Page 1 of Ugly Duckling
Prologue I
Life is what happens when your cell phone is charging.
—Sutton’s dad to Sutton
SUTTON
Age fifteen
“You’re beautiful, baby.”
I looked at my mother and knew that she was lying.
I wasn’t beautiful.
I was hideous.
She didn’t have to lie.
I had a great body—that was really all I had going for me.
Tits and ass, abs and long legs that could win me any race that I wanted.
I was the most sought-after athlete in the school, yet still the most bullied person, as well.
The last comment I’d heard before leaving school today had come from a girl in track who’d gotten smoked by me during practice.
Too bad she’s so damn ugly. Her and Gunner could be the power couple of the century. But Gunner’s way too good looking for her.
Ugh.
Gunner Lewiston.
He was the yin to my yang in the sports world at our school.
Gunner was the king of our high school.
Our freshman year, like me, he made every senior sports team that he tried out for.
Unlike me, he was God’s gift.
He was so damn pretty.
He had curly hair that fell in decorative ringlets all around his face. Blond curls that blew around his face and always bounced back into place. He was tall, well over six feet two inches at age sixteen.
He played varsity soccer, football, and basketball. But where he really shone was on the baseball field.
There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that he would be making it to pro for baseball.
If he wanted it, he’d have it.
“I’m not,” I disagreed with my mom. “I’m hideous. My nose is too big for my face. My eyes look like anime eyes, and they’re fucking boring brown at that. And my face is disproportionate.”
“Honey,” she whispered.
“I know I’m not attractive,” I continued. “I’ve overheard plenty of boys at school say that as long as they paper bagged me, they’d do me. And all of the girls aren’t very quiet about how ugly I am. I know you’re trying to be nice because I’m your kid, but let’s be completely honest here.”
My mom cupped my face in her hands. “Sweetie, just know that it won’t always be like this. You’ll grow into yourself, and someone will want you for who you are as a person.”
