To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.

~Albus Dumbledore (J.K. Rowling)

During the November of 2010, the city of Winevra was in a haze of pre-snow frost and crackling leaves. The air smelt of clean and fresh, and there was a wind, cold enough for sweaters and sweatpants, but not yet the hot-chocolate-and-fireplace level.

Inside their suburban houses, most were either dozing in warm beds or enjoying a light brunch. Some were studying for Monday tests and quizzes or getting ready for shopping trips and soccer games.

In 91 Trovert Drive, the house was generally empty. It had a faint scent to it, like spices. And upstairs, in the largest bedroom, Aliah Kingston was currently transitioning from dreamland into reality. She sat up slowly, let out a little yawn and blinked sleepily around her room. The early morning light streamed through the cracked curtains and onto her wall, as if urging her to get up.

So she did, though it took a bit of effort, as it always does. But she managed to do so, grabbing her black, knitted robe. She pulled it tightly around her as she made her way into the hallway.

However, she noticed a peculiar sight in one of the smaller bedrooms: her daughter was not there. Or, rather, she was not sleeping, which was very odd behavior for her. The bedroom was actually uncharacteristically empty. Aliah leaned against the door-frame and sighed at the clothes, pens and hairpins that littered the bedroom floor. And books, lots of books, from comics to Sherlock Holmes to fantasy. No corner of the room lay untouched by literary works. Up on the walls, there were doodles and pictures taped, despite the many times she had told her daughter that drawing was a waste of time.

"Idiot girl..." Aliah muttered, leaning down to toss a yellow sock back into its closet home. Perhaps if she had been more awake, she would have cleaned the entire room. But it was early – for her – and the thought of picking up so many goddamn books felt nearly frightening. So she simply sighed once more before making her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

If she had been more aware, maybe she would had a mild meltdown on discovering her daughter's absence on the lower floor, as well. She was a worrying kind of mother, the type that needed to know where her fifteen year old was at all times. But, as she was still half-asleep, she only lazily walked to the stove to make her tea.

On the tea kettle, a large blue post-it note was plastered. Aliah narrowed her eyes slightly and peeled it off, trying to make sense of the messy scrawl it contained.

Hey, mum! Aha! I knew you'd find this thing! I'm psychic, see. Anyway, I just want to let you know not to call the police, as I'm aliiiive! I'm only being held hostage by the Italian mafia, so if you could give me a million dollars, that'd be great.

JUST KIDDING! Got ya there, didn't I?

Basically, I'm at Isabelle's house. You know, my friend Isabelle? I told you I'd be helping her mother out today, so I decided to come early because I'm awesome. I didn't wake you up because, as aforementioned, I'm awesome. So don't freak out! I'll be going to Maddie's to do some studying afterwards for our history test on Monday. It's a really big test, so I'll be back by around eight or nine or so. Maddie's mum will drop me off, so all is well. Call me on Sebastian if you need anything.

Au revoir! Goodbye! Salaam!

Sincerely,

Tally

Aliah gave a little groan. Had her daughter mentioned Isabelle? Yes. Had she been paying attention? Not really. At least Tally had the decency to leave a note, so that she wouldn't have called the police.

Ah.

The mother shook her head a little bit; teenagers were always running off somewhere. "Silly girl," she murmured in Arabic as she pulled her wavy black hair back into a ponytail. She stuck the post-it on the counter. It stared up at her.

"That girl needs to let me know these things better. She would forget her own head if it wasn't attached to her neck. Thank God for that..."

And she began to make her tea.

The teenager trudged up the basement staircase and found Isabelle in the living room. She hadn't lied, exactly, to her mother. Her neighbor, Natasha, did have a daughter named Isabelle, and Tally had helped Natasha today with some moving of items in the basement (though she hadn't reached her house at the exact time she claimed, since she was really out window shopping and drinking coffee). But she and Isabelle weren't really friends, probably because Isabelle was the kind of girl who liked to do algebra problems in her spare time and complete extra credit science PowerPoints. Not that they hated each other. They just weren't ... friends.

Today, though, she was at the front door when Isabelle called out, "I can help you with your homework, if you want." They were in a few of the same classes at school.

"Thanks," Tally said. "But I'm good." She tried not to sound too cold, despite her annoyed mood. Chores never put her in a good mood. But it was necessary, as an alibi.

"Really? 'Cause Miss Norton says you've got to get better in science, or you'll be in trouble."

The brunette pursed her lips. "I know," she said. "Oh, and Mr. Montgomery also said you had to rewrite your poetry assignment." She raised her eyebrows at the game that currently flashed on Isabelle's computer. "Have you finished that?"

"Not really. But I don't really care. Poetry is so boring. I really liked our old teacher, you know, Mrs Orde? She got us to write essays, not stories. They made more sense."

Tally tightened her fists and tried not to punch the girl in front of her. "Yeah," she said dryly. "God forbid we do things requiring skill."

"I'm just saying, you should really spend more time working and less time playing and-"

"Oh?" Tally's eyes widened dramatically, and she cupped her ear and opened the front door. "Mom, is that you?!" she yelled, making sure Isabelle could hear her every word. "Yeah, sorry, I didn't hear you! What? You want me to come and clean the house? I don't know, Mom. I'm having the most fascinating conversation with Isabelle ... oh, alright, I suppose I'll come! Cleaning the house from top to bottom does sound fun!" She turned to Isabelle and waved. "Buh-bye!"

