Chapter 1

My name is Tiffani Valentine and I'm the schools' sweetheart. Well that's what I'm told. I live in Chicago, Illinois with my dad. My mom… well my mom she passed away last year. It had a huge affect on my freshman year. My grades were falling and I didn't even care. If you know me then you know that I keep my grades as high as the sky. So anyways I go to a nice little high school here in the suburbs.

At school I'm not really known. I do have friends but other than my teachers and the principle I don't think anyone even knows I exist. I only exist when we have a test that no one else studied for.

My best friend is Monica. I met her freshman year and ever since we've been be the best of friends. She lives with her mom, dad and older brother who goes to a nearby community college. He and I don't get along very well.

I'm your average girl. Only I actually like homework. I have red hair that slightly passes my shoulders. My natural color is dark brown but last year I dyed my bang and the back of it blue. I'm about 5 feet 6 inches and I have a nice figure. I'm a sophomore and I'm in all AP classes.

There really isn't anything else I could say…

***

I woke up and took my morning shower and threw on a pair of dark jeans and black shirt. I straightened my hair with flat irons and let it hang down my back and shoulders. I grabbed my book bag and went downstairs to talk to my dad.

"Good morning dad."

"Morning Tiff. Do you need a ride to school or is Monica's brother going to take you?" He asked pouring coffee into his mug.

"Monica's brother is going to take us." I said pulling my cell phone out to call her.

"Hello." She answered.

"Hey I'm ready." I said.

"Good because we're coming down you street right now."

"Okay bye," I disconnected the call "I'll see you late dad."

"Bye Tiff." He said.

I walked out the front door locking it and walked over to the Murphy's car. Murphy is Monica's brother whom I do not like.

"Hello Miss Tiff." Murphy greeted me.

"Hello." I said closing my door.

I choose not to speak while I'm in the car with him so the car ride was silent to school besides the low music coming from the speakers.

"Thanks Murph." Monica said as we arrived at school.

"See you later." Murphy said as we both got out of the car.

He drove away and I looked at Monica.

"I don't understand why you still won't speak with him." Monica said as we walked towards the doors.

"I do talk to him," I said "I said hello."

"That doesn't count," she said "I think it still has something to do with last year."

"Maybe." I said.

"Oh come on Tiff, he didn't mean to spill that hot sauce all over your homecoming dress."

"Well it still happened and you can still see that stain till this day."

"It's your fault for wearing a white dress."

"No it's Murphy's fault even eating around me that day."

"Whatever. Can we just go to our lockers now?" she asked.

"Yeah." I said forgetting we were standing right at the doors arguing.

We went to our lockers which were three lockers away from each other. We were right on time because once both of us were out of our lockers the bell rang signaling first period.

"Okay well I'll see you in homeroom." I said to Monica walking off to Art.

"Alright bye." She said.

I have art with two of my other friends. Drew and Sam. Sam is a girl just to let you know.

"Hey Tiff." Drew said as I sat down at our table.

"Hey Drew where is Sam?" I asked settling into my seat.

"She's always late." Drew shrugged.

"Right," I sighed "So what are we doing today."

"We're doing what we do everyday," he said with a smirk "drawing what we feel."

"Well today I feel happy," I said "like every other day."

"So draw what you draw every other day." He said.

I shrugged and grabbed the sheet of paper that was handed to me and started to draw.

"Sorry I'm late," Sam sat down sighing "I had to go to my locker."

"I guess that your brother wouldn't get up." Drew said looking up from his picture.

"Yeah this morning I had to beat him awake with a pillow." Sam grinned.

"Well at least you made it to school." I said.

"So have you guys heard—"

"Good morning students," a voice boomed from the PA system "We want to thank all of you that made it on time. We wish everyone a violent-free day. Um can we have Ms. Tiffani Valentine down to the office please?"

"Go ahead Tiffani," my teacher said "you don't need a pass."

"Should I take my things?" I asked him.

"Um yeah just in case."

I grabbed my book bag and waved bye to my smirking friends. I hurried tot eh main office because the lady made it sound as if it was important.

"Good morning Ms. Radke." I greeted the secretary that was talking over the PA system.

"Morning Tiffani," she said smiling "Principal Zillard will see you in now."

"Thanks." I muttered and walked into his office.

"Good morning Ms. Valentine."

"Morning Principal Zillard." I said sitting down in one of the two chairs that were seating in front of his desk. I was always comfortable in his office since I'd been here numerous of times. Not for bad things either.

"How are you this morning?"

"I'm good , you?"

"I'm just fine but I'm having a problem," He said picking up the phone "Hold on."

"Okay." I muttered getting comfortable in the seat knowing that I would be here the whole period.

"Ms. Radke I need Hernandez in here as soon as possible." He said into the phone then hung up.

"What's your problem and how can I be any help to you?"

"Ms. Valentine you know you're my favorite student and my good friend."

"Yes." I nodded.

"You know we try to keep all of our students grades as high as possible."

"Yes." I nodded still no clue why I'm here.

"Well we're having people coming in to observe really soon. Important people and of course they will only observe AP classes, but they will also observe the athletes. So I need you to tutor someone."

"Um why can't anyone else tutor this person?"

"Because I've already assigned them to someone else to tutor."

"Oh, well who do I have to turn into a straight A student?"

"Well I know you probably wouldn't get along with him but I'm desperate here Tiff." He said trying with all his might to smile.

"Is she that bad?" I asked.

"It's a he and only with Geometry."

"Okay," I sighed "Who is he?"

