"Aunt Holly? Where are we going? I thought we're playing arcade?" Rachel asked looking confused while Holly drags her to the bathroom of the nearest gasoline station they stopped by. It was just a few blocks away from their village.
"Oh My God, Little Rae. I can't believe you! You never changed since I left!" Holly exclaimed playfully.
"What changes do you expect? Of course I'm still the same. You're not gone for too long." she asked even more confused now. Gasoline station? Really?
"What I mean is, you need to act your age! You're already 15, yet you still dress and talk like a 12- year old girl! Do you ever go out of your house?" Holly asked still having that goofy smile.
"Can you blame me? Why don't you tell my father that so he'll come to his senses! Well, oh no. My bad, please don't tell him. He might go all tiger all over me." she answered realizing what she had just said.
"Why would I talk to him about your 'supposed-to-be'growing up stage? Doesn't he buy you a more inappropriate clothes? Oh my God, have you brought a guy already? Maybe that is why he's being super strict." Holly replied wondering.
"No! Of course not! Dad never allows me to do that and other things!" she answered defensively.
"You are so old- fashioned. Maybe I need to introduce you to the trends, huh?"
"What trends?"
"Are you still a virgin, Rae?" Holly asked out of nowhere.
Her eyeballs almost bulged out of her eye sockets because of what she heard. "Holly! Gosh! That was a really vulgar word."
"What? That's one of the trends. Why won't you just answer me?"
"Because-"
"Rae! Spill it out! When did it happen? Who was it with? Are you still together? Oh my God, did he use protection? Your dad will kill you if you ever get—"
"Stop!Holly! I am a virgin! I never even had a boyfriend! I can't believe you're telling me all of this!" she answered looking so flushed.
Holly laughed at her obvious blushed face."I was just kidding. Okay, maybe I'm not kidding. But you know what, that is one of the trends! You should get a boyfriend now! That'll help you be matured."
"Believe me, I have already thought of that. But that seems impossible. Dad and Mom need to grow up first before myself. They are so frustrating always. They won't even let me hang out. Last time I did, Dad hit me in the butt with his belt. I don't want that to happen again." She said not being able to hide her emotions from her voice.
Holly immediately hugged her and rubbed her back before speaking. "Don't worry Baby Girl. I will talk to him, okay?" she just nodded. Sometimes, she's thankful to God about having her Aunt Holly.
"But right now, we have some little things to fix." She felt Holly smiled against her hair.
She can't help but also smile at Holly's adorable gestures. "And we are going to fix that "thing" in the bathroom? Doesn't make sense." she asked playfully.
"Yes, hurry so it will all make sense. Remember we need to be home before 11." Holly dragged her inside the ladies' bathroom.
"Okay, so what are we going to do? And what's your plan exactly? Because I'm ready to beat you in Dance Revo now!" she stated excitedly remembering the things that they planned before leaving her house 20 minutes ago.
"No! We are not playing Dance Revo or arcade tonight." Holly stated apologetically when she saw Rachel's face fall.
"What? Why not? I thought-"
"No buts. I will explain it to you. Now do as I say okay?" Rachel looked at Holly intently. Trying to figure out if she's kidding or not. But when she saw the seriousness on her Aunt's face, she discreetly nodded.
"Good girl. First of all, we are going to fix your hairstyle." Holly said touching some strands of her brunette hair.
"No way! I love my hair! I spend 30 minutes everyday fixing it There's nothing to change. I swear if you ever destroy that I will-"
"What? You spend 30 minutes doing a pigtail? What are you, five? Come on, Rachel! You're a teenager now. Your hair is supposed to be straightened or curled or in a single ponytail, but not like this! I'm so surprised you don't even get laughed at." Holly stated really shocked with new information from Rachel.
"That was really offensive. But no! That's final. You are not gonna touch my hair. Mind your own damn business. Tell me where the hell are we going." She said annoyed and hurt by her Aunt's comments about her hair.
"Now you're swearing." Holly stated plainly.
"Because you're annoying! Look, I missed you, I really do. But you're not making me happy right now." She puts on a fake sad face, which made Holly laugh even more.
"Okay! I'm sorry! But we may have to do something about that next time, okay?" She shook her head. "Okay?" Holly tried to convince her, but she shook her head again. "You stubborn ass! Someday you will thank me if you ever allowed me to fix your damn hair."
"No, I won't. Because I'm not going to."
"Fine! But I'd like to fix one more thing."
"Fix yourself, that is. Hurry please. We don't have all the time. Maybe I could just go home." She asked growing really annoyed now. If she had known they'd be hanging out in the bathroom, she would have rather stayed in her room playing with her PSP. But of course, she still brought it with her tonight in case there are sudden changes, which is exactly happening right now.
"I brought a dress for you."
"Why would you bring me a dress?" Dress? But why? Holly can see that she's already wearing clothes, right?