And she was off, ignoring the expression on Isabelle's face, the expression of a girl who was just told that cleaning an entire house was more fun than talking to her.

Today is so not my day... Tally thought dryly as the door swung closed behind her.

Tally was halfway home when she was considering going back to her dance teacher's house and apologizing. She knew Isabelle wasn't the kind of girl who was too affected by insults (as she got many of them at school) and she definitely wouldn't cry or tell her mother. But still, perhaps she had overreacted. Then again, it was Isabelle's fault for taunting her. She knew Tally hated to be considered invalid. So why would she insult her?

Perhaps, said the horrid little voice in Tally's head. Perhaps she was trying to help you do better in school. Just a thought.

"Shut up," Tally mumbled. "Dumb voice." Nope, today was definitely not her day. She just wanted to go home and read the new novel she had bought. But, alas, what didn't kill one made one stronger. So she grit her teeth and held her head high.

I'm just saying, you were kind of a bitch to her.

"I was not! Go suck a dick!"

No thanks, love. But you're being one.

"No, I'm not! Stop being so mean! I—"

"Who're you talking to?"

"Eeeeeeeek!" Tally jumped and whipped around, fists raised. "Get away from me! I—" She paused, and noticed her 'attacker'. "Justin?"

Justin grinned, stuffing two hands into his jeans pockets. "Hey there, Tallinator. Who're you talking to?"

"No one. Uh, nice shoes! Gucci?" She gestured to this rugged sneakers, and inwardly cringed at the horrible change in topic. Gucci would probably die at the sight of those.

Justin obviously thought so, too, as he raised an eyebrow and pointed the toe. "Wal-Mart's finest," he said, before smirking.

Tally turned red. "Shut up. It's hard to tell in this light."

"The light's fine."

"Shut up!"

Tally and Justin had been best friends since grade seven, where they had been paired up for a project together, and had been inseparable ever since. They quickly bonded over their sense of humors and hatred for math and sports.

Justin had the kind of looks Tally would have died for, with a creamy complexion, curly brown hair and high cheekbones. She probably would have developed a crush on him a long time ago, if he hadn't told her – and only her – he didn't play for her team, so to speak.

"You seem off today. Everything okay?"

Besides the fact that I'm a horrible person? "Yeah, I'm just dandy."

"Big words."

"That's not even a big word!" Tally said, frustrated. "It's just weird and vaguely British. Sheesh."

"Woah," Justin said, trying not to smile. "Someone's angry. Has Aunt Flo come for a visit from the Red Sea?"

Tally turned even redder. "No! Of course not! You're just a ... Ugh. I'm not talking to you." She walked quicker and went up ahead, leaving him behind.

Justin ran to catch up. "Hey, don't be that way!" he said, pouting. When he received no response, he sighed. "Come on, Tal, please?" No response. "Are you really going to let our friendship disappear over some petty fun?" This time, he did get a response, though a middle finger was not what he had in mind. Finally, he heaved a deep sigh. "I guess I got those two-for-one Burger Queen coupons in the mail for nothing..."

Tally nearly tackled him, eyes wide with excitement. "Burger Queen?!" she squealed. "Oh, thank the Lord Alexander McQueen! I'm starving! And mum's not expecting me home 'till eight or nine. This is perfect!"

Justin raised an eyebrow. "Sorry," he said firmly. "I only give my coupons to friends who talk to me."

"Oh, Justin, s'il vous plait! J'aime Queen de la Burger avec tout mon cœur et-"

"Alright, alright!" Her friend shrieked. "Just quit it with the language of Satan!"

Tally looked offended. "It is my duty to my people to educate you, dans le langue de l'amour!" She quoted her words with a delicate sweep of her arms. "The language of love! The language of my people!"

"You mean your partial people?"

"Nope!"

"Remind me, again, why that is? It's still confusing."

Tally sighed. "Genetics project; realized some of my ancestors were French. And besides, it's the culture I'm most attached to. So, technically, I am a French girl."

Justin rolled his eyes. "I will never understand your obsession with these weird things. French, especially. And fashion." He eyed her clothes with a mischievous look in his eyes. "By the way, your dress is really last season."

"What?" Tally's eyes widened fearfully. "That's not true! I got it at Blarney's! They wouldn't sell something out of style! Besides, I like it." Noticing Justin's still-skeptic expression, she gritted her teeth and went on, rambling. "Plus, the green is awesome, the belt has a smooth buckle and the boots are Ralph Lauren! And—"

She stopped when she noticed her friend's laughing face.

"What?" she asked. When she got no response, she huffed and tugged on his hoodie. "What?"

"It's just ... you get offended so easily, it's hilarious!" He switched his tone to that of a pre-pubescent female. "'Oh, my poor pwetty wittle dress! It isn't designer, what a horrid thing! I should be sentenced to death!'"

"I don't do that!"

"I beg to differ."

"Argh!" Tally threw her hands up in the air, agitated. "I'm not talking to you again!" She raced ahead of him.

"Oh, come on, Tally, don't be like that!"

"Motherfucker!"

"Shhh!" he hissed, glancing around. "There could be little children here, whose minds you're polluting!"

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"Tally, quit it! We'll get in trouble!"

"I won't stop 'till you stop making fun of me and we can go to Burger Queen."

"That's not fair!"

