Disclaimer: The Gallagher Girls series is not mine, nor are the words borrowed from the magnificent Jane Austen (who, for the purposes of this story, I have renamed Gilly Gallagher) that are found in this chapter(: Nor are the words about the electron transport chain. Those belong to an off-site webpage. The picture in the cover is not mine, but the editing most certainly is.

Twilight fans: Don't take offense to a line in here. I have nothing against y'all. I was once one myself (new moon midnight premiere, anyone?), but… I couldn't help myself (:

Dear Diary,

Romantic teen novels might just be my death. I love them. I can't get enough of them, but they set my expectations for my own relationships way, way too high. Or maybe they just keep my standards from falling too low. I'm not really sure. I won't lie and say that these books didn't play a role in my decision to break up with Josh. Of course they did. I still don't know if I made the right decision or not. I mean, Josh is everything I could ask for in a boyfriend. I didn't have a single complaint…. Well, except for one. The spark wasn't there. The spark in all of those books? Josh and I didn't have that kind of love. I'm not sure if I believe in fairy tales. I don't know if they're realistic. But whether they are or not, they're guiding my love story. Maybe that means I'll end up forever alone because nothing will ever meet those expectations. But I have a feeling I won't ever settle; I won't ever stay in a relationship unsatisfied. Because I have to keep believing that that kind of love is out there. I have to keep believing that I will find that kind of love.

Dreaming as always,

Cammie

"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." Elizabeth's astonishment was beyond expression. She stared-

My reading was interrupted by the shadow that fell across the page I was reading, and I looked up, ready to gripe at whoever interrupted one of my favorite moments of my favorite book. The stranger's green eyes startled me, making me catch my breath and lose my thought, but I quickly recovered when I saw the smirk on his face.

A scowl settled across my features, and I opened my mouth to complain, but before I could get a word out, he piped out a "Whatcha reading?"

"It's called 'Get Out of My Sight.'" A 'shoo' gesture accompanied my words, and I let the words of Gilly Gallagher seize my attention.

She stared, coloured, doubted, and was silent. This he considered sufficient encouragement; and the avowal of all that he felt, and had long felt-

And, suddenly, the words in front of me were gone.

"Seriously?!" I spouted in complete exasperation. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to snatch?"

That annoying smirk found his way back onto his face, and he replied, in a voice much too chipper and smug, "As a matter of fact, she taught me the opposite. Anyway, I was only curious to know what a girl like you would be reading during her free period." He took a glance at the cover, and the annoying smirk grew like a pesky weed in my flower bed that had been watered with an energy drink. "Gilly Gallagher, Pride and Prejudice." With a scoff and a shake of his head, he handed the book back to me.

Annoyed at his condescending tone, I asked, "What? Your gorilla brain can't understand that women aren't just there to make you a sandwich?"

He feigned innocence and put his hand over his heart in mock hurt, "That hurts, Gallagher Girl. That hurts right here."

I rolled my eyes, and he rolled his back, snatching the book once more, scanning his eyes down the page before reading, "From the very beginning - from the first moment, I may almost say - of my acquaintance with you, your manners, impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form that groundwork of disapprobation on which succeeding events have built so immoveable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry."

He threw me yet another smirk before adding, "You know, Elizabeth seems to have a false impression of someone she actually really cares about. You might want to watch out, Gallagher Girl. You may not have to read the book much longer. You might just start living it." He winked and gave me my book back before he started to turn around to leave.

"Actually, Mr. Smirks-a-lot, Elizabeth wasn't wrong in her accusations. He was arrogant. He did have a 'selfish disdain of the feelings of others.' Elizabeth's love just gave her the ability to overlook his flaws and love him despite his imperfections. Their imperfections are what make the story so phenomenal."

He raised his eyebrows and gave a slight nod, almost in approval, before seemingly dismissing the subject with a muttered, "As long as it's not some sparkly vampire book."

