I slammed the door of my car shut, feeling a headache coming. Great. School hadn't even officially started yet, and I was already getting bad vibes that today was going to be an awful day. After all, I had two essays due, as well as a major test. I spent a good number of hours last night polishing up those English and History essays. When I was finally satisfied, it had been early morning, and I decided to study one more extra hour for my Math test. Which, now that I look back on it, was probably not a good idea. Now I was feeling utterly exhausted and drained, having gotten less than five hours of sleep. Usually I survived on six or seven hours without feeling any sort of fatigue, but hey, I was human and I did have limits. Unfortunately, it seemed as though I was pushing those limits this very day.

As I approached my locker, I felt a solid object hit my side at full force. Staggering, I slipped and fell onto the floor, my ten-pound backpack pulling me straight down. Thankfully not many people had arrived, and those who did managed not to make a huge deal over my public stunt. However, it seemed that one certain person decided to do so, for I heard muffled sounds of laughter near me. I turned around to see the owner of the snickers, only to find myself looking eye-to-eye with Andrew Cummings.

Drew and I were enemies on a fairly minor scale. Our relationship was, for the most part, based upon us competing ruthlessly against each other, mostly over grades. I was close to earning the coveted position of valedictorian, but so was he. Thus, we battled. One day, I would receive an A on the Math exam, while he earned an A-. On an unluckier day, I would get a C on the Spanish project, and he would flourish out of the room with a B.

We were also somewhat competitive with each other in other aspects. We both ran all year, proud members of our school's track and cross-country teams. However, our clashes were trifling on the track and wooded trails. I knew better enough than to kill myself trying to match Drew's abilities; he, after all, was a boy, and boys were naturally faster than girls. Nevertheless, it always did bring me a bit of satisfaction when I was able to beat him by a fraction of a second in shorter distances, such as the 200-meter-dash. Neither he nor I was a sprinter, but Drew was certainly not born to run short distance; his physique simply did not allow him to have that ability. He was tall and lean, with only a modest amount of muscle and mile-long legs: typical appearance of a runner.

I disliked Drew mostly because he was the sole obstacle in my goal to become valedictorian. I figured that if I did get the position, I would surely get a better chance of getting into Yale, my dream school. However, Drew was brilliant, and I had to admit that. He was brilliant in a way that I secretly wished I could be; he didn't study too much, yet brought home grades that were just as good as mine, if not better. And I would be the first to say that I studied far more than he ever would. Life certainly gave him the easy way out. He didn't have to toil like the rest of us humble souls.

Drew was also more popular than I. He wasn't one of those macho jocks, but many of his friends were obnoxious athletes who flaunted their well-toned bodies to the female population. On the other hand, many of his friends were considered nerds, since they spent all their free time in the computer lab, doing God-knew-what. Drew was a whiz at computer technology, so he had common ground with those people. All in all, he was just the all-around nice guy, which made him very attractive to girls. I knew that he had only dated about two or three in his entire life, but boy, did he know how to flirt.

Like I said earlier, though, I was having a not-so-good day. The fact that Drew was laughing at me did not make it better. Why should he be laughing, anyway? It was he who had ran into me in the first place, so it was his fault.

"Shut up, Cummings," I mutter, shoving him roughly as he continued to shake with mirth. "You were the one who pushed me, asshole."

"My, my, such language," he reprimanded mockingly. "Are we having a bad day?"

"We," I emphasized, "would like you to go away. NOW."

"Temper, temper," he sang, but started to steer clear. Thank God he got the message. "I'll see you in five minutes, Reynolds."

Couldn't he at least call me by my given name? Was it so hard to refer to me as "Gina"? Apparently for him, it was. And what on earth was he talking about, seeing me in five minutes?

Then it just occurred to me. Today was Tuesday, which meant that, yippee, Drew was going to be in all my classes for the day. Great, just what I needed: more time with the golden boy. My day certainly could not get any worse.

By the end of first period, though, I was already regretting what I had thought earlier on. My day was certainly not getting better, anyway. I had gotten back my test in AP Bio, complete with a large B- scrawled in thick, red marker. It wasn't awful, but I did study for at least a week, two hours every day, for that test. I had also been counting on it to bring my grade up to an A-, so I had been hoping for an A or higher. Unfortunately, I wasn't even close to my goal. When the teacher handed back all the tests, I saw Drew smile complacently. He had obviously received a good grade; I should know, since he always had the same look upon his face whenever he was handed back an assignment with a grade well matched to his satisfaction.

