Kelsey Rose: I have to say, this has some of my absolute favorites in it. :P The flashback you're about to read was actually the first thing that Tracy and I ever wrote for this story, so… haha. Just an interesting bit of history there.

Tracy: Kelsey said it all!

xxx

"I still cannot believe that arrogant jackass. I mean, come on, seriously, Shelley. We had a date, and he completely ditched me for that total skank?" Amber reached towards the vanity a few feet away from them, one hand still tangled in Shelley's red strands while the other groped for the heavy brush. She brought it back to the other girl's scalp, dragging it down unmercifully, causing the her head to pull back sharply. Amber sighed exasperatedly, dropping her other hand to the top of Shelley's head, steadying it as she repeated her rough motions.

"I mean, what the hell? Who does she think she is? Who does he think he is? She cannot compete with me, is she seriously even trying? It's ridiculous, really," She began to brush furiously, yanking Shelley's head back in an erratic rhythm, ignoring the groans of protest that came from the redhead. Shelley hissed, her eyebrows lowering in displeasure as Amber continued. There was only so much physical abuse and verbal torture that she could take before she just lost her mind. Amber was treading on thin ice with about a millimeter left to go before all hell broke lose.

"I bet it's because she can do the splits; it probably makes her that much looser, if you know what I mean. That's probably the only reason he likes her. He probably doesn't even like her, he just wants to get laid. Well, he can have that nasty little whore, then, because he's sure as hell not getting any from me," Amber shuddered as she continued to pull on Shelley's hair, completely ignorant to the fact that she was brushing through clumps of hairspray and bobby pins, inadvertently pulling hairs from Shelley's scalp.

"Amber!" Shelley practically squealed the girl's name as she tore the brush through her hair. This was her hair she was ruining, and that was not okay with her. "Shut the fuck up, and pay attention to what you're doing," She narrowed her eyes and bit her tongue. There she was. She was so close to just turning on her and completely exploding with rage.

Amber thought for a moment, and brought the brush down to Shelley's scalp again, its bristles striking into the crown of her head.

"Eww. Who would touch him after they find out he's been with her? I never will again, that's for sure. Seriously. God, she makes me sick. He makes me sick. Doesn't that make you sick?"

"No, Amber," Shelley growled the words as she turned around and sharply snatched the brush from her hand. "What makes me sick is hearing you run your goddamn mouth all the fucking time. Where is the off switch when I need it, anyway? Who cares about this guy?" She exhaled in exasperation and got up to move over to the vanity. As she began to nurse her tormented hair, she made a point to continue her malicious glare at Amber via the mirror.

"So, he ditched you. Grow some balls, and get over it. You're acting like some love-struck grade-schooler who just got dumped for the first time," Shelley rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Grow up. I'm sick of hearing your whiny voice. I swear to God, and on my life, it is one of the most annoying things I have ever heard."

Amber sneered suddenly, her mouth dropping open slightly as she kept Shelley's hard gaze in the mirror. She was indignant all of a sudden, and straightened her posture, raising her chin and clenching her jaw as she studied her reflection.

"That's easy for you to say," she shot back quickly, "You didn't get stood up for that cheap hooker," She narrowed her steely gaze into the mirror. "I'm just trying to get it off my chest," Amber frowned at Shelley's reflection, her forehead creasing in frustration and anger. "I mean, really, Shelley, you'd be so pissed. You probably wouldn't even be able to see straight, you'd be so mad. I know how you are," She took a moment to study her fingernails nonchalantly, her face burning slightly with the sudden chastisement she'd taken from the other girl. Shelley, on the other hand, had to keep herself from laughing.

"You obviously don't know me at all, Amber. I make the notches on the bedpost, not them. There is no 'he' or 'him,' it's all me. Understand? I don't let some sweaty, testosterone-overdosed slob control my mood. I am way better than that," She brushed her fingers through her hair and studied herself in the mirror.

"You keep telling yourself that," Amber rolled her eyes sardonically, "but I know you. I know you better than you know yourself, apparently." She was silent for a moment, and let her gaze drop, defeated, from Shelley's in the reflection, crossing her arms over her chest and huffing. Still, Amber cleared her throat again, clenching her teeth together.

"And my voice isn't annoying," Amber defended herself quietly after a beat, "You're just pissed because I pulled some of your hair out. You'll live, Shel, I promise," She shot her a scathing look as she smoothed her own blonde locks over her shoulder, "It's not like we haven't done worse to each other, really," She smirked a little, catching her gaze.

