*A/N: Still sick, but this is a shorter-longer chapter. It's shorter
than my longer chapters, and longer than the short one. So I'm not THAT
sick. Luckily. Of course, I had to get sick during the summer! Oh and just
to let you know, my fraternal twin Sarah will be doing the next chapter
(yeah, she's the Sarah in Sarah Charlotte. I'm the Charlotte.) It's no
different; really, you won't be able to tell a difference. Our writing
styles are the same. Anyway, keep reading and reviewing! Our reviews are
what keep us to continue writing. Oh yeah and sorry if I spelt names wrong
(like names of singers and stuff). Apologizing for this chapter and
chapters in advance! Luv alwayz~ Charlotte
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
My hand was shaking as I rang the doorbell. That's funny - it had been programmed to play the "Friends" theme song. I had to laugh but I was too scared.
"Hey! Come on in!" Sierra said, laughing fake as she shook my hand. She didn't shake Michael's, though; she just kissed him on the cheek and hugged him. "That's how they do it to ALL the guys in Cheri," she explained.
No, it's not. I know because I studied Cheri when I got home. When they greet people, they hug them. Duh. She's such a liar.
"Well, there are drinks in kitchen, as well as food, and we're watching all my Friends tapes on the big screen TV. It's amazing how many people love Friends? Did you know that? I knew that, of course. In the other room, there's a swimming pool. Oh, don't worry if you didn't bring a swimsuit. I've bought tons and you can use them but afterwards discard them. Also in the room in the back, I turned it into a dance club. We're playing all kinds of music - Alanis Morissette, Evanescence, Lillix, Play, 50 Cent, Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Atticus, MxPx, Goo-Goo Dolls, Hilary Duff, Atomic Kitten, Cooler Kids, Jump5, Haylie Duff...everything! You should really go check it out."
"SIERRA! WHERE ARE YOU?" someone screamed, and Sierra looked at us apologetically. "Sorry, duty calls," she said before rushing off and yelling, "DAVID! YOU DON'T PUT THE PLASTIC PLATES IN THE MICROWAVE!"
"What do you wanna do first?" Michael asked me. I shrugged. "There is so much to do and all."
"Yeah, I know, it's kind of overwhelming," I agreed.
"Has anyone seen my blue ribbon?" Lilly screamed. "Oh my God they're here!" I screamed as the 'Friends' theme song started.
Michael grabbed my hand and pushed me into a room and turned the light on. It was a closet. An empty closet, but nonetheless, a closet.
I was still panicking. "Michael, I'm scared. What happens if they don't leave? What happens if they stay here?"
"Mia, it's okay!" he said. "They'll leave when they find out that Sierra was lying. Then they'll do a story about Sierra the Fraud."
"Shouldn't you go and stop her, then?" I said, sitting on the washing machine. "No," he said.
"Why not? I thought you'd hate to have your poor little love-of-your- life struggling for popularity and have her picture in the paper as the fraud of all mankind."
"She's not the fraud of all mankind."
"I know."
"Mia, why are you so jealous?"
"I'm not jealous."
"Yes, you are. You've always been jealous. Why?"
I'd never thought of it that way. I was jealous and I'd never thought of it. I just always thought I hated Sierra.
"I don't know. I mean, Sierra has everything. Her parents have cool jobs. She's met every movie star there ever was, every singer there ever was, everything. She's got the autograph of them all. Everyone loves her. She's so pretty. She always has a date. She has cute clothes and a really big house. She has hairspray girls, for crying out loud! Just like that girl on that TV show!"
"But what's one thing that she does or has or is that you want or want to be that makes you hate her and become jealous of her?"
This made me think. Michael was right. It wasn't what she did or what she had. It was because
"She isn't me."
"That's right! You got it! See, it's not because she has everything or she gets to do everything. It's because she isn't you that you envy her so bad. I mean you know what they say: the grass is greener on the other side. Sierra doesn't have it all that easily. Her parents are always traveling, she's moving all the time, her dad does two jobs: a pro baseball player AND prince of Cheri. Her mom works as a fashion designer for tons of TV shows. They're never home, they're always traveling and she has to stay home either with a nanny or by herself."
"So, I have it a lot better than she does?"
Michael nodded.
"So why have you been hanging out with her?"
"She's a really great person and she's fun to hang out with. All I've been doing is hanging out with her as a friend. Lilly hasn't told you yet?"
"No."
"Well, then you have my permission to make fun of Lilly with this." He pulled out a videotape labeled "Lilly's Star Performance".
"Put it in," he said and gestured to the camera on the dryer. "Funny place for a camera, on a dryer," I noted, but put the tape in.
On the screen immediately popped Lilly, dancing to Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow's "Picture", and then after it was over, it was Lilly singing along to Alanis Morissette's "Ironic". Lilly was an okay singer; I had to give her credit for that.
