Hmm….I only got one review on this. I'm thinking that's because I didn't get all that far into the story. I'm hoping that after this chapter I'll get more, because if not I just won't post on here. I can be completely contented just writing for myself and my friends. So please review! Besides, I really do like to know what you think. It doesn't take that long to write a review, really. And if you didn't like it or there's something you would personally change, tell me! I may not change it or whatever, but it helps to know what you think. Anyway, here's chapter two….

Chapter Two

Lilly walked quickly downstairs to wait for Georgia to arrive. Her nerves were going crazy she was so anxious. She knew that most of the school would be at the party. It was a Hillcliff High tradition to attend the end of the year bash. The only people that wouldn't be there were the social lepers and a lot of the seniors because they felt above silly high school traditions. This was pretty much her debut. She wasn't sure if it would demote her in the eyes of her peers or maybe promote her. She found that she was starting to care a little less. She still cared - but no where near as much.

Her heart began to race even more when she heard the familiar screech of tires that announced Georgia was coming around the corner to her house. By the time Georgia laid on the horn, Lilly was already out the door and running to her car.

"Excited?" Georgia laughed.

"Crazy excited," Lilly replied, smiling like an idiot.

"Good. I love what you're wearing."

Lilly just answered her with an even more brilliant smile.

"Let's get going then, chica, we've gotta party to get our dancin' booties to!"

The two girls laughed hysterically as they drove off toward Ty Bezetti's house in the most prestigious part of town. The house that the parties were hosted at were always rather large, they had to be to accommodate all those people, but his was enormous. The home had three stories, four if you included the basement, a pool that could hold thirty people who were actually swimming, a hot tub that seated twenty, and five acres of perfectly manicured lawn. It was going to be an awesome night.

On the way to the party Lilly jammed to Cyndi Lauper's "Best of" cd. She was always amazed at the number of people who had never heard of the artist who sang the famed "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Iko Iko". Her nerves were starting to leave with the help of the music and the warm breeze flowing through her hair. The setting sun touched everything with a pink glow and Lilly felt like she was experiencing magic. She wasn't sure when she had felt as full and free as she did right at that moment. If Georgia had stopped her car and said that they weren't going to the party, they were just going to enjoy that moment for as long as possible, Lilly wouldn't have minded.

Georgia did stop soon, but it wasn't to enjoy the moment. She stopped about six blocks from Ty's house and hopped out to start walking to the party.

"Sheesh, look at all of those cars," Georgia said, coming up beside Lilly's car. "Is that insane or what? I didn't expect people to be here this early. I almost feel as if I've missed some of the fun."

"Oh please, Gee. You know the party doesn't start until you get there."

"Yeah, that's true. Come on."

Lilly obeyed and got out of the car and began to walk to the house with her friend. Her nerves were quickly returning, only worse this time, she was upset to find. She had hoped that she was done with them for the night. She had been so pleased with herself, thinking she had overcome all that foolishness. Apparently not.

"Still nervous?" Georgia asked, concern seeping from her voice.

Lilly nodded her head, but kept her eyes forward. She knew that Georgia sympathized, but the girl couldn't possibly understand and Lilly didn't want to have to see that in her friend's face. She didn't begrudge her for it, she realized that nervousness just wasn't in Georgia's nature, but that didn't change the fact of the matter. Lilly was scared shitless and wished desperately that she wasn't.

"It will get better, Lil. I promise. Once you get there and realize that everyone still loves you and that you're still Miss Popular."

Lilly whipped her head and stared at Georgia, shocked. Was that really what she thought? Seeing the hurt and frustrated look on Georgia's face, she realized that it was.

"Georgia? What the hell?"

"Well isn't that what all this is about? You're afraid people aren't going to love you anymore. Am I right?"

Lilly was ashamed to answer that she sort of was so instead she said nothing. That didn't help, though, because Georgia knew her too well.

"I've got news for you. Not everyone is going to like you all of the time. To be honest, I'm not sure I do right now. I'm tired of you being so obsessed with your popularity. I know that you say you aren't, but you are. Lil, you know you are. And by the way, if your fans don't like you just because you're dressing like them instead of some friggin' princess, than they're idiots."

"I know. This is just all new for me, ok? God, who knew dressing a little differently would be such an issue."

"That's kinda what I'm thinking."

"Well," Lilly said, resolve in her voice, "I'm not going to let it be anymore. To hell with everyone if they don't like it."

"There's my girl! Now you just have to believe it."

"To hell with them all," Lilly mumbled to herself.

Lilly was surprised to find that she did believe that. Saying out loud the thing the back of her mind was screaming brought forth the person inside her that she had always hidden. It brought out the part of her that didn't just pretend to be in control, but the part that really was. This girl really could rule the school.

Before she had any more room for thought, Georgia was knocking on the door and Lilly was standing next to her, a little dazed. The door opened and an older woman who must have been Ty's mom ushered them in before returning to a room right off the main entry way.

"A social butterfly for sure," Georgia jabbed.

"She's probably just having a minor nervous breakdown because of all these people."

"Well you should know what that's like, since you're just now recovering from yours."

"I was not having a nervous breakdown," Lilly said indignantly.

