We Were Once Strangers: We Were Once, #1

By Amelia Russell

Sophia, a senior in the Hopkins Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program and the daughter of wealthy parents – prominent oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Charles Scott, and an equally successful realtor mother, Alice – finds herself caught in the sights of infamous bad boy, Joseph Walker. But Sophia is not like the other girls – something Joseph discovers for himself on their first meeting. But his ego doesn't let her just walk. How far will Joseph be able to go to net this catch? Especially when she keeps pulling him farther and farther away from his comfort zone? Will Sophia be able to see through his arrogance, and accept the feelings she's had for him since day one? With both of them coming from seemingly different worlds, is it possible to find new comfort zones within themselves? Or will these differences keep them apart?

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amelia Russell
• Release date: Aug 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393015017

Book preview

Chapter One

Sophia

My alarm clock doesn’t beep more than three times before I shut it off. I’m naturally a light sleeper and any noise, as far as it isn’t below the audible range of frequency, will get me up and about. This can be a good thing, unless when it is not. Like that one time in my junior year when I had to rest from intensive studying before an exam. I had spent that night with Lucy, my closest friend and reading partner, but regretted it when I needed to sleep. Each flap of Lucy’s book, or creak of her bed was an aggravation to my already agitated mind. I’m in my senior year now, so obviously, it didn’t become an impediment. However, I wouldn’t want something like that repeating itself again. Not ever. I can’t have anything stopping me from getting to medical school.

It’s Monday and I sit up from bed, arch my back, and fit my feet into my bright yellow, faux fur slippers. From that moment on, I become a passenger in my body, watching it as it goes through its routine. First, I brush my teeth. After that’s done, I bring out my yoga mat from my closet. Then I tie my hair in a bun, so it doesn’t disturb me while I embark on the journey to achieving union between the Atman and Paramatman. Tuesday last week, marked a year since I began practicing yoga, and it’s only made me feel better and better. Lucy always jokes about snapping in two if she so much as attempts one of my yoga postures.

I click open the Down Dog app, where Adrienne Kimberly teaches through video sessions. It takes me a full hour to go through my practice for the day, but when I’m done, I feel indomitable and capable of taking on anything. Lucy would often joke that yoga’s the secret behind my excellent academic performance.

I wish I could join you to do this, Sophie. Really, I do, she would say. This way I’ll be able to make A’s as easily as you do.

Nobody makes A’s easily, Lucy. I would reply laughing.

Well, you make it look so effortless.

But the truth I don’t tell anybody is that no one comes from a family like mine, and doesn’t try to be the best at what they do. It’s my father, renowned oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Charles Scott, who’s especially the fire on my butt. My mother, on the other hand, Alice Scott, is the softer of my parents. She applies fire too, but just not the intense kind my father does. She is a very successful realtor, with her own firm near the heart of Atherton, California, which is where they live.

I always knew I wanted to be part of the medical field. It was something as certain as the bones that made up my structural disposition. However, I and my father were at loggerheads at what part of the medical field I should focus on. He wanted me to follow after his meticulously laid footsteps, and perhaps continue the fame of the Scott name in