Chapter 1- Planning

I spun around in my small desk, finding an excuse not to stare at David anymore, and began chatting with Megan. Megan was a tall, thin, and fair-skinned girl in one of my high school classes. She had been one of my best friends since preschool. I asked her what she was going to do over the summer, now that David wouldn't be sitting next to her. We laughed. Megan told me that her Uncle Freddie has a wine vineyard in Nevada, and she was going to stay there for the summer.

"Wow, Nevada?"

"Yeah, it'll be amazing."

"What am I going to do without you this summer?" I said in a complaining voice.

"Um… How about you get the guts to ask David out this summer?" Megan said sarcastically, but I have had a crush on David since the sixth grade. I wasn't getting any daring or brave anytime soon.

"How about you pick a realistic option!" I shot back. Megan sat there for a few seconds and pondered about her thoughts.

"You could always come to Nevada with me?" Megan answered. A big, huge grin became visible across my face.

"Do you think you'll parents will let me?" I asked, finding a flaw in her grand plan.

"I don't know, but if they say no, who says they have to find out? You could pass as my twin, you know." This time a devious smile that resembled the evil Grinch's appeared, because convincing my parents was the easiest thing in the world. It would be like stealing Christmas, without Cindy Who and my guilty conscience.

Out of all my friends, Megan has to be the most mischievous person of them all. A grin even bigger than mine crept slowly onto her face.

"Megan," I said in a startled tone, " What are you thinking? I don't like that look on your face! It is the look that always gets us into trouble!"

"Oh hush! No it doesn't! I started thinking; why not add a couple more onto our little Nevada trip? My uncle has plenty of room, and it would be a good chance for David and you to get know one another." She smirked.

"I don't know? Don't you think adding guys to our trip could be risky?"

"Risky how?" Megan replied, seeming to be missing my point.

"Think about it, Meg. It's Nevada, with boys, and what would we do all day?"

"What do you think we would do, silly? We could go rock climbing on those cliffs we always see in commercials, go clubbing at all those hot spots in the movies, and other stuff. If we happen to get tired we could stop back at a hotel or switch drivers, until we get back to my uncle's." All those answers sounded so tempting, but something in the back of brain was shouting at me.

"No! No! NO! It is a bad choice, steer clear and get the heck out of there!" I swatted the thought away. It was my senior year, and you only get to be a senior once. Why not go out with a bang?

David spun around in his chair to look at me. At the time, I didn't know who he was looking at because Brandi Shares was sitting beside me. I looked over a couple of times, but he looked just as wordless as I was.

"So… Bridget, what are you doing this summer?" he said. I looked at him bewildered; he quickly glanced at his hands, which were rested upon his desk. I couldn't believe that David McCombs was looking at me, let alone speaking to me. It took me a few seconds longer to compose myself.

"I am going with Meg to her Uncle Freddie's in Nevada. What are you going to do?"

"Lucky, I don't have anything to now." He said looking saddened; I wonder if that was because I wasn't going to be here? I liked the thought he would miss me.

"You could come with, if you want? Dave, you have to chip in gas money this time, too. Last time, you bailed and said you left your money at the hotel. And you had a twenty sticking out of pocket, moron." Megan piped in. I turned away blushing. I knew it was a bad choice for guys to come on the trip, but I really wanted to see David. Besides, Megan already asked the question.

"Would your parents and your uncle not care?" He asked, avoiding his answer.

"My uncle has a massive condo. I think there will be enough space, and we are eighteen years old, almost adults. If we can't take of ourselves now, then why would our parents be letting us go to college, huh?" Megan said, making a good point. We all were signed up for college and had our dorms ready.

"I guess you are right. Do you mind if a couple of my friends join us? So, I am not the only guy."

"Sure. The more the merrier, right?" Megan replied.

"Hey Jake, Aston, and Luke! Do you want to hit up Nevada this summer?" David called out.

"Hell yeah!" Jake replied.

"Sounds great, man. Maybe I can get out of counseling little kids this summer." Aston answered back.

"This'll be fun!" Luke exclaimed, with a devilish look on his face.

"Luke, that does not mean you can pick up girls, okay?" Megan said mockingly. Luke looked at Megan with a confident wink and a smile.

"I couldn't help but over hear. Are you going to Nevada?" Brandi Shares said.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" I shot at her. She stared at me astonished at how harsh my tone had been, but I didn't care. She had been David ex-girlfriend for almost a week now, and I wasn't about to give her the window of opportunity to snatch him back from me!

"I want in! I'll pay for gas." She said, shooting a glance over at David, who looked away from her. Score! He didn't want to look at her either.

"Deal." Jake answered quickly.

"NO!" I said in tone probably a bit harsher than what it was supposed to be.

"Well seeing as how Megan's uncle has plenty of room, I don't see why I can't come too?" the sneaky little bitch said. She looked at me, waiting for approval.

