Expectations & Endurance, Larva High School 2

By Mia Beck and Stine Falkenberg Schmidt

Sara, Josh, Laura, and all their friends (and enemies) at Larva High School are doing their best to survive puberty and teen drama while dealing with academic ambitions and expectations from parents, teachers, and themselves.

But what do you do when your problems are unfixable and it’s only a matter of time before the world discovers what a complete fraud you are—and who came up with the crazy idea of putting more than a thousand teenagers in the same building anyway? Clearly they’ve forgotten what it’s like to be a detonated emotional bomb of inner turbulence and how easy it is to explode when teachers are lame or jealousy takes over.

“OMG, I was so hooked that I even brought my phone with me to the restroom, just so I could keep reading!” - Sara

“A rare pearl! Not often do you come across a book of this caliber, that makes all your daily worries and the sense of time disappear.” - Rasmus

“After reading this series, I could hear myself quote it over and over again. All my friends think I’m super smart now, and I guess I am...” - Anya

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mia Beck
• Release date: Mar 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311797858

Mia Beck

My road to becoming an author has been anything but straightforward. I was simply busy with life--busy finding that special someone, busy creating a family, and busy making a career in the event industry. Today I'm grateful that I did, because it gave me the opportunity to meet thousands of interesting people from all over the world, including pop/rock stars, famous actors, spiritual leaders, presidents, and royals. It was a great gift as it taught me a lot about people, from all walks of life and from different cultures!In mid-2011 my husband got offered to transfer from Copenhagen (we are both from Denmark) to Seattle. I took it as an opportunity to have more time with my family and live out my dreams of coaching, speaking, and writing books full time.Here I am, doing just that - and loving every minute of it!All our books serve to entertain you but more importantly, they provide the means to overcome life, when it hits you in your face. (And it does... doesn't it?)To learn more about me or get updated on other books from Stine and me (or to connect), feel free to visit www.mindblowingtransformation.com

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Happy Holidays

I can’t believe how crowded it is… Christmas shopping is just not my thing. Jack looked distressed as he tried to avoid wild-eyed woman who was pushing her way through people with dozens of bags while talking on her cell phone.

Jack took a deep breath. You know, Liza, I think I’m going to order the rest on Amazon… this is just too much for me.

Elizabeth stopped and looked at Jack. Who is Liza?

What? Oh – I’m sorry. It’s just that Elizabeth is so long, and you don’t seem to mind when we call you Queeny, so I thought you were cool with a nickname. Jack’s smile betrayed a little embarrassment.

Well, I’m not too crazy about Liza, though. Elizabeth frowned.

Okay, fair enough. What can I call you instead? Jack asked.

I don’t know… people aren’t usually too lazy to pronounce my full name. Elizabeth smiled at Jack.

Are you calling me lazy? He grinned and elbowed her, which made her giggle.

If you’re done with your Christmas shopping, maybe we could catch a movie instead? Elizabeth smiled, relieved that the shopping was over for today.

Sure, I would love to.

Jack was still in love with Elizabeth. He wasn’t sure how she felt about him, and it drove him insane. At their last concert, Jack had kissed Elizabeth, and it had clearly taken her by surprise. At first, she had thought he was making fun, but he wasn’t. He really wanted to be with her.

Elizabeth had asked for time to think about how she felt about him, and since then, they had spent as much time together as possible.

Jack didn’t know how to behave around Elizabeth. He wanted to respect her request for time to think and tried not to come on too strong, but he was too attracted to her to hide it. He would be flirtatious and cocky, and she would play along, for the most part. The chemistry between them was electric, and he couldn’t believe how alive she made him feel. She was like an obsession; every hour he spent in her company, it became more and more difficult to hold back his desire.

All he could think about was Elizabeth, and the big question burned constantly on his lips: he wanted to know if she had decided, but he was afraid to ask her. He knew she would be honest with him, and he feared her rejection. For now, he accepted that hanging out with Elizabeth as friends was better than admiring her from a distance.

On their way into the cinema, some TUA-loving youngsters recognized Jack. Elizabeth waited patiently while Jack talked to them and signed autographs.

Elizabeth was happy when they could finally move on, because the movie was just about to start.

Here, hold this. Elizabeth put her popcorn in Jack’s hand as she took off her jacket and set their shopping bags down. The last previews were playing, and they had found two seats in the back. Jack wished they were front and center, but the movie was almost sold out, so they settled the upper corner of the cinema. Still, they had a four-seat row to themselves, and no one was behind them.

