(A/N: I do not own the Snowboard Kids characters, boards, or track names. Atlus USA does. Thank you very much and enjoy the story!)
(A/N 2: All the characters are 18 years old, except Linda, who is 19.)
Chapter Two
"James, we've got people coming over tonight!" I called to my butler as I walked inside the house. I took off my riding boots and snowboard, and left them by the front door to be put away by the cleaning staff.
"Yes madam," was his monotone reply.
I walked up the three flights of stairs and entered the last room on the left—my bedroom. It was the largest room of the house, equaling the size of about four average bedrooms put together. I walked over to my canopy bed, and sat on the edge, looking out the two French-style doors to the balcony, where the sun was setting perfectly behind the mountains.
After a few minutes, I stood up and opened the doors, allowing the brisk dusk air to fill my room. I walked onto the balcony and leaned against the railing, releasing my brown hair from their pig tails, and let the strands blow in the gentle breeze.
"How long has it been since I've been with somebody?" I asked myself. "It's been…maybe three years. Three years is far too long to be alone. What good is money and power if I don't have anybody to share it with?"
Just then, a barking sound came from my feet. I looked down and found my puppy, Daisy, at my feet. I picked her up and held her to me, stroking her long white fur. "Well, at least I have you, Daisy girl." She barked happily in reply as I walked inside my room and closed the doors.
I walked over to my closet and opened the doors to find hundreds of tops. Taking a few steps to the right, I opened more doors to the closet to find matching bottoms to go with the tops. I walked down to the final pair of doors to the closet and found shoes, belts, purses, hats and jewelry to accessorize my fashion. After a couple of minutes of debating, I chose a pink and black, low-cut top, which also revealed my stomach, a pair of hip-hugging jeans, and a bracelet and necklace to match. I walked over to my vanity and began to apply make-up in the mirror when I heard the doorbell ring.
Finishing quickly, I closed all the doors to my closet and fixed my hair to hang behind my back. I then sat on my bed and waited for my friends to walk into my room. Sure enough, in walked Nancy, Wendy, Jam, and Slash.
"Hey, where's Tommy?" I asked when I noticed he was missing.
"He doesn't think he'd be much help to the homework situation, since he doesn't go to school anymore," Nancy said with a slight frown. "I told him we'd miss him, and he should have fun with us, but he said no."
"Oh, well, we can still have fun without him!" I said in my best cheerful voice. Wendy looked a little sad, but replaced it with a smile before she thought anybody would notice.
"James has pizza on the way, so we can get started on the homework whenever we want," I said as I walked over to grab my pink and white laptop computer and book bag. Everybody else grabbed their computers and books and we formed a circle on the carpet of my room.
A couple of hours went by before we took a break.
"Well, we got a lot done, which means we can have more time to snowboard tomorrow!" Slash said with a grin. Every time we mentioned riding down a mountain, his face would glow.
"I think we were going to ride tomorrow anyway, whether we got the homework finished or not," Jam said with a grin of his own. The two boys gave each other a high-five as the girls giggled.
"Lets get some pizza…I'm starving." I said as I led the group down the three flights of stairs to the parlor. We sat at the bar and waited for the servants to give us our pizza. Nancy insisted on getting it ourselves, but the servants wouldn't let her, so she sat and remained quiet.
"So, after homework, what do we plan on doing tonight?" Slash asked as he took a seat next to me.
"Well, we could watch movies, or listen to music, or you and Jam could play video games while me, Nancy and Wendy have girl talk." I suggested.
Jam and Slash thought for a moment. "What kind of video games do you have?" Jam asked.
"If you want it, I can get it. I have the latest systems in the theater, and—" I started.
"Wait, did you just say theater?" Slash interrupted.
"As in, MOVIE theater?" Jam finished.
"Yes…Movie theater. It's fairly new, and it's on the second story. It has one of those really huge screens, and we have movies that aren't even on DVD for other people to buy yet," I bragged with a smile. Slash and Jam hugged me at the same time.
"You girls can have fun with your girl talk! Me and Jam are going to get our hockey on!" Slash said with a grin. He reached over me to give Jam a high-five.
Wendy blushed and Nancy giggled as I looked to them. "So, girl talk for us tonight. But first, let's eat!" We all began to eat the pepperoni, mushroom, and sausage pizza.
I closed the door to the movie theater on the second story of the mansion, listening as Slash and Jam hollered with excitement. They were going to watch a movie first, then decide what to do when it was over. Of course, it was an action movie that I had no desire to see, but Daddy wanted it right away.
Nancy, Wendy and I walked up to my bedroom, where I closed the door. I lit the room with the chandelier above my bed and sat on the edge, behind the sheer curtain of the canopy.
"So, Nancy, tell me about you and Jam," I started.
