How to Stay Afloat

~1: Where She Tries to Bribe a Man with a Cupcake~

CHAPTER 1:

Where She Tries to Bribe a Man with a Cupcake

~~**~~

The best people come unexpectedly. . .

You tend to develop a thick skin when you grow up in an underfunded orphanage but people pitying me was something I'd never quite been able to stomach.

Maybe it was because I had this misguided notion that as long as I kept pretending that everything was normal, I would be just like all the other children and that there would still be a chance that I'd wake up and realize that it was all just a bad dream.

Unfortunately, I learned that pity is pretty much an automatic feeling for most people when they see a scrawny, freckled orphan who lost her parents in a plane crash when she was three years old.

I also realized that the only way I could stop people from pitying me was by giving them something to talk about besides my tragic life. So I did just that.

I wore the most outrageous clothes I could find.

I dressed and acted like I believed that no one was watching even though I knew they were.

Because Fallon the Freak was so much better than Fallon the sad little orphan.

So whenever people pointed and giggled and talked in hushed whispers when I was passing by I squared my shoulders and told myself that I could take it.

Their shock, their disgust, their anger, their hatred,

I would take it all.

As long as they didn't feel sorry for me.

~~**~~

"Are you sure you didn't add an extra zero by mistake?" I asked hopefully as I looked up from the piece of paper on which the mechanic, Seth, had jotted down the exact sum of money it would take to fix my baby.

"I'm sure." The burly man answered, his tone indicating that he was done with this conversation.

I stared at the hefty amount once again. I knew that I wouldn't be able to make half of it even if I managed to work two part-time jobs.

I gave him my best smile. I held up a small pink box in front of him. "Would you be willing to give me a discount if I bribed you with a cupcake?"

His expression seemed to soften a little at my small offering, "You're a persistent one, aren't you?" his eyes crinkled at the corners as he chuckled. "Why don't you tell me how much you have and we'll see what we can do?"

I nodded eagerly as I took a pen out of my bag and put down the sum, which was my entire savings plus the next two months' worth of salary from my part-time job.

Seth scratched his head awkwardly, his eyes wandered to my convertible.

"What model did you say this was?" He asked.

"The 1965 Ford Mustang," I answered automatically.

He popped up the hood, peered inside, and let out a low whistle. "The engine is completely shot, we'll need to replace it entirely. The brake line is blown so that needs to be replaced too, and the transmission probably needs work as well and this is just the beginning." He looked at the amount I'd written down and handed the paper back to me. "This would barely cover the cost of the parts you need to replace. I need to pay my mechanics for their manual labor by the hour." He shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry kid, it's just not possible."

I straightened my shoulders and gave him a bright smile. "It's alright. Thank you for coming down here to look at my car. You can have the cupcake, I bought it for you." I said cheerily as I handed him the box and turned to walk away with a small wave.

My heart shouldn't have sunk with despair.

My eyes shouldn't have burned.

I shouldn't have been surprised.

I needed to get out of this place.

I needed to start fresh.

I needed to find him.

But it was like every door I saw as my way out of this godforsaken place was being slammed shut in my face.

I'd gone to every other mechanic in town before him and they'd all told me the same thing. This guy had been my last hope.

"Hey, wait a minute." Seth's voice called out.

I turned back to look at him questioningly.

"Which school do you go to?" He asked.

I studied him closely, he seemed innocent enough. I didn't feel uncomfortable around him and time and experience had taught me to trust my instincts, always.

After a moment of contemplation, I answered, "Avalon High." My voice was laced with curiosity.

He pursed his lips. "Whenever we get a car that's too banged up or when we can't figure out what's wrong with it, we call this kid. The boy is like the car whisperer, there's no car he can't fix. I think he goes to the same school as you. He might be willing to help you, or give you a discount."

My heart gave a hopeful thud.

"Really? What's his name? Maybe I know him?" My voice was breathless with excitement.

Seth scratched the back of his neck, his face scrunched up in concentration as he tried to remember. "It was something fancy that started with an A. . . was it Arrow? No, no that's not right." 

Suddenly his expression brightened as he finally remembered. "His name is Archer,"

"Archer Hastings."

A/N: HELLO HELLO HELLO LOVLIES.

It's so good to be back on Wattpad after so long with a new story!

This book is a bit different from the kind of stories I usually write in the sense that it's lighter as compared to my usual dark and more serious themes. Of course, this book is still going to deal with some serious issues but it's still on the lighter and more fun side.

Since I have to write while dealing with a full-time job now, I figured writing a teenfic/rom-com style novel would be easier and somewhat of a stress reliever for me.

I really hope you guys like this one. xx