A/N: ok.I'm trying. Bit by bit I get this chapter up.only a bit
more.trying.
Oh, and like in the old, classic Disney movies, people randomly burst into song, well, my characters seem to randomly burst into Shakespeare, or something very similar to it. Just kinda accept this now.
Disclaimer: I don't own ten things I hate about you, or anyone associated with it. Don't get me started if Andrew and Joey are mine. I just spent half an hour trying to figure it out. I do know "here I am" by Bryan Adams was not written in 1999. Deal with it. I don't own it. I don't own "she's so high" by Tal Bachman or "it's raining men" either. I don't own America's Funniest Home Videos. I don't own Titanic, I don't own The Tenth Kingdom. My gosh, this chapter is FULL of allusions.
I own Cindy Maroow. And Gary. Use them if you wish, but tell me so in a review so I can read your story. Oh, gimme credit, too. Thanks
That night, Andrew and Joey met at the Leigh/Stratford neutral zone - the next door neighbor's house. "Ok," Joey reaffirmed. "So while you get Kat, I'm getting Bianca out her window?" He looked uncertainly at the 10ft ladder in the bed of his Gumby-green pick-up truck. Together they took out the ladder and placed it up against the frame of Bianca's window. The boys mentally wished each other good luck and went towards their destinations.
Andrew's stop began with the doorbell of Kat's house. Brad answered. "Hello. Andrew, - right?" Brad smiled his macho-dude smile, completing his "game day" look for the Braves' game on TV. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"
Mentally slapping himself for his entire past, Andrew gave Brad a wry face. "Um, I 'm, um here for Kat."
In the background, on the stairs leading to the bedroom hallway, Ella offered. "I'll get her, dad!" She stomped up the stairs to the bedrooms.
Meanwhile, Brad let Andrew in and began to "chat" with him. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Brad asked.
Brad wasn't stupid; he was just oblivious. " Yup." Andrew quickly answered.
"Everything going well in school?"
"Yup."
"Kat a good girl?"
"Yes, sir."
"Ella?"
Nod. "Yes, sir." Lie. * * Joey was waiting in Bianca's room. Five minutes ago, she had asked him, "Stay right here. I'm almost ready." Bianca had been incredibly easy going with this part of the plan.
However, punctuality was not her strong suit. Bianca fully intended to be ready by the time Joey showed up. But "the real world" came on.and then she ate dinner.took a shower. painted her nails.watched some MTV.watched some more MTV. had a verbal battle with Ella.and time just slipped away. It gave her guilty satisfaction that she had Joey around her finger, instead of Ella getting the guy. When Bianca looked in the mirror, she could have sworn she saw Ella instead of her own face.
This horrified Bianca. "Ohno." She whispered to herself. Bianca whipped out her makeup remover and redid her makeup. "I'm NOT Ella Leigh. I swear on my cell phone, I am not Ella." She remembered her ruined shoes and dress from the first day of school. "No."
Bianca decided she was ready for her first party in Georgia. * * *
What's taking her so long? Andrew wondered. Before he could speculate, he heard a loud crash. Both he and Brad shut up and stared into the night through the oversized window in the living room. Andrew could barely make out Cameron begin to stand up, see Patrick and Brad, and duck back down in the bushes. Luckily, Brad didn't notice because Kat came thomping down the stair.
"You aren't allowed to hold me, hug me, or touch me." Kat mumbled under her breath to Andrew as he smiled to greet her.
"Oh, but your whispers are so enticing. And with your lips so close to me like this I can't help myself." Andrew playfully whispered back.
Kat backed away and out the door to Andrew's car.
Once on the road, Andrew burst out laughing. "Oh, come on, Kat. You know you don't hate me that much. You wouldn't have come with me if you did."
"I still don't want to go to the party."
"Neither do I." Andrew confessed.
Kat grinned dubiously. "Then why are we going?"
Remembering an ad he saw in the newspaper, Andrew turned off onto an exit. "We're not." * * *
Ella laughed a long, down-to-no-breath-left kind of laugh. She couldn't stop. Everything was funny, and yet she didn't know (nor care) what in the world was funny. She just laughed and laughed and laughed. "I'm king of the world!" She slurred out on top of a chair at the club that the infamous party was being held at. Ella tried to place he empty Bud can near all her other ones, but her coordination gave out and she fell back into the crowd. She began to bodysurf along a wave of a thousand hands. At the end of the wave, Ella fell amongst a group of four or five hungry boys. She giggled and fell into one's waiting arms. He took her waist and the rest lewdly guided her to a back, more private room. * * *
Bianca relished this. Everything was so exciting, so fun! An old song "It's Raining Men" just finished, and she made her way to the bar to take a breath. Two more songs whizzed by before Bianca felt a tap on her shoulder. She whirled around, midlaugh at a joke the bartender made. Joey gaped. She was absolutely real. In the dances, her makeup came off, and her hair fell out of her perfect, prissy bun and curled around her shoulders. Bianca's eyes and smile illuminated from a stupid joke. "Hi Joey!" She giggled.