"Does that even deserve the honor of being called a book?"

He chuckled one softly in appreciation before silence found its way between us.

I waited a second to see if he'd continue the conversation before I got up from the underneath the tree I'd been leaning against and brushed myself off. "Well, I'll see you around, I guess."

He slid his sunglasses back onto his nose and nodded his head at me, taking my spot, "See ya around."

I turned around, hugging my precious Gilly Gallagher novel to my chest, and shook my head, laughing a little, before making my way to my next class.

"Electron Transport requires oxygen directly. The electron transport 'chain' is a series of electron carriers in the membrane of the mitochondria in eukaryotic cells. Through a series of reactions, the 'high energy' electrons…."

The teacher droned on, but I wasn't listening. My mind was elsewhere. Back underneath a tree with a green-eyed boy.

The monotony of biology was interrupted when the door swung open, revealing the exact person on my mind.

"You're late," the teacher announced.

Does that smirk ever leave his face?

"Got lost," he shrugged.

"Well, why don't you grab a seat next to someone who can help you get around the school today so that other teachers won't have to suffer through such ill, rude manners as I have?" The teacher looked around the classroom and started to ask for volunteers, but green eyes was already half way across the room.

He didn't even look at the teacher when he said, "No need. I've found my guide," before plopping his books onto the table next to me with a loud smack. He winked at me and leaned back in his seat, wrapping his arm around the back of my chair.

I slapped his arm away, narrowed my eyes, and said, "Let's keep our hands to ourselves, okay?" Throwing my hair over my shoulder, I turned my attention to the teacher and attempted to focus.

"Oh, Gallagher Girl. Trust me when I say that you won't be saying that for much longer," he winked and started playing with the ends of my hair.

Slapping his hand away again, I raised an eyebrow, "In your dreams."

"Oh, you're going."

"I am not."

"How many times do I have to threaten you?! You're going."

I rolled my eyes, repeating again the only three words I've said since Macey walked into the room, "I am not."

"Do I have to remind you that, at this very second, I have a picture of you in a very skimpy," at this she tilted her head back and seemed to think for a second before throwing in "for you at least" and continuing with her threat, "little elf costume from that modeling shoot you agreed to do last year for that designer?"

I glared at her, "Do I have to remind you, that I wouldn't have been in that situation if you hadn't done exactly what you're doing now and threatened me to accept his offer."

She grinned proudly, "Oh yeah. See? You appreciate my threats. They make your life soo much more interesting."

"Macey?" I asked as sweetly as I could.

"Yes?" She returned the sugary sweetness with an angelic smile.

"No." All expression dropped from my face except for determination to not give in.

"Fine! That's okay." Knowing that was way too easy, she would never give up that quickly, I started to panic as she walked out of the room.

"Where are you going?!" I grabbed her arm. She just shook it off and let out a sing-song, "To call Bex."

I let out an unintelligible complaint before grumbling, "Fine. I'll go."

Macey spun around on the heel of her Louis Vuitton shoes and squealed, almost knocking me over with the force of her hug. "We are going to have so much fun!"

Since when is fun synonymous with torture?

I know this is a short chapter. My average word count for this story per a chapter is going to be about 2k, but since this first chapter is just setting everything up, I don't want to stretch it out too much(:

Quick few things about me as an author:

I'm a cheerleader and straight-A student and I work with my church and I volunteer, and I do like having fun with my friends, so I sometimes don't make my planned updates, but, if that's the case, please annoy me about it, and I'll work hard to get it up as soon as possible.

Summer doesn't seem to have a schedule does it? So, updates won't be on any certain day at this point, but I'm aiming for 1-2 updates a week.

I'll never bribe y'all with that "20-reviews until I update" silliness.

I reply to all of my reviews in a PM, and I'm welcome to constructive criticism! I need it in fact(:

Have a great week, y'all! Love you guys(: To new readers: welcome! Returning readers: I MISSED YOU!(:

~Mary Katherine