"Don't look at me! It is all up to Megan." I said turning my head away from them and gritted my teeth. Megan wasn't the type of person to say no to someone; it just wasn't in her nature. Everybody's eyes fell on Megan, impatiently waiting.

"Fine, but you will pay for all the gas money." Megan said looking at me apologetic. I brushed it off. I guess that was her way of apologizing, and I guess I would accept it. At least, I didn't have to pay for any gas.

"Great this will be fun." She said, looking at David, in a tone that made me want to jump down her throat. I silently growled. David scowled at her too.

"Of course, it will be!" Jake proclaimed obliviously.

The whole class time David kept trying to meet my gaze, but every time he did I quickly turned away. I couldn't look at him; the idea of Brandi coming along on our trip was burning into my mind. I pictured all the stunts she would try to pull, and how he would go right back to her arms like a little lost puppy. Brandi and I had been in the same classes every year since she has moved here, in second grade. Somewhere along the lines, I stepped on her toes. I think it was when Adam Jacobs asked me out, after recently breaking up with her. Somehow Brandi and me always liked the same guys at the same time, but I was never as bold as she was and my self-esteem was never as high as her was. So she always got the guy.

When the class bell rang, I jumped out of my seat and nearly ran to my locker. I opened the locker door, and let out a soundless scream, that if heard, it would probably pierce a person's eardrums. I grabbed my books angrily and frustrated. When I heard Brandi Shares' giggles penetrating my thoughts, I slammed my locker door shut! I spun around, finding David looking at me face-on. As I met his gaze, my eyes glared and looked in the other direction, which happened to be the direction Brandi was walking. I scowled at her too.

"Are you okay? You looked really pissed off towards the end of class."

"O did I?" I said in a sarcastic tone.

"Yea you did. Was something wrong?"

"I don't like Brandi going on this trip. She is a bitch and will get in my way." I hinted, hoping he would catch on to my drift.

"You don't have to worry her, Bridget." David said in cool, romantic voice. He took my hand that was free of books, and smiled at me. For a moment it was just us, no Brandi, no teachers, and no walls to stop anything from happening. Or so I thought?

"Oh, David! This trip is going to be so much fun." A despicable high-pitched voice squealed from down the hallway. David quickly dropped his hands to his side, and I frowned at him. He didn't meet my gaze again.

"David? Did you hear… oh! Hello Bridget." Brandi said not looking at me, as if I was some vapor of poison, polluting her precious oxygen. I didn't answer back, and David still hadn't replied to her either.

"So David… what are we going to do in Vegas?" she winked. The way she said we infuriated me. She was purposely baiting me, standing there flirting with David. The worse part about it is that I didn't even see a disgusted look on his face, when she said we.

"Uh, I don't know. Why don't you go ask Megan? She is the brain of this plan." David replied.

"I guess that is not what I am asking. I mean what are we going to do there?" She hinted. That was it; I couldn't handle being dangled on a thread like that. I waited for his answer, but I knew his answer wasn't what I wanted it to be.

"We? I don't know…" That was enough for me to leave, for him to not say no was heartbreaking enough. I stormed off, knowing that was I going to leave a very pleasant smirk on Brandi's face.

"Bridget! Bridget… wait!" He called after me, though his feet did not budge towards me. I didn't turn around. My mind was swimming and tears had spilled down my face. How could he take my hand and then just throw it away in a spilt second? I wasn't going to answer because I knew I wouldn't be able to speak. A mix of jealousy, hurt, and foolishness washed over me.

I didn't go to my next class; both Brandi and David were in there. So instead, I hid in the girls' bathroom. Lunch was my next hour, so I would avoid everyone until then. I would make up some lame excuse like "I thought I was getting sick".

"So what was wrong with you last hour?" Megan asked.

"I thought I was going to be sick; so I stayed in the girls' bathroom. I am going to have to talk to Mr. Claude now. He is so gullible. It will be easy peasy lemon squeezy!" I said, soothingly covering up my lie.

"That's for sure. One day, I just said, "yo no say, and he was like very good, Megan!" She laughed.

A note flew into my lap, but when I turned around to see who sent it, no one was there. I opened it up to read:

Sorry. Meet me after school by my truck; I want to talk to you.

David.

I glared at the paper for a minute, and then I crumpled it up into a little, tiny ball. My aiming was better than I thought it would be because the wrinkled, paper basketball flew right into the garbage can with a whooshing sound. I looked around to see if David was watching. He was, but when I caught his gaze, he frowned. I just raised my eyebrows; as if I were to say, "Don't talk to me. I am mad at you!" Of course I would talk to David, but I wasn't sure when or what to say.

"Nice shot." Megan cheered.

"Ha-ha. Thanks."

