Love Blossoms: Not Your Average Cinderella, #1

By Shaunna Rodriguez, A.E. Clint, COVERED IN CLASS and OCD Editing

The drama from the Not Your Average Cinderella Series begins with Love Blossoms. There will be Blind-dates, the geeky guy gets the girl, sexy, sweet, seductive, molten hot, heart-racing, nail-biting, edge of your seat, romance, chaos, with drama because there must be drama in any relationship, and a slow-burn that is anything but vanilla.

                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                   Chris

Perhaps luck was on his side for once….

 

Geeky, Brainiac, Chris Thompson had been head-over-heels in love with popular, chic, cheerleader, Alexis Belle, since the second grade. Alexis was so far out of his league; he'd always be the towel boy and never the quarterback.

 

 

                                                                                                     Alexis

 

Chris Thompson was far from the pretty-boy jock type she typically dated, but there was just something about him. She'd noticed him when they were kids but, like now, she couldn't read between the mixed signals he was sending her. It was senior year, and she could no longer deny or hide her growing feelings for the adorably geeky, sweet, charming, and shockingly sexy Brainiac.

 

Something told her this was meant to be, Chris just didn't know it yet. His mixed signals and the building competition made her more determined than ever to get him to see her....

                                          

• Language: English
• Publisher: Coffee & Cakes Publishing
• Release date: Apr 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201297602

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Chris Thompson propped his chin on his fist and gazed at the whiteboard, unable to focus. His thoughts weren’t on chemistry or the notes he should be taking. He was thinking about Alexis Belle again.

The more accurate term would be daydreaming. It would be in his dreams he ever got near the likes of the cheerleading beauty queen.

Christopher Thompson? Mrs. Cantrell’s sharp, nasally voice brought him back to reality. He sat up, hoping there wasn’t drool dripping from the corner of his mouth.

That’s all he needed Alexis to see. The next time she saw a Saint Bernard, she’d remember his drooly face. Good publicity or bad?

Yes, Mrs. Cantrell? He hated being put on the spot more than anything. In his mind, he wasn’t the most attractive guy in the school. He knew he didn’t hold a candle to Brett Danforth, quarterback and recent ex-boyfriend of Alexis Belle.

Both Chris and Brett had blue-eyes and sandy blonde hair, but that’s where the similarities stopped, and despair set in. Girls weren’t the only ones who worried about their appearance.

By comparison, Brett had a good three inches on his six feet. He could probably bench press two hundred more than he could.

Are two atoms of the same element identical? Mrs. Cantrell directed the question to him. Thankfully, chemistry was one of his best subjects. Yup, you guessed it, he was a geek to the core. His weekends were spent tutoring or gaming out with equally geeky people with names he couldn’t pronounce.

No Mrs. Cantrell, no two atoms are typically ever alike.

Why? She continued to keep him in the spotlight.

He could see Alexis’s sparkly blue eyes staring at him. He rubbed his palms over his jeans and swallowed. Come on, Chris, you know this, he coaxed quietly.

It’s first based on electrons and the state that an atom can occupy.

Very good. Alexis, do you agree? Mrs. Cantrell asked. Alexis sat up, startled, letting her phone slip from her fingers.

It bounced off the blacktop lab table and slid next to Chris’s metal stool. He looked at it, then up at her, unsure if he should pick it up or not.

Miss Belle? Mrs. Cantrell snapped her fingers at the beautiful blonde. She looked from the phone to Chris then back to Mrs. Cantrell and shifted nervously.

Chris glanced at the phone and grinned, turning his face into his shoulder. Alexis had been Googling the question and sorting answers when she was called on.

Alexis? You’re pushing an F for participation. I’m going to need an answer. If you spent more time paying attention and less time on your phone, perhaps you’d be passing my class.

Two atoms of the same element are different if their electrons are different. Alexis finally answered. Mrs. Cantrell studied her thoughtfully, then nodded.

Or something like that. Alexis muttered.

