Love Sucks

by Raleena

Chapter 1 Cara

Hey! My name’s Cara and I have a serious problem, you see, I really like a guy but the problem is, he just happens to be my best friend. Now to add to that simple little problem of mine, I also have a boyfriend but it’s not working out very well. He just moved out of country and we just didn’t end up breaking up. So that’s just great, isn’t it?

So about this guy, his name’s Brandon and he’s so nice! He’s polite to my parents, he treats me with respect and he even sticks up for me when people are saying rude things about me. He’s got dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. He’s about an inch and a half taller than me, the perfect height, and he’s got a very nice build. Yeah it’s not perfect like those really hot guys you’d see in a magazine but who cares?

Anyway, I’m going to his house right now. To get there, you have the choice of two ways, one: the obvious choice down the road which includes taking an extra twenty minutes and two: through the bush which includes an encounter with a very dirty mud puddle. And my choice you ask? The muddy way, naturally. I take the way down the bush trail and head to Brandon’s house.

It’s a bright and beautiful sunny summer day without a cloud in the sky. It’s so warm out here you could go swimming, that’s why I’m going to Brany’s house. By the way Brany’s just a nickname that I call him and I swear he hates it! That’s why I call him that.

I approach the dirty mud puddle and think for a second, do I want to go around it . . . or do I want to go through it? Hmmmm now that’s a hard one. Let’s see, avoid getting dirty and have Brany think that some extra terrestrial life form has taken over my mind or do it the normal way. I think I’ll avoid scaring him to death for the time being and wait till later. Yeah, that sounds right.

I take my sandals off, so that they don’t get muddy on my way through the puddle and pretty much hop in. Mud sprays all over the place as I run through the nasty puddle. Well actually, if this was a normal day, running though this puddle would be the most exciting thing that I’d do but not today, not when I go over to Brany’s. You see, I live out in a really small town just outside of North Bay, and there’s nothing and I mean nothing to do out here! So this is what we do for fun, yep, all us seventeen year olds run through mud puddles every day to have just a tiny ounce of fun. Isn’t that crazy?

Well that’s why I’m actually going to his house. I mean the guy’s got a pool, and I love swimming. It’s so fun! Only problems, Cara’s got a new swim suit and it will scare Brandon to death cuz it’s a two piece and she’s only ever had a one piece. So I get to scar him for life and you know what. I love doing that! He is the easiest person to bother and I love bugging people. So anyway, I’m through the puddle and of course there is mud everywhere and I am just around the corner of Brany’s house. I can actually see it from here. He promised he’d be waiting for me out front but can I see him anywhere? No. So naturally I assume that he’s up to something. He’s always up to something. When we were younger, we used to play pranks back and forth but we eventually outgrew it. Maybe the child in him came back to haunt me.

Hey, I shouldn’t be so paranoid, he knows that if he pulls any funny stuff that I’ll kill him. The only problem is that it usually doesn’t matter. The crazy fool.

I look at his house a while longer then I see him come outside with his two idiot friends, Kris and Jesse. Jesse isn’t all that bad, a few disagreements here and there but Kris? He acts like all women were put on this earth for his enjoyment entirely. It’s a good thing that he doesn’t like me much. He thinks that everyone likes him when in truth, no one but Jesse and Brany do. Brany may have the very best taste possible in female friends (he he he) but when it comes to male friends, he should be shot.

I run out of the bush and call, “Hey guys!”

Brandon greets me with a smooth wave while Jesse puts on a lopsided grin and winks at me. Kris on the other hand, gives me an evil look, it makes me think that I, uninvitedly, interrupted some sort of serious male bonding. I return the look gladly.

“Hey, cool it you two, let’s head to the pool.” Brandon says, another well avoided argument.

I stop glaring at Kris and follow Brany to the pool. Brany is always so calm and collected. A really great guy. He always seems to calm everyone down, even in mid argument. That is the thing that I like best about him. He doesn’t get worked up about much and he hates it when people fight. He always has a friendly gleam to his eyes and a friendly smile is always on his face. I can’t understand why anyone would hated him but I guess there’s always that one person who doesn’t like you. We finally arrive at the underground pool, the only other fun thing around here, in Callender, the town I live in, and Kris and Jesse just jumped in, splashing water and soaking both me and Brany and making all my mud run off of me.

I’m a bit self conscious about wearing my swim suit in front of everyone but I guess there’s a first time for everything. Who cares what anyone thinks? They’re just guys and I’ve never cared what anyone thinks of me so I take off my pair of shorts and tank top then jump in after everyone else.

“Hey, Cara, nice threads.” Kris calls out sarcastically. I ignore him and go under water. “Cara, I said I like your threads.” He says a little more force fully. I ignore him again and swim away. “Hey Cara!” He yells, “You look really bad in that. You shouldn’t wear such form fitting clothes, you might scare someone.”

“Kris, just leave her alone,” Brany interrupts.

“Oh. Now Brandon here is sticking up for the chick huh? Turning his back on his buds. Oh well. I guess he just likes her better. She still looks horrible. It hurts to even look at her. It’s . . . ”

“I said, leave her alone.” Brandon forces. He’s starting to look really mad. Seeing him like that scares me.

“Why should I?”

“Because if you don’t then you’ll have to leave because I don’t think anyone here wants to have to put up with it. So either shut your mouth or leave.”

“But why, She does look bad, admit it Brandon, you think so too.” Kris continues. Now I can see that Brany is completely fed up and about to break. He swims closer to Kris.

“Just say it again.” he threatens.

“She looks really bad in a two-piece swim suit.” challenges Kris. The biggest idiot I’ve ever seen. Brany breathes in deeply, brings back his fist and punches Kris in the nose. I hear a sickening crack and Kris gets out of the pool as quick as he can, grabs his towel and runs home as fast as he possibly can. That was weird but it wasn’t the first that Brany got physical on my behalf. I can’t wait to get home and call Bridget about this!

There we are. The very first chapter of my original, Love sucks. You wouldn’t believe how long this thing took to write. Ever since the March break and I only finished it a week ago( August 24) Isn’t that crazy? Oh well, here it is!

Raleena