"Maybe not a full-fledged one, but you were damn close, sister."

Lilly glared at Georgia for a moment, but her friend made a funny face at her and she couldn't help but laugh, so she punched her in the arm instead.

"Hey!" Georgia yelped, laughing as well.

Focusing on the party, Lilly noticed that there were all sorts of things going on. In the living room area, some light music was playing (Nick Lachey, maybe?) while a group of people crowded around a board game. There was a huge line outside of the bathroom where people were doing a jig to hold in all the liquid they had just consumed. Upstairs, although she didn't go to see for herself, Lilly knew couples were hiding out in bedrooms and dens, making use of their time alone. In the huge kitchen, there were drinks of all sorts, ranging from water to Smirnoff vodka. Outside, people were swimming in all kinds of uniforms - swim suits, underwear, clothes - in the pool and hot tub. There was also a game of soccer raging and people dancing out on the lawn. Lilly grooved a little as she and Georgia began making the rounds, enjoying Rob Thomas' newest song.

"This place is rockin'," Georgia said, a coke in her hand. She wouldn't drink any alcohol until a little later. Then she'd get too hammered and Lilly would have to drive her home, leaving Georgia's car among the masses that wouldn't be picked up until their owners were sober.

"Totally. I can't believe his mom is cool with all of this."

"She probably isn't, but Ty said she was too soft to do anything about it."

"Oh. I fell sort of bad for her."

"Yeah, I guess. Hey look, it's Todd!" Georgia said, indicating a tall guy standing over by the pool telling a story to a group in the pool who were listening intently. "Let's go see him, I want you to meet him."

Lilly followed her over to the pool and tried desperately not to look around for Bryan. When they reached Todd, he had just finished whatever he was talking about and the people in the pool burst out laughing.

"Hey there, Sexy," Georgia said.

"Mmmm," Todd answered, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her.

Lilly watched, somewhat uncomfortably, and suddenly wished she had someone.

"I want you to meet my very best friend, Lilly," Georgia told Todd, pulling away from him.

"Nice to meet you," he said politely, holding out his hand. "Hey aren't you that Frank guy's girlfriend. You know, the basketball god."

"Nice to meet you, too. And no, not anymore."

"You break up with him?"

"Yeah," Lilly said, laughing and feeling flattered that he had come to that conclusion instead of the opposite.

"It's about time," Georgia said.

"Well I'm sure a lot of guys'll think that, too, once they hear. You're kind of the It Girl, aren't you?"

"I-I don't know," Lilly stammered, taken aback by the question.

"Sorry I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"He doesn't think sometimes," Georgia said by way of apology.

"Oh, no, that's fine. I think I'm going to take a walk around. I'll catch you later tonight, ok Gee?"

"Sure," she said before Todd took her hand and led her off toward the lawn, presumably to find a secluded place to make out.

Lilly started walking around by herself. She wasn't alone for very long, though. One of her friends from the popular crowd grabbed her arm as she was walking by and pulled her into a group of people.

"Is it true?" the girl, Elizabeth Shields, asked, her big brown eyes searching Lilly's for the answer. She flipped her black hair impatiently.

"Is what true?" Lilly said, confused.

"Did you dump Frank?"

Lilly sighed, looking around the semicircle that faced her. There where all of her friends, excluding Georgia. Michelle Tandy, Jane McMurphy, Anna Backus, Francesca Malone, and Elizabeth Shields. Lilly had been dreading this moment. Yes, she had wanted to break up with Frank, but she didn't want to have to announce it. That could become very embarrassing for Frank, because those girls would want details and they were her friends, so she didn't want to lie to them.

"Yes," Lilly answered.

"Why didn't you tell us you were going to break it off with him?" Elizabeth asked, looking hurt.

"I really didn't tell anyone. It was kind of spur of the moment."

"Why'd you do it?" Jane asked.

Little Jane, as her friends called her on account of her height, looked so excited for the dish that Lilly felt reluctant to tell her. She liked Jane, but the petite blonde was not known for her secrecy. That's what made her such a great cheerleader, she was very loud.

"I don't know how to explain it. He's just very boring, I guess. I thought that was sort of nice at first, you know? It made him different from all of those busy macho men, but it got to be too much."

"Did he make a fuss out of?" Francesca asked.

Francesca would ask that, as she recently broke up with Brandon Lewis, a major hottie that turned out to have a problem with rejection, especially when it came from a very pretty Italian girl with the "perfect body".

"Yeah, a little bit. I think I broke his heart. I feel bad now."

"Aww, Lilly, he'll get over it, don't worry," Elizabeth said, smiling.

Elizabeth was Lilly's closest friend next to Georgia. She was smart, funny, and caring. She was the girl's basketball team star. She was also the most down to earth of all Lilly's friends.

"Let's dance," Lilly said, grabbing Elizabeth's dark hand.

"Do you feel better now that you've broken it off?"

"Yeah. Very much."

"Well good, because that cutie over there totally wants you," Elizabeth said, pointing to a guy standing about fifty feet away watching her move.

It was Bryan.

There's chapter two! Please, please, please, please review! I'll update ASAP, but only if I know that this story is being enjoyed. Thanks!

Just a reminder - R E V I E W !