"Jam? I thought Damien was into her," Wendy questioned.
"Yes, he might be, but have you not seen the way Jam gets flustered when we talk about that? It's so cute, the way he reacts!" I gushed. Nancy was blushing deeply and played with a stuffed animal nervously.
"I didn't notice Jam reacts that way, and I don't really know Damien very well. I still can't figure out why Damien wants ME to begin with. He seems more like your type, Linda," she said with a giggle.
"Me? Heavens no. I got over my bad boy phase a long time ago. Besides, I want to be with somebody who knows me, inside and out. Somebody who knows how to take care of me without me telling them what to do, you know?"
"Yeah, no wonder why you're still single. No guy like that exists," Nancy said solemnly. Wendy nodded in agreement.
"He's out there, I'm sure. Call me a hopeless romantic," I said as I put the back of my hand against my forehead dramatically. We shared a laugh and got comfortable on my bed.
"So Wendy, what about you? Have you ever had a boyfriend?" Nancy asked.
"Yes, a couple. They were a few years ago, back in high school, and they weren't very serious, but I'm fine being single. I like to study anyway, so I don't have much time for a boyfriend," she replied, pushing her glasses up her nose.
"I don't know…In my experience, some guys like the 'bookworm' type of girl. You know, the librarians. You could get a boyfriend if you wanted to," I told her. Then I thought to myself, 'Wait, why am I being nice to this girl? She's nothing but mean to me.'
"Linda, what about you and Slash? I've always felt you two have had a thing for each other, even when we were little," Nancy stated aloud. I blushed and bit my bottom lip, but quickly acted cool.
"Slash is okay, I guess. I know all the girls in high school, and even some at college, find him attractive, but all they care about is looks. I'm not shallow like that…" A few moments after I finished, we busted out laughing at the joke I made. "What am I saying? Of course I am! I love appearances!"
"Well as long as you know that looks aren't the only thing that matter, I guess its okay," Nancy said with a smile to me. "I mean, I used to think Slash was cute and could be my boyfriend, but now I just see him as a best friend."
"What was he like as a child?" Wendy asked.
"He was competitive," I began.
"And loud," Nancy added.
"And all he cared about is winning."
We sat in silence for a moment before Wendy spoke. "I said, how was he as a CHILD?" We laughed together.
"I guess he really hasn't changed that much, has he?" I asked.
"Well, if you count the fact that he's now interested in girls, then he's changed only a little bit," Nancy said with a giggle.
"What…about Tommy? Has he had any girlfriends recently?" Wendy asked in a quiet, shy voice.
"Tommy? No, I don't think so. I think he cares about hamburgers too much to think about girls," I said while crossing my arms.
"His last girlfriend moved away, but that was back in seventh grade," Nancy remembered.
"I tried to hook him up with a girl once, but she thought he was repulsive," I said with distaste. "How sad."
"Tommy is a really sweet guy, but I don't think he's noticed the way I act around him. I try to be flirty, but I don't think I'm doing it right," Wendy said embarrassingly.
"Well, what kinds of things are you doing?" I asked.
"I like to sit with him, and stand next to him, and talk to him about snowboarding. I also giggle cutely and I blush a lot, but I don't think he notices," she answered with a frown.
"Try dressing up in a hamburger costume. Maybe then he'd notice you!" I joked. Nancy and Wendy laughed a bit, but took it more as a rude comment than a joke.
"I think Jam is the same way, though. All he cares about is winning and being obnoxious," Nancy said as she gripped the stuffed rabbit tightly in her arms.
"Slash is almost the same way, though. He likes girls, and he's nice and friendly with everybody, but something tells me that all he wants to do is snowboard, 24/7." I looked down at the pillow I was holding onto.
We sat for a few minutes in silence before I got an idea. "Say Wendy, have you ever had a make-over?"
"A…A what? No, I'm not interested in make-up like that. I've never tried to get a make-over," she answered with her blushing red cheeks.
"Well, that could be something fun to do, and who knows, maybe Tommy will notice you!" Nancy agreed with enthusiasm. "Come on, let's try, Wendy!"
"Well, okay…If you're sure. But I've never put on make-up before, so I don't know how I'd look," she said in her quiet voice before putting down the stuff animal she was holding on to and stood up with me and Nancy. We walked her over to the vanity in my bedroom and released her hair from the long ponytail.
"I can see you wearing purple eye shadow and maybe a light blush. But eye shadow is hard to see through glasses; are you able to take them off and see okay?" I asked as I reached around for her glasses.
"I can see just fine, but I'd prefer you left them on," Wendy pushed her glasses back up.
"Let's just see if you'll like yourself without them, and if not, we can put them right back on." I took the glasses and gently folded the sides in, and placed them on the vanity. Nancy and I began to play with her brown hair a bit, thinking of ideas.