As the movie started, Jack couldn’t help feeling ecstatic about being so close to Elizabeth in the darkness. He was torn between his desire for her and his fear of rejection: it seemed like a war was going on in his head. One voice argued, Just do it already! Another voice warned, Don’t be a fool – you are going to blow it if you move too fast.

Jack put his hand down next to Elizabeth’s, casually. She didn’t react and didn’t move her arm away. He took that as a good sign and looked down to see how close their hands were.

Despite his concerned inner voice, he slowly moved his hand closer to Elizabeth’s and felt a chill down his spine when his little finger touched her hand. He waited, but nothing happened, and then he put his little finger over hers and felt her turn her head. His heart stopped as he looked for her reaction, but he couldn’t see her face – only the outline. Suddenly, a bright clip from the movie lit up her face, and he saw her smiling at him. His heart jumped as he grabbed her hand and merged his fingers with hers. She squeezed his hand, and he felt his blood flushing through his body. She likes me, she likes me, he repeated in his mind, she really likes me, and his rush of adrenaline made him lean over and kiss her.

Right there in the darkness of the movie theater, Elizabeth kissed him back, and they forgot all about the film and made out for the first time. Their tongues and teeth were playfully engaged. Their hands explored in the dark.

They were both seniors, and this game was not new to them. Jack noticed that Elizabeth seemed to know exactly what she was doing, and he wished they could have been in a more private setting so they could have taken it further.

Easy, she whispered as he tried to get his hand under her shirt, not here. Jack smiled as he realized that she hadn’t said no; she’d said not here, meaning that in the right place, she would let him.

The thought of what that meant made him gasp. In the not-so-distant future, he would be touching Elizabeth’s beautiful naked skin.

Elizabeth had felt Jack’s hand next to hers, and a million thoughts had gone through her mind. She remembered the concert, when Jack had kissed her unexpectedly. She hadn’t seen it coming, and it was a mystery to her how he had kept his interest so well hidden. She was usually good at detecting people’s emotions, but for some reason, Jack had completely fooled her. Jack was a bad boy: someone who got into trouble, had a hard time at school and survived on his musical talent. He was nothing like any of her former boyfriends, but beneath his tough shell, she sensed kindness and sensitivity.

Jack’s looks and badass attitude combined with his status as the drummer in TUA made it easy for him to get any girl he wanted. The other guys in the band would always joke about who the girl of the month was, because Jack seemed to get easily bored with every girl he dated.

Elizabeth and Jack had known each other for years but never been close. She had always found him a bit distant and childish. He saw the world in black and white, and she realized she and Jack were as opposite in nature as any two people could be.

Elizabeth had never felt attracted to him or even thought about him in a romantic way, but the way he had kissed her at the concert – boldly, instinctively – had triggered something in her. His playful comment about their future showed that he was not afraid of being spontaneous and throwing himself into the game. His determination and how much he wanted her were flattering, and she had thought about him a lot lately.

There was a rough side to Jack that Elizabeth was attracted to, and it puzzled her.

She had talked to her mom about him, and her mom had listened and asked a lot of questions.

So, what is it about Jack that attracts you to him?

I don’t know. He’s just so different and so angry in many ways.

"Are you drawn to him because you want to fix him and feel significant by doing it?

Elizabeth had thought about that question for a long time. Could that be it?

Something in me is attracted to his bad-boy attitude, and I guess I want to know if I could be the one.

The one?

Yeah, you know, he always moves on and finds a new girl, and I wonder if I would be enough for him, and if he was just waiting for me all along.

Elizabeth’s mom looked at her with a concerned look. And if that is not the case?

Then I will know, won’t I? Elizabeth smiled. Mom, don’t worry. He is not my first boyfriend, and if it doesn’t work out, he can join the other frogs I’ve kissed while I keep looking for my prince.

Elizabeth hadn’t told her mom every reason she was attracted to Jack.

Jack had a dark and mysterious side that triggered her ‘bad girl,’ in a sexual way.

Coming from Scandinavia, Elizabeth was brought up in a liberal environment, and her girlfriends envied how laid back her parents were.

Both of her former boyfriends had felt welcome in her home, and her parents had always trusted her to make her own decisions.

Elizabeth had always been amazed at how many of her friends lied to and deceived their parents to get around the strict rules they were living under.

She didn’t blame them, because every time a rule was broken, the consequences would be harsh. In one particular case, her best friend had been grounded for three months with no access to her computer or phone. Elizabeth remembered how depressed her friend had felt, isolated from her social network and judged by her parents.

Elizabeth was grateful that she didn’t have to live with that sort of stress and that both of her parents represented a warm place to fall back on rather than a wall of fear and rules.

