10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love

The Two-Faced Skank

Elizabeth, who had just noticed the two, froze at the sight. Suddenly, Annie jerked away from Vincent with a shaky yell.  

"Get away from me, you pervert!"  

Vincent backed away, glaring at her with bewildered disgust, and was about to wipe his mouth when he noticed Elizabeth.  

"Liz..."  

Annie turned around, teary-eyed, and ran over to Elizabeth with a broken sob. "Liz! Vincent grabbed me after class and he wouldn't stop kissing me! My first kiss!"  

Elizabeth stumbled as Annie careened into her, and looked up from Annie's crying figure to glare at Vincent. This was why she hated men the most!  

Vincent opened his mouth to explain the situation, but Elizabeth cut him off with an angry shout.  

"If you ever come near us again, I'll get you expelled!"  

As Elizabeth stomped off to class, patting Annie's shoulder, the devious blonde turned around to wink at Vincent with a triumphant smile. What pissed him off most was the fact that Elizabeth didn't even notice.

***

"Hurry and get on, everybody!" the teachers called as third year clambered into spacious buses and shoved their luggage onto the custodians, eager to get out of the freezing weather.  

"Liz!" Annie giggled as she bumped into Elizabeth. Elizabeth whipped around and broke into a smile, her previously worried feelings washed away.  

The morning had been nerve wracking. Ms. Blackburn had (once again) boiled the milk she had been heating over the stove. Would Elizabeth's klutz of a mother survive the seven days she was gone? Probably not. Different scenarios had played through her head as she walked to school alone. Ideas of a burning house and cars driven into trees were simply a distraction from Elizabeth's chief issue; Vincent. If things continued as they were, that idiot and Andre would start bickering again.  

Ever since the guy had "attacked Annie", he had seemingly given up all hope of dating Elizabeth. Andre had made things worse by orbiting around Elizabeth and Annie, trying to resolve the situation but causing tension to haunt wherever Vincent went.  

That bitch Annie! Vincent shook with rage as he glared at her across the parking lot where he and his friends grouped together. She was such a skank!  

"What's wrong, Vincent?" Annie had asked a few days ago in Advanced History.  

"What's wrong?" Vincent had repeated in disbelief. "You assaulted me!"  

Annie had sighed, and rolled her eyes in what she believed to be a cute way. "No, silly! I'm trying to get Liz jealous!"  

Vincent had pretended to see reason behind it, but he knew exactly what was going on. Annie was tearing them apart. He'd seen attempts like this before in the past.  

Meanwhile, Annie hummed in giddy triumph as she watched her plan unravel. Elizabeth hated Vincent, and the guy saw Annie as helping out. Annie would simply have to wait a little longer, before Vincent moved on and decided that Annie was the ideal, kind, fun loving girl that suited him most.  

Annie laughed as she plopped down onto the velvet seats of the bus, giving Elizabeth who sat next to her an excited grin. Annie giggled at Elizabeth as she returned the smile. What a clueless idiot.  

As the buses of rowdy, hyped up teenagers sped off to the woods, Elizabeth chatted away with her best friend, completely unaware of Annie's selfish intentions.

***  

Snowflakes danced in little circles as they fell onto the roofs of warm log cabins, eager to get inside to experience some fun, too. Bright stars winked at each other in excitement, knowing that the arrival of Star Lake students meant laughter to spruce up the sullen looking trees.