"FUUUUUUU—"

"For Pete's sake ... okay, okay! Just cut it out, will you? We'll go to Burger Queen and I won't make fun of you!"

Tally smirked and whipped around, looking at him expectantly. "Okay. So where's your car?"

He raised an eyebrow and pointed down the street, where she noticed a tiny, tiny, tiny gray speck. "Over there, where we just were, oh, half an hour ago!"

The brunette's jaw fell. "You made me walk all the way here for nothing?!"

"Hey, we could have spared all this if you had stopped blabbing long enough to listen to—"

"UH, UH, UH! No insults!" She gave him a pointed look. Then, she broke off and glanced at the car, sighing as she did so. "Come on, then. We've got a long walk ahead of us..."

Burger Queen was hidden in a plaza of larger stores; it contained a jukebox, a children's play area, and cheesy, checkered, black and white tablecloths. The food was decent and, more importantly, possibly health damaging.

Tally loved it there.

She wasn't sure what she liked about it. But she had grown up in it, making visits with her mom as a kid, and munching on French fries and chicken nuggets. Over time, she had grown up to appreciate the chocolate milkshakes, fro-yos and ice cream a bit more than the fries and burgers. Not to say she didn't eat the grease factories. She was just more of a chocolate girl.

Burger Queen was a favorite amongst the students of Albert Einstein High School, so it was no surprise when she noticed some familiar faces in the seats, talking, laughing, doing general teenager-things. Though she ignored them – not being one to socialize – and ordered her usual: chocolate ice cream with crushed peanuts and marshmallows.

"TALLY!"

The brunette squeaked as she was nearly tackled, right before she had a chance to settle into her seat. Justin watched with an amused expression as she pushed off her second best friend – Maddie, who she had known since elementary school. She was, as usual, dressed like it was her last day on Earth, a day she had a lot of money to spend on: a sparkly silver dress, silver bow-headband in her blonde hair, and knee high suede boots. She plonked down right next to Tally, a salad in front of her.

"I knew I'd find you here!" she said excitedly. "I've been looking for you everywhere! Where were you?"

Tally opened her mouth but Justin beat her to it. "She was doing chores for the creepy Russian lady on her street."

The brunette rolled her eyes, punching her friend. "Natasha's not creepy. And she's Ukrainian," she told Maddie, who looked confused at the thought of someone in Winevra she didn't know.

"Oh." The other girl's face cleared, and she smiled at Justin. "Cool sweater, by the way. Anyway, what're you guys doing here?"

Tally scooped some chocolate ice cream into her mouth. "We're here to pray," she said sarcastically.

"Ha, ha." Maddie punched her playfully. "Very funny. But, no, seriously, what're you here for?"

"Food. What else?" Justin raised an eyebrow. Maddie was known for being a virtual airhead at nearly everything, from science to art to catching on things.

Said girl wrinkled her button nose. "But everything here's so fattening!" She pointed at Justin's vanilla ice cream cone with distaste. "That's, like, a thousand calories!"

"Worth it," he said firmly as he licked his cone, like he had made his decision. "Besides, it tastes like something. Unlike that." He nudged his chin in the direction of her salad, which consisted of mostly lettuce.

"Salad is delicious," Maddie proclaimed. "Plus, it keeps me thin."

"It tastes like rabbit food!" Tally protested, for all that was tasty.

"Low fat rabbit food. Besides, you're saving baby animals like this! You guys should go vegetarian, too!"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "How about never?" she suggested.

"But you can save puppies and kittens!"

"Oh, come off it," Justin groaned. "If you really cared about animals, you should know your boots once walked around and mooed."

"And peed milk," Tally added helpfully.

"Hey!" Justin waved his arms in protest. "Eating here!"

Tally and Maddie burst into simultaneous giggles. Their male friend simply rolled his eyes and muttered, "Girls..."

Suddenly, Maddie straightened and folded her hands. She looked at her friends seriously. "Now, to business. I have an important proposition to ask of you both."

"Big word," Tally mused.

"Oh, shut up." The blonde shot her a look and then cleared her throat. "There's a party at Nelly's tonight."

Nelly (no one really knew her last name...) was a party animal. Her parents had a huge house, and spent most of their days traveling. They were also under the impression that their daughter was sweet, honest, and responsible. Where they got this idea, no one really knew, but it caused them to leave their mansion alone to Nelly for many days at a time. Nelly, whose weekly parties consisted of drugs, alcohol, and dark corners reserved for makeout sessions. A scene Tally wouldn't be caught dead in.

"So?" she asked, stirring her ice cream with vicious strokes.

"So," Maddie leaned forward over the table, eyebrows raised meaningfully. "I was thinking, you know, we could go."

"I'll go," Justin spoke up, surprising both Maddie and Tally.

"You will?" Tally asked, coughing.

"Well, why not? I mean, it sounds like fun."

"Oh, sure," she snorted. "Getting high and drunk. What a blast!"

"Come on, Tallinator! We've never even gone to one of these parties before. How will we know if they suck or not if we've never gone to one?"

"Because I know everything," she told him, putting a serious tone under the joking blanket. "Besides, I thought you hated all those popular people. They go to those parties, you know, and they're mean and dumb and ... and..."

"Oh, they're not so bad!" Maddie cut in. Tally glared at her, but she ignored it and went on, "Colin Grant is nice, and really smart. And he can fit eight hot dogs in his mouth at once!"

