Hey everyone! So I just wanted to let you guys know I've bene having so much fun writing this and it's helped me take my mind of things. And even though I'm getting like 500000 more ideas for stories, I'm going to finish it.
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So, as always, read, review, and enjoy!
"It's the last day before school starts… we should be doing something!" Lisa said, slumping back in the lawn chair, pulling her long hair into a high ponytail.
"I don't know," Allison said, applying more sunscreen to her arms, legs, and face. "There's nothing to do around here… we've seen every movie, gone to every store, hung out with everyone…."
"Well we should be preparing for our sophomore year of high school." Allison turned to her, pulling up her sunglasses and looking at her strangely.
"What more can we prepare? We have all of our books, notebooks, our outfits are laid out –."
" I mean, like a pact. We need to be independent this year. No more… worrying about boys, no drama – just forget Greg, forget… god, what's his name? Brown hair, brown eyes, really geeky," Lisa pondered, snapping her fingers.
"James." Lisa whipped around, glaring at Allison. "You were talking about James."
"I know. I was doing that thing where you name characteristics of a person so that you don't have to say his or her name," Lisa said shortly, putting her sunglasses back on and taking a sip of her iced tea.
"But no more boys – this year we are going to be independent women, free from the constraints of a relationship. We will flirt and we will admire, but no boyfriends." Allison nodded and sighed, leaning back against the chair. She tied what was left of her hair in a ponytail – about two weeks ago, she had a sort of freak out, heading to the salon and demanding that she cut her long, beautiful, curly hair to a shoulder length. She now had to straighten it every day, so that it would curl under and frame her face.
"Sounds perfect."
"When is your dad going to be home?" Eric asked in between kisses.
"Soon," Remy said, kissing him back, but then sitting up. "Which means you should stop… that," she said giggling as Eric planted her with a barrage of kisses.
"I'm home!" Her dad shouted from the front door and Remy sat up quickly, turning the television on and moving at least a foot away from Eric.
"I thought you said your dad liked me," Eric whispered under his breath as he straightened out his shirt.
"He does, he does… it's just… I'm his little girl. And you're my boyfriend." Eric rolled his eyes, but understood.
"Hey Remy, Hey Eric," her dad said, extending his hand to Eric, which he shook.
"Hey Dad, how was your run?"
"Good, good – I'm going to take a shower," he said, pausing before adding, "Behave!" Heat began creeping up Remy's neck as she swatted her dad away.
"Just go Dad…" she said, embarrassed, and Eric grinned, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"So school is starting tomorrow," he said as she laid her had in his lap, running his hand through her hair.
"Yeah…" Remy said softly, biting her lip nervously.
"What's wrong?" She sat up, turning to face him, cross-legged on the couch.
"What's going on?" He asked, reaching out to stroke her face.
"It's just… this summer. It's been amazing. But… once we get back to school… are you going to ignore me?" Eric looked upset, his shoulders slumping.
"Do you really think that about me?"
"No – no, it's not that. I just… I want it to be like the summer. And your friends... –."
" Ignore them," he interrupted, pulling her in his arms. "I really like you… and if they can't see how great you are… well screw them," he said, giving her another kiss.
"Thanks John," Allison and Lisa said, hopping out of the car in the senior parking lot, anxious to escape the senior boys that were heading to tackle Allie's brother. They headed down the parking lot slowly, savoring their last few moments free from school.
"Do you think we'll have to see them?" Allison asked, hiking her black bag up on her bare shoulder. She wore a beige off-the-shoulder shirt with a bow and an olive khaki skirt. It was her "make-him-forgive-me outfit," but now as she was walking up the path to the school, she felt that she should have chosen something else.
"Oh my god," Lisa said, holding her arm out to stop Allison from walking closer to them. They sat on the step around the flagpole with some other guys from their class.
"Oh my god," Allison echoed, feeling her heart ache to see him again.
James looked up from staring at his feet, in the efforts to avoid seeing Lisa. He looked up at the wrong time, meeting her eyes from across the way.
"Oh my god," James breathed, elbowing Greg in the gut.
"What the hell was that for?" Greg asked agitated and James cleared his throat discreetly. Greg looked out, blood rushing into his face and his hands clenching unconsciously into fists. He stood up, grabbing his backpack and heading into the building without a word.