"Hi. Um, um, Ya-you wanna, you wanna dance with me?" He tripped over the words.
With a nod, Bianca took his hand and he led her out to the dance floor.
While dancing, Bianca couldn't figure out WHAT made this party so special. The city was bigger back home, there were more people back home, people stayed out later back home, and yet, this was SO much more fun. She couldn't stop smiling with Joey. "I can't think of when I've had more fun!" She breathlessly told him as she danced.
"I would have never danced like this at my old school." She thought at a slow dance. "And I would have never, ever danced with Joey. I-I would have danced with.Joey.Donner." Looking of into the distance, Bianca pictured a dance with Joey Donner. She would be smiling, and so would he. Only, he wouldn't be smiling at Bianca. Joey Donner would have been checking out everything with legs. A month ago, that picture would have fit. Because It wouldn't have been about someone actually LIKING her, it was about being seen in the arms of THE MOST POPULAR BOY in school. Bianca smile briefly at the thought of being THE MOST POPULAR GIRLFRIEND, but then thought of what the party would be like at the end of the night: Joey would be hanging all over Cindy Maroow, Bianca's biggest rival for Joey Donner. Chastity and Bianca would be in the corner, saying nasty things about Cindy. Then Bianca would go home and silently cry her eyes out. The night would be considered a "success".
For the first time in her life, Bianca was thankful that she had no reputation to live up to.
"Here I am. This is me. There's no where else on earth I'd rather be. Here I am, just me and you. Tonight we'll make our dreams come true. It's a new world; it's a new start; it's alive with the beating of young hearts; it's a new day; it's a new plan; I've been waiting for you." Bianca softly sang along with the lyrics by Bryan Adams. It struck true. Very true. Bianca leaned her head on Joey's shoulder and they began to rock back and forth.
"Joey?" Bianca asked.
"Hmmm?" He responded
"What are you thinking of right now?" She didn't really know anything about Joey, and now she really wanted to.
"My uncle's lake. I almost live there in the summer. He has a boat, a pair jetskis, and water-skis. It's the reason I'm on the swim team."
"Why are you thinking of that?" Bianca lifted her head off his shoulder and looked up at him.
"Because I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go water-skiing with me this weekend. What are you thinking of?"
"Saying yes." They smiled. Calm before the storm.
Over Joey's shoulder, Bianca noticed Ella dancing, but to the wrong beat and entirely wrong style for the song. 2 or 3 guys were draped over her, until she spotted Joey and danced towards him. Her goons followed their queen. One cut in on Bianca's dance and Ella danced with Joey.
"What are you doing?" Bianca pushed away from the boy.
His breath stunk of beer. "Come on, dance with me." * * * Ella flung herself on Joey. "She doesn't want you. But I do." She mumbled almost incoherently.
"You are so full of it." Joey shot back. * * "You are such a freak!" Bianca cried, pushing away. " Get awa-" * * * "Just look at her. She's never kissed you that way." Even drunk, Ella was still wonderful at knowing just what buttons to push.
Orpheus turned to see his love yanked away: The guy grabbed Bianca and pushed his mouth up to hers. * * *
From far away, Joey couldn't tell the kiss was unwanted. * * *
About 30 miles away, Kat missed the metal milk jugs. Again. It was her second try, so she joked. "Third time's a charm."
The carnie unclenched her eyes timidly, one at a time. "Maybe the faris wheel is for you.: She realized her hands were still over her head and awkwardly put them down. "Anything to make you leave." The carnie thought. A shattered prize box (due to the most annoying 7-year-old girl) was already coming out of her paycheck. She didn't care to subtract more from the balance. "Half-an-hour-to-my-break-half-an-hour-to-my-break" she nearly chanted under her breath.
The game next to Kat's lit up in a blur as annoying happy-go-lucky music rang out and children's cries of "you won!" filled the ten-foot radius. Andrew grinned. "Farris wheel sounds good." He claimed a pink bear. Very gallantly, Andrew handed the pair to Kat, where she rolled her eyes, and put it in her small backpack.
As they left the booth and meandered to the farris wheel, Kat asked "Tell me one of your fears."
A thousand hallmark cards rushed through Andrew's mind, which he had used for past blonde bimbos. Too bad, he thought, that Kat was a natural blonde. He'd never pick her for a real date-she was too smart for him to lie through his teeth. Luckily, as soon as he cashed in enough from Ella, he'd drop Kat. So he really didn't have to worry about keeping an image. So Andrew told the truth. "The cafeteria's fried chicken."
"Isn't everyone?" Kat smiled. "How about something no one else knows."
"Big dogs."
"Big dogs?"
Andrew smiled, remembering, "My best friend growing up, James, had a pair of Great Danes. One day, they decided that I was a chew toy. My mother couldn't even stitch up all the holes in my clothes. She demanded that he come over to my house from then on." They both laughed a bit. "And you?"
He was paying for the tickets- Kat didn't even remember the walk up. "Heights. I have a slight case of acrophobia. The second story of my house is the best I can do." She cautiously got into the seat.
