Chapter Two
"Beth, hi!" My Dad stepped forward and kissed Kate's MUM on the cheek, "You look beautiful, as always."
God, he was sounding like a total idiot. He never told Mum she looked beautiful. My eyes were on Kate, who was staring back at me aswell. Both our jaws had totally dropped to the floor.
"Thank you Sam, you're looking especially handsome tonight." Dad grinned goofily.
She turned to me and smiled sweetly, "Lizzie! I haven't seen you in years. How have you been?"
"Um, yeah, good thanks, Mrs Sanders... or is it Miss?" I asked, going slightly red. I saw Kate roll her eyes and felt very tempted to do the same to her, but withheld.
She laughed light-heartedly, looking very gracious, almost like an angel. "Please, call me Beth."
I nodded, and Dad looked over to Kate. "Long time, no see Kate. Since... that project you guys worked on together in year seven, was it?"
"Yeah, it's been too long, Mr McGuire," She said with one of her fake smiles.
"Sam." Dad said with a smile.
"Of course," Kate replied, still with that stupid smile on her face.
"Yes, what was it on? Jellied meat or something..." Kate's Mum started talking and Sam followed her into the kitchen, but me and Kate stayed where we were.
"Okay," Kate said, dropping the phony smile the moment our parents had left the room, "What are YOU doing here?"
"Kate, I live here!" I replied, crossing my arms.
"I know that," She said, rubbing her temples, "I just... I'm in shock. Mum said we were going to Sam's house. By Sam, I thought she meant.. I dunno, any Sam but your Sam. Okay? This is weird. What if someone from school sees me here? What if... Oh God, Claire was gonna call me tonight. She'll ask why I missed the call... I'll have to tell her I was here. Wait, I'll LIE!" She laughed nervously to herself and continued babbling, "Yes, of course. Lie. I always lie to Claire. I'll tell her I was shopping, or even better, at Ethans! No, she might ask Ethan..."
Wow, Kate was worse that me under weird circumstances. I looked on in amazement as the head cheerleader, most popular girl in school, the person who had this 'thing' about making my life hell... freaked out. She was actually freaking out in my hall. I laughed to myself, and Kate's eyes shot up.
"What? What are you laughing at McGuire?" Kate's freaking out quickly turned into anger. She gave me the bitchy look that I knew all too well.
"I, um.. nothing?" I gave her an unsure look.
"Really? Doesn't LOOK like nothing. Incase you didn't notice, this is a really BAD situation. For me anyway. Why did you have to be such a loser? It would be fine if you were maybe, I dunno... second tier popular-"
"Kate, stop!" I cried, and grabbed her arms, which were going everywhere as she had burst into explanation of just how unpopular I was. Like I didn't already know, I didn't need her telling me. I had to stop her before she started babbling again. "Just stop. Breathe. Okay, look, this is NOT school, okay? There is no popular, no second tier popular, and there is no UNpopular. We're at home now. So just stop."
Kate gave me a curious look, as if she was actually considering it or something. Then she released her arms from my grip and started pacing. "What is everyone going to think at school if they find out our parents are dating?"
"Who cares?" I asked, before thinking. I knew exactly what Kate's reply would be.
"Me!" Bingo.
"If people at school don't have anything better to talk about, then that just shows how sad they are. I don't think anyone would take a real interest in the fact that 'Mr McGuire' and 'Miss Sanders' are dating."
"Ms Sanders." Kate corrected me.
"Well, whatever." I rolled my eyes.
"Okay, Mum usually doesn't keep boyfriends for over two weeks to a month. Don't worry Lizzie, before long, we can go back to our usual me being a bitch to you at school relationship." She looked a little relieved.
"Gee, thanks." I said quietly.
"What?" Kate asked.
"Why are you so mean to ME, Kate? We used to be best friends a few years ago. I'm still the same as the person that you were friends with then. I can't be that bad."
Kate scrunched up her face, "See, that's your problem, I grew up, and yeah, you are still the same. About as mature as that little fifth grader you were back then. And you make it so easy to be mean to you Lizzie, you're an easy target."
An easy target? AN EASY TARGET? "You've GOT to be kidding me!"
"Look, I don't make the rules, I just play by them."
Then Kate's Mum walked in, before I had the chance to go off my head. "Tea's ready girls, come on!"
This was going to be a really BAD night.