Though Tally could not deny the impressiveness of this act, she was also not a party person. She preferred parties where one could dance – really dance, and not just grind and shimmy – instead of parties where one could get high and be found passed out in the bathtub/neighbor's pool the next day. She'd much rather read or sleep or watch Disney movies.

"I'm in," Justin said automatically. Figures. He had had a crush on Colin for years.

Traitor, she mouthed at him. He stuck his tongue out back.

"Great!" Maddie smiled at him. "Bring any alcohol you have; Nelly's been running out, I heard. We take music requests, too!"

"Well, you guys have fun," Tally said with a tight smile. "I'll be at home."

"What?" Justin's eyes widened. "You're not coming?"

"That was the whole point of our previous argument, yes."

"You should come," Maddie said. "It's fun! And besides, what's wrong with breaking rules?"

Tally rolled her eyes at this. She was not, in any way, one to follow rules. In fact, she loved breaking rules! The high, the adrenaline rush one gained from rebellion ... it was intoxicating. She skipped classes, handed in assignments late (or not at all), and disobeyed her mother's strict rules on a daily basis. She was no stranger to rule breaking.

However, she was also not stupid. She knew that, as soon as she came home, her mother would instantly smell the alcohol on her. And then, she'd be lucky if she wasn't whisked away to a convent.

"My mom will smell the alcohol on me," she said honestly. "And the drugs. I'll be doomed. Thanks, but no thanks."

"Oh, that's not a problem!" Maddie said quickly. "My parents are out, so you two can come to my house and shower before leaving."

"She'll notice the wet hair and become suspicious," Tally protested weakly. She would really rather watch The Little Mermaid at home, with some nice popcorn and hot chocolate ... it was cold, wasn't it? Too cold for ice cream. She frowned, looking down at her dessert. Stupid cravings.

"I have a hair dryer."

"..."

She began to think about this. It was possible, wasn't it? To go to this party and come back in one piece. Her mother wouldn't – couldn't – notice the smell on her, because she'd come back smelling like shower gel and shampoo. And her hair would be dry, she wouldn't drink, she'd still have her clothes...

Her clothes!

"She'll smell my clothes," Tally said with a smug smile. "A shame."

"Hey, but you can change!" Maddie insisted. "You said you left before she woke up; how will she know what you wore?"

"Um ... She'll recognize the foreign clothing?"

"Don't be crazy; you let me borrow that sweater I have yet to return, and jeans all look the same. And we're, like, the same size."

"...Damnit..."

"Please, Tally!" Justin gave her The Look. The Look consisted of wide, puppy-dog eyes, a pouting mouth, and a whimpering sound that snuck up his throat and threatened to float out of his mouth...

"Alright, alright!" The brunette shrieked, looking away before she slapped him for being too cute. "I'll go. Jesus..."

"Yay!" Maddie reached across and gave Tally a quick hug, nearly knocking over her ice cream in the process. "That's awesome! I'll see you there, okay?" She winked and was off in a flash, walking briskly in the direction of a few sophomores sitting and talking and laughing together.

Tally's eye twitched and she gave Justin an annoyed look. "Why can't we just sleep and watch Beauty and the Beast together?"

"For someone who hates clichés, you're awfully attached to that movie."

"It's not cliché!" Tally was quick to defend her favorite love story. "You want cliché?" She morphed her expression into that of an expressionless teenager and stood up. "'Oh, Edward. The way you sparkle in the sunlight is just gorgeous and amazing and oh my gawd, you just give me such a lady boner!'"

"Tally!" Justin hissed, glancing around at the weird – and amused – looks they were receiving.

"Take back what you said about Beauty and the Beast."

"I'm allowed to have my own opinion!"

"'And sometimes, Edward, I dream that maybe – just maybe – your dick is larger than three inches and that your hair doesn't come from a bottle!"'

"Okay, okay, Beauty and the Beast is amazing! Long live Disney!" When Tally gave a gruff nod and sat down, he sighed and shook his head. "Does it require effort, trying to torture me? Or does it come naturally?"

Tally grinned. "As natural as my hair today," she said, finger a curly lock. "No time to straighten."

"...Sometimes, you disturb me."

"Good."

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a bit, occasionally pulling crazy faces at each other and laughing as they devoured their ice creams. Tally was always grateful to have a friend like Justin: a person who would be her best friend, even if they lived millions of miles apart. They had even kept up their friendship when Tally's mom moved to Jordan with her for four months and took Tally with her, the summer before her freshman year. She had been right miserable during that time, before her mother had brought her back, and she ranted to Justin all the time during those months, about her mother's betrayal and her sadness and anything and everything. And he listened.

She was about to open her mouth to say something – something – but then they heard the door chime open and a group of girls giggling on their way inside. These girls were all very pretty, and they all had styled hair and designer clothing. In the middle of them was a shorter girl, with bright red hair and pale skin. Sunglasses sat perched on her head, and she giggled and tossed her hair along with her friends as she sashayed in and up to the counter.

"Oh, no..." Tally heard Justin mumble.

And 'Oh, no' was correct. Darcy Robertson, the most popular girl in school, daughter of the richest family in Winevra, and all around bitch. Not to mention, she enjoyed teasing everyone about everything she disapproved of, from studying too much for tests, to wearing clothes from Wal-Mart.