When she was doing so, Andrew slipped the carnie a ten and whispered "Stop us at the top." Then he climbed in next to Kat.
¾ of the way up, Andrew noticed Kat's grip on the handle bar and her eyes closed. Enjoying the opportunity way too much, Andrew began to sway slightly forward and back, making the seat sway.
"Oh, wait, Andrew, do I hear some great Danes down there? If I fall, I'm takin' you with me!"
Andrew gripped the safety pole. "I'll never let go."
"Jack ***." Kat accused, completing the Titanic quote. "You don't care if I die!"
"Sure I do." He laughed." I'd have to start taking out blonde bimbos after my dashing looks."
"You're looks?! Like you could find one." Kat bantered back. He wasn't that bad looking. Not that she could see anything at that moment.
"See that there? Who needs a cheerleading squad when you got witty bi***es?" They were near the top, and Kat still refused to open her eyes. Then again, Andrew was still rocking. But now he was ready for her to open her eyes. Enough Kat and mouse.
"Just stop, please." Kat pleased.
"Only if you open your eyes and look to your left."
When she did, she gasped. "Oh!- Andr- It's THEM!" Kat nearly squealed. "It's them! My favorite-how did Andrew know?- Mandella would love this! I'll have to call her! - This is great! -" She thought. On impulse of extreme happiness, Kat began to throw her arms around Andrew, how she was leaning over.
Then she remembered herself, and awkwardly retaliated.
"Yeah, 'cuz human emotion would kill your reputation." Andrew casually commented.
"It would."
"Right, just like being seen white-knuckled would, too."
"I'm only here because you have this narcophobic side of you, and I like the thought of Bianca climbing down a ladder. The china doll might break a nail."
* * * "You creep! Get away from me!" The china doll pounded on the oaf's chest. He had her against a wall and was trying to kiss her. Even though he was drunk, Bianca was no match for him. He out weighed her by about 100 lbs. "Ahh!" She cried in frustration as she turned his cheek to the right.
"Gary!" A voice behind them called. The oaf whipped around. The voice continued, "What's going on---"the protester demanded, but stopped when she saw Bianca. "Bianca!?"
"Gabbie!" Bianca was grateful her friend came to he rescue.
Gabbie jumped to the wrong conclusion. "You're trying to steal my boyfriend - YOU RAT!"
A catfight might have started, but Gary puked and got Gabbie's attention away from Bianca. Gabbie became compassionate. "Oh, Gary-sweetie, we're going to take you home, ok?" She helped him to the parking lot.
Bianca ran out after her. "But you're my ri-ide!" Bianca protested. She hated the party, especially Gary. He ruined everything.
Bianca lost Joey, her ride, and was emersed in the smell of vomit. Not exactly her zenith. The night was unusually cold for Georgia, and Bianca wasn't wearing a coat. Defeated, she went back inside and went strait for the bathroom and sobbed her eyes out.
At least in Seattle she'd have been the Most Popular Girlfriend when she began to sob.
* * *
After an hour of Kat-bliss: dancing with her band, Andrew said they needed to the club everyone else was it. Kat was too happy to ask why; Andrew was too ashamed to say it was to get his earned money. Kat snapped a picture from the instant camera she picked up earlier and they left.
* *
Ella was dancing. It was the same dance everyone else was dancing with one classic element changed: She was on the bar.
This was the scene was that greeted Kat as she entered the room. Grinning evilly, she whipped out the disposable camera.
~ Ella knocking over glasses ~ CLICK. ~ Ella.was that dancing? ~ CLICK. ~ Perfect. ~ CLICK.
Andrew, on the other hand, was on the opposite side of the bar, leaning against the bar, secretly smiling, proud of Kat. One of Ella's great faults was that she couldn't handle alcohol. Life was great. He started to walk over to Kat, who was enjoying the scene. Some other people, obviously drunk too, were throwing stuff at Ella to get her down. One threw a glass beer bottle, and it hit her on the side of the head. This flung her to hit the glass rack, both the pole itself and some the glasses dangling from it. Like a clip from America's Funniest Home Videos, she slumped into Andrew's arms.
"God!" He wasn't expecting the weight, so he didn't hold her for more than a second before they both went down. And all the time Kat was snapping away.
"Kat, come on." Andrew said tiredly. "We have to take her home." He couldn't leave her there. Her head was bleeding, and she'd kill him the next day. He stood up, Ella still in his arms.
Kat rolled her eyes, annoyed. In a strange way, she was jealous. She was also laughing at the sight, mad at Ella. It was too confusing. "Fine," she agreed. " But I'm driving."
* *
Bianca looked down at the ground. "So, um, thanks for the ride." She looked over at Joey with her puppy eyes. She did her best to explain, but the words wouldn't work. Her make-up was a mess, and so was her hair. She didn't look a bit like the girl Joey asked to dance. But she was the same, deep down : selfish. When they got to Bianca's house, she felt like when her mom or dad would drive her home after a parent-teacher conferecne. That didn't go well. That deep, stoney silence that was the prologue to a lecture was coming on strong. So she just sat back and waited for it.
