CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?

It's amazing how my Dad manages to pry me out of bed every Mondays, especially when I'm nursing the fresh hangovers from the previouly reckless partying of the weekends.

My head cannot spare me the torture of it's ruthless migraine as I groan effortlessly in bed but once my Dad comes to wake me up a second time, I put on my fakest smiles then pretend yawn Just to throw him off.

Maybe I shouldn't have drunk way too much at Kyle's party.

"No stalling, you lady," he smirks at me.

"Of course," my hoarse voice goes.

"School starts in an hour," he reminds me. And yes ,I knew it started in an hour .I just wanted to skip it.

You know, so that I could nurse this sickening feeling. But my Dad never really knows about my wild ways mainly because he's always super busy with his sheriff work to notice me.

Before I say much ,maybe a little preview about my life's history.

Well,I'm Alex Browne, born August 29th 2000 which makes me 17yrs old.

I'm 5.7foot tall which has helped me a lot in my basketball playing, black haired with intense deep green eyes... So intense that its alarming.

I have three best friends namely, Si which is short for Simon ,Aaron and Alan .

I used to have a girl Best friend until she left me for Brazil... but you know, life must move on.And let's just say ,having a girl for a friend right now won't really last long . Many reasons why but let's skip that for another time, you'll see why.

My hobbies are just a few ...drawing and wrestling. I do it for a living... and to earn some street cred since noone wants to play or hangout with the sheriff's daughter.

I've so far won three matches since my uncle Stan introduced me to an underground wrestling zone called The Quell (a place where blood is real and nothing is staged )

Yeah I'm pretty much a tough girl.And like i said ,my Dad doesn't know about my wild ways. And just so you know, the wildness doesn't end there.

So my mom walked out of me and my dad way back when i was seven.

Many years back but I got through well with Dad even though hev used to get wasted in bars when she up and left . Then the crying and sobbing followed and was forced to comfort a grown ass man.

That made me hate my mom even more.

I sometimes blame her for my sudden irresponsible behavior you know, since lack of complete parental guidance from both parents brings about problems to the offsprings.

So I wrestle and hurt other people's children. Does that make me reckless and destructive? Well,of course .

And now that that's over and done with, I wait for my Dad to walk out of my room so that I can dash into my bathroom and puke all consumed from last night's shindig.

I'm all green and aching for some Advil if available but Dad doesn't have to know about my hangover. So,I'll just play pretend until i get to class then sleep off till noon... then cut class to go over at Toni's for some, I don't know, hang sesh.

Once I'm empty ,i take a glance at a mirror only to meet with blood shot eyes, ruffled hair and dark rings around my eyes.

Oh! And have you seen how flashed I am?!

"Al!" Dad shouts from downstairs and I slowly reach for the toothbrush and stuff it inside my mouth with no toothpaste. Am I really gonna brush my teeth ? Today?

Really?

Alex?Alex!

My brain alerts me before i plant my face on to the ceramic of the sink in attempt to doze off.

Boy ,I'm so tired! And sick!!

I decide to put some toothpaste on ,brush my teeth a bit and get in the showers. Maybe a nice scented bath will shock me back to life. Even after the light ten minute shower i still feel ... disgusted!

Yep. I'm still gonna cut class today.

At least something to cheer me up this dull morning. Good thing it's not raining, otherwise... I'd skip the entire day of school.

Getting dressed in my usual clad of a tank top ,rugged boy shorts a hoodie and a baseball cap on with my hair on a messy pony tail ,I plod downstairs putting some shades on to hide my hideous blood shot eyes .

Dad made pancakes and Bacon. Wow!i love his bacons but not today. I can't stand the sight of food! But only because I'm... stomach sick.

"I made them just the way you like," Dad smiles with his mouth full of pancake bits.

"I know," i hate that I have to skip breakfast!

"Whoa! You're not gonna taste it!?" He exclaims once i begin heading towards the door.

"Er..." Say something!! "I'm on a fasting program. Yep, just gonna skip breakfast and go straight to the Lord for morning prayers."

Wow!I'm such an idiot !

"Morning prayers, huh," Dad gives me his sheriff look and that scares me plenty.

I give a quick nod,my lips pursed.

"And what's up with the shades ?"

"Fashion. It's what the kids are wearing these days," I try to sound calm, cool and confident.

Dad nods understandingly then says ,"Well I believe that. "

"So can I bounce off to school?"

"I thought you said it's 'morning prayers' " I do notice him putting air quotes on morning prayers but I let it slide off.