"Beth, hi!" My Dad stepped forward and kissed Kate's MUM on the cheek, "You look beautiful, as always."
God, he was sounding like a total idiot. He never told Mum she looked beautiful. My eyes were on Kate, who was staring back at me aswell. Both our jaws had totally dropped to the floor.
"Thank you Sam, you're looking especially handsome tonight." Dad grinned goofily.
She turned to me and smiled sweetly, "Lizzie! I haven't seen you in years. How have you been?"
"Um, yeah, good thanks, Mrs Sanders... or is it Miss?" I asked, going slightly red. I saw Kate roll her eyes and felt very tempted to do the same to her, but withheld.
She laughed light-heartedly, looking very gracious, almost like an angel. "Please, call me Beth."
I nodded, and Dad looked over to Kate. "Long time, no see Kate. Since... that project you guys worked on together in year seven, was it?"
"Yeah, it's been too long, Mr McGuire," She said with one of her fake smiles.
"Sam." Dad said with a smile.
"Of course," Kate replied, still with that stupid smile on her face.
"Yes, what was it on? Jellied meat or something..." Kate's Mum started talking and Sam followed her into the kitchen, but me and Kate stayed where we were.
"Okay," Kate said, dropping the phony smile the moment our parents had left the room, "What are YOU doing here?"
"Kate, I live here!" I replied, crossing my arms.
"I know that," She said, rubbing her temples, "I just... I'm in shock. Mum said we were going to Sam's house. By Sam, I thought she meant.. I dunno, any Sam but your Sam. Okay? This is weird. What if someone from school sees me here? What if... Oh God, Claire was gonna call me tonight. She'll ask why I missed the call... I'll have to tell her I was here. Wait, I'll LIE!" She laughed nervously to herself and continued babbling, "Yes, of course. Lie. I always lie to Claire. I'll tell her I was shopping, or even better, at Ethans! No, she might ask Ethan..."
Wow, Kate was worse that me under weird circumstances. I looked on in amazement as the head cheerleader, most popular girl in school, the person who had this 'thing' about making my life hell... freaked out. She was actually freaking out in my hall. I laughed to myself, and Kate's eyes shot up.
"What? What are you laughing at McGuire?" Kate's freaking out quickly turned into anger. She gave me the bitchy look that I knew all too well.
"I, um.. nothing?" I gave her an unsure look.
"Really? Doesn't LOOK like nothing. Incase you didn't notice, this is a really BAD situation. For me anyway. Why did you have to be such a loser? It would be fine if you were maybe, I dunno... second tier popular-"
"Kate, stop!" I cried, and grabbed her arms, which were going everywhere as she had burst into explanation of just how unpopular I was. Like I didn't already know, I didn't need her telling me. I had to stop her before she started babbling again. "Just stop. Breathe. Okay, look, this is NOT school, okay? There is no popular, no second tier popular, and there is no UNpopular. We're at home now. So just stop."
Kate gave me a curious look, as if she was actually considering it or something. Then she released her arms from my grip and started pacing. "What is everyone going to think at school if they find out our parents are dating?"
"Who cares?" I asked, before thinking. I knew exactly what Kate's reply would be.
"Me!" Bingo.
"If people at school don't have anything better to talk about, then that just shows how sad they are. I don't think anyone would take a real interest in the fact that 'Mr McGuire' and 'Miss Sanders' are dating."
"Ms Sanders." Kate corrected me.
"Well, whatever." I rolled my eyes.
"Okay, Mum usually doesn't keep boyfriends for over two weeks to a month. Don't worry Lizzie, before long, we can go back to our usual me being a bitch to you at school relationship." She looked a little relieved.
"Gee, thanks." I said quietly.
"What?" Kate asked.
"Why are you so mean to ME, Kate? We used to be best friends a few years ago. I'm still the same as the person that you were friends with then. I can't be that bad."
Kate scrunched up her face, "See, that's your problem, I grew up, and yeah, you are still the same. About as mature as that little fifth grader you were back then. And you make it so easy to be mean to you Lizzie, you're an easy target."
An easy target? AN EASY TARGET? "You've GOT to be kidding me!"
"Look, I don't make the rules, I just play by them."
Then Kate's Mum walked in, before I had the chance to go off my head. "Tea's ready girls, come on!"
This was going to be a really BAD night.