"Nate on the football team."

"Nate who?" I asked.

"Nathaniel Hernandez."

I groaned and rolled my eyes "Are you serious?"

"I'm sorry Tiff."

"Come on can't I switch with someone?"

"I'm afraid not."

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths.

I opened my eyes and Mr. Zillard was watching me with careful eyes.

"I'll do it, but what do I get out of it?" I asked.

"A friend maybe."

"Are you serious?" I asked "So I don't benefit from tutoring a jerk?"

"What do you need?" he asked "It's not like you need service hours or extra credit."

I sighed "Fine."

"Thanks so much." He said and that's when the door opened.

"Good morning Nate." Mr. Zillard greeted Nathaniel as he sat down.

"Morning Zillard."

"You know Tiffani don't you?" Mr. Zillard said gesturing to me.

"I've seen her before." He said looking at me then back at the principal.

"Well she's your tutor for all classes. Those observers are coming in and your grades aren't looking to good in any of your classes," he said talking to Nate then to both of us "I recommend you start tutoring today. As soon as possible. It's a lot of things you have to cover and have to make up for Nate so the coach will excuse you from practices. You only have to Wednesday and Sunday mornings."

"This is a joke right?" Nathaniel asked.

"No it isn't." Mr. Zillard said.

Nathaniel looked at me then back to the principal. He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed "Fine."

"Okay then that's all. You wait outside until 2nd period starts." Mr. Zillard said.

I stood up and walked to the waiting area thinking about how I'm going to balance my schedule now. Nathaniel sat next to me with a grin on his face.

"What's your name again?"

"Tiffani."

"I'll call you Tiff."

"I'll call you Nathaniel."

"It's Nate."

"Whatever." I said rolling my eyes.

"Look we are not going to get along but I'm telling you now. Don't talk to me like I'm your friend. We only talk strictly school work unless I want to talk about something else. Got it?"

"Got it?" I mimicked him.

"You're annoying already." He said.

"You're the one with your head up your ass."

"Shut up."

"You shut up," I said "Don't tell me to shut up."

"Shut up."

"Nathaniel?" I asked in a sweet voice looking at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Shut up." I said and got up leaving the office.

The bell rang just as the door behind me closed. I walked to my locker and got my things for my 3rd period which I have with Drew and Sam also.

I walked to my homeroom class and sat in my usual seat next to Monica who was in the mirror fixing her eyeliner.

"I have good news." I said with sarcasm lacing my voice.

"What?"

"I have to tutor Nathaniel Hernandez everyday. Principal Zillard recommends we start today."

"Really?" she asked looking at me with an amused look on her face.

"Yeah," I sighed "He's such an ass. We were waiting for the bell to ring and he told me not to talk to him in the hallways. Said we were to only talk school work unless he wants to talk about something else."

"He's really a jerk." She said in a sing-song voice.

"Tell me about it." I said.

***

I told Sam and Drew about what happen and they laughed about it in my face. Especially Sam. I only have lunch with Nathaniel which is where I am right now.

"Don't stare that's rude." Monica said hitting my arm.

"Look at him though. He walks around like he runs the school. Him and his friends. It's really cliché they way they think they're so cool. It reminds me of that one movie where the really quiet girl fell for the hot jock."

"Yeah it does. Maybe you'll be the really quiet girl." She smiled.

"No way," I said "I can't see myself dating him in a million years. He's a jerk and I don't like jerks."

"I know."

"I mean it's not that he isn't hot." I said.

"I know right. He's like totally gorgeous. I'm so jealous that you get to tutor him. God, what I would do to spend a day with that mexicano."

"Monica I don't want to hear that." I said.

"Sorry."

"He is pretty hot. He would be even hotter if he had a accent."

"I know." Monica said.

"Too bad. It doesn't matter because I'm just his tutor and I don't even want to be that close to him."

"I do." Monica said.

I gagged and she rolled her eyes at me and continued to eat her lunch.

I took out some homework that I gotten from my fifth period class and started to work on it. Monica just sat and talked like she usually did. I answered when I needed to and made my comments when needed to be made.

"He's coming over here." Monica said looking at me.

"Who?" I asked not looking up.

"Hey Tiff," a male voice said "Can we talk for a quick second."

I looked up to find Nate standing rather closely behind me.

"Yeah sure." I said getting up and following him to his table.

"Where do you want to study at?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Fine then. My house it is."

"Um okay."

"Do you know where I live?"

"No."

"Hey cutie." One of his friends said winking at me.

I rolled my eyes "Hi."

Nathaniel grabbed my hand and it sent shocks up my arm. He wrote his address on my hand. It was smart of him not to write it in the palm of my hand because it would've sweated out.

"Come over around three thirtyish."

"Okay." I said and walked away.

"What happened?" Monica asked excited one I sat down at the table.

"Nothing he just gave me his address and told me to come over around three thirty."

"Oh my god. When you're finished with him call me okay." She said after the bell rang.

"Of course."

A/N : Okay this is just a little story that I'm writing for school. It won't be updated as frequent as my other stories because I have to work on those too. But then again I have to finish this story before the beginning of winter break. It might be updated frequently. Yeah I am using the same names from broken-lies- Unpopularity. Only because I had permission to use her story but I decided to write my own and post it also. It is basically my own version of Unpopularity. It isn't really the same in anyway but the plot. If you like then review! I will probably get into writing this story. I do edit these chapters from the ones I write for school because the one for school is PG-13. This might be rated M but for now it's just T.

Love silent-CRYS-