An Ordinary Me Read online

  An Ordinary Me

  By Brooklyn Taylor

  Copyright 2015 Brooklyn Taylor

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover Design: Katie Lee

  No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or electronic or mechanical methods, without the permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copy right law. For permission requests, write to the author at:

  [email protected]

  This book is an act of fiction.

  Dedication:

  To my children, Armando and Timberly.

  I could never comprehend how much a person

  could love another until I was blessed with you.

  You inspire me daily.

  There will never be another

  person that will love you as much as your mama.

  Soundtrack for An Ordinary Me:

  Play Me That Song Brantley Gilbert

  I Won’t Give Up Jana Kramer

  All You Ever Hunter Hayes

  I Want Crazy Hunter Hayes

  Roller Coaster Luke Bryan

  Play it Again Luke Bryan

  Ain’t it Fun Paramore

  All about that Bass Meghan Trainor

  Angel Aerosmith

  Call Me When Your Sober Evanescence

  Kiss Me Sixpence

  Love You Like a Love Song Selena Gomez

  Fancy Iggy Azalea

  Brooklyn Taylor is in no way affiliated with these songs. They belong to the vocal artist.

  Prologue

  Garrison

  I sit beside the hospital bed of the only girl I have ever loved, listening to all the beeps from the machines. I watch her just hoping she is going to sit up and tell me about her day and about all the things in her life like she has been doing. I always had to play it off and act like I was just an observer rather than the one aching to be with her. There were so many times I wanted to reach for her and kiss her, run my fingers down her soft face, or bring her in for a hug and never let go. Her lips were intensely raw and chapped

  Instead, I sit here praying that she will make it, that she will be conscious just long enough for me to tell her how much I truly love her and always have. Looking at her in so much pain, so bruised and swollen hurts me deeply. I wonder if I had been honest with her earlier, could I have prevented this? Could I have prevented her fighting for her life?

  All these years I would never let anyone love me or love them in return. Well, I guess that wasn’t true. I loved her, I just never told her. I knew if I did, she would see I wasn’t worthy. I never thought I deserved to be loved.

  I thought many times of telling her and stopped myself. I let myself believe I did tell her in my own way. I don’t know if I was protecting her or myself.

  I promise to God if he lets her live I will tell her how much I have always loved her and always will every day. I don’t know that he will even recognize my voice, but that won’t stop me from pleading.

  If I ever get another chance to hear her voice and see her beautiful eyes, I will never let her forget how much I love her.

  Chapter 1

  Reese

  Today is my first day of my sophomore year at Comal High. In the town of New Braunfels, Texas, you don’t officially go to high school until you are in tenth grade. I have been nervous all summer but that nervousness turned into anxiousness last night. Although I really had no idea what I would be walking into, I was excited I was finally in high school.

  I’m walking into my tenth grade year a little more confident compared to my freshman year. And I stress “a little more” confident. There are three reasons why I am excited for school to start. First, dance team. I am officially trying out for the Comal High dance team, the Pantherettes. I worked my butt off all freshman year to prove I had the determination to make it and hopefully it pays off. Last year only six sophomores made the team. I have been dancing all my life but not on an official dance team.

  The second reason is because of Autumn. She was my best friend and was the exact opposite of me. Her hair was light blonde, had the biggest blue eyes I had ever seen and could talk her way out of anything without batting an eyelash. She was big chested, resembled a Barbie and has always been a knockout with her share of boyfriends. She was on the yearbook staff and was just as good behind the camera as she was in front of it. She got what she wanted when she wanted it with no questions asked. She already knew how to get her way with little effort.

  The third is something I have dreamt about forever. Cannon Walker. I have had a crush on him since we were kids. He used to live next door to me for more than half of my life, but moved while we were in junior high. I thought my world was going to collapse without him living next door to me. I watched as movers removed their belongings from the Walker house and felt as if my life was ending as I knew it. He never really paid much attention to me, but I did him. I had paid so much attention in fact that I could most likely tell you the count of his eyelashes. We were two years apart in age and the older we got the more obvious the age difference really was. Our parents are still friends and he has come over a couple of times with them for the occasional barbeque.

  Each year that passed Cannon got hotter and hotter. He still looked at me like the little girl who played house or cowboy and Indians. I still looked at him like the God I thought he was. For me, he was unattainable but it was fun to dream that one day he would see me, the real me. He will be a senior this year. From what I had been overhearing from my parents, he had started rebelling and giving his parents trouble, the exact opposite of me. I followed every rule and was a chicken in every meaning of the word. I had no want to test the waters and rebel.