She thought about the ways in which, despite their parents’ protective rules, all of her friends had sex anyway.

For some of her friends, it seemed that having sex was a way of rebelling rather than an expression of love. Elizabeth didn’t like it.

When Elizabeth had sex for the first time, she had felt ready and loved. She and Bennett had been dating for more than a year, and she was 17 when it happened. It was a beautiful memory, and the relationship lasted 16 months before he moved to college and they decided to break up.

It had been 9 months since then, and she had been on a few dates and even gone out for a few months with one sweet, intelligent guy who was completely devoted to her. He had been her second sexual partner, but it had turned her completely off. Before she had even taken her shirt off, he had blushed and insisted on turning the light out. Elizabeth had learned one important thing from that relationship: she was a sensual person, and she wanted her sensuality to be fun and fiery with no restrictions. She had a gut feeling that Jack could give her that.

CHAPTER 2

Preparing for New Year

Sara was wrapping Joshua’s Christmas presents when he called her.

Hi, princess, He sounded happy.

Hi.

What’s up? Josh asked.

Nothing… just wrapping your present. Sara smiled into the phone.

But I thought you didn’t celebrate Christmas. You said you had your Christmas in November, right?

Yeah, we did! But it’s not called Christmas. It’s called Diwali – a celebration of light. But since you celebrate Christmas, I want to give you a present.

Thanks, I can’t wait! Joshua sounded happy and continued. Did you see that our YouTube video has now been watched more than 560,000 times? Insane, right?

Yeah, it’s awesome. It’s because I watch it every night before I go to sleep, just to make sure I dream of you. Sara said with a sweet voice.

Really? I am disappointed that you need to see my music video to dream of me. I only have to close my eyes to see you… you are always with me. Sara could hear Joshua smiling.

I didn’t know it was a competition. She replied, laughing.

It’s not, but tell me one thing… what do we do in your dreams, Sara?

Sara blushed, knowing Josh was trying to get her to spill the details, and she just couldn’t do that over the phone. We make out. She said and waited.

But how do we make out? He asked her in a teasing way.

Josh, be nice… Sara had an accusatory voice, and he laughed a bit.

I know, I know, but I just miss you, and I wish you were here, so I could do to you what I do in your dreams. It would just be a lot easier if I knew what I actually do in your dreams, right?

You have a point there. Sara giggled. But I guess I will just have to show you.

Yes… or you could send me a text message and explicitly explain everything.

Dream on, Josh. Sara laughed.

I still have hope, and I’m sure I will corrupt your innocent soul one day. Just wait and see.

I hope not! Call me tomorrow when you get back from church. I want to wish you a Merry Christmas, alright? Sara sent Joshua a kiss through the phone.

Okay, sweet dreams. And remember to put out cookies and milk if you want a present. Love you.

Love you, too.

Sara put down her phone and continued wrapping Joshua’s present. She had bought him a black leather wristband and had gotten TUA engraved into it with burned orange letters. It looked cool and very masculine. She was sure Josh would like it.

A thought crossed her mind: only seven days left until New Year’s eve, when she would be spending part of the night with Joshua, at his house.

She had pleaded with her parents until they had extended her curfew until 2am. That would give her enough time to go to the New Year’s party and then leave with Joshua at 12:30, which would give them one and a half hours alone together. That should be time enough, she thought, but then again, this was definitely not her area of expertise.

She wished they could spend the night together and just cuddle all night, but her parents would never allow her to spend a night at Joshua’s house, so she didn’t tell them about that part of her plan.

Sara was a romantic, and she had it all planned out. Even though it was a peculiar feeling to have a fixed date to lose her virginity, Sara liked to set the perfect scenario. Also, it seemed to be a great way to start a new year: taking this huge step in her life with Josh. He was ready and had patiently been waiting for her for more than 7 months.

She wondered how many girls he had actually slept with, but she never had the nerve to ask him. Joshua never told Sara anything about his former girlfriends.

One day in the tree house, Sara had asked Joshua if he was a virgin, and he had said no. She had asked him how old he had been the first time he had sex, and he had answered, 15.

Suddenly, Sara felt uncertain. She was probably a complete failure at making love. She knew nothing about it. All the sexual experiences she’d had were with Josh, and she really wanted to make him happy, but she felt so inexperienced and useless.

She played with the phone in her hand.

I dream of you inside of me. She wrote and could feel her cheeks blushing.

It only took a few seconds before her phone lit up.

Me too, but how?

She frowned. What did he mean by how? How many ways could he be inside her? Oh no. I never should have sent that text. She felt so stupid.

She responded with a question mark.

I mean, which position do you dream