What was that, Miss Belle? Mrs. Cantrell turned back around.

I asked if she thought that an atom could and would change just based on an electron. Chris couldn’t believe he’d just done that. He never spoke up unless he was called on. What the hell had he just done?

And? Mrs. Cantrell asked Alexis.

That’s why she said or something like that. Chris answered for her, keeping Alexis’s phone under his arm.

It isn’t something like that, Alexis. But as long as you understand the subject. Perhaps if not, you could ask Mr. Thompson for pointers or tutoring?

With my cheer and dance schedule, I don’t see,

You have heard the expression' no pass no play? You’re dangerously close to not passing. When you fail my class, you’ll have less time to play and more time to study. Right, Miss Belle? Mrs. Cantrell kept her on the spot.

She’s checking her schedule. Mine is clear. Chris couldn’t stop talking. His brain and mouth were not communicating. His mouth was just doing all the talking and thinking for everyone. He was humiliated.

Well, that is actually helpful to me. Mrs. Cantrell nodded to Chris. He didn’t dare look at Alexis. She was likely shooting daggers of death at him right then.

The geekiest guy in school had no chance of getting anywhere near her. He knew this. The closest he’d ever get to her was her phone. Wait, he had her phone.

Class, I’ve been telling you for a couple of weeks now that your end-of-year assignment would be at least 90% of your grade. Mrs. Cantrell paused.

Oh crap. Chris muttered under his breath and pushed his long, pale fingers into his shaggy hair as the reality of the situation set in.

So, my first partners are already assigned. Chris Thompson, you, and Alexis Belle will be working together. Good luck, Chris. I’m positive that you’re going to need it.

Chris choked on air and coughed into his fist. He turned to look at the door, wishing he could run through it and disappear into the tacky linoleum floor.

Next, Birdie Sommers and Telford Pratt. Mrs. Cantrell walked down each aisle pairing students. Just as she finished calling off the last students' names, the bell rang.

Chris reached down for his black backpack in time to see a flash of Alexis Belle darting past him. Her short, white skirt flared out brushing his nose and lips sending a thrill through him. He closed his eyes and memorized her light, sweet scent.

Chris sat up with his backpack positioning it between his abdomen and the edge of the black lab table and opened it.

His mind was a fog as he picked up his chemistry book and dropped it in first. He could still feel the soft material of Alexis’s skirt on his face and smell her sweet but subtle scent of vanilla.

Still picturing Alexis’s loose hair bouncing over the tops of her shoulders and her electric blue eyes looking at him as if she saw him, Chris reached for his notebook.

His fingers brushed Alexis’s phone he’d pushed beneath it so Mrs. Cantrell couldn’t see it. He blinked several times clearing his mind long enough to realize he still had Alexis Belle’s phone.

Since she was the most popular girl in school and active in most school functions, he was positive she’d be needing or at least wanting the pink, sparkly phone back.

Chris swiped it off the lab table and darted out of the classroom. He ran into the busy hallway. It was packed with screaming teenagers, flying papers, lockers slamming, teachers shouting, and the final bell dismissing school for the day. Crap, no sign of Alexis Belle.

His head tipped back as he let the full reality set in. He had Alexis Belle’s phone. He’d get to see her again and maybe even talk to her when he returned it. Perhaps luck was on his side for once....

CHAPTER ONE

Chris walked the halls on Cloud Nine filled with pure sunshine. Nothing could put a damper on this day. Nothing.

That is until he stepped through the heavy metal doors into a downpour. Even the chains wrapped around the steel bars attached to the doors rattled in protest.

Crap. Too bad I don’t have any I.O.U.’s to cash in on a rainy day. Chris muttered and walked down the several red brick steps to his bike.

Thankfully, it was still chained to the rack. He had at least that going for him, though it was going to suck riding home in the rain.

Chris slipped his backpack off his shoulders and dug the key out of the front pocket. He inserted the gold object into the matching lock.