Claire awoke from her dream in a sweat. She looked over at her alarm clock, it read 5:30. School started in three hours. Ever since Saturday, all she could think about was John and his lips on her mouth. It was her first kiss, and even though John had been quite an ass to her in detention, she was grateful it was him she locked lips with. She thought about her dream. Her and John had been walking down the hall holding hands, all her friends standing around her with disgust on their faces. It wasn't easy for her to be popular, she had to keep up with her image even if that involved doing things she didn't like. It was obvious that one of the things she was going to have to do was ditch John, she for sure didn't like the idea but she wanted to be voted Prom Queen. Sweaty and sad she got out of bed knowing going back to sleep wouldn't be possible.
*Squeak* She turned the glass knob to allow the shower to start. A nice hot shower would be sure to relax her. The steam rose around her body as she lathered apple scented shampoo through her cherry red hair. 10 minutes later she got out and got dressed. Picking an outfit wasn't hard for Claire, she had great sense of style. The clock read 7 and she headed downstairs for breakfast in a black skirt, pink blouse, and her favorite boots. She looked stunning.
"Morning Claire", her mother called from the living room. The news was blaring on the TV.
" Morning Mom, could you turn down the TV, it's kinda loud.
"Sure Honey. Oh, hey Claire, I noticed one of your diamond earrings is missing from your jewelry box. You know, your father told me he saw you kissing that trashy boy. Sweetie, I will not tolerate you being with anyone who doesn't deserve you. You're beautiful, smart, funny, and popular. Are you willing to blow all of that on some burnout?"
"Mother, I don't need this right now ok. I will be with whoever I want to, and as for my diamond earring, that's my business."
Claire's mother shot her an evil glare that said "don't test me". Claire ignored it and went to the kitchen to peel an orange. She left early for school that morning, the air in her household was thickening. She already had enough to think about when it came to her feelings about John, she didn't need her mother nagging at her also.
****
The halls at Shermer High were bustling as usual. All the cliches in order. Claire met up with some of her friends by the water fountains.
"Hey beautiful", called Brad. Brad was one of her closest guy friends.
Claire shot him a look and walked off. She secretly wanted to search for John.
"What's her problem?", Brad asked the group.
" PMS I bet", said her best friend Jaime.
Brad groaned and walked off. Claire made her way towards the bathroom so she could check her hair, making sure to keep an eye out for Bender along the way. She was fumbling through her purse for a comb when she ran right into someone. It hurt quite a bit.
"Sorry", she mumbled and opened the door to the bathroom.
"Hey Sweets."
She knew right then that deep, smooth voice was John's. Closing the door, she looked at him. He was dressed in a pair of jeans with a hole in the knee, a red flannel shirt, and a faded jean jacket. His hair, dark and soft, hung loosely in his gorgeous, brown eyes. Claire wanted to melt right there, but she showed know signs of feelings for him.
"John, I don't have time to talk, I'm kinda busy."
'Doing what? Going to the bathroom to comb your hair?"
Claire blushed, "John, I really gotta go."
He turned to walk off, a look in his eye that showed he was hurt. Claire, equally as hurt by what she had done, went into the bathroom and let a few tears fall. She had such strong feelings for John, an image of him burned into her mind, but her friends would never except him. HIS friends would never except her. The bell rang for first period, she patted make up onto her porcelain face and went to class. History, to her, was the most boring class on the face of the planet. She began to doodle John's name on her paper. Jaime saw the numerous doodles and hearts.
"John? Claire, oh my god, you aren't talking about John Bender are you?"
"What? No! Him?", she laughed uneasily.
"God, that scared me, I didn't think he was your kind of guy", Jaime said.
The day passed slowly, she took all the long ways to class to make sure to avoid John. She got a ride home from Jaime and sunk into her bed first thing as she got into her room. Dozing, she began to dream about John again, the phone rang. *Ring* *Ring* She had been asleep for three hours, the clock read 8.
"Hello", she said sleepily.
"Hi Sweets, it's John, come meet me at Ryder park tonight. We need to talk."
The park was close to her house, and she accepted, how could she resist him? Little did she know, it would be an awkward night changing her feelings forever.
*Squeak* She turned the glass knob to allow the shower to start. A nice hot shower would be sure to relax her. The steam rose around her body as she lathered apple scented shampoo through her cherry red hair. 10 minutes later she got out and got dressed. Picking an outfit wasn't hard for Claire, she had great sense of style. The clock read 7 and she headed downstairs for breakfast in a black skirt, pink blouse, and her favorite boots. She looked stunning.
"Morning Claire", her mother called from the living room. The news was blaring on the TV.
" Morning Mom, could you turn down the TV, it's kinda loud.
"Sure Honey. Oh, hey Claire, I noticed one of your diamond earrings is missing from your jewelry box. You know, your father told me he saw you kissing that trashy boy. Sweetie, I will not tolerate you being with anyone who doesn't deserve you. You're beautiful, smart, funny, and popular. Are you willing to blow all of that on some burnout?"
"Mother, I don't need this right now ok. I will be with whoever I want to, and as for my diamond earring, that's my business."
Claire's mother shot her an evil glare that said "don't test me". Claire ignored it and went to the kitchen to peel an orange. She left early for school that morning, the air in her household was thickening. She already had enough to think about when it came to her feelings about John, she didn't need her mother nagging at her also.
****
The halls at Shermer High were bustling as usual. All the cliches in order. Claire met up with some of her friends by the water fountains.
"Hey beautiful", called Brad. Brad was one of her closest guy friends.
Claire shot him a look and walked off. She secretly wanted to search for John.
"What's her problem?", Brad asked the group.
" PMS I bet", said her best friend Jaime.
Brad groaned and walked off. Claire made her way towards the bathroom so she could check her hair, making sure to keep an eye out for Bender along the way. She was fumbling through her purse for a comb when she ran right into someone. It hurt quite a bit.
"Sorry", she mumbled and opened the door to the bathroom.
"Hey Sweets."
She knew right then that deep, smooth voice was John's. Closing the door, she looked at him. He was dressed in a pair of jeans with a hole in the knee, a red flannel shirt, and a faded jean jacket. His hair, dark and soft, hung loosely in his gorgeous, brown eyes. Claire wanted to melt right there, but she showed know signs of feelings for him.
"John, I don't have time to talk, I'm kinda busy."
'Doing what? Going to the bathroom to comb your hair?"
Claire blushed, "John, I really gotta go."
He turned to walk off, a look in his eye that showed he was hurt. Claire, equally as hurt by what she had done, went into the bathroom and let a few tears fall. She had such strong feelings for John, an image of him burned into her mind, but her friends would never except him. HIS friends would never except her. The bell rang for first period, she patted make up onto her porcelain face and went to class. History, to her, was the most boring class on the face of the planet. She began to doodle John's name on her paper. Jaime saw the numerous doodles and hearts.
"John? Claire, oh my god, you aren't talking about John Bender are you?"
"What? No! Him?", she laughed uneasily.
"God, that scared me, I didn't think he was your kind of guy", Jaime said.
The day passed slowly, she took all the long ways to class to make sure to avoid John. She got a ride home from Jaime and sunk into her bed first thing as she got into her room. Dozing, she began to dream about John again, the phone rang. *Ring* *Ring* She had been asleep for three hours, the clock read 8.
"Hello", she said sleepily.
"Hi Sweets, it's John, come meet me at Ryder park tonight. We need to talk."
The park was close to her house, and she accepted, how could she resist him? Little did she know, it would be an awkward night changing her feelings forever.