"Because we are going to a bar, and what you're wearing right now isn't appropriate because you look like a toddler. If you don't change, we may not be able to get in. Now put on this dress and I'll wait for you here, then I'll apply your make up." Holly handed her a baby blue dress and a pair of 2- inches heels.
"What?! Are you insane?! Dad will definitely kill me if he knew about this, and you too! And what am I gonna do inside a bar? I don't drink, that's gross! I don't even want to see people grinding against each other!" she shouted at Holly. She can't even believe what has gotten into her Aunt's mind. Honestly, she seems thrilled about going to a bar, but she's not lying about not wanting to see what's going on inside it. Or atleast, she's not yet ready for this "trend"
"This may help you grow up you know! You can talk to someone near your age! I'm sure there are many teenagers there who used fake ID's. I'll be around to look for you, don't worry. This is for you! Your innocence is not in a good way! It's pathetic."
"What has gotten into your mind? Why are we suddenly going to a bar? I'm not yet ready for this! You should have atleast told me in the first place." Too much surprises surprised her this day. First it was in a good way, now it was getting really frustrating. She's not even good at approaching people. Also, her parents always remind her not to talk to strangers. A bar is filled with strangers. The idea is so sick. "And why do you keep on forcing me on becoming someone I'm not?"
"Oh, please. You need this."
"I don't. Altleast, not right now."
"Please, Rachel. I am.. actually meeting my boyfriend there. But don't worry I will introduce you to each other. So get dressed please? I promise you won't regret it!" Holly said, rush really evident in her voice now.
"Your boyfriend? You mean William? I thought you two broke up? Grandma and Pa don't approve of him, right? Even Dad. I can't believe you're using me as an excuse to see him again!" Seriously, she just needed to go home right now. But she's not familiar with the streets around because she always stayed inside her house.
"Okay, look. It's not just about me, okay? It'll help you, too. Don't you get jealous of you classmates when they talk about these things?"
"That's different! You're changing the topic! You're not acting your age, either."
"Little Rae, listen to me." Holly held her in both sides of her shoulders. Meeting her gaze with total seriousness in her face. "I love Will. I really do. I can't just throw him away even if everyone is against him. I have never felt to anybody the way I feel for him. I have to fight for him, okay? I have to fight for us. I can't give up that easily. He's my Romeo. Someday, you'll be in love and you'll understand what I'm feeling. Now, I am asking for your help. Please, Rae? This may be our only chance to see each other again."
She took a full minute absorbing what Holly said to her. Love? Sure she thought about having a boyfriend, but not falling in love. She never heard that phrase from her friends when they talk about their boyfriends. The things she usually hear are dates, exclusive dinners, free rides, popularity, and the word "like." But never love. She wonders if she'll ever fall in love. How will it feel? By the looks of her Aunt Holly, she can see how desperate she is to see her boyfriend. Will she feel that way? Will she risk everything for love? Will her future boyfriend be approved by everyone? Will she have her own Romeo? She hopes so.
"Okay." She stated plainly. Then she nods again, acknowledging the thought. "Okay."
"Okay what?" Holly asked confused, but it is obvious that she's just helping herself not to scream.
"Okay. I will come with you. I will let you see your damn boyfriend. But I will just sit somewhere there and play PSP, okay? Because I'm not yet ready to socialize. But please, don't go far from me. I will be waiting in the corner."
"Fine. Now put on the dress quickly! I'll still have to apply make up to your face." Holly stopped her when she was about to enter the bathroom. "Rae? Thank you." She only nodded in acknowledgment and said "You owe me."
The bar they went to is worse than she ever expected. During the ride there, she thought that it may not be as bad as she thinks it is. Holly reminded her before getting inside that she needs to untie her hair for a minute so she can look matured enough, she obliged this time. And their technique was effective. Holly just flirted with the security for a little while and then they were in! She was even shocked that Holly had all of this planned already for she even have a fake IDs for both of them.
As soon as they entered inside, she was met by a different world. But maybe people will not recognize that she's underage. Maybe there are people who are like her that were also forced to go there? But no. Because seriously, this bar is huge! Who is she fooling? No one but herself.
The music is really loud, it feels like her eardrums would explode. People can't even hear themselves properly, but they are obviously having a good time dancing (or grinding against?) around each other. She thinks that half of the people on the dance floor don't even know how to dance, but they obviously know how to flirt. God, sometimes people with flirting skills make her jealous. Maybe that is the reason why she still doesn't have a boyfriend.
She doesn't consider herself ugly. Yes, she may be shorter than ordinary but she has legs to die for! She never skipped a morning without working out before going to school. She also has a tan skin. She's proud of it because some of her friends need to spend bucks just to have a tan skin for limited days, but she doesn't have to do that anymore. Also, she has long, wavy, soft brunette hair. She used to wish she was blonde but not anymore because she realized it wouldn't fit her appearance. And she loves her pigtail style. Please.
Maybe Holly is right. Maybe she needs to follow the trends so she can have a joyful high school life.