"Bianca, what in the -" Joey began.
"Et il commence" She offhandedly sighed.
Joey blinked in surprise. "Bi-bianca. That was French. You just said 'it begins' in French." Bianca rolled her eyes. "Well, you ARE my French tutor."
Joey nodded. "I'm her French tutor," He thought. "That's all I am. Her French tutor." He thought for a second and commented. "Ya know, I only know a chapter ahead of you in French. I'm not even taking French! I'm in Latin. I gave up weekends, hours of sleep, lots, just so I could learn French well enough to have the hour to tutor you. And you will never care, will you? It will never make a diffrence what I say or do for you. I will always just be the French tutor.
"Well consider this.
Hic ibat ~as I have told you before~,
Simois, ~I am Joey ~
hic est ~ who is done with your tricks,
Sigeia tellus ~ And tired of your lies.
Hic steterat ~ I tried as hard as I could to win your love, ~
Priami~ But all has failed,~
celsa senis ~ so please get out of my car."
Bianca, seeing the take on Shakespeare, suddenly hated herself. This would have been such a perfect night, had Ella not gotten drunk and Gary not been a jerk. Now it was all ruined. She couldn't say she never lied: she had. And she couldn't say she never used him: She had. But she wouldn't now. Joey wasn't as simple as he seemed. He was sweet, funny, cute, smart, and now angry. She took one last plunge to win him back.
"Now let me try to translate it.
Hic ibat ~I knew you not~
Hic est Sigeia tellus ~I know you now~
Hic Steterat Priami ~ Take heed and hear me well
Regia ~ Presume not Celsa senis ~ Despair not" She leaned over and kissed him. Then without a word, she left the car, closed the door and walked down the driveway, unlocked the house door, and went inside, never looking back.
Joey smiled, unsure of what in the world just happened. He turned on the radio and drove away thinking, "And I'm back in the game!"
" she's blood flesh and bone no tucks or silicone she's touch smell sight taste and sound but somehow i can't believe that anything should happen i know where i belong and nothing's gonna happen
(chorus)'cause she's so high
high above me she's so lovely
she's so high like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc or Aphrodite
she's so high, high above me
first class and fancy free she's high society she's got the best of everything. what could a guy like me ever really offer she's perfect as she can be why should i even bother
chorus
she calls to speak to me, i freeze immediately, 'cause what she says sounds so unreal. 'cause somehow i can't believe that anything should happen i know where i belong and nothing's gonna happen
chorus "
* * Kat pulled up to her house. Andrew, to his credit, was next to her, and never touched the radio. Ella was in the back seat, where Kat had the windows down in hopes that Ella might freeze to death. Just a hope.
"You can get your car now." Kat told Andrew: the first thing she had said to him the entire trip.
"I could." He replied.
"You will."
"Ah, the heartless soul uses her venom once again to strike everyone in sight." Andrew faked an announcer for some nature show's voice. He switched back to normal. "Why DO you put up the masquerade?"
"Why do you?" Kat snapped back. Then she sighed and rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe herself. "The only thing anyone knows about me is that I'm "scary". No one gets close, no one gets hurt, and I don't get hurt. It works."
Andrew nodded and said, "I'm no picnic myself." They smiled at each other. He waited a beat, and continued. "So what's up with your family now? Living with Ella'd be a pain in the ***."
Kat plainly nodded. "It is. But she can do no wrong in my mother's and Brad's eyes, so I just live with it."
"God, EVERYONE likes her. They aren't the only ones she's had under her spell. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one in the entire school that see that she's without." Experience helped him see that. But he decided not to mention that. How he hated working under her. Actually helping her wreck everyone's life. He was such slum.
Kat smiled sweetly at his words, seeing something they had in common. "You're not as vile as I thought you were." And then it happened. The ice between them broke, and they naturally began to lean towards each other to kiss. Kat closed her eyes.
And suddenly pulled away. It felt wrong. This entire night suddenly seemed wrong. That deja vu feeling swept over her, and she wanted something she couldn't have. But she hadn't a clue what it was.
Andrew, confused at her actions, got out of the car. "You're right. Showing emotion did kill your reputation. Too bad." He slammed the door as he left.
Kat laid her head on the steering wheel and considered crying. * * *
For the next week at school, they didn't talk at all to each other. They were both mad, and too stubborn to admit that they did wrong.
Bianca and Joey, however, seemed to be getting closer and closer. Ella began to get madder and madder at Andrew, since he apparently wasn't doing his job anymore. One day she lashed out on him, and Andrew laughed softly. He smiled sadly. "It's over Ella. You lost. Joey likes Bianca, Kat hates me. Just give up."
Ella too laughed. "You stupid idiot. I own you. It's not over 'til I say its over because I won. Do whatever it takes to win Kat back. Do whatever it takes to break up the happy couple. IT IS NOT OVER."
And being an obedient minion, Andrew left, ready to do her bidding.
A/N: OK! NO ONE TOOK MY POLL! BUT I'M OK WITH THAT! PLEASE REALISE THAT A GREAT HAPPY CHAPTER COMES NEXT!
