"And so your cousin Sue Ellen is coming for a visit, a whole year! Now isn't that exciting Lily?" her mother said as she cut her meat. Chewing on the peice, she looked at her daughter across the table, who looked stunned. Lily dropped her fork and her mom looked confused.

There was an awkard silence. "Sue? Sue Ellen? M-my cousin?" she choked out, face pale. "No way. Mom! No! She can't!"

Blinking, she swallowed her chunk of meat. "Why ever not? She hasn't come for a visit in, let's see, 3 years maybe?" As she continued to babble, Lily just sat her, heart broken. Well, that's just dandy. Betrayl. By my own mother, she thought. Didn't she remember how sad her own daughter was the last time that...that...barbie doll came to town?

Sue Ellen has the curves...in the right places; she was sexy. She had, the last time Lily saw her, golden blonde curls that set neatly on her shoulders. Her eyes, a crystal blue always eye flirted with ever guy she ever saw! Sue Ellen's personality was rotten. She used her charm though, to steal any girl's boyfriend away. As pretty as she was, she was ugly on the inside. None of the guys could see that though.

Not even Ray or Robbie.

Three years ago...7th grade, she came for a visit in the summer. The three best friends were tight as ever but the guys in the ground seemed to untie the knot they had worked so hard for so that the devil herself could wiggle her way in.

Ray and Robbie always smiled wide when they saw her and fought over her numberous times. When they went to the pool, Sue Ellen wore a itsy-bitsy polka dot bikini. Even if she was only 12...she looked better than some models. AND, even though she was beautiful, she was talented in art and music and she was smart and clever.

And that's why Lily hated her...so much. It was a long time ago, but they were 12. What will the developed 15-year old look like? She'll probably suductively take Travis away too! Oh god, and it was for a whole year? How could she even stand it? Sue Ellen would probably do mind tricks and steal them away FOREVER! Oh! This is going to be horrible! It'll be a living hell!

"...it'll be fun," her mother completed her lecture as her young, frightened daughter tuned in.

"Fun?" Lily raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Mother, it will not be fun." she spat out. "When is she coming? And please don't tell me in 1 hour. Please don't."

Her mother looked at her, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, honey, why do you act like she's the devil alive?" Because she is, Lily said silently. Then Mrs. Randell got up with her plate to the sink. "And if you MUST now, it's not tonight." Relief. "Tomorrow morning at 8 she'll be dropped off."

Lily's plan of telling Ray, Robbie and Travis that her cousin was a rotten slut was done for! She thought that her cousin would come in a week, and that would be plenty of time to tell the horrors but alas! Tomorrow? Tonight until tomorrow the three boys would be glued to the TV for the all night marathon of the X-Files. God. Even Travis was sucked in. They even unplugged the phone, had pounds of chips and chocolate and sodas and they were locked in the Underground, where they took a wireless TV. Nothing would get through to them.

"My life is over..." she moaned into the palms of her hands as her mother scrubbed the pans. "Legally, officially, completely and utterly over! Happy now MOTHER?" Lily stressed on the word mother as if it was disgusting.

"Of course. I love to see my daughter feeling worthless and in distress. It's the best part of being a mom." Lily scowled at her as her mother gave a smirk. And with that, she walked off, leaving Lily feeling worthless and in distress.

The Next Morning 7:59 AM

"Sue Ellen'll be here really soon Lily, why can't you hurry up cleaning your room? Hurry up!" Mrs. Randell ordered as she busilly rushed around the house. The guest room was ready. The living room and kitchen sparkled. Everything did, except our young Lily's room. The doorbell rang. Oh crud. "That must be her!" Her mother ran out of her room and then to the door.

Lily didn't move off of her bed. She just sat there, frozen as she listened to her mother gush. Then she heard her cousin's voice. "Thanks for letting me stay here! I'm going to have such a great, fabulous time!" Suck up. "Where's Lily? I can't wait to see her! Where is she Auntie? Oh! In her room? Okay."

Footsteps scampered through the hall and then stopped at Lily's door. Lily sighed as she stared at the ground. Okay. 4. 3. 2. 1. She looked up and gasped. Sue Ellen was NOT the same. She was...

"Cuz!" Sue Ellen ran over to the shocked girl and gave her a big hug. "I've missed you!"

Ugly.

Lily couldn't believe it. She used to be beautiful; gorgeous! Now she was just ugly. Not ugly but she wasn't pretty. She had a nice face but...well...she...just...wasn't barbie-dollish perfect anymore. The golden hair she used to have was now a light shade of brown with blonde highlights that looked natural. Her blue eyes were covered by glasses. Her teeth had braces. She wasn't fat, of course, she was skinny, but not the way she used to be.

"Sue...Sue Ellen?" she choked out.

A nod. "The one and only. I look really different don't I? Had to get glasses and braces. Braces will be off in a half year. And I'm making my own clothes!" Lily gazed at her dress, which went down to her knees. It looked like a disaster! The sleeves looked chopped off and it was red, with white polka dots. It did NOT look like the bikini one bit.

"Um, it's fantastic." A lie.

Sue Ellen smiled a big, braces-wide smile. "I know! I've been working on a lot! I still buy some clothes but mostly I just make them. I mean, they're better than what I can buy!"

"Yeah..." Lily was still kind spaced out. She didn't judge people on looks; she didn't care. It's just...ohmigod, that's a big difference!

"Oh!" she said, noticing the guitar in the corner. "You play?"

"Uh huh."

"I still play piano. Sometimes. I'm okay though. I'm going to go unpack okay? Then you can show me around. I want to see Ray and Robbie again! They were such sweethearts." Lily forced a nod as Sue Ellen skipped off.

WHOA. Glasses and braces looked great on some people but on her cousin...they just blocked away her beauty. Which was good. Lily thought. Now her friends wouldn't desert her for Lil Ms. Perfect. Yes yes yes!

LOL. I made Mary Sue ugly! OK, not ugly. Just not perfect. Will she still be accepted? Will Travis, Ray, or Robbie still fall for her? These dumb questions will be answered in...um, the next chapter. Bye!

Allie