by Lilly Purdon
There was a whole list of reasons, but to list them all out would be a waste of time. But I knew for a fact, that he wasn’t going to show up to the dance.
“You’re going shopping right now.” She stated, waving her hand in dismissal.
“I’m not going out with pink teeth!” I shook my head. “That’d hurt my reputation even more.”
“Darling,” her ice cold eyes met mine. “You don’t have a reputation to maintain.”
Her words stung, but I didn’t show it. “I’m not going to the dance.”
“I think you don’t understand me.” She pressed her lips in a firm line before continuing. “You are going to the dance no matter what.”
“But-”
“I don’t care if you’re sick, you’re on your monthly, or you’re dying. You are going to that dance. You asked for help, and I’m giving it to you.”
“Why do you want me out of the house so bad?” I questioned, making her tense up.
“I don’t.” she replied in a clipped tone. “I’m just helping you.”
I looked at her suspiciously. I was certain she was hiding something, but I decided to drop it. “I’m not going to that dance.” I stood up from my chair and slammed both my fists onto her working desk. “You can’t make me.”
~*~
“I regret challenging that ice queen.” I grumbled to myself.
I was currently at a random store in town trying to find a costume for the dance. Kasay was helping me- but if I were to be factually accurate, she was the one doing all the work while I stood there like a mannequin complaining.
“You know, I could use a little help here.” She said as she went through racks and racks of costumes.
“You’re the one who got me in this shit,” I pointed out. “So you’re doing the work.”
She sighed while shaking her head. “You’re a real pain in the ass sometimes.”
I grinned at her. “I know.”
“This year’s dance will be huge.” She said as she picked out costumes. “I heard even Axel might be going.”
“Axel Storm Spencer?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “The guy whose initials spell ‘ass’.”
“But he doesn’t do dances…” I trailed off.
“That’s what everyone thought, but the rumors say differently.”
“Rumors are rumors.” I shrugged.
“The rumors also say he’s going dressed in costume.”
“Axel and costumes don’t mix.”
“Unless his costume consists of a leaf.” She snickered, “or nothing at all…”
A picture of Axel with only a leaf covering his private area popped up in my head. Even though the image was worth drooling over, I shook my head to try to get it out of my mind. “There’s still no way he’s going.” I stated.
“You know there is.”
“Get back to work.”
She rolled her eyes and continued searching. After she found about 20 different costumes she thought were fit for me, she rushed me to the fitting room and made me try every single one on.
Pirate
Mermaid
Princess
Vampire
Killer
Zombie (Which I actually considered, but she changed her mind and said I’d never find a guy like that)
Alien
Duck
Hamburger
Cocktail (don’t ask)
Robot
And the list went on. I gave up once we went through all of the costumes. “I think you looked good in the cocktail one.” She said. “What do you think?”
“I hated them all.” I replied.
“Let me go get you some more costumes-”
“No, I’m not trying on any more,” I stated. “Let’s go home.” I tried to leave, but she blocked the exit.
“Let’s make a deal. You try on one last costume and I’ll leave it there.”
I thought about it. “What if I say no?”
“Then your stepmother will find you a costume-”
At the mention of my stepmother, I agreed to it, “deal.”
She disappeared from the dressing room and came back with an odd looking costume. I couldn’t tell what it was. “Since you’re such a pain in the ass, I decided this would match your personality.”
“What is it?” I got the costume from her.
“Try it on and you’ll see.” She handed me a halo and dark feathered wings that came with the costume.
I did what she told me and tried it on. The costume fit me like a glove made just for me. It was a black sleeveless dress that came up above my knees. It hung onto what little curves I had and made me look good. I put on the wings and the halo.
I spun around in the mirror to get a full view of it. The dress showed off my back and down to my waist, but unlike other dresses, this one didn’t seem slutty or too revealing. This one seemed elegant. I looked at the price tag and almost choked. The price was beyond high.
“Get your ass out here so I can see how you look!” Kasay banged on the dressing room door. I opened the door slowly and looked down at the costume. Her mouth fell open in shock. “You do have a killer body.”
“How does it look?”
“It looks fucking sexy on you girl!” she yelled. “So how do you feel about it?” she questioned.
“I actually kinda’ like this one.” I admitted.
A Cheshire cat grin appeared on her face. “I knew you would love-”
“But,” I added. Her grin faded immediately. “The price-”
“Do something for yourself for once. Cleo spends your dad’s checks on herself all the time, once for you won’t hurt.”
She was right, but I still had other concerns, “everyone will know it’s me.”
She held up her index finger before she rushed off. A few moments later, she came back with a half face mask in her hand. “This will match both your dress and your heels.” She chirped happily. I smiled along before I realized something.
“Wait- heels?! Who said anything about heels?!”
~*~
Chapter 8 BRAND NEW ME
Have you ever felt completely new?
Like after a shower or after some sort of treatment? Well, feeling new felt like a newly plucked chicken.
