The unexpected and bizarre

INTRODUCTION:

Atarah Myers. She’s intelligent—a straight A student, talented, and… pretty. Not among the prettiest, but pretty enough. She definitely wasn’t the most popular, but she had the BEST friend, Rachel. She has curly brown hair, and emerald green eyes, along with medium tan skin.

Asher Powers. He is among the most good-looking boys in school. He is also very popular, sporty, and smart enough to get A’s for most of his classes. He has messy dirty blonde hair, baby blue eyes, and light tan skin.

They lived completely separate lives: Atarah excelling academically, while Asher excels in sports. Who would’ve thought their paths would cross?

And who would’ve guessed that their intersecting of roads would’ve led to the most bizarre experiences of their high school lives?

CHAPTER 1:

Atarah –

“Tarah!” Oh, Rach. What is it now?? She was squealing and jumping up and down like crazy. Geez, missy. Tone it down a little, would you??

“AshRah is SOOO a thing right now,” she continued, eyes wide with excitement. AshRah?? What on earth is – “Look!” and she showed me her phone, which was showing how many screenshots of comments on social media about…

Me and Asher Powers?? H – How??

Just the thought of images of me and every schoolgirl’s dreamboy all over social media is insane enough, but the comments…

I so ship these two! went someone named Myra.

Ikr! What should we call them? an Ilene replied.

What about AshTarah? a Theo suggested.

No, ASHRAH!!!!!!! a friend of mine from Algebra, Carly, posted.

Yes! That’s perfect. #AshRah4Lyfe!! Myra confirmed.

Oh my, yes!! Sports royalty with the academic star? Best combination EVERRR! added someone named …

“Rach!”

There were at least 50 more comments after that, but I decided to stop at my best friend’s comment.

She held up two hands in mock surrender and showed the peace sign. “I couldn’t help it, okay? You guys looked sooo cute in the pics. I mean, come on!” Then in a sort of loud whisper she added, “Didn’t you say you had a crush on him?”

“Yes, I do,” I replied my voice barely a sound in the deafening noise of the teenagers in the cafeteria, “but it’s only a slight crush.”

“You sure this doesn’t make you like him any more than just ‘slightly’?”

“Yes, Rach. Nothing more than just ‘slightly’.” I imitated how she air quoted the word “slightly”.

“Okay. If you say so,” she sort of sing-songed.

I could barely eat my lunch after that. My favorite dish of, like, all time – my dad’s special white pasta – was right in front of me and I couldn’t eat it, despite the rumbling of my empty stomach. I was way too distracted. I’m certain by the way Rachel was looking at me that she noticed.

“Tarah, are you okay?” she asked, concern evident on her face. “Yeah,” I replied. “I’m just… well…” “Thinking? Distracted?” she finished for me. This is why Rach is my best friend. She knows me too well. I nodded with a small smile in response. “This because of what I just showed you on my phone? Crazy, right? But, still. I think it’s cute. Must be overwhelming though, huh? Oh sister, I’m sorry,” she said, smiling dreamily the whole time. I was looking at her still with that small smile on my face, an eyebrow raised as to say, really?

I looked at my barely half-eaten lunch and decided I should eat. I mean, I was hungry. So eat I did ‘til I’ve had every single bite this pasta had to offer.

Most of the pics Rachel showed me were of me and Asher either in the library or the huge field where all the sporty people play their sports.

Asher and I had to have those pictures taken for this project the school has to promote academic achieving and being active through sports. I didn’t think it’d go as far as social media and shipping. Oh, and how it came to be that he and I of all the people in our school were chosen for the project? One, the project needed sophomores. Two? Nomination. I have at least one friend in all my classes–other than Rachel in Chemistry and Algebra classes, of course—and they all nominated me, along with all their friends, whom I do not know and I’m certain didn’t know me until the project came up, who were encouraged to nominate me as well. Ilene, one of those who commented on the first post Rach showed me, I know, is a friend of Alexa, a good friend of mine in English class. What’s more, the other intelligent sophomores didn’t want to do take part in this project, and as much as I tried to get them to take the position, majority of them thought I was perfect for the role, and I had no idea I’d be the one with the most votes.

So… I became popular overnight, huh??

Not just popular. Popular with THE Asher Powers.

Great. Just great…

Definitely did not see that one coming.

(psal.medinaaa)