The next three class periods went by with a flash. I barely remember anything that happened; my head was still swimming. In each class I did get a lot of homework; that I do remember. When the last dismal bell rang, I breathed out a long, deep, and despondent moan, and I headed for David's truck.

David's truck was a big, white vehicle with shiny rims and leaned against those burnished rims were a pair of white Addias shoes. I immediately knew whose feet were inside those shoes, David. As I walked towards David, I didn't look up at him. I just stared at his shoes. With each horribly slow step I took, they just kept mocking me. I didn't want to talk to David about what happened. I just wanted to forget it all, but those shoes kept screaming at me.

"BRANDI! BRANDI! BRANDI!" they shouted, getting louder with every movement.

"Hey, Bridget." He said in a dismayed voice. I didn't answer back; I only looked at him.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore than what you do. So please stop looking at me like I committed a crime."

"What is there to talk about, David? I think everything was perfectly clear in the hallway." I said bluntly.

"Bridget, don't be like that. You know…"

"I know what David? I honestly don't know anything! I don't know why you took my hand and then let go when Brandi walked up? I don't know why I let you take it in the first place, when I knew what was going to happen," I shouted. I figured he was just going to let me get it all off my chest, "I don't know why I let Brandi come on our stupid Nevada trip? I don't what I was thinking that one second in the hallway? I just don't know!"

I closed my eyes and tears began to appear around the frames of my eyes. In the split second he reached for me and pulled me closer to embrace me. This is what I wanted, but not in the way I wanted. It felt wrong. David shouldn't have to want me because he feels obligated to comfort me. Instead, he pushed me gently away, only to where my lips were a few centimeters away from his. David cupped one hand around my face, while the other lifted my chin. I couldn't move; I didn't want to move. Our mouths were within millimeters of each other, and I could feel his breath on my cheek. He was the first to move, which I regretted. I reached up my hands to his chest in attempt to stop him. His lips just barely touched mine, when he got the hint. David had a confused look on his face, but he never moved an inch.

"Don't use me. Please don't use me!" I whispered, my eyes starting to tear up again. His hands dropped down to his side and looked astounded at me. I couldn't look at him; it was looking into the eyes of a person whose family member just died. Did I really hurt him this badly?

"I'm sorry, David! It's not that I didn't want that; believe me I did. It just felt wrong. I really am sorry." I said peeking up to find David turning his face into a cool smile and leaning in.

"Whenever you are ready, tell me! I'll be waiting." He whispered into my ear, making my knees go to jelly.

"You won't have to wait that long. Just until we get to Nevada, where we can ditch her!" I whispered back.

"Sounds like a plan to me, babe!" He shot a gleaming smile towards me and kissed my cheek. I blushed with excitement; I almost wished I had not told him anything. Then David placed his arm around my waist, and we walked towards my car. The silence in the air and the redness in both of our cheeks was enough to begin writing a romance novel. I giggled as he opened the car door for me. All of this was so cheesy! I liked it though; having a person liked even the slightest made my day better. I waved bye before accidentally spitting rocks at Mr. Claude, as he walked by.

"Sorry, Mr. Claude!" I shouted.

"It's alright, Bridget. Just get feeling better, okay?"

"Will do!" I said, as I gave a sheepish smile towards Dave, who gave me two thumbs up! I hit my hand to my forehead with embarrassment, and drove off.

As I drove home, I got a text message, and Miley Cyrus' song "Party in the USA" rang throughout my car. I eventually picked up my phone and flipped the cover open. Ugh! It was Brandi; how did she get my number? The text message read:

"Don't think this Nevada trip is going to bring David and you together! Cause David is going to be all over me, once he realizes there is a woman here at stake! You are just another one of his silly crushes!"

I replied:

"Yeah, like you! And didn't you break up with him? That one probably hurt your chances right there, BITCH!" And this had been true; did he still like her? If she brought up that fact to him, would he take her back? Over me?

"No, that just hurt your chances! He still likes me; did you see him in the hallway today? He completely forgot about you! See? I am teaching him well; I do that to you everyday!" Yes, I did see him in the hallway and, unfortunately, her too.

"Did you see him and me after school? He wanted me really bad, Brandi! So why don't you go shove your face and your pathetic attempt to psyche me out in wet cement, Dike! Not that that would help anything; it would take a jackhammer to fix that thing, you call a face!"

"Looks like someone is getting jealous!"

"Doubt it!" I answered, and never replied to any of her text messages after that.

For once in my life, I felt weightless, like a big burden was lifted off my shoulders. I realized that I no longer cared about what Brandi Shares said about me.

"I would sleep with a smile on face tonight." I thought to myself, as I walked through my front door. I laid my school things on the couch, and sat in a chair next to my mother in the dining room.

"How was your school day today?" My dad asked, his mouth full of mother's mashed potatoes.

"It was just another normal day at school, Dad!" I smiled.