Tally rolled her eyes and turned her back to them. She had despised Darcy Robertson with every fiber of her being, ever since the redhead had stolen one of her story notebooks and had made fun of her for weeks about some of her works-in-progress, always sending lines and memorable scenes her way. Because anyone that disrespected her writing was instantly an enemy.

"Ignore her," she told Justin firmly, trying her own best to take no note of Darcy and her entourage as they giggle-ordered their low-fat frozen yogurts. "Ignore her and maybe she'll get the hint and shove a tuba up her ass."

"Le ouch," Justin said with a small smile.

Tally squealed excitedly. "Yay! You're using French terms! C'est fantastique!"

"Shut up, Tally, shut up right now. You know how I feel about French."

The brunette scoffed and tossed a stray French fry at him that had been lying on the seat next to her since they had arrived. It fell into the last dollop of ice cream in his cup, and he squealed before quickly fishing it out and throwing it onto the floor. "Yuck!"

Tally burst out laughing, pleased to see the annoyed expression on his face. "Bwahahahahaha! You look hilarious!"

Justin scowled. "You tainted my ice cream!"

"An accident, ma cherie, an accident."

"Sure it was. I-"

"Hey, Justin."

The two friends paused from their playful banter to stare at the intruder. And there stood the redheaded menace in all her glory, wearing a sequined gold dress that must have been freezing and lots of heavy jewelry. Her friends all stood behind her and tittered, obviously relishing what would come next. Mindless buffoons, Tally thought, sending them a sharp look.

"Hi," Justin said awkwardly, kicking Tally from underneath the table and sending her an urgent glance. They had always been able to have conversations using only their eyes and facial expressions, and the message he was sending right now was obviously, Help. Darcy had never made it a secret she liked Justin. And since the object of her affections wasn't ready to announce his true sexuality (thus deeming him un-dateable) she had always gone out of her way to make it known she was available and ready for him.

"I like your sweater," Darcy continued, smiling. Tally glanced at the stained hoodie and nearly burst out laughing.

"Thanks. I, um, like your shoes." He nodded at the nine inch torture devices on her feet and she beamed, doing a little twirl for him.

"They're designer."

"Cool..."

"So, that science assignment really sucked, huh?"

"It wasn't so bad."

"It was totally easy!" she said quickly, rolling her eyes. "But, like, Bethany wouldn't do any of the work, 'cause she barely knows what a cell is!" She laughed, and so did her cronies, looking at a certain mousy girl in their group, obviously Bethany, who forced a giggle.

"How tragic," Tally said sarcastically. Darcy broke off a moment to send her a glare before regaining her composure.

"I was wondering if you'd like to ask Mr. Cunningham to switch lab partners. I heard you're really good at science," she cooed.

"No thanks," he said immediately, and turned back to his ice cream, finishing it off. Go figure. His lab partner was Colin, the object of his affections.

"But, like, isn't Colin super dumb at science?" she giggled, and Justin immediately narrowed his eyes. Tally smirked. Now some shit's about to go down...

"He's learning a lot," he said coldly. "And he's getting better."

"Well, that's awesome. See? You're an amazing teacher, too." Her slaves nodded with her.

And before Justin could open his mouth to say anything else, Tally cut in: "Hey, Darcy, I think I hear the local strip club calling. They want their outfit back." She wasn't one to slut-shame, but with Darcy, she made an exception.

Darcy's green eyes narrowed to slits. "Shut up. You can go fuck yourself."

"Oooh! Damn, that really hurt. Better get some ice for that burn."

"Like you can talk, Berry Sweet." She smirked, and Tally stiffened. At the beginning of eighth grade, Darcy had spread the rumor that Tally had lost her virginity for a strawberry milkshake, and she had been teased for two months. Though it had died down now, Darcy still liked mentioning it for her own amusement. And it still pissed off never-been-kissed Tally, who didn't even like strawberry milkshakes.

And before she could even open her mouth (and throw back her fist), Justin stood up immediately, his mouth set in a straight line. "I don't appreciate you talking to my friend like that." He surprised both Tally and Darcy.

The latter's smile disappeared. "I was just—"

"Being a bully," he finished for her. "And I don't like bullies. Sorry, but we've got somewhere to be." He turned to his shocked friend and held out his hand, giving a little wink. "Ready to go?"

The brunette recovered quickly and nodded, smiling. "Letsa go!" she exclaimed in her best Mario-accent, and the two laughed and got up, walking to the door, Tally making sure to nudge Darcy extra hard with her shoulder on her way out.

"Did you see her face?!"

"She looked like she was going to poop a hundred badgers!"

"Or cry needles."

In Justin's old Hummer (though he technically wasn't supposed to be driving it yet...), he and Tally were driving along to Nelly's party, taking the time to, once more, talk over their little moment with Darcy. Even while Tally had dragged him though the shopping mall, he spoke of the event with as equal fervor as her, and they still weren't tired of it, hours later. Perhaps it was because they had never really called her out like that; they preferred to glare or mutter insults from afar. This was like a new victory.

And they adored it.

"I wonder what would happen if I had punched her instead..." Tally mused.

"Ladies don't fight!" Justin scolded in his best Mrs. Kingston accent. "They sit and cook."

Tally stuck her tongue out. "The sad part is that you got her spot on. Minus the not-fighting thing. Mom would get me to throw turnips at her or something."

"A true warrior." Justin gave a solemn nod.

"Indeed."

"So she hasn't laid off on you, I assume?"