“Stay still,” Kasay hissed as she tore a waxing strip off my leg roughly. I screamed in agony. “Gross, I can’t believe you have never shaved.” She scrunched up her face in disgust. “You’re lucky your hairs are pretty much invisible though.”
She tore another waxing strip off my leg, making me scream again. “THAT HURTS LIKE FUCK!”
She tore another one off my leg. “Only I’m allowed to swear.”
“But it hurts so bad!” I panted, gripping the edges of the bed I was on.
“Beauty hurts, get used to it,” she huffed. I screamed again when she tore the last waxing strip off my leg, “suck it up.”
I glared at her. “I never asked for your help.”
She just shrugged as she went back to look for another torture device. “We’re doing your eyebrows next.”
“What?” I got up into a sitting position.
“Or do you want to do them tomorrow?” she questioned.
“Can you just not use any more torturing equipment on me?” I begged.
“If you want to be pretty, then you’ve got to go through the pain they go through.”
“Layla goes through this?” I asked in disbelief.
“Of course! How do you think she gets her smooth legs, her perfect eyebrows, and her magnificent downstairs-?”
“I don’t need every single detail,” I cut her off before she got more explicit.
I didn’t know being the hottest girl in the school meant lots and lots of torture. I thought the popular people were just born perfect. Guess I was wrong… To magazine beauty, there’s pain behind it all… and tons of retouching.
Maybe I didn’t want to be popular if it was going to cost pain and suffering.
D
eep down inside, I knew I didn’t want to become popular. I didn’t want guys kissing my feet, begging for a date with me, nor did I want to have fake friends around me.
But one thing I knew I wanted was Axel.
I wanted no one else’s attention, but his.
Since I had set foot on Earth, he had never spared me a glance. I was invisible to him. I blended into the crowd too much, but Layla didn’t seem to think that. I was noticeable, but in a bad way. Something in the pit of my stomach told me I should try talking to him, but there was no way in hell I would ever do that.
I would never be able to work up the courage to go up to him and start a conversation. Heck, I didn’t even have the nerves to tap his shoulder. Maybe if Layla hadn’t interrupted, I might have been able to get his attention somehow, but then I probably would have acted like a complete retard in front of him.
I hated myself for being in love with a guy who knew absolutely nothing about me. No matter how I tried to look away, or how I tried to block him out, my little crush never seemed to fade. Even when I was with Ricky, a small part of my heart was still beating for Axel.
Axel was the complete opposite of me. He got in fights, did drugs, drank alcohol, was violent, got in trouble 24/7, couldn’t stand authority, and failed every single subject.
Looking back, I still wander why I went out with Ricky in the first place. Even though he was a gentleman and made me feel wanted to a certain extent, I still had feelings for the guy who didn’t have a clue who I was. Ricky bought me gifts, walked me to my classes, carried my books, said the sweetest things to me, and acted like the perfect boyfriend… but I couldn’t seem to fall in love with him.
“Rose!” She yelled, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Quit daydreaming.”
“I do what you want.”
She snorted out loud. “No you don’t, you do everything your stepmother wants.” She corrected me.
I glared hard at her.
“You’re wasting time, I have to do me after you.” She sighed.
“That sounds so wrong.” Jaxon commented as he barged into my bedroom.
Kasay looked up from what she was doing. “Get out.”
“Can’t a guy come visit his best friend?”
My two best friends were the most stubborn people on the planet. If they were to get in an argument, World War III would start. Kasay was a violent bad ass, while Jaxon was an overdramatic drama geek. I couldn’t imagine if those two were to get married…
“I said get out.” She repeated herself. “I need to finish her up.”
“Kasay, you’re saying the dirtiest things today.” He shook his head while chuckling.
“Dirty minded drama queen,” she grumbled.
“I don’t have a dirty mind,” he stated all serious. “I have a sexy imagination.” He winked. That was something I would imagine Axel saying to someone…
“That’s what they all say,” she rolled her eyes,, before turning to me. “All guys are the same.”
“Who told you to try them all?” Jaxon asked sweetly.
Kasay clenched both her fists. “Get out, now.” Jaxon laughed as he exited my bedroom. Kasay shook with anger. She was glaring hard at her torturing equipment. “That was a low blow.”
After a few minutes, she cooled off. “Your best friend is an asshole.” She stated as she grabbed my upper arm.
“Wait- what are you doing?”
“Next step to changing your reputation is changing the way you act.”
~*~
“I can’t do it!” I gave up and slumped onto the couch.
“Of course you can! All you have to do is sway your ass from left to right.”
“First of all, I don’t want my new nickname at school to be ‘Slutty Rosie’. Secondly, I have no ass! Plus, I don’t to get attention for that-”
“BULLSHIT! You know damn well you have an ass, and you’ve gotten attention for it before. Remember you dancing? All eyes were on your ass-”
---Flashback---
In a room full of drunk people, I was the only sober person. Ricky had tried getting me to drink some, but I poured it into a nearby pot of plant. Ricky’s hands were running up and down my sides, feeling what little curves I had. He leaned down so that his mouth was by my ear. “You’re barely dancing.”