"Don't be such a hypocrite, Amber," She sneered again, her expression darkening very quickly. "You would bitch up a storm if someone did this to you," Shelley tipped her nose in the air haughtily. "And I'm pissed because you just assaulted me with a damn hairbrush. I honestly will not be surprised if I see bruises there tomorrow," She added harshly, barely getting her sentence out before Amber continued with her next thought.

"Oh, Jesus, Shelley, don't be such a damn drama queen. Really, melodramatic does not look good on you. Now, listen, and tell me what you think about this. When I was at school the other day, he had the nerve to come up to me and ask me what I did last Saturday night. Can you believe that? He actually had the balls to ask me what I did after he stood me up. That just blows my mind, I mean, literally blows my mind, Shelley," She stood, looking at her expectantly, blinking as she waited for a response, her fingertips tapping impatiently against her own hips.

Shelley threw her arms up in the air in frustration and spun about to face her. She stepped towards her, grabbed her by the face, and glared intensely at her. Her fingernails dug lightly into the skin of her cheeks as she wrinkled her nose slightly in disgust. Amber started at her sudden actions, gasping slightly as Shelley grabbed her face so tightly.

"Amber, for the love of God, shut the fuck up," She shook Amber's head a little with each of the last four words she said. "I don't care about this guy. I don't care that he stood you up. And I sure as hell don't care to offer my opinion about something that I just don't give two shits about. Stop talking before I knock the hell out of you."

Amber narrowed her gaze, whimpering inwardly at the pain of the other girl's fingernails digging into her soft flesh.

"Let go of me," Amber's voice was cold and hard now, and she kept her gaze focused steady on Shelley's face, which was only mere inches from hers. She let her eyes trace over the other girl's features, hardened into what Amber could only read as pure disdain. She felt her lips slipping into a soft pout, just barely letting her eyes glance downward at the silky pajamas they wore. She really didn't see why Shelley had even asked her to sleep over at her house tonight. If she had no intention of listening to a word she said, Amber really would have been better off talking to the walls and stuffed dogs in her room.

"Let go of my face," Amber repeated softly, though she made no attempt to move herself. She raised her eyes back to Shelley's set gaze, then down, over her slightly turned-up nose, to her soft, red lips. She felt a sudden and unnatural yearning inside of her suddenly, and attempted to pull away for the first time. Shelley's grasp kept her in place, and she swallowed, unable to tear her eyes away from her face, now without reason. She tried to convince herself that she was confusing hate with something else; lust maybe, but failed miserably, and moved quickly then, letting her eyes close as she began towards Shelley with the sudden inexplicable desire to kiss those red lips, though she had no idea why. Suddenly, it was all she could think about; feeling those soft, lip-stick stained lips crushing against her own, their bodies pushed together in a desperate and futile attempt to get ever-closer to the other one. Shelley's long, thin fingers tangled in her blonde hair, pulling Amber to her, Amber sighing her name softly as they inevitably parted to catch their breath. It was a necessity she suddenly could no longer live without.

Shelley's eyes widened as she saw Amber closing the distance between them. Groaning in displeasure, she immediately turned her head to evade any contact with her. Consequently, Amber's lips brushed the soft skin at the edge of Shelley's lips, completely missing their planned target, and sending a rush of crimson through the blonde girl's face.

"What the fuck?" Amber's voice was at a high pitch, her face burning as she pulled back quickly, obviously surprised by the unintended result of her intended actions. "Damnit, Shelley, what are you doing?" Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, followed by a raised hand to wipe her own mouth, as if she hadn't wanted the kiss to begin with. "You're the one that started this!" It was her only line of defense; Shelley had, after all, grabbed her and kept their gazes locked so intimately that Amber had no choice to believe that she was simply waiting to be kissed. Shelley's lips had been begging her to caress them, anyway.

"Me?" Shelley recoiled and dropped her hands at her sides. Suddenly, though, after a moment of silent hesitation, her eyes glimmered darkly. "No, Amber," She said softly, her eyes narrowed and determined as she took another step towards her. "If I would have started it, it would have been more like this," Shelley grasped Amber by her wrists and pushed her against the nearby wall. Her lips pressed roughly against hers in a very heated and shameless kiss. Amber stumbled back at the force, her eyes closing almost instinctively, her head tilting and lifting accordingly as Shelley's lips worked over her own so unexpectedly.