"Her newest plan is to get me into honors math." Tally rolled her eyes. "Apparently, me still going to church as an agnostic isn't enough torture for her."

"A secret agnostic," Justin corrected.

"Well, that could change, if she let it. But, noooo! She has to be all close-minded." Tally let out a frustrated sigh and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "I wish I had parents like yours." Justin's parents were Jewish, but had completely accepted Justin's un-decidedness on religion.

"Yeah, well, they're still squeamish around gays. No one's perfect."

"Yeah ... sorry 'bout that."

"S'okay. It's not your fault."

Tally suddenly lifted her head up, a fierce look in her eyes. "I know I go on about never wanting kids. But if I do get them one day, please slap me if I ever end up a homophobic, bigoted, close-minded mother."

Justin sighed. "What am I, your rock? You want me to slap you every time you do something wrong." He looked at her and smirked. "You'll be pretty bruised by the time I'll be done."

"Not every time."

"You want me to slap you when you stop believing in Santa Claus and fairy tales, when you become a bigoted mother, when you go on an all-salad diet, and when you start wearing leopard print."

"Pfft. Like I'll ever do any of that."

"I hope not. Especially the leopard print. I'll have to disown you."

"I shudder in fear."

"Rightly so."

After a moment of silence, Tally began fidgeting with one of the loose threads on her dress. "Though, to answer your question, you are my rock."

He sniffed and wiped away a fake tear. "And you are my stone."

Nelly's house was big, yes. A mansion, really, probably the second largest house in all of Winevra (after Darcy Robertson's) and definitely the fanciest. For a family that was never around, they certainly kept their house in good shape. Tally took note of this as she walked in, a headache already threatening to spur at the pounding beat, a Justin Timberlake song she couldn't remember the name of. Justin looked equally as uncomfortable as her in this new environment, but he had a determined look on his face, a look that said he wasn't leaving until he experienced party life at least once.

She really hated that look.

"Split up?" she whispered, and he nodded, giving her a final glance before disappearing into the crowd.

And so she was alone. She would have liked to take a sentimental, quiet moment to think about this, but Bryson Adams was chugging a beer, and, since he was already drunk beyond drunk, he looked like he was about to throw up on the nearest available person: her.

So she ducked and went off, trying to ignore the retching sounds behind her and the squeal of Lacey Deliango. She immediately regretted coming, cursing herself for not trusting her instincts. However, she made no definite decisions, instead deciding to try and 'mingle'. She had always hated socializing, but it was never too late to start, right? There was a crowd gathered around a keg, so she walked over and pretended to be looking for something to drink.

"Hey!" She was greeted and nearly glomped by a drunk Maddie. "Ishn't this amaziiiiing?"

"Totally," Tally said, the sarcasm in her tone blatant. "So, uh, what do you do at these kinds of parties?"

"Everyone!" she giggled.

"Um. That's not what I meant but okay."

"Looshen up, girlfriend! Make out with a hot guy! I sthink Fernando was looking for youuuu..."

"I'm good, thanks," she muttered. Fernando was a guy in her art class (the only other person that managed to get above a B+ in the class, along with her). He was also a smart kid, and one who preferred to stay home and work on schoolwork than come out and party. Her mother liked Fernando.

Tally was interrupted by her thoughts with a snide, "Well, look at what the catfish dragged in."

The brunette turned to the speaker, eyes wide. And her eyes widened even more when she noticed the speaker: Darcy.

"Did you ... did you..." she sputtered, shocked. "Did you just use a Little Mermaid quote?"

The redhead looked decidedly uncomfortable, especially when someone whispered behind her (especially at Tally's loud tone). Then, she was back to her usual disgusted look, a gaze she saved for everyone besides her friends, teachers and crushes. This time, rage was added to the mix. "What are you, three years old?"

Tally stiffened. She hated being called childish, even if there was ample evidence to the fact. What did it matter, that she had a bigger imagination and creative span than the rest of her peers? That wasn't her fault, was it? Instead of responding, she simply sent the girl the dirtiest look she could muster, and pushed past her.

But Darcy wasn't through yet. She obviously wanted to punish her, in a way, for the earlier incident at Burger Queen's. Because no one crossed Darcy Robertson and got away with it. And now, her crush wasn't around to judge her with an opinion she cared about.

"By the way, I have a new boyfriend," the ginger-haired girl called out, cutting in front of Tally and smirking.

"How amazing for you," the brunette deadpanned. "Your hundredth customer, I assume? Why not reward him with a free blowjob?" And when Darcy's eyes narrowed dangerously, she knew she had crossed the line.

It felt awesome.

"His name's Dylan," Darcy drawled on, observing her fingernails in a I'm-going-to-enjoy-watching-you-perish-but-pretend-I-don't-care kind of way.

Dylan? She couldn't mean Dylan Peters, could she? Because that was just low. Dylan – blonde haired, sporty, and sweet, unlike most of the other stereotypical jocks – was Tally's long-time crush. A crush that she was sure might have liked her back.

Apparently not.

But she wasn't going to admit any of this to Darcy, so she replied, "Great. Congrat-"

"Oh, Dylan!" Darcy interrupted, waving to someone behind Tally. In a flash, he was beside her, his smile carving dimples into his cheeks and a cupid's arrow into Tally's heart. The brunette watched in awe and envy and Darcy stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips.

Once they broke away (Tally didn't look; she just stared at the ground, shaking with anger), Dylan offered Tally a smile. "Hey," he said.