"See, even Lilly isn't miss perfect."
But then another tape fell out of...somewhere. I had to smile at what it was. It was labeled "Candid Camera".
"I have to tell you something," the on-screen Sierra said. "I'm a year older than everyone else."
"You mean you should have graduated already?" the on-screen Lana asked. "Yeah. I failed kindergarten, that was all." The televised version of Sierra replied.
"Kindergarten? What'd she do, color outside the lines?" I asked Michael. He laughed but shushed me.
"So you're really nineteen?" Lana-on-screen said.
The flat-screen Sierra nodded. I smiled as the tape ended.
"See, even the popular kids have stuff to be embarrassed about."
That was true. But I wasn't blackmailing Sierra.
TOP 10 REASONS WHY I DON'T WANT TO BE SIERRA TREMONT
10. I wouldn't have my parents around. Granted, my mom's annoying and all, but I still like to have her around.
9. Cheri isn't all that great, even though Sierra thinks it is. Actually, it's in danger of Genovia and Monaco deciding to overtake it one day.
8. Being a year older than everyone else would be so annoying. I mean I'm younger than everyone else because my birthday's in May, but whatever. That's beside the point. I mean to be 19?
7. Such a big house, wouldn't you get lost?
6. To get that perfect blonde color, she has to dye her hair. I'm serious, more chemicals on that thing and all her hair will fall out.
5. Every other day she's on a new diet. I'm glad I don't have to watch my weight, being a vegetarian and all. Also naturally skinny. Not that she needs it, though.
4. Being friends with Lana cannot be fun. At, like, all. Also being friends with Lana's crew, like Josh, Tiffany, Laura, Ashley, Sarah, Andrea, Shannon, Michelle, Brittany, Madison, Samantha, Emily, Christina, Claire, and Josh's friends.
3. Ling Su, Shameeka, Tina, and Lilly wouldn't be my friends. In fact, I would be forced to look down upon them. And since Ling Su, Shameeka, Tina, and Lilly are all my best friends for life, I know that looking down on them wouldn't be fun.
2. I would be forced to learn not only princess lessons but also French, Spanish, Greek, Latin (even though no one speaks it), Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Mandarin, Japanese, German, and Norweigan.
Even though it sounds clichéd and has probably been done by a thousand million people...because then I wouldn't be me.
May 20, Genovia!
You'd never guess it, especially why I haven't been writing.
I've been in Genovia!
I'm really excited. Sierra's leaving to Cheri in a couple of days (when I move back) so things are going to be back to normal, and Michael and Lilly are coming up here over the summer.
"We must pass through darkness to reach to the light." - Albert Pike
Albert Pike was right ...even though it doesn't seem like darkness, finally I've reached the light.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
My hand was shaking as I rang the doorbell. That's funny - it had been programmed to play the "Friends" theme song. I had to laugh but I was too scared.
"Hey! Come on in!" Sierra said, laughing fake as she shook my hand. She didn't shake Michael's, though; she just kissed him on the cheek and hugged him. "That's how they do it to ALL the guys in Cheri," she explained.
No, it's not. I know because I studied Cheri when I got home. When they greet people, they hug them. Duh. She's such a liar.
"Well, there are drinks in kitchen, as well as food, and we're watching all my Friends tapes on the big screen TV. It's amazing how many people love Friends? Did you know that? I knew that, of course. In the other room, there's a swimming pool. Oh, don't worry if you didn't bring a swimsuit. I've bought tons and you can use them but afterwards discard them. Also in the room in the back, I turned it into a dance club. We're playing all kinds of music - Alanis Morissette, Evanescence, Lillix, Play, 50 Cent, Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Atticus, MxPx, Goo-Goo Dolls, Hilary Duff, Atomic Kitten, Cooler Kids, Jump5, Haylie Duff...everything! You should really go check it out."
"SIERRA! WHERE ARE YOU?" someone screamed, and Sierra looked at us apologetically. "Sorry, duty calls," she said before rushing off and yelling, "DAVID! YOU DON'T PUT THE PLASTIC PLATES IN THE MICROWAVE!"
"What do you wanna do first?" Michael asked me. I shrugged. "There is so much to do and all."
"Yeah, I know, it's kind of overwhelming," I agreed.
"Has anyone seen my blue ribbon?" Lilly screamed. "Oh my God they're here!" I screamed as the 'Friends' theme song started.
Michael grabbed my hand and pushed me into a room and turned the light on. It was a closet. An empty closet, but nonetheless, a closet.
I was still panicking. "Michael, I'm scared. What happens if they don't leave? What happens if they stay here?"
"Mia, it's okay!" he said. "They'll leave when they find out that Sierra was lying. Then they'll do a story about Sierra the Fraud."
