountains where she could make clothes and I could reach the stars.

I dreamed of a new house smell, Chinese food, and her making dresses on Mercury.

☆☆☆

Me and dad were finally done unpacking into the new house (obviously chivalry wasn't dead as he never once let Kourt stand). I won't lie, it was perfect, well for us city folks anyways. It was a nice grey inside and out. The floors were a light wooden brown and there was a set of stairs to the upstairs. My room as well as the guest room and second bathroom (downstairs was the first one) was up there. The walls were covered in photos of Dad and Kourtney as well as family photos. Me and dad were quick to toss all weird cats wearing hats -god no pun intended- photos and the 'family matching sweater' photos that were so kindly (please tell me you can hint my sarcasm) gifted from great aunt Ellie.

She has about six cats and is now a retired barber. I'd love to say she was a great woman but she always sends us creepy photos and gifts on holidays. And instead of just giving me five bucks for my birthday she gave me a certificate for bowling lessons.

To say I hated her would be an awful understatement.

The neighborhood seemed nice. It was like one of those cliche ones in the books my cousin Sydney reads. They were crazy about romance novels. So the white picket fences and fairly large houses. God, next thing you know there's a 'Rich' side of town, I'm just waiting to call them about this. Sydney is only a freshman but they and I go way back since their mom got pregnant at 19 and lived in the same city as me, or used to at least.

Dad interrupted my thoughts walking over to me with a smile that seemed to actually reach his brown eyes for once.

"Sawyer! I got this for your room! I wanted you to have a piece of home!" I smiled and nodded at my dad and walked up the white carpeted stairs and into my room. The walls were white with different NASA and space posters. I had a closet and a white dresser. My bed set was black besides the tiny stars on my throw pillows. The bed did creak a bit when I sat to open the red wrapped gift.

It didn't take a genius to know it was a photo before I even opened it.

Now I'll tell you this before I continue.

I Don't cry. Not when my friend started that rumor about me being homeless in the sixth grade, not even when I broke my arm jumping over a fence, or when sophomore year the football team stuffed my locker with jock straps because they had been teasing me since I was a freshman on how I dressed. (I wore bigger pants and large sweaters, I didn't like make up, I didn't do anything about the little acne on my forehead, and I hated long hair so the brown hair I was gifted from my dad was longer at the bangs, shorter at the sides like what most would say a boys hair style, the back only came down an inch on my neck. I also happen to be taller than most girls in my class. My A cupped chest didn't help).

I only cried when my mother passed.

So it was no surprise I was crying as I ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal my seventh birthday. Mom was at my right side kissing my cheek as I blew out the candles and she was on my left grinning wearing that dumb charm bracelet. Back then my hair was much longer and my blue eyes seemed to shine brighter.

Mom told me that. Your eyes 'shine' when you're happy, or when you meet the one you love. She said that's how she felt meeting dad.

But this story isn't a sappy romance tale.