Oh, and like in the old, classic Disney movies, people randomly burst into song, well, my characters seem to randomly burst into Shakespeare, or something very similar to it. Just kinda accept this now.
Disclaimer: I don't own ten things I hate about you, or anyone associated with it. Don't get me started if Andrew and Joey are mine. I just spent half an hour trying to figure it out. I do know "here I am" by Bryan Adams was not written in 1999. Deal with it. I don't own it. I don't own "she's so high" by Tal Bachman or "it's raining men" either. I don't own America's Funniest Home Videos. I don't own Titanic, I don't own The Tenth Kingdom. My gosh, this chapter is FULL of allusions.
I own Cindy Maroow. And Gary. Use them if you wish, but tell me so in a review so I can read your story. Oh, gimme credit, too. Thanks
That night, Andrew and Joey met at the Leigh/Stratford neutral zone - the next door neighbor's house. "Ok," Joey reaffirmed. "So while you get Kat, I'm getting Bianca out her window?" He looked uncertainly at the 10ft ladder in the bed of his Gumby-green pick-up truck. Together they took out the ladder and placed it up against the frame of Bianca's window. The boys mentally wished each other good luck and went towards their destinations.
Andrew's stop began with the doorbell of Kat's house. Brad answered. "Hello. Andrew, - right?" Brad smiled his macho-dude smile, completing his "game day" look for the Braves' game on TV. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"
Mentally slapping himself for his entire past, Andrew gave Brad a wry face. "Um, I 'm, um here for Kat."
In the background, on the stairs leading to the bedroom hallway, Ella offered. "I'll get her, dad!" She stomped up the stairs to the bedrooms.
Meanwhile, Brad let Andrew in and began to "chat" with him. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Brad asked.
Brad wasn't stupid; he was just oblivious. " Yup." Andrew quickly answered.
"Everything going well in school?"
"Yup."
"Kat a good girl?"
"Yes, sir."
"Ella?"
Nod. "Yes, sir." Lie. * * Joey was waiting in Bianca's room. Five minutes ago, she had asked him, "Stay right here. I'm almost ready." Bianca had been incredibly easy going with this part of the plan.
However, punctuality was not her strong suit. Bianca fully intended to be ready by the time Joey showed up. But "the real world" came on.and then she ate dinner.took a shower. painted her nails.watched some MTV.watched some more MTV. had a verbal battle with Ella.and time just slipped away. It gave her guilty satisfaction that she had Joey around her finger, instead of Ella getting the guy. When Bianca looked in the mirror, she could have sworn she saw Ella instead of her own face.
This horrified Bianca. "Ohno." She whispered to herself. Bianca whipped out her makeup remover and redid her makeup. "I'm NOT Ella Leigh. I swear on my cell phone, I am not Ella." She remembered her ruined shoes and dress from the first day of school. "No."
Bianca decided she was ready for her first party in Georgia. * * *
What's taking her so long? Andrew wondered. Before he could speculate, he heard a loud crash. Both he and Brad shut up and stared into the night through the oversized window in the living room. Andrew could barely make out Cameron begin to stand up, see Patrick and Brad, and duck back down in the bushes. Luckily, Brad didn't notice because Kat came thomping down the stair.
"You aren't allowed to hold me, hug me, or touch me." Kat mumbled under her breath to Andrew as he smiled to greet her.
"Oh, but your whispers are so enticing. And with your lips so close to me like this I can't help myself." Andrew playfully whispered back.
Kat backed away and out the door to Andrew's car.
Once on the road, Andrew burst out laughing. "Oh, come on, Kat. You know you don't hate me that much. You wouldn't have come with me if you did."
"I still don't want to go to the party."
"Neither do I." Andrew confessed.
Kat grinned dubiously. "Then why are we going?"
Remembering an ad he saw in the newspaper, Andrew turned off onto an exit. "We're not." * * *
Ella laughed a long, down-to-no-breath-left kind of laugh. She couldn't stop. Everything was funny, and yet she didn't know (nor care) what in the world was funny. She just laughed and laughed and laughed. "I'm king of the world!" She slurred out on top of a chair at the club that the infamous party was being held at. Ella tried to place he empty Bud can near all her other ones, but her coordination gave out and she fell back into the crowd. She began to bodysurf along a wave of a thousand hands. At the end of the wave, Ella fell amongst a group of four or five hungry boys. She giggled and fell into one's waiting arms. He took her waist and the rest lewdly guided her to a back, more private room. * * *
Bianca relished this. Everything was so exciting, so fun! An old song "It's Raining Men" just finished, and she made her way to the bar to take a breath. Two more songs whizzed by before Bianca felt a tap on her shoulder. She whirled around, midlaugh at a joke the bartender made. Joey gaped. She was absolutely real. In the dances, her makeup came off, and her hair fell out of her perfect, prissy bun and curled around her shoulders. Bianca's eyes and smile illuminated from a stupid joke. "Hi Joey!" She giggled.
"Hi. Um, um, Ya-you wanna, you wanna dance with me?" He tripped over the words.
