Chapter one

As I lay in my bed, I tried not to think about the day that was ahead of me, but it was just too hard for me to push out the thoughts that where trying to bombard their way into my head. It was Friday, the day of this terms annual school dance. It would begin at seven pm and end at eleven pm. As usual, I didn't have a date. It wasn't that I didn't try, but I guess guys just don't like me in that way. I was, yet again, on the decoration committee. I was responsible for the tickets tonight and I was dreading it. The only reason that I was even doing this stupid ticket duty was so that it would make my mom happy. She was one of the popular girls when she was at school. She had had a gazillion friends and an unnameable amount of boyfriends. I had listened to so many stories of her youth when I was younger. She had always wanted for me to be how she had been - popular and filthy rich. I was filthy rich, but I wasn't popular. I wish I was, but I just wasn't. People didn't really like me at school. I had one friend, Vicky, and we where both just as unpopular as the other. That was why we where friends, because we were so alone.

'Erin! Hurry up or you'll be late!' my mother called at me from downstairs. I looked over at my alarm clock to see that it was seven forty-five. I would have to leave soon.

I had to literally drag myself out of my bed as its soft and fluffy pink and white feather pillows called to me. I had been dreading this day, but I had known that I couldn't stop the inevitable, and here it was.

I walked into my en-suit bathroom and looked into my mirror. I was about five foot. I had long dark brown hair that ran down to my shoulders. My eyes were also a dark brown and my skin a tan colour. I was slim, about a size8. I had to admit, I wasn't exactly ugly, but then again I couldn't be pretty because if I was pretty, then I would surely have guys beating down the door, wouldn't I? At any rate, I didn't and my mum hated me for it.

After a quick shower I got dressed in my blue skinny jeans and green tank top. I had a jacket that I would wear over the top of it. I pulled my hair into a somewhat scraggy pony tail on the back of my head and made my way downstairs.

My mom was in our huge, industrial sized, kitchen. She was like one of those housewives that you see on those crappy sitcoms. She had fake nails and hair extensions and the most expensive clothes that money could buy, with French labels and everything! But she was happy in her fake little world, so who was I to tell her that which would make her unhappy?

'Good morning Erin.' My father greeted me. I liked my dad. He was a kind man. He and my mom had met and started dating in high school, and then got married when they were both 19. He was an architect. In my eyes this was a very boring job, but he loved it. My mum loved it as well, but only because it was well paid. 'Sleep well?' he asked me.

'Yeah dad, I just wish I didn't have to get up.' My dad was about to say something but my mom interrupted him.

'Don't be like that Erin. Today's the day of the school dance. Just because you didn't get a date, doesn't mean that you should be all gloomy and unhappy - the dance is a good thing,' she chimed at me. 'But maybe if you wore some make up today then somebody might ask you?' she made it sound like a question, although I don't think that's what she had meant for it to sound like that. She tried to get me to wear makeup every day, but she just didn't understand that I didn't like it.

'Mom, don't you think I'm a little bit young for makeup?' I knew what her answer would be before she even said it.

'Of course you're not too young Erin! You're seventeen; I started wearing makeup when I was fourteen.' She was so persistent but she always had been and I knew that no amount of time could change that. I grabbed a granola bar from the kitchen counter and turned to face my dad.
'I'm gunna go to school dad. Bye.' I said as I picked up my jacket. And with that I left for the short, five minute, walk that it took me to get to my school.

***

As I stood looking inside my locker, searching for my math book, I felt somebody tap me on my shoulder. I turned around to see my best friend Vicky, staring at me with a huge smile on her face. I couldn't help but wish that she had been my amazing dream guy, come to take me away from this awful place forever.

'Hey Erin!' she was practically beaming at me. Something good had happened, but I had no idea what. She was wearing a pink summer dress that went just down to just above her knees. It fit her perfectly and went well with her blonde hair and blue eyes. It fit her very nicely and it made me wish that I could get away with something like that.