Shelley's hands, after moving from their positions of holding Amber's wrists to the wall, traveled, one to Amber's left hip and the other to the right side of her neck. Amber shifted beneath her, the muscles in her stomach tensing slightly as she felt Shelley's hands moving over her. They continued the kiss with no pause, Shelley's teeth grazing the blonde's bottom lip. She bit down somewhat roughly in order to coax her mouth to open slightly so that she could explore the mouth that she had seemed to hate and yet, at the same time, crave for so long. Amber obliged, moaning almost inaudibly as she felt Shelley's tongue slip into the warm crevice of her mouth, using her own teeth to nip at the other girl's lower lip now, then flicking her tongue over the slight indentations she made. Keeping herself pressed firmly against her, the hand at Amber's waist tugged at the fabric of her night gown, just as a quiet sigh escaped Shelley's lips as she broke the kiss momentarily to breathe. Amber pulled her head back just slightly, enough for a small gasp to escape her lips, her eyes traveling noncommittally down Shelley's body, then to the place where the other girl's hand rested on her nightgown, deep breaths shuddering through her.

"That is how I would have started it, Amber Von Tussle," Her lips were merely a centimeter away from Amber's. She stared into her alleged friend's eyes with a dark sense of lust reflecting in her own gaze.

Amber tried to steady the shallow breaths that seemed to have taken her over, and Shelley moved to press her lips against the skin on the base of Amber's neck, nibbling gently. The blonde girl tilted her head, allowing her easier access, and closing her eyes, swallowing hard at this new sensation coursing through her. Shelley's kisses were different from any of the boys that she'd been with. Their lips were always rough and quick, uncaring about this type of foreplay because all they really wanted was the end-result, when they could slide into home. Shelley's lips seemed to be full of magic; they made Amber shudder instinctively each time they touched her porcelain skin, and she let out a soft groan as she felt Shelley's hands upon her, still pulling at the fabric of her nightgown; the only thing that separated them now was the thin material of their night clothes.

Amber wasn't even completely sure what was happening, but she was suddenly and painfully aware of the fact that she wanted it to be happening. There was a fire burning in the lower part of her belly, and she couldn't keep her hands clenched into the tight fists at her side any longer. She let her fingers trace up Shelley's smooth arms, resting momentarily on her shoulder before moving to cup the redhead's face, pulling her into a deep, passionate kiss that had their lips crushed together unmercifully, their teeth nearly clashing from the ferocity of the action. She moved her fingers into the other girl's red tresses, tugging on them playfully, a smirk falling across her lips as she received every kiss that Shelley gave her. Her hard kisses left Amber's mouth sore and tired, but she wasn't about to retreat from this stand they were both taking. Something about feeling Shelley's sharp curves pressed against her own felt so deliciously wrong, and Amber snaked her arms around the redhead's waist, pulling her closer, feeling the warmth of her body through their thin clothes.

Amber nodded almost subconsciously to the other girl, her fingers tracing down the redhead's neck and letting her fingers play just at the neckline of Shelley's gown, her fingernails dipping below the cotton boundary, tracing the skin on Shelley's chest. Amber swallowed, letting her eyes fall to that forbidden place below her neckline. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips as her fingers brushed against the delicate skin there. She pulled her hand back slowly, almost regretfully, and instead let her fingers drag down the collar of the fabric, letting her lips place soft, moist kisses on the skin just below.

Shelley purred softly as she traced her hands down Amber's sides, her eyes closing somewhat as she lost herself in Amber's skilled kisses. She was a hell of a lot better than any guy she had ever kissed, that was for certain, but Shelley knew it was the way that Amber knew exactly where to go that really lit a fire inside of her.

To Amber, Shelley's skin was like cinnamon and vanilla, and Amber instinctively found herself addicted to the taste. She knew that even now, in their lust-filled glory, that taste would get her through this, no matter how unsure she felt of herself, and later, as months passed, Amber found herself thinking of Shelley's skin each time she encountered either of those tastes in her daily life. But there was no time to think of the past or future as she tilted Shelley's head, her lips still kissing the base of Shelley's throat, wanting to travel further, but so ridiculously afraid as to what that may entail. Right now, all they had was the present, and what a present it was.

Amber let her fingers trace down the front of Shelley's gown, her breath hitching in her throat as she found the buttons, hesitating, refusing to let her fingers make another move until Shelley gave her some kind of sign about exactly how far she was expecting to let this go.

Shelley's eyes fluttered open completely, and she stared at Amber, one eyebrow raised. After a few moments, a smirk settled on her features, and she grasped onto Amber's wrist lightly, her manicured fingernails playfully digging into the skin. She shoved Amber backwards onto her bed and climbed on top of her, her legs resting on either side of her. Sneering at her deviously, she pulled a few strands of Amber's pretty locks of hair.

