Switched at Last

Impossible Sparks

          "Hi, A!" Lucy Adend, Aria's BFF says. Lucy has glossy black hair that's cut bluntly to her shoulders and green eyes with thick eyelashes. I stare at her for a second before I realize I'm supposed to say hi and not act like a brain-dead freak.

       "Hey, Luce," I say brightly.I look down at my teal shirt with white stripes and then glace at her shirt.

     "Copycat!" I joke, jabbing her shoulder and giggling. Lucy's face turns red and she throws her head back and giggles along with me.

     "We have to go to science, lover-girl," she teases. My face flushes for Aria, is she that desperate? I wonder.

      "Zac likes me," I state coolly. I strut a couple feet it front of Lucy and see her cover her mouth in shock.

      "So do you like him?" she asks, throwing her arms up int he air as of to say 'for god's sake, make up your mind!'

      I decide to go with an honest answer, and since Zac is new, he transferred for the last two weeks of school, I haven't seen him. For All I know, (and care) the guy could be a three toed alien.

      "Maybe," I reply and walk to my seat in the science room. Someone walks over to my and plops down in the seat next to me.

       "Aria?" he asks and I turn my head to face him. I gasp, he's beautiful, with dark brown hair like mine and ocean blue eyes.

      "Uh hi....." I say, wondering what this boy's name is.

      "Zac, come here," a boy across the classroom shouts.

      "Gotta go, see ya soon," the boy says. I try to respond but I'm too stunned. That's Zac! I think, still staring at him as he makes his way to the boy whose name I'm pretty sure is Lucas says.

    "A," Aria's other friend, Sassy Corpel says, waving me over.

   "What's up?" I ask curiously, wondering if she has any gossip.

   "So...I heard Zac saying he really likes you," she squeals. I can't help but smile a little. But then I think back to Zac's smile....I've seen him before, somewhere.

     "Well I like him," I say confidently.

        "Do you still like Jet?" I ask, looking at the redhead boy across the room.  Sassy's face flushes. Sassy is really, really pretty. She has blonde, curly hair and blue eyes.

     "Don't look at him...I, well....dumped him," she confesses, staring up into my chocolate eyes and blushing.

      "Class!" Mr. Hensen barks, motioning us to get back in our seats. I stride over to my seat and steal a quick glance at Zac who smiles back.

      "Pop quiz!" he exclaims, rushing around and handing everyone a sheet of paper.

     "It's only three questions and it's what we studied last trimester, it's a third of your grade," he informs up as the entire class boos. Aria's in the stupid people math class so I know it won't be too hard. It's chemistry.

     "Jerk," Zac mutters, rolling his eyes. "But what ever, I already got accepted into boarding school," he goes on.

     "Me too," I say, but really only Aria's going. I'm staying here and going to Middleton High. I'm about to ask Zac where he's going but Mr. Hensen interrupts.

    "GO!" he exclaims, hitting a white and black checkered timer that's set for fifteen minutes. I finish all three in ten minutes and then look over Zac's shoulder. He's texting someone, I lean over hsi shoulder and read his texts.

     ZacBaker: Aria's hot.

     GarretLamar: So's Sassy.

     ZacBaker: Blonde? EWWW

      GarretLamar: R u crazy?

      ZacBaker: they cheer and cheat.

     GarretLamar: not all of em and A cheers.

     ZacBaker: GTG I'm sorta taking a test.......

       I try to keep a straight face and then I turn to Sassy and mouth, "Garret." Sassy nods as if to say she might possibly like him. I smile and turn back to Zac. He's about to whisper something when the bell rings and we all have to race to the buses.

   "A!!!!" Lucy screams, staggering behind in her 3 inch heels. She doesn't really need hells since she's five-ten.....but whatever.

      "Wait up!" she says. I stop and wait for her to catch up to me.

        "So...Zac,you...Yes?" she asks, wringing her fingers and grinning.

    "Totally!!!" I say and scamper off to my bus. I can't help but smile the entire way home.

     Once I'm home I go into the kitchen and see both my mother and my father sitting at our large round modern table.

     "Aria," My mother says, using her warning tone. Not truly! I want to say but instead I fling off Aria's Ralph Lauren messenger bag and sit down in one of the blue chairs.

     "We went through your phone and we saw you've been texting someone named Zac," my father says. My father's name is Eduardo Rivera. He is tall with dark hair like mine and his skin is caramel colored, mine is slightly lighter but my sister and I still look Spanish.

     "Uh, yes..." I say, nodding stupidly. I stare right into my father's dark eyes and pray he doesn't know I'm Lauren.

      "Don't," my mother says, fingering her silver Tiffany's bracelet. My family is very rich, yet Aria and I still have to take the bus home from school because my mother 'doesn't do picking up.'

      "Um, 'kay," I say and rush into Aria's bedroom on the third floor.

       Aria's walls are painted a dark pink with black crown moldings. Everything is neat and orderly, our family's everything is organized.

     I sit down and do Aria's homework, I try to keep my mind on her math homework but i can't keep my mind off Zac.  I sigh, knowing Zac doesn't even know my real name becuase we're not in any classes together and after all, I'm in eighth grade. Once this trimester comes to an end I'll never see him again.

      "Why did you say that you wouldn't text Zac?!" Aria says, storming into her room and jolting my out of my dream.

     "I didn't want to get you in trouble!" I scream, trhowing my arms up in the air.

     "Uccch, just please tell me you aced the test," She says.

     "Duh, and anyway, Hallie is now going to become my BFF, I don't want to be friends with Bekki anymore, she's too gossipy," I reply, running my fingers trough my hair. Aria's face turns white.

      "I don't think so...." she says weakly.

      "What do you mean?" I ask, standing up.

      "Well, Bekki said she was fat and I well, said she was out"!  Aria says, putting her slender, manicured fingers in the air.

      "Then I guess I'll go tell Lucy to pound sand," I say, pulling out Aria's phone.

      "You wouldn't!" she says, covering her mouth.

     "I am," I say and press send.

       Okay, I'll be honest. It wasn't really send that I pressed, I just sent a text to my phone. I hear it buzz in the backround and I dart down the hall and into my modern room to grab it.

        ONE NEW TEXT MESSAGE, A big red window notifies me.

      OPEN I click and giggle at the message which reads:

     AriaRivera: Pound Sand!

      I slip my nokia nack into my pocket and slip downstairs to play with my black pug, Dot. I nuzzle her sleek black ears and smile.

     "Who's a good girl?"