His Sweet Sunflower

Prologue

Sarah and Nora have been best friends since they were kids. Ever since their parents became each other's neighbors, they have been inseparable. Sarah is tall, curvy with fiery red hair that perfectly frames her beautiful round face. She is extremely popular at school and always surrounded by friends. Boys at school love her, girls want to be like her. She never had any problem fitting in with others.

And then there's Nora......

Poor little Nora with her short frame and average looking face, she is practically invisible at school. The only reason she gets to hang out with Sarah, the most popular girl in high school, is because of their unbreakable bond from their childhood. Growing up, Sarah has always been protective over Nora like she is her own sister. Other girls at school were cruel to Nora and Sarah was always there to protect her.

Nora didn't mind being invisible. In fact, she preferred to be left alone. Being in social situations made her uncomfortable. She wished Sarah wasn't so outgoing. She would practically drag Nora everywhere despite her protests. Regardless of Sarah's forceful behavior, Nora was surviving high school just fine.

Until....the day the spawn of Satan in a form of a teenage boy walked into their lives. Even Sarah couldn't protect Nora from the monstrosity named James Alexander.

He would not leave her alone and bullied her constantly and relentlessly. Like the time he pushed her on the hallway, making her drop the art project she worked so hard on. Or the other time he purposely spilled an entire bottle of milk on her shirt when he was passing by during lunch.

"Oops. Sorry, didn't see you there," he smirked and left. She knew he did that on purpose as she saw him laughing with his buddies at his table. She didn't have the guts to say anything. Why couldn't she be braver and stand up for herself?

He never explained why he liked to bully her. Only that he enjoyed torturing her. Was it because he thought she was ugly? Or was it because she seemed dorkier than the other girls? But why would that bother him?

James was popular in their school too with plenty of friends. It wasn't like Nora's existence hindered his popularity! It was as if he had a twisted obsession with her.

"Maybe he has a crush on you," Sarah mentioned it one day.

"That's just absurd," Nora laughed it off.

"Then I have no idea," Sarah said and threw her hands up in frustration.

Sarah tried to defend her many times but there was only so much she could do.

But despite all of his bullying, Nora couldn't help but have a secret crush on him. And sometimes when she laid in bed alone at night, she found herself thinking about him. She hated that she liked him as it made his tortures even more painful but all she could do is bear with his cruel behavior and hope that her feelings for him will disappear one day.