It was lunchtime and the large cafeteria was crowded with students. My best friend Kate and I were standing with our blue plastic lunch trays in the large crowded room, unsure of where to sit. We noticed a pretty, dark haired girl sitting by herself, reading and eating a few tables away. I couldn't tell what book she was reading. She was eating a Luna bar and had a large, blue, plastic bottle of Nestea with her.
"Hey," I said to Kate.
"Yeah?"
"Look," I indicated the girl.
We stood up and took our lunches to where the girl was sitting.
"Hey can we sit with you?"
"What? Oh sure."
We sat down on a long bench that was white and had tiny gray dots on it. Kate peered at the book the girl was reading: Prozac Nation.
"That's such a good book," Kate said.
"Yeah," the girl said.
The girl's dark haired friend came to the table. She had bright blue eyes and raven hair. She noticed us, sat down.
"Hey I'm Jessica," she introduced.
"Hi I'm Kate," she introduced.
"Hi I'm Lizzie," I said.
The girl turned to Jessica; "hey."
"Hey Lila."
"So I'm guessing you're Lila?" Kate said.
"Yeah. Sorry about earlier I was….um….reading," she apologised.
"I know what it's like to get caught up in a good book," I said.
"Yeah."
Our table was quiet while I tried to think of something to say. Cahhtter filled the room.
"Well it's nice to meet you," Kate replied brightly.
"Wow that's so original," Jessica said.
We laughed.
"You're really pretty," I told Lila.
"Thank you. So are you."
"Thank you."
"But beauty doesn't mean that everything's…….perfect."
"Or less painful," Lila put in
"We know about pain around here," Kate said.
"Yeah. My dad died last year, night before the first day of school. Since, my mom's become a workaholic and my brother's never around," I explained.
"Wow," Lila said.
"Yeah and my dad used to..um, well he wasn't very nice. My cousin smokes n drinks and my mom's never around," Kate said.
"Wasn't?" Jessica questioned.
"Well, he's not dead. But that's how I'd prefer it."
"Oh."
I couldn't stop staring at Jessica then realized I was staring.
"I'm sorry. Its just you're so....is that your natural hair colour?"
"It's ok. Thank you. And no. It used to be blonde, but then I changed i,t as well as myself. I underwent a transformation, so to speak."
"Ohh."
"I used to be a cheerleader, actually. The both of us did. But, idinno. Things change. We've been friends all our life," Jessica explained.
"Yeah I used to be a cheerleader too, back when I was 15. Lizzie and I weren't friends became friends over the summer," Kate said.
"Ohh."
"We?" Kate asked.
"My twin Elizabeth," Jessica answered.
"Oh."
She inidcted her blonde twin, who was sitting at the cheerleaders table with her back to us. They were talking and laughing, dressed in their uniforms and hai r up un ponytails.
A beautiful red haired girl walked through the cafeteria. She had henna on her hands which were hard to see because of the lace gloves she was wearing over them. The henna went onto her fingers.
"Wow," I said in awe.
"Oh that's Vanessa," Lila explained.
"Vanessa?"
"One of the most beautiful people we know. She's our really good friend. She's very different and pretty noticeable but also very nice and very cool."
"Ok."
The girl sat down at our table."
"Hey Vanessa," Jessica said.
"Hey."
"I was just talking about my transformation,"
"Ohh."
"Hey I'm Vanessa," Vanessa told us.
"Hey I'm Kate,"
"I'm Lizzie. I luv your, um,….."
"Presence?" Vanessa supplied.
"Yes."
"Thank you. You've been through a lot, haven't you?" she asked kindly.
It was more of a statement then a question though.
"Yes I have,"
"I do this quite a lot. You could learn a lot from me."
"We already have."
By 'do this' I'm assuming she meant read people.
"It's nice to meet you," Kate said.
"You as well."
"Wow how old are you?" I asked.
Vanessa laughed; "I'm 17."
"Really?"
"Yes. Well, physically, anyway."
"Hmmmmmm."
We laughed.
"And ironically, now Liz is the cheerleader," Jessica said: "We used to look exactly alike. But we're as different as night and day."
"Winter and summer," Vanessa put in.
"Dark and light," I said.
I was catching on to this.
"Yes. Exactly. I'm night, winter and dark."
"And Liz is day, summer and light," Kate put in.
"And Liz is friends with Karen who moved here because of her depression. She's also a cheerleader," Jessica said.
"Oh. Um, wow," I wasn't sure what to say.
"I luv that song!" I said.
"What?" Jessica asked.
"Cole Porter. Night and day."
"Um,"
"1920's dear," Vanessa explained.
Jessica still wasn't getting it.
"DeLovely," Kate said, referring to a movie about the songwriter.
"Oh ok."
"So whose house are we going to today?" Jessica asked.
"We switch houses every day. To hang out. Er, I mean we go to each others houses," Vanessa explained.
"Kate and I do the same thing," I said.
"Um, well, we could go to mine but Liz might have some of her cheerleader friends over," Jessica said.
"She probably will. And my house is always crowded," Vanessa added.
"Amy has friends over," Kate said.
"And my house is usually quiet," I said; "let's go to my house,"
"Ok."
"Who's Amy?" Jessica asked.
"My cousin. She's 19 and she 'babysits' me."
"Oh."
Lila had put her book away.
"Lacy, over here," Vanessa called.
A dark haired girl came over to our table with her tray of food.
"Hey whatsup?" she asked as she sat down.
"Not too much," Jessica said.
"Hi I'm Lacy," she said.
"Lacy this is....." Vanessa began.
"I'm Kate," Kate said.
"And I'm Lizzie," I said.
"Nice to meet you," Lacy said.
"You too," Kate replied.
"How many other people are we going to meet today?" Jessica asked.
We laughed.
"So Lacy," Vanessa said.
"Yeah?"
"We're going to Lizzie's after school,"
"Lizzie are you sure that's ok?"
"Yeah."
"Ok. That's very nice of you hun."
"You sound like a mother."
We laughed.
"I am a mother. Except I don't get to see Serena until next year. Serena's my daughter. I used to model."
"Oh that's why you look so familiar."
"Yep."
"Yeah I know what that's like," Kate said.
"Modeling?"
"No um…"
"I understand."
Out of everyone in the group Vanessa was the most different. She and Jessica were the most noticeable and beautiful.