I had my Math test right afterwards, and my mind completely blanked out in the middle of it. I chewed my fingernails, trying to figure out one of the problems. I glanced over at the clock and started on panic mode after seeing that I only had fifteen minutes left. I skipped the entire problem, deciding to come back to it if I had time. Time, it turned out, was handed to me very sparingly that period, for I finished only a little more than half the test. Sweating, I felt my test being snatched away by my teacher, who looked irritated that I was still trying to scribble down some numbers, even though the bell had rung five minutes ago.

By lunchtime, I was fully drained and ready to take a nap. I spotted the usual table where my friends and I sat, and took a seat next to Sharon, who was currently munching happily on potato chips.

"Hey." She waved at me. "What's up? You look like hell."

"Thanks," I said sarcastically. I unwrapped my peanut butter sandwich and took a big bite. "I've been sort of having a crappy day."

"Let me guess. You failed the Math test and didn't get an acceptable grade on your Bio test. And you stayed up all night trying to do whatever work that needed to be done."

I stared at her. "You know me too well."

"Come on, Gina, that's all you think about! Getting good grades isn't everything, you know. Yale isn't the only school in the world. There are plenty of other great colleges. Besides, lots of people who go to Yale are idiots. Remember when we visited the campus together this summer? One of the girls couldn't even spell out 'university' for us. You know you'd die if there were people like that."

"And," I continued, ignoring her, "Drew was probably perfect in everything, as usual."

"Why do you always compare yourself with Drew?" asked Dee, sliding her tray next to mine. "You two are different people. He's got his strengths and you've got yours. It all evens out in the end. Besides, you don't actually know that he did better than you."

"Yes, I do!" I exclaimed, feeling myself getting riled up. "He always has that damn smug look on his face whenever he does well."

"Please." A third friend, Cara, rolled her eyes at me. "I hate to say it, but I think that you like him, with all that complaining that you do."

I gaped at her openly. "You're not serious."

"Indeed, I am. What's not to like, though? Drew's smart, cute, and extra nice to everyone he meets. He's like Prince Charming. Any girl would dig him."

"Yeah. I don't want to be just any girl that he could just toy with…"

"A ha!" Sharon cried triumphantly. "So you admit that you like him."

I wasn't known for having a big mouth—far from it—but now, I wasn't so sure. If only I'd keep my emotions in check. From the on, I decided not to mention Drew to my friends at all, for fear that they would try and interfere with my love life. Or lack thereof. To my displeasure, my friends did not give up that easily. Which, I suppose, wasn't really surprising, considering the fact that I rarely showed any interest in boys. So, whenever there was even a slight hint of an interest, they would jump the gun.

"You've known him since middle school," Dee pointed out. "Even I haven't known you for that long. It's like the total cliché! You two will get married, pop out a few kids, move to the suburbs…"

I choked halfway through sipping my milk. "Aren't you thinking a little too ahead here?"

Before she could reply, the bell rang. I leapt out of my seat, grateful for the interruption. I walked to English class, feeling apprehensive as I clutched the essay in my hands. I always felt queasy whenever I handed in an essay. Call it low self-esteem, but I just never felt confident enough to give it in without imagining the worst scenarios of getting the grade back.

"Okay, class!" my English teacher called. "Before you hand in your essays, I'd like to begin with a little quiz on last night's reading in Othello."

Groans were heard throughout the entire classroom. Oh, shit, I thought, panicking. I didn't do the damn reading assignment! I knew there was something important that I forgot to do.

English turned out to be a catastrophe as well. I had no idea what any of the answers were to the quiz, so I jotted down a few random sentences, hoping to get at least a few points. If I had even gotten above a forty percent, I would surely jump for joy. Then, we had a discussion on last night's reading. Naturally, because Lady Luck was clearly on my side today, I was called upon for my opinions for nearly every single discussion question. It was as if my teacher could see through me and knew that I didn't do the reading. Of course, since I had no idea what was going on in the book, I stuttered. Horribly. I could hear snickers from the other students, and many looked at me with astonishment. That was no surprise, considering the fact that I was known as "Miss Perfect" to all of them. Usually, I would be able to rattle off a few "insightful" comments with ease. Today's events further proved that my day would continue to worsen.

Only a week left until break, I told myself. The holiday break was approaching, slowly but surely. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to actually have free time. This year, though, I couldn't waste my vacation. I planned to take the SATs in January, so I had to do last minute studying beforehand, even though I had been preparing for them since eighth grade. I needed to get at least a 2350. My goal, of course, was a full score, but I knew my limits, and a full score was pushing those boundaries too far.

"Hey, Gina, the coach wanted me to tell you that we have a meet this weekend."

I blinked, and shifted my eyes to the figure that had just spoken. Drew was leaning against the side of my locker with a lopsided smile. "He said that the meet was last-minute, but he really wants you to come. Maybe you can get a PR in the 3200, eh?"