"Should we straighten her hair? Or straighten the top and curl the bottom?" I asked Nancy.
"I think she'd look cute with her hair straight at the top and curly at the bottom. Then she could pull it off to the side and hang it off her shoulder. It's the latest fashion these days!" She agreed and switched on the flat iron. When Nancy placed it on the vanity next to the glasses, she saw Wendy's eyes grow wide.
"It's okay, Wendy. We aren't going to hurt you, and if you don't like your hair, it will wash out in the shower. Please trust us," Nancy almost pleaded. It took Wendy a few moments to calm down and agree.
Almost two hours later, we were finished with Wendy. She had striking blue eyes, which were revealed from behind the glasses, and the color was brought out by the light purple eye shadow. We also worked on her eye brows and gave her two of them, and straightened her hair with big curls at the bottom. She had picked a purple shirt from my closet and a pair of black jeans, with black knee-high boots and a matching black diamond bracelet and necklace.
Nancy and I sighed and smiled with relief at the beautiful new Wendy. She smiled to us and twirled around. "How…do I look?"
"You look gorgeous! You don't even look like you anymore!" I said with happiness. "Nancy, we should show her off to the boys. What do you think?"
"Before we do that, I think we should show her off to Tommy," Nancy whispered to me. I grinned and pulled out my cell phone from my jeans pocket, pressed a button, and held it up to my ear.
"Tommy? Hi, it's Lin. Hey, can you come over here? We have something we want to show you. You can? Great! Come over as soon as possible!" And with that, I shut my phone and slipped it back into my pocket. Nancy and I walked over to Wendy and took one arm each, and led her to the theater to show her to Slash and Jam.
When we opened the doors, we saw a World War II video game playing on the screen, which involved a lot of gunfire and explosions. Nancy, Wendy and I stood in front of the boys for a few moments before Slash paused the game and looked at us.
"What are you doing? I was winning the…" Before he finished his statement, his eyes stopped at Wendy. Jam's controller fell to the floor, as did his jaw.
"Who…is that?" Jam asked with a dry voice.
"It's me, you guys! It's Wendy Lane!" Her voice sounded more enthusiastic, and she giggled bubbly.
"That's not Wendy. Really, Linda, who else did you invite over?" Slash asked as he turned his gaze back to me.
"No, really, Slash, that's her!" Nancy said with a giggle of her own. That caused all of us girls to giggle. Before the boys could argue with us again, we heard the doorbell ring.
"Ooh, that's Tommy! Let's go!" Nancy said as she grabbed Wendy's hand and led her from the theater.
"Tommy's here? But, why?!" Wendy sounded nervous and terrified as she left the theater. I smiled to Slash and Jam and began to leave, when Slash's voice called back to me.
"Hey, Linda. That was a really sweet thing you did for Wendy. I'm sure she really likes it."
I stopped and looked to him. Jam was picking up the controller he dropped and inspecting it to make sure there was no damage. With a sly smile, I shrugged one shoulder and said, "I'm not really the sweet kind of person. I was just tired of looking at her bookworm face." And with that, I left the theater and met Tommy, Nancy, and Wendy in the lobby.
When I stood on the balcony of the second-story staircase, I could see everybody standing below. Tommy was speechless, Wendy was blushing deeply, and Nancy was beaming with excitement. I descended the stairs and stood beside her.
"Well Tommy? What do you think of the new Wendy Lane?" I asked with curiosity.
"That's really you, Wendy? You look so beautiful," Tommy said in his deep voice. Wendy swayed nervously from side-to-side and blushed.
"Y…Yes, it's me. I was hoping you would like it," she admitted with a giggle.
"I do! I really do like it!" he answered over-eagerly. "Say, Wendy, would you want to go get something to eat with me?" Nancy and I looked at each other and giggled quietly.
"I'd love to, Tommy, but I'm going to be…" Wendy started.
"No, no! Go! I'll have James send your stuff home," I finished before she could argue.
"Yeah, go have fun on your date," Nancy said as she gave Wendy a hug. Wendy walked over to me and gave me a quick hug before she stood beside Tommy.
"Thanks, Linda and Nancy. This was a really sweet thing for you to do. I'll see you tomorrow for practice!"
And so Tommy and Wendy left for their date. Nancy and I watched as the servant closed the door to the mansion behind them and smiled.
"What's with everybody saying I'm doing something sweet tonight? I'm not a sweet kind of person," I said as we began to walk back to the theater.
"It was a very sweet thing you did, though, Lin," Nancy agreed as she wrapped her arm in mine. "But, if it makes you feel any better, I won't get used to the idea of you being sweet."
We laughed as we opened the door to the theater and sat behind the boys, watching them play video games.