  As I entered the enormous hallway and walked into Comal High, I was extremely overwhelmed. The school had the notorious smell that all schools had, that cleaner the custodians used to try to smoother the stink without success. I surveyed the paintings and various art work covering the walls sporting our school mascot, The Panthers. Students were already grouped in little cliques talking and laughing. Walking by looking for someone I knew was nerve racking to say the least. Autumn was supposed to meet me at the entrance but of course she wasn’t there. She never showed up where and when she was expected.

  Autumn and I were night and day. I was the "ordinary" girl. There really wasn’t anything special about me. I had long brown hair that really lacked any character other than the length, cleanliness and beautiful color. I didn’t know how to do anything with it. I had deep brown eyes that never lied although I’ve never had to. I wouldn’t say I was an ugly duckling but I wasn’t a head turner either.

  I was so frustrated that Autumn wasn’t here yet. She was born with the natural ability to do hair and makeup, something I sucked at. She was supposed to flatten my hair with her hot iron and give me a quick makeover. When I left it how it was I looked younger than I already seemed. I was slow to develop if you know what I mean and dreaded seeing who else had passed me up in that department because they always did. Last year, I had nearly every girl pass me up and I felt like I still belonged in middle school as to some of the girls I knew could have passed as a freshman in college. I was starting to look more like a woman. Finally, I had begun to develop into my age over the summer but from the looks of the beautiful other sophomores I was only beginning as they were ending. I was always trying to catch up. I was not one of those girls that were blessed with a figure. I was super skinny with longer legs than most. I was wearing a pair of jeans with my Converse and a button up long sleeve shirt that was sheer with a cami underneath. Girls were wearing skirts and the cutest outfits that looked ama
zing on them but there was no way in my ever lovin’ mind I would wear them. Let’s just say, those girls had the curves to show it, I didn’t. My mom kept telling me one day I would be thankful but I assure you today was not one of those days. In fact, since she said that to me I have been waiting for that day!

  After waiting the fifteen minutes and realizing Autumn wasn’t going to show up, I pick a wall to stand next glancing out the window that overlooks the courtyard. Picnic tables covered the area strategically arranged for lunches. Although I felt completely out of place and alone, I didn't want to look it.

  I stand staring at my schedule and out of the corner of my eye, I look at all the different cliques that had already formed trying to make sense of it. Athletes were still coming in from the parking lot; the kickers, or like Autumn says the “hicks”; the stoners, well you can guess where they were; and the band nerds. It was always interesting to see how things had changed from year to year. Different people I knew changing to fit into where they think they belong or where they are accepted.

  I feel a tap on my shoulder and slowly turn around ready to let Autumn know my two cents for her being late AGAIN. I’m already pissed at her and if she is playing games I might just strangle her.

  “Reese...”

  I turn around not prepared to hear his deep husky voice. It was Cannon. Cannon Walker. His dark hair was sweeping over his forehead almost covering his eyes. I had to tilt my head up to look in his eyes that I had memorized years ago. The last time I had seen him face to face was last year when he came over to deliver something for his mom and that was only an amazing five minutes. Not near long enough for me to admire him or nearly long enough for him to even take a second look at me.

  “Reese, right?”

  I start to shake my head still speechless. I am going to make a total fool of myself.

  From the corner of my eye, I see Autumn walk up and greet him. “Hey. I’m Autumn. Nice to meet ya.”

  “Likewise. I was just going to welcome Reese to Comal High. She apparently doesn’t recognize who I am...” He lets out a husky laugh.

  I better speak up or I am busted. “I totally knew who you were, Cannon. I was just shocked to see you. You are so much taller and...”

  “And fine!” Autumn laughed. She has always had an uncanny way of speaking with no filter. I was envious.

  Cannon raised his eyebrow at her. “Well, thanks, Autumn. Anyway, I just wanted to say hi. I gotta get to class.”

  “Hope to see ya around, Cannon.” Finally, I was able to form a coherent sentence.

  I knew I had to get away from him before I made a bigger fool of myself. I turn around, in a rush and not paying attention of what is in front of me, I trip right over someone’s backpack they had laid on the floor beside me. I land splat on my face, and the wind is knocked out of me. I’m mad at myself for not paying attention and for Autumn being late. I am humiliated lying here, and I feel every eye on me staring and hear the laughing surrounding me. Perfect. Just Perfect!

  “Damn she really face planted. That must have hurt.”

  “Man that sucks.”

  “Newbie has two left feet…” Giggles all around me.

  “I thought they taught them how to walk before they got into tenth grade.”