"Yeah," I mumbled. Then it happened. I broke down.

The main reason was probably because I was under so much stress. I always put a lot of pressure on myself to do well: even more so than my parents did. In fact, my parents hardly put pressure on me at all. For some unfathomable reason, I always felt the need to do well in everything. School, sports, music, art…whatever the subject, I would get unnecessarily competitive, therefore alienating anyone who was even remotely comparable to me in skills. Which was why poor Drew, who was always nice, if not a bit irritating at times, to me, was usually my target for venting out my anger and frustration.

"Tell the coach that I can't," I managed to get out, my voice now shaking. Oh, God. Not now, Gina, don't cry now in front of so many people! You'll embarrass yourself.

"Gina?" Drew looked at me, concerned. "What's wrong? You're—holy crap, please don't look at me like that. You're scaring me."

"What time is it?" I asked, blinking back tears.

"School's almost over. The bell will ring soon. Hey, come on. I'll walk you to your car. You look really pale. Do you want to go to the nurse?"

I shook my head. "Practice…"

"Screw practice. You can't drive home like that; you're going to have an accident."

"But I drove to school today! I can't just leave my car here."

He sighed. "Fine. But I'll walk you there, in case you do something drastic."

I nodded, feeling a bit mystified. I couldn't understand why he was being so selfless. Usually, he would tease me whenever I was having a crummy day. Nevertheless, I didn't complain, even if it was Drew. I needed someone—anyone—at that moment.

As I walked silently with Drew down the parking lot, I started to question my sanity. This was Andrew Cummings, the one large hindrance in my path to future success! I was fraternizing with the enemy…and yet, when my conscious was scolding me, I felt nothing. In fact, I even felt appreciative for his companionship, even though neither of us was speaking. I reached my car and unlocked the doors.

"Thanks for being here," I said, my eyes locking into his. "I've just had a really bad day."

"It's no problem." Drew smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Whenever he smiled genuinely, his whole face would light up, his eyes sparkling. Now, though, he stood there passively.

I got in and turned on the ignition, but the car would not start. I took the key out and tried it again, but nothing happened. I repeated the process several times until I threw down the key in frustration and pulled at my hair. Then I got out of my useless automobile, into the chilling cold air, and kicked at the car door, attracting the attention of a few passersby. I watched tiny snowflakes start to drift down, one falling on the tip of my nose.

"Whoa, there, what's the matter now?" Drew grabbed my arm. "You look like you're about to maul the car."

"It won't start up!" I wailed. "Now I can't even get home! God, today is the worst day of my entire life. Why can't I just have one day where everything goes well? Not like you!" I jabbed my index finger in his direction. "Every day is a dream come true for you. You just sit around, taking it all in, while losers like me have to work our way to the top."

Drew watched me silently, and then shook his head. "I'll give you a ride home." He didn't even respond to the insults I just threw at him.

I could have gotten a ride home from any of my friends. However, at that moment, I seriously doubted that my mind was thinking properly. So, I numbly agreed, not even full registering the fact that I was getting into the car with Drew, the boy whom I secretly envied for as long as I'd known him.

He led me over to his silver Lexus, which was covered by a thin sheet of the falling snow. He unlocked the doors and then went over to the passenger side of the car, opening the door for me. I glanced at him in surprise.

"Uh, thanks."

He merely nodded, a slight grin playing on his lips. "Who ever said that chivalry was dead these days?"

I barely heard him, getting into the car instead. As soon as he started to back out of his slot, I broke down again. This time, the tears flowed without any restraint on my part.

"I suck at life!" I groaned, burying my hands in my face. "Nothing good has happened to me for ages! My grades suck, I can't run well anymore, my friends think I'm—" I stopped mid-sentence, realizing what I was about to say. No way was I going to admit to Drew that my friends thought I fancied him.

"Your friends?" he questioned, turning out of the parking lot and onto the road. "I thought you got along well with them."

"Never mind about them," I corrected hastily, wiping away tears. "You'd never understand, though. Like I said earlier, your life is perfect. Nothing ever goes wrong. You're a great student, teachers adore you, girls fall at your feet, guys look up to you…you're like one of those characters in novels, the one that's flawless in every way."

Drew gave a short laugh. "That's what you, an outsider, sees. Gina, you don't know what goes on in my life. So, frankly, you really have to right to be saying all this crap that isn't even true."

My pathetic life was almost entirely forgotten by then, and my curiosity had gotten the better of me. Perhaps the saying, "more than meets the eye", really was true, and not just some lame excuse to put in another idiom into the already-baffling language that was known as English.

He, however, didn't seem to be finished with his rant. In fact, Drew looked almost relieved to be telling me about his private life. Not that I was bothered by the least. It was nice to see Mr. Golden Boy lose his cool and show the world that he was, indeed, actually human, and not a form of a Greek god.