With a nod, Bianca took his hand and he led her out to the dance floor.
While dancing, Bianca couldn't figure out WHAT made this party so special. The city was bigger back home, there were more people back home, people stayed out later back home, and yet, this was SO much more fun. She couldn't stop smiling with Joey. "I can't think of when I've had more fun!" She breathlessly told him as she danced.
"I would have never danced like this at my old school." She thought at a slow dance. "And I would have never, ever danced with Joey. I-I would have danced with.Joey.Donner." Looking of into the distance, Bianca pictured a dance with Joey Donner. She would be smiling, and so would he. Only, he wouldn't be smiling at Bianca. Joey Donner would have been checking out everything with legs. A month ago, that picture would have fit. Because It wouldn't have been about someone actually LIKING her, it was about being seen in the arms of THE MOST POPULAR BOY in school. Bianca smile briefly at the thought of being THE MOST POPULAR GIRLFRIEND, but then thought of what the party would be like at the end of the night: Joey would be hanging all over Cindy Maroow, Bianca's biggest rival for Joey Donner. Chastity and Bianca would be in the corner, saying nasty things about Cindy. Then Bianca would go home and silently cry her eyes out. The night would be considered a "success".
For the first time in her life, Bianca was thankful that she had no reputation to live up to.
"Here I am. This is me. There's no where else on earth I'd rather be. Here I am, just me and you. Tonight we'll make our dreams come true. It's a new world; it's a new start; it's alive with the beating of young hearts; it's a new day; it's a new plan; I've been waiting for you." Bianca softly sang along with the lyrics by Bryan Adams. It struck true. Very true. Bianca leaned her head on Joey's shoulder and they began to rock back and forth.
"Joey?" Bianca asked.
"Hmmm?" He responded
"What are you thinking of right now?" She didn't really know anything about Joey, and now she really wanted to.
"My uncle's lake. I almost live there in the summer. He has a boat, a pair jetskis, and water-skis. It's the reason I'm on the swim team."
"Why are you thinking of that?" Bianca lifted her head off his shoulder and looked up at him.
"Because I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go water-skiing with me this weekend. What are you thinking of?"
"Saying yes." They smiled. Calm before the storm.
Over Joey's shoulder, Bianca noticed Ella dancing, but to the wrong beat and entirely wrong style for the song. 2 or 3 guys were draped over her, until she spotted Joey and danced towards him. Her goons followed their queen. One cut in on Bianca's dance and Ella danced with Joey.
"What are you doing?" Bianca pushed away from the boy.
His breath stunk of beer. "Come on, dance with me." * * * Ella flung herself on Joey. "She doesn't want you. But I do." She mumbled almost incoherently.
"You are so full of it." Joey shot back. * * "You are such a freak!" Bianca cried, pushing away. " Get awa-" * * * "Just look at her. She's never kissed you that way." Even drunk, Ella was still wonderful at knowing just what buttons to push.
Orpheus turned to see his love yanked away: The guy grabbed Bianca and pushed his mouth up to hers. * * *
From far away, Joey couldn't tell the kiss was unwanted. * * *
About 30 miles away, Kat missed the metal milk jugs. Again. It was her second try, so she joked. "Third time's a charm."
The carnie unclenched her eyes timidly, one at a time. "Maybe the faris wheel is for you.: She realized her hands were still over her head and awkwardly put them down. "Anything to make you leave." The carnie thought. A shattered prize box (due to the most annoying 7-year-old girl) was already coming out of her paycheck. She didn't care to subtract more from the balance. "Half-an-hour-to-my-break-half-an-hour-to-my-break" she nearly chanted under her breath.
The game next to Kat's lit up in a blur as annoying happy-go-lucky music rang out and children's cries of "you won!" filled the ten-foot radius. Andrew grinned. "Farris wheel sounds good." He claimed a pink bear. Very gallantly, Andrew handed the pair to Kat, where she rolled her eyes, and put it in her small backpack.
As they left the booth and meandered to the farris wheel, Kat asked "Tell me one of your fears."
A thousand hallmark cards rushed through Andrew's mind, which he had used for past blonde bimbos. Too bad, he thought, that Kat was a natural blonde. He'd never pick her for a real date-she was too smart for him to lie through his teeth. Luckily, as soon as he cashed in enough from Ella, he'd drop Kat. So he really didn't have to worry about keeping an image. So Andrew told the truth. "The cafeteria's fried chicken."
"Isn't everyone?" Kat smiled. "How about something no one else knows."
"Big dogs."
"Big dogs?"
Andrew smiled, remembering, "My best friend growing up, James, had a pair of Great Danes. One day, they decided that I was a chew toy. My mother couldn't even stitch up all the holes in my clothes. She demanded that he come over to my house from then on." They both laughed a bit. "And you?"
He was paying for the tickets- Kat didn't even remember the walk up. "Heights. I have a slight case of acrophobia. The second story of my house is the best I can do." She cautiously got into the seat.
When she was doing so, Andrew slipped the carnie a ten and whispered "Stop us at the top." Then he climbed in next to Kat.
