hey:) wanna nominate me for the NJK awards? anyway, enjoyy...
"This isn't even an option anymore, Miley. She's pushed you too far."
"The thing I want to know is why? What in the world made her do this? I never did anything to her, I guess she just felt the need to be in charge."
"Ohmygosh! We could, like, drop her flat iron in a bathtub! The wrath of the frizzy hair!"
I look solemnly at Taylor. "Yeah. That's a good idea. 'Cept for the fact that we'd have to break into her house- Oh, that's pretty much the stupidest plan ever, Tay!"
She pretends to be offended. "Yeah, well, I don't see you coming up with anything better, Miley Ray."
"You know what? There's no need to be mean here."
"Well, then, Miley. You shouldn't have started the meanness. So.. BLAH."
"What are you, like five?"
"So be it. Let's just, like, get on with our gosh darn lives, kay?"
I begin to laugh. "Yeah, sure."
"Anyway. There's nothing Alex hates more than when somebody has what she wants."
"And Alex just wants popularity."
"Correction. And Nick. She wants Nick. She wants everything you had. Have you even seen her car?"
"No. Please tell me-"
"Yup. It's your car."
"Okay, that's just not cool."
"Tell me about it, Miles."
"I'm just confused. Why the heck would she want my life? It's like the second she sees me, she just knows that she's going to take everything from me."
"Okay. I've done some serious thinking about this, and I've come to the conclusion that the only reason she'd try to be popular here is because she had a shitty experience at her old school, and she wanted to prove some people wrong. Think about it. She came here in the middle of the school year, she was always cold towards you. I say that she had some conflicts with a popular girl at her old school."
I smile, taking this all in. "Oh my God. I think I've got a plan."
"Come on. Let that brain do the thinking." Taylor urges.
"You know how the counselor keeps folders with every student's information in it? It's got all her previous school, any family issues, stuff like that. It's exposure gold."
"We just need a way to distract Ms. Brown, which could be easier said than done. The woman can practically read your mind."
"Um. Hey, didn't you say once you were in her office and she freaked out because some kid came in with a bloody nose and a black eye cause they got beaten up? And she freaked out at the sight of the blood?"
"Yeah. Damn funniest thing I've ever seen. She started screaming and wouldn't stop for like five minutes. I think I know where you're going with this. We send some kid in all bloody, and drive her out of the office long enough to get the files."
I smile. "Exactly. You think you could get a certain Jonas boy to do it for us?"
"If by 'a certain Jonas boy' you mean Joe, then yeah. Definitely."
"So we've got ourselves a plan, Tay."
"I mean, unless it turns out that Alex doesn't have anything to hide and she's really a goody-two-shoes with a perfect life."
"Let's not think negatively, now."
It's been three hours. We've gone through four John Mayer albums and she managed to get me to listen to a song by Keith Urban. Sweet Thing. Ugh. I hate country music. It's extremely late by the time we get to sleep, and we've still got to wake up at six for school the next morning.
I don't understand it, but by the time my alarm goes off at exactly six the next morning, Taylor's already up and dressed. She's in one of the back corners of my room, and she's literally bouncing in circles.
"I'd ask you what the hell has possesed your body, but this is too funny."
She picks up a Starbucks coffee mug and takes a huge swig while she continues to jump around.
"Wakes me up. Gets the blood flowing."
"That is so strange."
"When you're falling asleep in first period, don't come crying to me."
"I couldn't. You're not even in my first period."
"Details!"
It's only then that I see what she's dressed in. A red and black plaid button down and black skinny jeans that are tucked into black leather boots. Hold on. Lemme rephrase. My red and black button down and my black skinny jeans that are tucked into my black leather boots.
"Dude, did you steal a bra too?"
"No. You know, I still have some of my own clothes in your closet. God knows how they got there."
"And why, exactly, are you wearing my clothes?"
"Cause they fit. And they're cute."
I sigh. "I never wear those anyway. But I want the boots back." I clarify, but I know that she's going to end up stealing it all anyway.
"Yeah, whatever. Now get your lazy ass into the shower, missy. We've got to get going."
After 20 short minutes, I'm out of the shower. I throw on clean clothes, though I'm not really sure what I've picked out because my mind was too foggy with sleep at the time to actually comprehend exactly what I was doing.
When I walk out, Taylor's sprawled out across my bed, reading this month's Seventeen magazine. Only when I stand in front of the full-length mirror to fix my hair do I realize what I'm wearing. A pair of black shorts sit on my hips. I never in a million years would have chosen them on my own. They're way too short for my liking, but just long enough to meet the school's requirements. I'm also wearing a flowy white tank top with the black John Mayer heartbreak logo in the center.
"Whoa." Taylor says, finally looking at me. "Damn, who knew you had legs?"
"Ugh. I'm changing."
"No. You look amazing. And you're covering enough skin for it not to be a violation of the god forsaken dress code."
"Wasn't there a rule against tank tops somewhere?"
"Only if the straps are less than two inches." The straps on my top are more like three and a half.
"Whatever. Though this is completely ridiculous."
"Why? You look hot."
"Sure I do."
"Let's just leave. I wanted to get to school early today. Maybe we can talk to Joe before Alex gets there. He's always on the steps way before the first bell rings."
"Yeah, sure." I throw my binder into my blue and white striped Hollister bookbag.
She slings her own bag over her shoulder and we walk out of my house, but not before I grab a strawberry granola bar and stick it in my mouth.
I'm the one driving because I would never trust Taylor to drive my car. She gets too focused on things like the music playing or the squirrel that she saw. Half the time I'm yelling at her to keep her eyes on the road and she's yelling back at me not to yell at her while the car swerves all over the free world.
She looks around the dash and under the seats to find a CD that she likes. She digs up Where The Light Is and pushes it in.
"That's been in my car all this time? Man, I've gone crazy looking for that thing!"
"Which is why you should learn to take better care of your possesions. Especially when they mean so much to you."
I make a sharp turn into the school's parking lot, and park in one of the open spots right near the entrance of the school. Just as Taylor promised, I see Joe and Kevin sitting on the highest step of the entrance to our school. Both of them look extremely bored, and Joe's running a hand through his hair. I can't help but realize that Nick's the only one who's missing.
"Where's Nick?" I whisper to Taylor.
"I have no idea. He's usually here."
She boldly walks up the steps and sits down next to Joe, while I stumble over my steps and stand in front of them. I stare down at my shoes and my face blushes a deep crimson. I never thought it would feel so strange to stand in front of people who used to be my best friends. The silence is way too awkward for my liking, and I fiddle with my thumbs in an attempt to amuse myself and relieve some of the tension. It doens't work and I feel like such an outcast.
Finally, I look up. "What happened, guys?"
Joe sighs. "This feels so.. wrong. I don't know why this is so awkward. Didn't we tell each other everything?"
"Before everything changed."
"Why did everything change?"
"Because we were selfish teenagers and just wanted popularity. We just wanted to have to power of authority, and didn't realize how much it would affect us all until after everything was said and done. We're miserable. The only thing Alex knows how do is tell people what to do. I'm tired of her crap."
Before I know it, I'm wrapped in a secure hug, surrounded by Taylor, Joe, and Kevin. Subconsciously, I'm thinking that this would be so much better if Nick was here, too.
Computers are selfish demonic devices. That's all I have to say. Review please?