"My parents got a divorce a year ago. Did you know that? I didn't think so. My dad said it was because he didn't love my mom anymore. That turned out to not even being close to half the story. My mom found out through his co-workers that he was a steady practitioner of infidelity. He spent all those late nights in his office working, but not in the way we all thought he did. Oh, he did work all right. Who knows how much he must have sweat while busy banging up the new intern who was twenty years younger than he was."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I always assumed that Drew belonged to a close family, complete with a mother and father in love, as well as annoying yet lovable siblings. I wanted to say something—anything—but found my mouth to be extremely useless at that moment, as I was unable to utter a single word. Instead, I turned my eyes to him, while he drove steadily, his eyes locked on the road ahead, which was slowly beginning to pile with considerable amounts of snow.

"Look, just forget what I said." He waved an arm in dismissal. "The snow's piling up. Where's your house?"

"You're going the wrong way." I finally found my voice again. "My house is on the other side of the school. And you're headed for downtown, which is pretty far from where I live."

Drew sighed. "Do you want to hit a café or something while we wait for the snow to ease up? It looks like it can become a real blizzard soon."

If I had a single scrap of sanity left in me, I would have flat out denied his offer, gotten out of the car, and hailed the nearest taxi, even though we didn't have taxis driving around in the middle of our suburban county. Still, I would have found shelter and called my parents to pick me up.

Seeing how I already lost my last bit of reason when I broke down in Drew's car, I nodded in agreement. After all, I was already exposed to a side of Drew that I had never seen before at school. As horrible as it sounded, I was fascinated, despite the fact that, of course, it was awful that his dad was getting it on with some young, fresh-out-of-college girl, while his poor, unsuspecting mother was fed stories that turned out to be completely blatant lies. However, I never actually thought that events like those occurred in real-life, despite the fact that they were very prevalent in novels—or, at least, the ones I read. Which were, although I'm a bit bashful to admit it, chick lit stories through and through.

We somehow ended up at a small, cozy little café on a corner of a busy street, both sipping hot chocolate from Christmas-colored-mugs. The whole day in general felt very surreal to me. At least, I definitely didn't plan to be spending my afternoon with Drew Cummings, instead of doing homework, as I usually did.

Homework. At the thought of my piling amount of assignments, I stood up hastily, almost spilling my drink. "Oh, my God, I have so much work to do! I have SATs in less than one month, I really need to look at some of that vocab—"

"Gee, will you calm down?" Drew shook his head. "The world doesn't revolve around grades, Gina. Happiness doesn't always involve being the best at everything. My dad's an unbelievable trader in New York; he's brought in millions for us from stocks. But just look at him! The young intern wasn't the only woman that he's had an affair with. It turns out that he's hooked up with at least half of his female co-workers—the ones who don't care that he's already got a wife and two kids. My dad, he's a freaking mess. If you can't stay true to a person you vowed to love, how can you be happy?"

"I—" I honestly had no idea how to respond to that, even though it was a rhetorical question. I was feeling a bit remorseful now. My life has always been about grades, about getting into college. Honestly, though, I had never thought about life after college, and marriage was one of those things at the very back of my mind. Looking from a different perspective, though, that was my ultimate goal, wasn't it? To live a good life? To be satisfied? I always knew I'd eventually get married, since, well, that's what everyone did. But I didn't think of marriage as a chore, though; there was a reason why I devoured all those love stories where the girl and the boy lived happily ever after. In my heart, somewhere, I wanted that happy ending, too. I just got too sidetracked by my own ambitions and narrow-mindedness to really think about my true goals.

"I feel horribly selfish," I admitted. "I've just always been taught that money buys property, and property equals happiness. I guess that's not how it works, huh?"

Drew reached over and clasped my mind in his. "You learn something new every day. But really, don't let my parent's disaster marriage story get you down on love. Their situation usually doesn't happen to most couples."

I grinned. "Trust me, I'm not giving up on love. Even if we are just in high school. Who falls in love in high school?"

"Now, now. That's not very optimistic."

"It's realistic. People who think they're in love in high school end up tying the knot with totally different people. Real fact."

"Maybe so," he agreed. "But no one ever disputed that falling in like was possible in high school."

The way Drew looked at me when he said that compelled me to wholeheartedly concur.

Author's Note: Yet another random, slightly weird, and completely cliché by yours truly! This one, I admit, is pretty darn bad and very rushed. The narrator practically changed her views on life in the span of five minutes. Totally unrealistic. Anyway, it was supposed to be a completely different story than this, but I decided to keep writing, and here's what you all get! Please save the flames for yourself, though.