"You're too slow, Von Tussle."

xxx

The heavy scent of cigarette smoke filled the room, as Shelley sat there, her legs crossed, in a house robe, with a cigarette poised between her lips. Even now, that almost painful memory of Amber and her that one night six months ago would not leave her the fuck alone. She didn't smoke on normal occasions, because she was a dancer, and that was a stupid decision, but today, as she sat there on Link's bed, with him practically snoring like a gorilla over to her left, she felt like smoking the hell out the pack of cigarettes that he had offered to her. It was the only way that she could keep her mind away from that first time with Amber, the one that had started everything between them—the one that she thought had single-handedly ruined her life.

"God, Link, shut up," Shelley hissed, as she shoved a pillow violently in his direction. She blew the smoke out of her mouth and rolled her eyes. "You are so disgusting."

Link rolled over, one eyebrow raised as he looked at her questioningly.

"My, aren't we charming today?" He countered bitterly. She had to turn her head to save herself the sight of his bare chest. For some reason, she just could not bring herself to look at him right now. Whether or not that they just slept together meant nothing.

"Shut the fuck up," She warned him, as she took a long drag on the cigarette. God, in spite of every attempt she was making to shove those images of Amber out of her head, they still clouded her thoughts, and she shifted, annoyed. Although, she had to admit, she didn't once feel bad for constantly thinking of Amber while having sex with Link. After all, it was a better thrill than trying to focus on him, and it at least got her through it without any permanent brain damage.

Link was a horrible 'lover,' to the point of being undeserving of even being called that. He only thought about himself, and that pissed Shelley off immensely. That was exactly how he had always been, and it was almost sad, but… just almost.

"It's a shame you haven't improved since last time," She added resentfully, as a sneer crossed her lips. "I thought fucking around with Amber and those other girls would've at least taught you something," Shelley paused to blow the last of the cigarette smoke out of her mouth. She put the cigarette out on the ashtray that sat on the nightstand next to the bed, and then glanced over at him. "Guess not."

Link rolled his eyes and sat up, glaring at her.

"Well, someone's grateful."

"Don't act like sleeping with you was a gift, you jackass," Shelley's lips peeled back into another sneer. "Christ, you're just like all of those other boys. It's annoying as hell. Grow up."

"So says the slut of the station," Link pushed his way out of the bed and wandered over to study himself in the mirror. Thank God he at least had boxers on, or else Shelley really would have thrown up.

"Oh, nice one," Shelley snapped sarcastically, as she stared at the ceiling, an angry expression fixed to her features.

"You love me," He said, smirking at her via the mirror. Shelley groaned in annoyance as she began to rummage through her purse.

"If by that you mean I would love to personally castrate you, then yes, I do love you."

Link, unfazed, ran his fingers through his hair and then pulled on his pants. He tossed a shirt on, after a bit of searching, and then glanced over at Shelley, who still looked extremely livid.

"Come on, we're going out to eat."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm taking you out," Link said, daring her to challenge it. Shelley's blood began to boil, and she stood up immediately, her eyes blazing. If there was one thing that ran near the top of her list of things that pissed her the fuck off, it was being told what to do.

"You know what, Link," She began, practically gritting her teeth. "I don't usually admit things like this, but this was a big fucking mistake," She thrust her robe off and clawed around for her dress, which she promptly began to put on. "You are a sad, sorry, conceited little boy with nothing going for him. I seriously hope you choke on your own selfish little tongue one day, you asshole," After angrily tossing her coat on, she grabbed the rest of her things, almost knocking the nightstand over in the process. "Go fuck yourself, seeing as how that's about the only thing you can do right."

Before he could even say anything, she stormed out of the room, and out of his house. She was beyond angry, and that only made her even more pissed off. That's all she ever was these days—angry. It was a never ending cycle of up and then down again, and she only had herself to whine to about it.

As she neared her car, she hesitated, and bit her lip. She pressed her back against the side of her car and stared in front of her blankly. Time and time again she had to convince herself that Amber essentially being the bane of her existence was nothing short of normal, and that recurring thoughts of her were simply because she couldn't wait until the next time that she could break her down again.

Shelley paused in her thoughts suddenly, and then grinned viciously. That was it. She could get back at Amber with the ultimate insult: her little, cradle-robbing, sex fiend of a 'man.' She could absolutely ruin her. It was just too perfect.

Smirking faintly, she climbed into her car and started it. She would drive to the station, because she knew he was there, working on some arrangements for the big end-of-the-school-year hop, and see, for her own eyes, what was so enchanting about him, why all of those whores practically flocked to his door almost every single day.

She could use Amber's most prized possession against her in the most wicked of ways—and, maybe then that would teach her a thing or two about fucking with the wrong person.