¾ of the way up, Andrew noticed Kat's grip on the handle bar and her eyes closed. Enjoying the opportunity way too much, Andrew began to sway slightly forward and back, making the seat sway.
"Oh, wait, Andrew, do I hear some great Danes down there? If I fall, I'm takin' you with me!"
Andrew gripped the safety pole. "I'll never let go."
"Jack ***." Kat accused, completing the Titanic quote. "You don't care if I die!"
"Sure I do." He laughed." I'd have to start taking out blonde bimbos after my dashing looks."
"You're looks?! Like you could find one." Kat bantered back. He wasn't that bad looking. Not that she could see anything at that moment.
"See that there? Who needs a cheerleading squad when you got witty bi***es?" They were near the top, and Kat still refused to open her eyes. Then again, Andrew was still rocking. But now he was ready for her to open her eyes. Enough Kat and mouse.
"Just stop, please." Kat pleased.
"Only if you open your eyes and look to your left."
When she did, she gasped. "Oh!- Andr- It's THEM!" Kat nearly squealed. "It's them! My favorite-how did Andrew know?- Mandella would love this! I'll have to call her! - This is great! -" She thought. On impulse of extreme happiness, Kat began to throw her arms around Andrew, how she was leaning over.
Then she remembered herself, and awkwardly retaliated.
"Yeah, 'cuz human emotion would kill your reputation." Andrew casually commented.
"It would."
"Right, just like being seen white-knuckled would, too."
"I'm only here because you have this narcophobic side of you, and I like the thought of Bianca climbing down a ladder. The china doll might break a nail."
* * * "You creep! Get away from me!" The china doll pounded on the oaf's chest. He had her against a wall and was trying to kiss her. Even though he was drunk, Bianca was no match for him. He out weighed her by about 100 lbs. "Ahh!" She cried in frustration as she turned his cheek to the right.
"Gary!" A voice behind them called. The oaf whipped around. The voice continued, "What's going on---"the protester demanded, but stopped when she saw Bianca. "Bianca!?"
"Gabbie!" Bianca was grateful her friend came to he rescue.
Gabbie jumped to the wrong conclusion. "You're trying to steal my boyfriend - YOU RAT!"
A catfight might have started, but Gary puked and got Gabbie's attention away from Bianca. Gabbie became compassionate. "Oh, Gary-sweetie, we're going to take you home, ok?" She helped him to the parking lot.
Bianca ran out after her. "But you're my ri-ide!" Bianca protested. She hated the party, especially Gary. He ruined everything.
Bianca lost Joey, her ride, and was emersed in the smell of vomit. Not exactly her zenith. The night was unusually cold for Georgia, and Bianca wasn't wearing a coat. Defeated, she went back inside and went strait for the bathroom and sobbed her eyes out.
At least in Seattle she'd have been the Most Popular Girlfriend when she began to sob.
* * *
After an hour of Kat-bliss: dancing with her band, Andrew said they needed to the club everyone else was it. Kat was too happy to ask why; Andrew was too ashamed to say it was to get his earned money. Kat snapped a picture from the instant camera she picked up earlier and they left.
* *
Ella was dancing. It was the same dance everyone else was dancing with one classic element changed: She was on the bar.
This was the scene was that greeted Kat as she entered the room. Grinning evilly, she whipped out the disposable camera.
~ Ella knocking over glasses ~ CLICK. ~ Ella.was that dancing? ~ CLICK. ~ Perfect. ~ CLICK.
Andrew, on the other hand, was on the opposite side of the bar, leaning against the bar, secretly smiling, proud of Kat. One of Ella's great faults was that she couldn't handle alcohol. Life was great. He started to walk over to Kat, who was enjoying the scene. Some other people, obviously drunk too, were throwing stuff at Ella to get her down. One threw a glass beer bottle, and it hit her on the side of the head. This flung her to hit the glass rack, both the pole itself and some the glasses dangling from it. Like a clip from America's Funniest Home Videos, she slumped into Andrew's arms.
"God!" He wasn't expecting the weight, so he didn't hold her for more than a second before they both went down. And all the time Kat was snapping away.
"Kat, come on." Andrew said tiredly. "We have to take her home." He couldn't leave her there. Her head was bleeding, and she'd kill him the next day. He stood up, Ella still in his arms.
Kat rolled her eyes, annoyed. In a strange way, she was jealous. She was also laughing at the sight, mad at Ella. It was too confusing. "Fine," she agreed. " But I'm driving."
* *
Bianca looked down at the ground. "So, um, thanks for the ride." She looked over at Joey with her puppy eyes. She did her best to explain, but the words wouldn't work. Her make-up was a mess, and so was her hair. She didn't look a bit like the girl Joey asked to dance. But she was the same, deep down : selfish. When they got to Bianca's house, she felt like when her mom or dad would drive her home after a parent-teacher conferecne. That didn't go well. That deep, stoney silence that was the prologue to a lecture was coming on strong. So she just sat back and waited for it.
"Bianca, what in the -" Joey began.
