The Downfall of the 'It Girl'

Shower me with gifts....

1419 WOODROW DRIVE it read, scrawled in Ms. Richards professional penmanship. Reading the address over and over until I practically had it memorized, I decided that maybe I actually DID need to pay attention in this class, seeing as how I was barely passing in the first place.

After school, I made my way out of school, practically skipping down the front steps, unable to get home fast enough to borrow Mom’s car to head over to Calvin’s house. I had never been there before, and I could already feel the nerves building up inside of me. 

“Hey,” I heard a voice calling from behind me, “you want a ride?” Landon. Of course, why wouldn’t he be behind me, offering me a ride home? 

“I kind of have plans after school, Landon, I can’t really hang out or anything,” I said, stopping and turning around. He was like a mosquito, always buzzing around, trying his best to get a fresh taste of your blood, like he couldn’t get his fill. 

“Okay, so you can’t accept a ride?” he asked, an extremely fake look of hurt plastered onto his face.

“Ugh, fine, the sooner I get home, the better,” I grudgingly agreed. Climbing into the passenger’s seat, I sat in silence, only wanting to get home as soon as possible.

“About last night, Jenna,” he began, pulling back into the little bit of traffic leaving the school grounds.

“Landon, I really don’t want to talk about all of that right now…” I replied, wishing that I had just refused his ride and walked home. 

“I know, I just wanted to say that I understand where you’re coming from, and that it’s okay if you need more time to think about everything, to think things over or whatever,” he said quickly.

“Landon, I don’t need to ‘think things over,’” I said with a sigh, “I just absolutely cannot get involved like that with you again, I’m sorry. It’s just too much,” I added, glancing from the passenger side window over to Landon in the driver’s seat.

“Hmmm, I see,” he said quietly, seemingly more to himself than to me. “Well, I hope that you’re not mad at me once we get to your house, then,” he added, looking over at me with a mischievous smile.

“Why?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. 

“You’ll see,” he said simply, turning onto the street leading to my house. Looking at him quizzically, I said nothing in response.

After another minute or two, Landon pulled up on the far side of my driveway, as there was an unfamiliar car sitting IN the driveway.

“Who’s car is that?” I asked, looking curiously at the shiny black Chevy Cruze sitting in my driveway.

“Uh… yours, silly,” Landon answered, unable to contain his smile any longer.

“MINE?!”  I asked, in complete disbelief. And then it hit me. Landon had bought this car as a ’gift.’ “Uh, Landon, I’m sorry, but I absolutely CANNOT accept this.”

“Sure you can,” he said with a simple shrug of his shoulders. “There’s no one more deserving of it than you,” he added, an endearing softness in his voice.

“No, Landon, it’s not right. It’s too much, and we’re not even together, and we won’t be,” I said quickly, a sick feeling creeping up in my stomach.

“Nonsense,” he insisted, pulling a set of keys from his pocket. “Here, it’s yours, and I won’t accept ’no’ as an answer. It’s a gift, from one friend to another,” he said, dangling the keys in front of my face.