Lunch was never my favorite time of day. Having very little friends in high
school, I usually sat with my friend Kaylee Saunders. She was a sweet girl,
a year older than me in junior year. I liked her and we had grown up
together. She wasn't popular at Castle Rock but had more friends than I, so
as I entered the small lunchroom I smiled as she waved at me.
"Hey Kaylee," I said, sitting down with my lunch opposite her. There were a few other people at the table, but I didn't talk to them and I had no desire to.
"Celeste! Hey," she said happily. Her long, blonde hair and anxious crystal blue eyes made her look like a princess out of a fairy tale and had most of the male student body fawning over her every move. It was a wonder she wasn't popular, on the other hand, girls hated her for her petite body and gorgeous features. At first, I was afraid of her but she had befriended me first and I learned to quickly be myself around her. "Your hair is cut!"
I laughed lightly, biting into my tomato salad. "It's a nice change. I like it," I said.
"So," she went on, playing with her apple. "I'm having a few friends over this weekend, would you like to come?" I looked at her, startled. I had hardly ever been invited to hang out with people...I was uncertain- extremely nervous. What would I wear? Would the other people like me? Who would be there? I shook my head and grinned nervously.
"Um-sure," I said through shaking teeth. I knew she could tell I was uncertain and I saw her peer at me, eyes glittering.
"You can bring someone, if you'd like," she said in a sweet tone. "I've seen you hang out with that Chambers boy and Gordie LaChance. I'm friends with Gordie, he's coming, and how about you bring Chris?"
I dropped my sandwich. Chris? My heart fluttered as I thought of him. I had discovered that morning when he had noticed my haircut that I had developed a crush on the youngest Chambers son. It was my first real crush and it made me all giddy and shit.
"Okay!" I said, maybe a bit too anxiously. "Um, what time?"
Kaylee smiled her famous smile, and seemed to be in a much better mood. "It's Friday night, starts at seven thirty. Would you want to spend the night afterwards? A few other girls will be spending the night too."
I was on cloud nine. I was actually being invited to a social gathering and I was invited to spend the night! My pathetic life was beginning to shape up and I couldn't help but be overjoyed.
"Oh, Kaylee, thanks so much," I said grinning. She giggled.
"Celeste, it's no problem. I always really wanted to hang out with you, but you seemed so-I don't know, separated." She smiled happily at me and for the rest of lunch I couldn't stop grinning.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Like usual, when I got home that afternoon, my mother was not there. I hadn't expected her to be, so it didn't bother me much. I walked up to my room and looked at myself in the mirror. Now, with my shorter hair, I was beginning to think of ways to do it. I remembered my best friend who moved Colette had taught me to French braid. Without thinking twice, I French braided my hair into to pigtails and looked around until I came upon two pale pink ribbons and put them a the end. I threw on my sweater and put on a skirt. I looked myself up and down. I looked pretty decent.
Just as I was finishing up my last bit of homework, I heard the door knock. I flew down the stairs and opened the door breathlessly.
Chris and Gordie started to laugh when they saw I was out of breath.
"Did you just run a mile or something?" Chris asked laughing. I blushed a deep crimson.
"No," I muttered. Gordie laughed.
"Come on, we're hanging at my place."
I smiled at Gordie and closed the door without thinking of my mother once.
*~*~*~*~*
Next chapter, we see what happens at the LaChance house! ;-)
Review!
"Hey Kaylee," I said, sitting down with my lunch opposite her. There were a few other people at the table, but I didn't talk to them and I had no desire to.
"Celeste! Hey," she said happily. Her long, blonde hair and anxious crystal blue eyes made her look like a princess out of a fairy tale and had most of the male student body fawning over her every move. It was a wonder she wasn't popular, on the other hand, girls hated her for her petite body and gorgeous features. At first, I was afraid of her but she had befriended me first and I learned to quickly be myself around her. "Your hair is cut!"
I laughed lightly, biting into my tomato salad. "It's a nice change. I like it," I said.
"So," she went on, playing with her apple. "I'm having a few friends over this weekend, would you like to come?" I looked at her, startled. I had hardly ever been invited to hang out with people...I was uncertain- extremely nervous. What would I wear? Would the other people like me? Who would be there? I shook my head and grinned nervously.
"Um-sure," I said through shaking teeth. I knew she could tell I was uncertain and I saw her peer at me, eyes glittering.
"You can bring someone, if you'd like," she said in a sweet tone. "I've seen you hang out with that Chambers boy and Gordie LaChance. I'm friends with Gordie, he's coming, and how about you bring Chris?"
I dropped my sandwich. Chris? My heart fluttered as I thought of him. I had discovered that morning when he had noticed my haircut that I had developed a crush on the youngest Chambers son. It was my first real crush and it made me all giddy and shit.
"Okay!" I said, maybe a bit too anxiously. "Um, what time?"
Kaylee smiled her famous smile, and seemed to be in a much better mood. "It's Friday night, starts at seven thirty. Would you want to spend the night afterwards? A few other girls will be spending the night too."
I was on cloud nine. I was actually being invited to a social gathering and I was invited to spend the night! My pathetic life was beginning to shape up and I couldn't help but be overjoyed.
"Oh, Kaylee, thanks so much," I said grinning. She giggled.
"Celeste, it's no problem. I always really wanted to hang out with you, but you seemed so-I don't know, separated." She smiled happily at me and for the rest of lunch I couldn't stop grinning.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Like usual, when I got home that afternoon, my mother was not there. I hadn't expected her to be, so it didn't bother me much. I walked up to my room and looked at myself in the mirror. Now, with my shorter hair, I was beginning to think of ways to do it. I remembered my best friend who moved Colette had taught me to French braid. Without thinking twice, I French braided my hair into to pigtails and looked around until I came upon two pale pink ribbons and put them a the end. I threw on my sweater and put on a skirt. I looked myself up and down. I looked pretty decent.
Just as I was finishing up my last bit of homework, I heard the door knock. I flew down the stairs and opened the door breathlessly.
Chris and Gordie started to laugh when they saw I was out of breath.
"Did you just run a mile or something?" Chris asked laughing. I blushed a deep crimson.
"No," I muttered. Gordie laughed.
"Come on, we're hanging at my place."
I smiled at Gordie and closed the door without thinking of my mother once.
*~*~*~*~*
Next chapter, we see what happens at the LaChance house! ;-)
Review!