"Et il commence" She offhandedly sighed.
Joey blinked in surprise. "Bi-bianca. That was French. You just said 'it begins' in French." Bianca rolled her eyes. "Well, you ARE my French tutor."
Joey nodded. "I'm her French tutor," He thought. "That's all I am. Her French tutor." He thought for a second and commented. "Ya know, I only know a chapter ahead of you in French. I'm not even taking French! I'm in Latin. I gave up weekends, hours of sleep, lots, just so I could learn French well enough to have the hour to tutor you. And you will never care, will you? It will never make a diffrence what I say or do for you. I will always just be the French tutor.
"Well consider this.
Hic ibat ~as I have told you before~,
Simois, ~I am Joey ~
hic est ~ who is done with your tricks,
Sigeia tellus ~ And tired of your lies.
Hic steterat ~ I tried as hard as I could to win your love, ~
Priami~ But all has failed,~
celsa senis ~ so please get out of my car."
Bianca, seeing the take on Shakespeare, suddenly hated herself. This would have been such a perfect night, had Ella not gotten drunk and Gary not been a jerk. Now it was all ruined. She couldn't say she never lied: she had. And she couldn't say she never used him: She had. But she wouldn't now. Joey wasn't as simple as he seemed. He was sweet, funny, cute, smart, and now angry. She took one last plunge to win him back.
"Now let me try to translate it.
Hic ibat ~I knew you not~
Hic est Sigeia tellus ~I know you now~
Hic Steterat Priami ~ Take heed and hear me well
Regia ~ Presume not Celsa senis ~ Despair not" She leaned over and kissed him. Then without a word, she left the car, closed the door and walked down the driveway, unlocked the house door, and went inside, never looking back.
Joey smiled, unsure of what in the world just happened. He turned on the radio and drove away thinking, "And I'm back in the game!"
" she's blood flesh and bone no tucks or silicone she's touch smell sight taste and sound but somehow i can't believe that anything should happen i know where i belong and nothing's gonna happen
(chorus)'cause she's so high
high above me she's so lovely
she's so high like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc or Aphrodite
she's so high, high above me
first class and fancy free she's high society she's got the best of everything. what could a guy like me ever really offer she's perfect as she can be why should i even bother
chorus
she calls to speak to me, i freeze immediately, 'cause what she says sounds so unreal. 'cause somehow i can't believe that anything should happen i know where i belong and nothing's gonna happen
chorus "
* * Kat pulled up to her house. Andrew, to his credit, was next to her, and never touched the radio. Ella was in the back seat, where Kat had the windows down in hopes that Ella might freeze to death. Just a hope.
"You can get your car now." Kat told Andrew: the first thing she had said to him the entire trip.
"I could." He replied.
"You will."
"Ah, the heartless soul uses her venom once again to strike everyone in sight." Andrew faked an announcer for some nature show's voice. He switched back to normal. "Why DO you put up the masquerade?"
"Why do you?" Kat snapped back. Then she sighed and rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe herself. "The only thing anyone knows about me is that I'm "scary". No one gets close, no one gets hurt, and I don't get hurt. It works."
Andrew nodded and said, "I'm no picnic myself." They smiled at each other. He waited a beat, and continued. "So what's up with your family now? Living with Ella'd be a pain in the ***."
Kat plainly nodded. "It is. But she can do no wrong in my mother's and Brad's eyes, so I just live with it."
"God, EVERYONE likes her. They aren't the only ones she's had under her spell. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one in the entire school that see that she's without." Experience helped him see that. But he decided not to mention that. How he hated working under her. Actually helping her wreck everyone's life. He was such slum.
Kat smiled sweetly at his words, seeing something they had in common. "You're not as vile as I thought you were." And then it happened. The ice between them broke, and they naturally began to lean towards each other to kiss. Kat closed her eyes.
And suddenly pulled away. It felt wrong. This entire night suddenly seemed wrong. That deja vu feeling swept over her, and she wanted something she couldn't have. But she hadn't a clue what it was.
Andrew, confused at her actions, got out of the car. "You're right. Showing emotion did kill your reputation. Too bad." He slammed the door as he left.
Kat laid her head on the steering wheel and considered crying. * * *
For the next week at school, they didn't talk at all to each other. They were both mad, and too stubborn to admit that they did wrong.
Bianca and Joey, however, seemed to be getting closer and closer. Ella began to get madder and madder at Andrew, since he apparently wasn't doing his job anymore. One day she lashed out on him, and Andrew laughed softly. He smiled sadly. "It's over Ella. You lost. Joey likes Bianca, Kat hates me. Just give up."
Ella too laughed. "You stupid idiot. I own you. It's not over 'til I say its over because I won. Do whatever it takes to win Kat back. Do whatever it takes to break up the happy couple. IT IS NOT OVER."
And being an obedient minion, Andrew left, ready to do her bidding.
A/N: OK! NO ONE TOOK MY POLL! BUT I'M OK WITH THAT! PLEASE REALISE THAT A GREAT HAPPY CHAPTER COMES NEXT!