Allison sighed, watching him go, feeling like her feet were glued to the ground.
"Jimmy is coming over here," she said, leaning to talk to her.
"Oh no," Lisa said, twirling a finger nervously around one of her ringlets.
"Lisa… hi," James said and she brushed by him.
"Save it, Wilson," she spat, giving him a glare, and heading off. James watched her go and sighed, turning back to Allison.
"Hey," she said simply and he nodded in return. "How was your summer?" she asked politely.
"Good… good… How about yours?"
"About the same… So… even though I'm not with Greg and you aren't with Lisa… we can still be friends, right?" James sighed, fidgeting around as he adjusted his bag.
"I… don't know. You… cheated on him."
" He… left me… he just… stopped being there."
" You could have talked to him – told him how you really felt
"Like you could have talked to Lisa and told her how you really felt." James bit his lip and the two of them stood there in silence.
"Maybe there's just… too much baggage between the two of us to really be friends… right now, at least." Allison nodded, giving him a small wave before heading into the school.
"I heard he cheated on her…"
"Yeah, well who wouldn't? She's such a bitch."
" She's smoking hot though… Why would he cheat on her?"
Whispers followed Amber around the school, conversations halted when she came up to friends, and she felt like she was being driven out of the school. She stood at the front of the cafeteria, her favorite hour of the day now being invaded by ugly rumors and backstabbing friends. Amber held her salad in her hands and then turned, heading outside, away from everything.
She headed outside, where people were scattered across the lawn and benches, and she began to look for an empty space.
"You can sit here, Amber." Amber turned around and smiled at a friendly face as she headed over to the bench.
"You're…," Amber said, wincing, as she was sure that she knew him, but couldn't match a face to a name.
"James Wilson," he said politely, extending a hand, feeling a spark as he touched her hand. He looked at her, his heart starting to speed up at being in such close contact with her. He now noticed things that he had never seen before, like her bright blue eyes and the small freckle by her eyebrow.
"Right," she said, letting go of his hand. "Can I call you Wilson?"
"Sure," he breathed and nodded, not taking his eyes off her. He shook his head, composing himself. "Why are you sitting out here… with me? What about all of your friends?" Amber smiled weakly, tucking a strand of wavy blonde hair behind her ear.
"Right now… I have no friends. I'm simply a center for vicious gossip…" she mused thoughtfully.
"Well… you always have me," he said and she looked up into his dark eyes and gave him a smile.
"Thanks," she said and he smiled reassuringly at her.
"Allison…!" Allison recognized the voice and kept walking, refusing to turn around.
"Allison, wait!" Robert cried, catching up to her and swiftly pulling her books out of her hands, carrying them to class.
"What are you doing Rob?" she asked, turning into her classroom. "Can I have my books back please?" she asked politely albeit coldly.
"Well, this is my class too – we should sit together," Rob said, handing back her books.
"So, you're with him now, I'm guessing," a voice filled with malice said from behind her, and Allison spun around, meeting Greg's angry blue eyes.
"No Greg, it's not like that," she pleaded and he shook his head, taking a seat in the back of the class, stewing silently with anger. Allison sighed, putting her hand to her head in obvious frustration.
"Allie, I'm so sorry –."
"Stop," she said firmly, holding a palm up to him. "I need to make this right with Greg… I think… I think I may have loved him," Allison said sadly, looking up into his blue eyes. "But because of what I did – I may never know."
"So how did I do today?" Eric asked on the bus going home – they sat in the back of the bus along with some of Eric's friends. Remy smiled, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"You did great," she said, giving him a kiss. "Want to come back to my house? We've got tons of homework to do today."
" You want to study?" Eric asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively and leaned in for a kiss. Remy held a hand up, confused.
"No, I meant… study. Like Algebra or European Literature." Eric froze, the back of the bus quieting down to hear his response.
"Man, studying his lame," he said, looking over to his friends, unable to meet her probing, curious eyes. She sighed, disappointed, the bus rolling to a stop.
"You can be a real jerk sometimes," she said, walking off. Eric sighed, slumping back into his chair. He expected to date in high school, but only the girls who hung around his group of friends – not one who was interested in homework or hated shopping. Over the summer, the true Eric had surfaced, and now, he was risking his girlfriend to remain in good graces with his friends – but he wasn't sure if that was a risk which he wanted to take.