"Shouldn't you go and stop her, then?" I said, sitting on the washing machine. "No," he said.
"Why not? I thought you'd hate to have your poor little love-of-your- life struggling for popularity and have her picture in the paper as the fraud of all mankind."
"She's not the fraud of all mankind."
"I know."
"Mia, why are you so jealous?"
"I'm not jealous."
"Yes, you are. You've always been jealous. Why?"
I'd never thought of it that way. I was jealous and I'd never thought of it. I just always thought I hated Sierra.
"I don't know. I mean, Sierra has everything. Her parents have cool jobs. She's met every movie star there ever was, every singer there ever was, everything. She's got the autograph of them all. Everyone loves her. She's so pretty. She always has a date. She has cute clothes and a really big house. She has hairspray girls, for crying out loud! Just like that girl on that TV show!"
"But what's one thing that she does or has or is that you want or want to be that makes you hate her and become jealous of her?"
This made me think. Michael was right. It wasn't what she did or what she had. It was because
"She isn't me."
"That's right! You got it! See, it's not because she has everything or she gets to do everything. It's because she isn't you that you envy her so bad. I mean you know what they say: the grass is greener on the other side. Sierra doesn't have it all that easily. Her parents are always traveling, she's moving all the time, her dad does two jobs: a pro baseball player AND prince of Cheri. Her mom works as a fashion designer for tons of TV shows. They're never home, they're always traveling and she has to stay home either with a nanny or by herself."
"So, I have it a lot better than she does?"
Michael nodded.
"So why have you been hanging out with her?"
"She's a really great person and she's fun to hang out with. All I've been doing is hanging out with her as a friend. Lilly hasn't told you yet?"
"No."
"Well, then you have my permission to make fun of Lilly with this." He pulled out a videotape labeled "Lilly's Star Performance".
"Put it in," he said and gestured to the camera on the dryer. "Funny place for a camera, on a dryer," I noted, but put the tape in.
On the screen immediately popped Lilly, dancing to Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow's "Picture", and then after it was over, it was Lilly singing along to Alanis Morissette's "Ironic". Lilly was an okay singer; I had to give her credit for that.
"See, even Lilly isn't miss perfect."
But then another tape fell out of...somewhere. I had to smile at what it was. It was labeled "Candid Camera".
"I have to tell you something," the on-screen Sierra said. "I'm a year older than everyone else."
"You mean you should have graduated already?" the on-screen Lana asked. "Yeah. I failed kindergarten, that was all." The televised version of Sierra replied.
"Kindergarten? What'd she do, color outside the lines?" I asked Michael. He laughed but shushed me.
"So you're really nineteen?" Lana-on-screen said.
The flat-screen Sierra nodded. I smiled as the tape ended.
"See, even the popular kids have stuff to be embarrassed about."
That was true. But I wasn't blackmailing Sierra.
TOP 10 REASONS WHY I DON'T WANT TO BE SIERRA TREMONT
10. I wouldn't have my parents around. Granted, my mom's annoying and all, but I still like to have her around.
9. Cheri isn't all that great, even though Sierra thinks it is. Actually, it's in danger of Genovia and Monaco deciding to overtake it one day.
8. Being a year older than everyone else would be so annoying. I mean I'm younger than everyone else because my birthday's in May, but whatever. That's beside the point. I mean to be 19?
7. Such a big house, wouldn't you get lost?
6. To get that perfect blonde color, she has to dye her hair. I'm serious, more chemicals on that thing and all her hair will fall out.
5. Every other day she's on a new diet. I'm glad I don't have to watch my weight, being a vegetarian and all. Also naturally skinny. Not that she needs it, though.
4. Being friends with Lana cannot be fun. At, like, all. Also being friends with Lana's crew, like Josh, Tiffany, Laura, Ashley, Sarah, Andrea, Shannon, Michelle, Brittany, Madison, Samantha, Emily, Christina, Claire, and Josh's friends.
3. Ling Su, Shameeka, Tina, and Lilly wouldn't be my friends. In fact, I would be forced to look down upon them. And since Ling Su, Shameeka, Tina, and Lilly are all my best friends for life, I know that looking down on them wouldn't be fun.
2. I would be forced to learn not only princess lessons but also French, Spanish, Greek, Latin (even though no one speaks it), Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Mandarin, Japanese, German, and Norweigan.
Even though it sounds clichéd and has probably been done by a thousand million people...because then I wouldn't be me.
May 20, Genovia!
You'd never guess it, especially why I haven't been writing.
I've been in Genovia!
I'm really excited. Sierra's leaving to Cheri in a couple of days (when I move back) so things are going to be back to normal, and Michael and Lilly are coming up here over the summer.
"We must pass through darkness to reach to the light." - Albert Pike
Albert Pike was right ...even though it doesn't seem like darkness, finally I've reached the light.