"It's at school, Sherlock," Grabbing my carkeys from their usual place ,I wave goodbye at him before I walk out,relieved.

Phew! Dodged that bullet!

Driving to school in my current position was like asking two blind people to play darts on a hurricane. There ground felt wobbly on so did my equilibrium. I almost ran over Mrs.Davidson!

Well,she's partly blind so...could've been her fault too.

Finally. I reached school safely.

And the first person I meet is Aaron .my friend since kindergarten. He's all up doing the usual thing he does every Monday morning ,annoying innocent pretty senior highschool cheerleaders with his pick up lines.

"So,call me ,Miranda," I hear him tell one of them ,before winking atrociously at her.

The blonde then sticks out her middle finger and mouths the words 'fuck you' before sealing it with a pretentious smile, cat walking away with a nice cheerleader skirt on,almost showing off her lower butt cheeks.

"Wow! She really liked you!" That's my opening statement that is dripping with sarcasm.

"Yeah,yeah,I know I've failed again," Aaron turns to wards me and gives me his hand for our Bro shake.

Yes, I Bro shake cos I'm a Bro.

"So what'd you tell her this time?" I ask, as we walk inside the school hallways.

"The Good ole Aaron greeting," he puts on his best cowboy accent that leaves me cringing.

"That's probably why she Left you like all them other girls ," I laugh and he chuckles as an agreement.

"Thanks for your support, Al," I can tell he's sarcastic too.

He then glances at me and imediately notices the rough patch that I'm going through. That's when he laughs genuinely at me.

"I almost forgot," a chuckle. "How was Kyles party? Looks like it hit you pretty bad."

"Ha ha ha,very funny," i go."If it wasn't for this unforgiving hangover, you'd be halfway to the ER by now, Mr. "

Aaron laughs once again just to piss me off. Update: it's working.

" Why couldn't you just have skipped school or maybe the first three period classes? " he finally stops laughing and asks me.

" Well for status my Dad happens to be sheriff and would've immediately realise i was up all night in an illegal party ,then again first period happens to be English which i truly adore,"mainly because our English teacher is smoking hot."oh ,and did I mention that my dad's sheriff?"

The last part was meant to be rhetoric until Aaron answered it with an 'oh yeah'

"Okay, so you preferred to walk around school looking like Frankenstein's monster than rest all day in bed or at least the nurse's office?"

"Oh you know the nurse doesn't like students cutting off classes by staying in her little chamber of doom,"

I say as we approach our lockers which happen to be located at the same base.

"But you are basically sick,I mean,you look like something a cat coughed up," he chuckles at the end and I can't resist the undying urge to just clench my fists ready to punch somebody.

Im stopped from throwing one down at Aaron's throat by Si who interrupts us with his usual, "Howdy y'all," and plants a quick kiss upon my cheek.

I have to pretend I like it just for a show because apparently, he's my fake boyfriend.

"You seem in a jolly mood," Aaron smiles at him.

"Yep. I'm a Monday person,"

He says wrapping His arm around my waist knowing how much I'd hate for him to do that.

"Plus I get to watch my sexy sugar look gorgeous today ," he's apparently referring to me. He's about to plant a kiss on my lips when i pull away suddenly since I heard someone call my name.

"Al ! Yes you!" It's Jackson, our basketball captain. Almost the entire hallway has their direction headed towards me .

And the fact that I'm wearing shades made it ten times more awkward.

"Yeah,what's-"

"Basketball practices ," he cuts me off.

"What about them?" I maintain a nonchalant tone since i know what he's getting at.

"Why have you been missin' ' em?" He looks pissed.

Yay! Points for me!

" I guess I'm in my confort zone, " me saying that makes the people around me including my pals to 'ooh' at me.

" Comfort zone, huh," Jackson echoes back ."Let's see what coach has to say about your little'comfort zone' "

We all watch as he waltz away angry. Then I turn to face the guys .

"Okay, let's get to class," I tell them ,slamming the door to my locker.

"Alright sensei ," Aaron mirrrors me while So just gawks at my sudden awesome cool approach at Jackson.

"Oh, Aaron I'm gonna borrow most of your notes from all classes we're gonna have today," I say as we enter first period math class.

"Then what are you going to do all day ?" He whines knowing how much he hates writing notes especially when he doesn't have to.

Taking the seat way on the back of the class ,I kick back ,legs on top of the desk then say coolly, " I'm gonna maintain my comfort zone. "