“I don’t dance.” I replied in his ear.
“You’re dancing tonight. No excuses.”
“But I don’t want to embarrass myself,” I frowned.
“You won’t,” he assured me, but I didn’t feel so sure. I had embarrassed myself before multiple times that night.
He lifted my chin up so I was looking up at him, but I refused to meet his eyes. But once he got my chin in a firm grip, it was hard not to look into his mesmerizing grey eyes. His eyes reminded me of the clouds on a rainy day. Sure, his eyes might’ve been pretty, but Axel’s were prettier, even from afar.
“I can’t dance.”
“Yes you can. If you tried you could.”
“Ricky, I seriously can’t-”
“Yes you can,” he said. This time his voice was harsher.
I furrowed my eyebrows together. “Why do you want me to dance so badly?”
He sighed, pinching his nose bridge. “Don’t tell anyone, but I kind of made a deal with the guys.” I didn’t know whether to be mad or what. “I’m telling you because I trust you.” He made me melt right there. “Please, just get up there and dance. I’ll be right there watching you the whole time to make sure you’re okay.”
I blinked twice. He gave me a quick peck on the lips that made me almost shrivel up. He smelled like strong vodka and cigarettes. He beamed down at me. “Now get up there and show them what you’ve got.”
I took in a deep breath before nodding. He dragged me out of the dancing area into the basement where most of his friends were. “Hey bitches!” he hollered, getting everyone’s attention. “Time to turn up!” All the guys cheered along with him. I gulped nervously. There was no way I could dance in front of all of them.
The music was even louder down in the basement. Ricky gave me a small shove towards the pool table. I froze when I felt all eyes on me. All the drunken teen’s eyes were glued to me, the fragile nerd who didn’t know how to dance. Someone shut the music off which left us in silence.
“You’re seriously going to let a middle school girl dance?” one of the guys scoffed.
“I’m a junior,” I protested.
“Doesn’t look like it to me.” He snorted before turning to my boyfriend. “Rick, I put 20 bucks on this chick to grind on the pool table. Are you fucking around with me by letting this little girl embarrass herself?”
“First of all, she’s not a little girl, she’s our age.” Ricky said in a low voice. “And trust me, she can do this.”
“I’m killing you tonight if I lose my 20 bucks.” The guy threatened.
“I have 120 on her, so I think I’ll die without your help if she can’t.” Ricky replied before turning to the crowd around us. “Who wants to see her get her grind on?” He asked the crowd. Most people cheered while the rest yelled rude perverted stuff at me.
Loud music started pumping through the speakers as Ricky lifted me up and placed me into the pool table. I closed my eyes and let the music get the best of me.
After attempting to dance, I tripped on one a cup and ended up face planting the ground. People around me cheered for my suffering, and I was stepped on my some drunk dancers.
I got up and hid in the bathroom for the rest of the night.
After all, it was a night no one would remember…
---End of Flashback---
I snapped back to reality when Kasay shook my shoulders. “I saw it on video, you were incredible! Every single guy in there got a boner!”
I swatted her hands off me. “It was a mistake!”
“You were incredibly-”
“I fell off the pool table and got a concussion.”
“Do it that again and you’ll get every guy’s
attention!”
“There’s no way in hell I’m repeating anything from that night.”
“Do it for me.”
“No!”
“For Jaxon.”
“No.”
“For yourself?”
“How about no?”
“Who would you do it for?” she asked, giving up.
The only person I’d do it for was Axel. But then again, I wouldn’t him to see me all wasted and acting like a complete slut in front of strangers.
I lied “no one.”
“There must be someone out there.”
“There’s no one out there.”
“You’re lying.” She narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously.
“How am I lying by stating the truth?”
“There’s someone-”
“Nope,” I interrupted her, popping the ‘p’.
She kept her eyes narrowed on me. “I know when you’re lying to me.”
I fiddled with my fingers as I looked at her with a straight face. “I’m not lying. Quit accusing me of things.”
“There’s someone you’re hiding from me.” She sucked in her bottom lip as she thought hard on it.
“I’m hiding absolutely nothing.” I crossed my fingers on both hands behind my back.
“Just admit it already,” she sighed. “I’m too lazy to pry it out of you.”
“There’s nothing to admit.”
“Quit playing dumb!”
“I can do what I want.”
“As long as your stepmother approves.” She added, making me glare at her. But of course, she just ignored my glare. “At least give me a hint.”
“Of course not!” I scoffed.
“Not even a little one?”
“You don’t seem to know what ‘no’ means.” I glared at her. “No means negative, impossible, and it also means leave me the fuck alone in my book.”
“Come on,” she groaned. “What harm could it do?”
I thought hard about it. What harm could it possibly do to me? It’s not like she was going to find out who it was from one little hint. “He’s a blonde.”