"Hi," she breathed back, heart hammering, in spite of what she had just seen.

"Cool party, eh?"

"It's okay," Tally said with a shrug. "I'm not used to parties."

"Neither am I. Trying to get my grades up, y'know? My mom threatened to take away my PS3 if I didn't, and I'm addicted to that thing."

With each word, Tally seemed to fall harder. Great! Perhaps her mom would be more lenient about this relationship, should it ever happened. At least she'd have Dylan's mother to talk to about grades and their kids' non-academic interests.

"Me and Dylan are dating," Darcy announced, as if this was news to either of them.

"Dylan and I," Tally mumble-corrected, and the blonde boy laughed. Tally smiled back shyly. Darcy looked furious. It seemed she was surrounded by those who – gasp – didn't worship her today.

"So, Dylan, get me some punch, will you? Is it any good?" Darcy said, her voice tight.

"There's no punch." He blinked, looking confused. "Only beer and vodka. And some rum. But I've never had that before. Sounds too pirate-y, you know?"

"Arrr!" Tally joked, and Dylan laughed again. Like an angel singing, she thought happily.

"Well, get me some vodka, then," Darcy barked. "Strong." Her boyfriend nodded, gave Tally one last smile, and disappeared into the crowd, his orders given.

Darcy gave Tally one last scathing look before stomping away herself.

And so Tally was alone. Once again. She glanced around – people dancing/grinding, drinking, making out. Half naked teenagers pressed up against walls. Music so obnoxiously loud that she wished she could just...

Disappear.

Perfect.

Walking outside was like a breath of fresh air. As soon as the door closed shut behind her, the noise and the smell of sweat and alcohol welled up and vacuumed out, leaving nothing but clean, cold air. It was snowing, soft sparkles spiraling downwards and gathering up under her feet. She wished Justin was out, or even Maddie. She wanted to have a snowball fight, or sit in the snow and stare at the sky and talk. The first snow, and I'm alone.

Instead, she walked to the curb, sat down, and took out her phone. 7:46 P.M, the time flashed up at her, and she grimaced, hoping her friends would come out soon so she could shower and go home. She was tired and beyond, ready to call it a night and hit the sack. While waiting, she drew little patterns in the snow beside her. A flower. A smiley face. A snowflake. If it hadn't been snowing, she'd have gone back inside. But it was, and snow was one of the best things in the world, so she just sat and fiddled with her phone, Sebastian, sending a silent thanks to Jack Frost (because that was what she did).

Slam!

The girl jumped, biting back a squeak, as she looked behind her at the sudden noise. A door had slammed, the door to Nelly's house. And obviously, someone had done it. That someone was taking angry steps down the porch steps and onto the driveway, snow crunching under her shoes, sputtering curses under her breath all the way. And, of course, who else could it be? Darcy Robertson.

Of course, Tally thought bitterly. Out of all the human beings in the world, you have to pick her?! Again?!

Well, all the human beings aren't at this party, The Voice told her. Or this neighborhood. Or this country. Or this-

I get it!

You should listen to me more often. I'm smart.

Guess who doesn't-

"Out of my way."

Tally glanced up, not at all surprised to see the angry redhead looking down at her. "No," she said calmly. "You can just step around me."

"I don't care. Get out of my way." She sounded almost desperate. Which was weird, because that wasn't right.

"I don't want to!" Tally yelled. And she stood up, then, looking her opponent right in the eye. "What is your problem?"

"Excuse me?" Darcy sneered, all traces of previous desperation gone.

"You're always such a bitch!" She had anger, lots of anger, and why not spend it on Darcy, the main source of it? "You boss people around, tear them down, and you suck!"

"Oh, gee, that really hurt, Kingston." Darcy placed a hand on her heart and nodded. "It hurt right here."

"Really? I wasn't aware you had a heart to begin with! Dylan obviously seems to think you don't. And so does Justin, for that matter."

The other girl's eyes flashed dangerously, and Tally knew she had said something she shouldn't have. The girl's whole body tensed up. But she deserved it, right? She was just doing the right thing, putting her in her place and letting her know that not everyone was scared of her.

"Ugh, just get the hell out of my way," Darcy spat. "I don't have time to deal with you. My dad wants me back home to finish my homework up. What, doesn't your dad ever do that?" A split second of shocked, shocked silence, and Tally stared.

No. No, she wouldn't go that far, would she? She couldn't! She-

"Ooops! Sorry. I almost forgot. You don't have a dad."

Tally stood, stunned. Her hands slowly clenched into small, tight fists.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" Darcy smirked. "I'll be honest; I don't blame him. He probably killed himself, not wanting a daughter like you. I'd do the same. In fact—"

Snap.

And that was the breaking point. All the anger and fury that had been building up in Tally erupted, and she growled, letting it all explode in one, big push. Darcy stumbled back, landing on her butt in the grass. She leaped up immediately with a shriek, snow and mud sticking to her dress.

"You bitch," she snarled, pushing her with renewed fervor. Tally managed to catch her balance and she tackled her enemy to the snow-covered grass.

The two wrestled on the ground, in a pathetic fight. Darcy pulled Tally's hair. Tally punched her, hard. Darcy bit her arm. Tally kicked her shin. And they went on, screaming, kicking, slapping, pulling and biting. Had anyone passed, they'd have laughed or tried to break it up. Because, despite their lack of experience in the combat department, both teenagers looked ready to kill.

