"That" I said to Hazel"would look so fab on you" I clicked the picture to see it closer.

"I don't know, Paige" she shook her head"pink is more your color." She pointed to the screen at a royal blue halter dress- the super cute one with sparkles- and said"now, that is one I would wear. And, Jimmy is out of the wheelchair- I can't believe how much progress he's made in physical therepy- so we can actually dance at the dance on Friday"

I smiled. "I'm happy for you two" I told her, but there was that nagging feeling. I mean, sure, scoping out the perfect dress for the upcoming dance with my best friend while we did the pedicure and facial thing was super fun, but I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Hazel had Jimmy. I had . . . no one. I mean, Spinner and I had been getting closer over the summer, but I was so hurt by him and what he did last year that I didn't know if I wanted to try it again. So, I was going to look fab at the dance . . . by myself. Ugh, I never thought the day would come that Paige Michalchuk didn't have a fashionably cute date to a dance.

I saw the look on Hazel's face- she was going to ask about Spinner, I knew it- but the computer beeped at me. "Ooh, new email message" I exclaimed, sounding too happy to believe, and clicked on the link. Hmm, free samples of deodorant. Nothing too exciting, but hey- it was something to stop Hazel from bringing up the "you should give Spinner another chance" speech.

Hazel touched her face, which was blue from our clay masks. "Should we rinse this stuff off"

I nodded. "Totally. This stuff is so gone. Goodbye, blue face, hello, beautiful skin."

After our girlie rituals were done, Hazel left to go see Jimmy at the Dot. I was sitting in my room, listening to Avril's new CD, when I came up with the great idea of taking a walk. I put on my denim jacket over my yellow t-shirt, changed into some sandblasted blue jeans, and walked down the street. I started paying less attention to where I was going and more thought to Spinner and the new school year. And, what to wear to the dance on Friday. I mean, only two days to go!

I must've walked for more than a few miles before I snapped out of thought, because I was down by the woods now. It was completely dark out. I checked my cell phone. 10:37pm. Wow, I thought, I had been walking for almost 4 hours. I looked back down at my phone to notice something else. Oh, great, I thought, my cell phone got no reception down here. Wherever down here was. It was a little creepy. I so did not like being here, by myself, on a stretch of road surrounded by tall, dark trees.

Suddenly, I heard the roar of a car, and headlights coming out of nowhere. I screamed as the car swerved to avoid me. Somehow, I ended up in the ditch, covered in water and mud, and my right ankle was starting to hurt.

I saw the car slam to a stop. The driver's side door opened and a tall silouette appeared, walking towards me.

It started to rain. Oh great, I thought, I'm going to die. In the rain. If this wasn't bad enough, I was muddy and soaked and cold. This was a great way to go out. Not.

The crazy driver stood over me. I could see that it was a guy, and he was wearing a hat. He squatted down and extended his hand. "Are you okay down there? C'mon, I'll help you up."

I didn't know what to think. I was in the middle of nowhere, filthy and slightly stinky (the ditch so did not smell like my new Ralph Lauren perfume), injured (my ankle was swelling from inside my cute new-and probably ruined-Puma's), and the only help I was offered was by a possible lunatic with a lead foot. Why not? I asked myself. I grabbed his hand, and he pulled me up. "Ow! Ow, owie, my ankle" I collapsed, halfway on the shoulder of the road. While I could walk, it really hurt.

The guy rushed over to my side. "What hurts? Do you need a doctor" He picked me up, and for a moment, I was leaning against the stranger's chest, my arms wrapped around his neck for support, and his hands on my dirty, wet sides, holding me up. I looked into the stranger's face. Through the rain, the headlights from his car illuminated his face just enough for me to recognize who it was.

"Oh, it's you" we both said simultaneously. I was looking into the shocked face of Jay Hogart. He let go of me.

"Ow! Ow ow ow" I wrapped my arms tighter for support.

He hoisted me back up. "Hey, let's not strangle me here" he scowled.

"Well, way to drop an injured girl that you almost ran over"

"Hey, Princess, I'm trying to help you. You shouldn't be walking down this road at night in the first place." His face softened, slightly. "What are you doing here, anyway"

I rolled my eyes. "As if you care."

"Hey, I can let go, and little miss pom-poms will be in the mud, again." He raised his eyebrows as if to say, try me.

I sighed. Why was I actually talking to him? Why was I actually maintaining physical contact with him? Oh yeah, I was hurt. Great. "Okay, okay, if you must know, I needed to take a walk. Clear my head."

"Aww, what's wrong? Your lip gloss didn't match your outfit" Jay mocked me with a sneer on his face. "What kind of problems do you have? I'll answer that- none that matter in the real world."
"Oh yeah! What problems do you have? Did your beer supply run out? Or did you not get to terrorize any grade 10's yet this year"

"That's it, I don't have to take this." He rolled his eyes.

"Wait" I considered my options. Be stuck in the middle of nowhere at nightfall in the rain, or try to squeeze some sympathy out of Jay. "Um, since I can't walk because of your ignorant driving, would you mind giving a girl a ride home"

He glared at me. He was about to say something mean, but then got this frustrated face and said"ok, get in."

I hobbled to the passenger-side door. Jay popped it open from inside the car. "Wait" he said, as he draped a dark towel over the seat. "You're a little dirty" he smirked. I scowled. "Aww, is this the first time Rah-Rah got mud on her"

I was thinking of something nasty to say to him, but I decided against it. He was my ride home, I told myself, so I should make an effort to be civil towards him. "Um, thank you. For the ride home. And, not squishing me into the pavement back there."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Whatever." It was like he snapped out of some kind of trance. "I mean, yeah, you're welcome. Or, whatever." He turned up the stereo. "You like Lil' Scrappy" he shouted.

"Um, I've never" I started.

"That's nice" he said, ignoring anything that was coming out of my mouth.

I sighed heavily and leaned back in the seat, feeling slightly cold, really wet, and in need of some serious Tylenol. This was going to be a long car ride.