She was so overwhelmed by the new sights that she's seeing that she didn't even notice that Holly isn't beside her anymore! She passed through every sweaty people until she reached a space where the loud noise from the dance floor can't completely be heard. She saw some billiard tables and some couches that are unoccupied in that area so she settled in there while looking around for Holly, trying her best not to look like a lost and panicked little girl. She then remembered that she has to really untie her hair for the rest of the night if she doesn't want herself to be embarrassed.
But then she remembered that cellphones were very useful in times like this so she got her cellphone inside her bag and texted Holly immediately.
"Wow Aunt Holly! I don't even expect you to ditch me that early!" Even in texts, she made sure that Holly will catch up to her emotions. It is not really what she expected. She thought that William will sit with them and then the two would talk and she would just sit there and wait for their conversation to finish, obviously, it is not what's going to happen. She's really worried right now. If Holly doesn't show up, she won't figure out how to get herself home. But then her phone buzzed suddenly.
"I'm so sorry, little girl. I was planning to drag you wherever I am right now but when I turn around you weren't there anymore. Can you suit yourself for a while? There are empty couches somewhere. I promise to be back in maybe about 2 hours. Xo"
She clutched her phone tightly after reading Holly's message. How can Holly do that to her? 2 hours? Was Holly fucking kidding?! She knows that she can't be left alone, not in a place like this! She feels like she'll pee in her pants at this moment but she doesn't want to walk around anymore just to look for a bathroom. Instead, she made herself comfortable on a couch and got her PSP inside her bag. Her instincts are always right after all. Now her PSP will be her savior for tonight.
Most people may find it funny but when she's playing a car race in her PSP, her body also moves in the direction of the car, and that's what's happening 30 minutes after she settled herself on the couch. She is enjoying this night. She got a highest score again that even Tina can't beat. No one challenges her with that game because she's really a genius at it. She even knows what cars to use and what cars are the worse choice.
Because she seemed really occupied with what she was doing, she did not even notice that someone sat beside her.
"Wow. Kiddo. You're really enjoying your night, huh?" A very sweet but husky voice interrupted her.
She looked at the owner of the voice. Holy Freaking God. This girl is really gorgeous. Really beautiful. She has a blonde hair that reach just above her shoulders. She has the most gorgeous pair of hazel eyes she had ever seen. She also has a fair skin, beautiful body, pouty lips, and a very cute little nose. It may have been a full minute that passed before she blinked.
"Uhm, excuse me? Are you talking to me?" She asked dumbly. Of course.
"Yes? Who else is here on this couch?" the girl answered her playfully, with a smile that reveals a perfect set of white teeth.
She was about to answer the girl playfully but her Dad's face suddenly appeared in her mind.
"I'm sorry. But I don't talk to strangers. Maybe you can leave me alone now." She snapped, remembering her Dad's policies. He might not be there with her but Holly may catch her talking to someone who's obviously not her age. It may be difficult to push this beautiful girl away especially when she saw a little bit of hurt in her eyes, but she has no choice. Instead, she went back on playing with her PSP, waiting for the girl to just move and leave her there.
"You're really young, aren't you?" The girl asked her with a slight amusement on her voice. Not even moving away, instead, she's moving closer to her.
She tried her best to stay silent and pretend that she's alone again in the couch. But whenever the girl speaks, she loses the car race, and it was getting frustrating.
"Yes. I am 15 years old. Can you go now? I'm losing the battle, I can't concentrate." She asked annoyed when her opponent crashed the back of her car and sped ahead of her.
"How did you get in?" the girl asked again not even slightly bothered if she's annoyed or not.
"My aunt helped me. But she flaked on me, so I am here now waiting for her to get back and carry me home. I honestly want to go home now. This place is really suffocating and I can't concentrate on my game."
"Well, do you accept challenges from strangers?" the beautiful challenged her, but with what?
"What?" oh, she said that out loud.
"With a PSP car race? I'm good at that before. Maybe you can help me figure out if I can still manage to get the highest score, what do you say, kiddo?" the girl smiled at her.
She instantly beamed upon hearing what the girl said, but she covered her mouth immediately after doing so. "But can you stop calling me kiddo?"
"I won't if you won't give me your name."
"It's Rachel. My parents call me Rae or Baby Girl. Holly calls me Little Rae. Everyone just call me by my name." She shrugged realizing that her nicknames were really for children only.
"Oh. Interesting. Can I call you Rach then? It sounds more like your age, is that okay?" The girl suggested while rubbing her chin.
She narrows her eyes thinking about her new nickname. Rach? Not bad. This girl's quite smart after all.
"Sure. What is your name?"
"My name's Quinn. So, now that we know each other, let's have a bet!" Quinn exclaimed.
"What bet?"
"How about you let me play the race, then whoever loses between us will have to treat the other a snack. A pizza, perhaps?" Quinn said smiling.
"Bring it on, Quinn."
"Prepare some bucks because I'm really starving." Quinn answered raising her perfect eyebrows.
Rachel just laughed at her then she handed Quinn her PSP.