  I lift myself off the floor to a kneeling position trying to gather my notebook, papers that scattered and my pen. I’m trying my damnedest not to look up and see all the people that are staring at me. I could feel the eyeballs glaring on me. I knew each and every one of them was thankful it wasn’t them that had made such an interesting entrance. I would forever be known as the girl that tripped in the hallway on the first day of school.

  Autumn was just standing there speechless with her hand over her mouth in disbelief. Cannon was standing in a group of students who clearly knew him much better than I did. He apparently was too popular to help someone up that he had known all his life and risking admitting he knew me.

  A guy in a pair of light blue jeans and chucks reached out his hand to help me up. I don’t know who he was or where he came from but I was thankful.

  “You need some help?”

  I look up and see the guy, the only one willing to help a girl out. A totally humiliated girl who was having the worst day of her life and the first bell hadn’t even rang.

  I try to get up on my own will but he grabs me to assist me, and then bends down to help pick up my items.

  Once I am finally back on my two feet, I get a good look at the fellow student who helped me. His face was beautiful and sincere.

  He spoke again and his voice had a sweetness to it. “Are you okay?”

  I brush my hand through my hair while holding my belongings in the other. “Other than being totally humiliated… Yeah I am fine.”

  He reaches out his hand to introduce himself. “I’m Garrison Davis.”

  “Reese… AKA loser.”

  He laughed. His dark blond hair was falling just a little over his eyes and he brushed it back out of his face. His sideburns were longer than most guys I had seen but they shaped his face perfectly. He really pulled off the look. His eyes were a beautiful hazel color and specks of green beamed and sparkled in them. His eyelashes were long and thick accenting the perfect shape of his eyes.

  “I doubt that. We’ve all had bad starts to our mornings.”

  “You could say this was a disastrous start.”

  “Nah, the day will get better.” He put his hands in his pockets.

  The bell rings and students start to pass me as if I wasn’t even standing there.

  Autumn comes up beside me and links her arm around mine.

  “Thanks for helping me, Garrison. I hope to see you around.”

  “Likewise.”

  As Garrison walks off, I watch him walk down the hallway and wonder how he walked into my life at the exact time I needed help. No thanks to Cannon or Autumn. I can only hope I run into him again. I came here thinking Cannon was going to be something to see but Garrison… he just might be my new crush.

  “Who was that?”

  “Garrison, the only person who helped me up when I fell. Thanks for that by the way.”

  “You should thank me for not helping you because now you met a hot new leading man.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Did you see the way he looked at you?”

  “You mean the exact opposite way that Cannon looked at me.”

  “Ya, you could say that again.”

  “I told you Cannon was a total asshat. He always has been.”

  “You told me, you told me, you told me. You feel better?”

  “No… But we gotta get to class.”

  ~ ~ ~

  The day went by faster than I thought. Lucky for me I didn’t have any more humiliating moments. I made it through the door overwhelmed and relieved it was over but not completely unhappy. Autumn walked home with me and we talked about the day. She was ready to try out for the volleyball team and was pumped with confidence I never seemed to be esteemed with. I was going to try out for the dance team. My best friend had enough self esteem for both of us.

  “Reese, you’re going to do fine. Why are you worrying about this so much?”

  “Ahhhh, because it’s all me, Autumn. I didn’t have the dance lessons and the privates. These other parents sunk thousands of dollars into their little girls. My parents couldn’t do that.”

  “You were born with the natural ability to dance. You didn’t need what a lot of other girls needed.”

  “That was a nice line, but you don’t really expect me to believe that do you?” I look back at her as she was putting lipstick on using my long stand up white mirror I have had since I was a young girl.

  I hear a light warning knock at my door.

  My bedroom door opens and my mom comes walking in. “That wasn’t a line, sweet pea. She is telling you the truth.” She comes and sits on my bed beside me as I stare at the ceiling with my feet up on my wall just as she does every day.<
br />
  “Did ya’ll have a good first day of school? Dad and I wanted to take you girls out for pizza.”

  My parents loved Autumn. She was outgoing, gorgeous in the all American girl way and they also knew she had a great heart. She was a true friend to me and they saw that. She became more popular as we moved up through school but she never got lost in that or left me. She always stayed by my side. A friendship that I knew was one in a million, a rare form.

  “I’d love to go, Mrs. Owens.”

  Mom didn’t pity her, but she hurt for her. Autumn’s dad was killed at a very early age by a drunk driver. Her mother went into a deep depression and really never came out of it. She was lonely, so very lonely. I never really understood why when she still had Autumn but Mom reassured me the love of a husband is not the same as the love for your child. My parents would’ve moved her in and taken her in as their third daughter but my own mom didn’t want Autumn’s mom to feel like she truly lost everything.