Finally, Tally stood up, being careful not to look at her outfit, and spun on her heel, ready to stalk off, break into Maddie's home and just shower before going home. She had had enough today. Worst. Day. Ever. Plus, she was obviously above Darcy, and fighting in general. Especially over something like this.

Though Darcy deserved any hit that she had received, saying something like that. She could just—

And then she felt something push into her, hard, harder than before, and she only had time to turn her head and stare at Darcy's angry face before she was tumbling to the road, landing squarely on her butt, hitting her head on the ground. She sat up, blinking hard, head swimming. Ow. Ow, ow, ow, she thought dazedly. Tally only managed to stand up, and she blinked, trying to steady herself. Her head felt heavy and her senses dulled, like she was underwater.

Suddenly, cutting through her hazy thoughts was something loud and shrill. A scream? A screech? No...

A horn. A horn that belonged to a car, though the sound after that was definitely a scream. And Tally looked to her left to see a car skidding towards her, headlights bright, and she stood, staring before SLAM!

Something bumped into her, knocking the wind out of her and sending her falling to the ground. And then it was on top of her, pressing on her so that she couldn't move. Her legs burned, her arms throbbed, and her felt like it would explode. And her heart, oh God, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't do anything but lie there as panic-tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn't even scream.

Not that she had to, because she heard plenty of it from around her: her name, swear words, and just one, loud shriek. She heard something open – a car door – and slam shut before, "Shit, someone call 911!" and then crying, and someone sobbing, "Fuck, fuck, I didn't meant to, I swear, it was the ice and snow, the goddamn snow..."

And then it hit her: she was being run over. By a car. There was a car on top of her. And she wanted to laugh and laugh and laugh because this was the last way she wanted to die.

Not breathing was doing this to her. It was also making things foggy and heavy, and she blinked thick, sleepy blinks. Her head hurt, but her chest felt like it was burning, white-hot pain running down it, spreading to the other parts of her body. And in one split second, the pain intensified to the point where she did scream, and the tears ran down her cheeks. She had never felt something like this before, something so raw and intense it terrified her. And she couldn't do a thing about it.

And it only that second to be over before everything went dark, and she was enveloped in velvety black.

She was dead.

and there you have it, folks! the first chapter! ^_^ i actually liked the way this turned out. weird, huh? it's not perfect, but i like it.

as some of you might be able to tell, this isn't too different from the original. the usual thing, only no school for Tally, and a different scenario. plus, we learned more about her mother. but she still died. sorry about that, Tally... ^_^"

shout out to Eniverante, whose birthday is today! happy birthday! i hope you're having a good day! and i hope you like this chapter!

here are some translations, for those who don't speak French and are curious as to what Tally's saying. keep in mind that i, myself, am no master at French. so if someone here is French, and notices a mistake in my translations, feel free to point them out!

"Oh, Justin, s'il vous plait! J'aime Queen de la Burger avec tout mon cœur et-"

translation: "Oh, Justin, please! I love Burger Queen with all my heart and-"

"...dans le langue de l'amour!"

translation: "...in the language of love!"

"C'est fantastique!"

translation: "That's fantastic!"

erm. i'm pretty sure that's all of them. if i missed any that anyone's curious about, let me know! :3

now ... time for ... review replies! pfft. you guys didn't actually think i'd get rid of these, did you? ;) hell to the no!

Replying to the Sexy Cookies

Music Illusion: hmm. short, eh? well, it is a prologue. but ... sorry?

hahaha! lucky for me, i think gold is overrated, and i love silver! so thanks. ^_^

duude. you must name my mistakes, duh. otherwise, i won't know how to approve! D:

but thank you for your kind words. ^_^ though i do hope you clear up your critiques. they're as confusing as you claim my prologue to be. ;P

anon: *le smexy Elvis Presley impersonation* thank you, thank you very much. both for your compliments and waiting!

TheWaffleAlchemist: OH YE WITH LE SMEXY NAME! hehe. i used French. Tally would be proud. :3

i'm glad my rewrite rose up to your expectations. here's the next chapter! enjoy!

AnimeVamp1997: well, herrow, my dear! :3 thank you, for your kind words! and, yes, you are correct. my skills in the prologue department are mediocre. but death is fun (?) to talk about, since it's such a huge topic. so many perspectives...

Tally will be, for the most part, similar to her old version. perhaps a bit snarkier. i'm not sure. she seems pretty similar to the first, in my opinion. now, if i i made her a tomboy-biker chick ... that would be awesome, but ... un-Tally-like. xD

i updated soon, i think! :D i hope you like this chapter!

Eniverante: happy birthday! i hope you like the chapter. erm, sorry if the update is a bit late...? xD

TaylorRiley17: thank you for the kind words! i really appreciate it! ^_^ and, yes, patience is a virtue. i think. xD nonetheless, enjoy the new chapter!

SunshineSketch: *facepalm* oh, you and your ... interesting sense of humor. :P you crack me up, too, girl, so don't worry. ;)

le squee! i hope you like the chapter! ^_^

and that's it, for the Sexy Cookies. :)

thank you to all those who read, reviewed, favorited, followed, etc. ^_^ you guys all rock!

you knoooow, reviewing means that you make kittens happy. you wish to make kittens happy, right? i should hope so. :3

asdfghjkl *flies off*