The Teenage Guide To Popularity [COMPLETE]

Chapter 1: State Of Mind.

"They're not exactly her followers. If she fell, they'd never pick her up again. They'd find someone new."

"Well whatever. They're pathetic," Leigh hissed, then gazed at them with clear jealousy.

Ashton Rhodes wasn't exactly the Queen of the school. She was just this week's pick. At Newton, the top spot would be offered and then taken away just as quickly. An on-the-schedule rotation, and it was always within the same crowd. Sometimes a girl with too much money and not enough sense. Sometimes a guy with too much muscle and not enough mind. There was the rare occasion an Academic would somehow be on top, like Tala Ansari, the genius girl with too much purpose and not enough patience. It was the only aspect of Newton that wasn't completely typical.

"They're replaceable. Who cares?" said Carter. She took another spoon of her chocolate pudding and leaned back in her chair.

"Right, like you could be them."

"I could, and I'd be even more popular than Ashton Rhodes. I could probably get Aiden to ask me out too," Carter insisted. There had been many times when she had envisioned herself at that table, as the one Aiden was kissing, as the girl everyone loved, envied, hated, and feared all at once. Though it was only a make-believe thing, like picturing herself as the hero in a fairy-tale. Nothing serious. Nothing worth telling her friends about.

Aiden wasn't an athlete. He wasn't rich or particularly intelligent. He was just handsome. One-layered. He may as well have been one-dimensional too. It wasn't difficult for a girl to capture his attention. Carter assumed that all one had to do was wear something shiny and he'd be attracted.

Leigh made another hissing sound and narrowed her eyes at Carter. "Please, you could never be that popular. The best you could probably do is get on the second string cheerleading team."

"We're not in the nineties, Leigh. You don't need to be on the cheerleading team to be popular anymore."

"I know that. I'm just saying, you can probably only be a back-up for whoever's Ashton's back-up."

"Now you're not making any sense," Carter said, getting up. "Anyway, I've gotta get to the library. There's a book I need to sign out for English. You coming?"

Leigh nodded and rose as well. They headed out of the cafeteria and into the hallway, but not before Leigh gave the Popular table one last, yearning glance.

"Stop looking so desperate."

"I'm not desperate, I'm just... frustrated," Leigh said, scrunching her nose a bit. "You know, I bet if we went to some of the parties we'd be more popular."

"We did go that one time, remember? To Elena Trace's house party? Don't you remember what happened?"

It wasn't hard to forget a very drunken, very embarrassing night. For Leigh's sake, Carter didn't want to verbally recall what had happened. Leigh had decided to experiment with alcohol. For most high school students, alcohol wasn't experimental. It was just something that was considered part of growing up, a random social activity. For Leigh, it was a lifelong dream; to be invited to a party and drink the night away. Unfortunately, she had decided to drink more than her body could handle. 

"That was five months ago. I think I'm ready to give it another go," Leigh said positively. 

"You need to be invited first."

"I can offer to tutor one of them again," Leigh suggested. That was how they got invited to Elena's party. Leigh had written Elena's entire book report. It was what Leigh called tutoring. Carter called it being taken advantage of. She had shared this insight with Leigh a hundred times, but Leigh would have none of it. 

"Leigh, why do you want so badly to be one of them? This is as good as it'll get for them. This is where they'll peak. Except for maybe Tala Ansari, who'll probably end up as CEO of some giant company or something. Anyway, you're better than all the others," Carter said, putting weight on each word. She knew it wouldn't be effective, but she tried nonetheless. She always did. "You just wait and see, they'll be selling you shoes in ten years, and you'll be a world-renowned fashion guru."

"Aww you think so?" Leigh smiled, almost too sweetly, as they reached their lockers. Side-by-side lockers for best friends were hard to come by, but Carter had managed to sweet-talk her way to it during registration. 

"Of course I do. You're awesome. So stop trying to please people that are unpleasable."

"Is unpleasable even a word?"

"I just made it one. Anyway, you really need to stop thinking being popular is something out of a fantasy."

"Yeah, yeah, you think it's all easy."

"I don't think it. I know it. I'd prove it to you too if I wanted to."

"So why not prove it?" Leigh said, her eyes suddenly bright with excitement. "So maybe you don't really want to, but do it for me? Prove to me it's easy. Make us both popular."

Carter considered the idea. Sure, it was rather silly. Stupid. A waste of time. Maybe she was so bored with her life that she needed a challenge like this. Maybe deep down, she needed to prove this to herself as well. It would certainly allow her to picture herself in a fairy-tale. She faced Leigh, who was looking more baby-like than ever; with her eyes so wide and anxious, and smiled. "Fine. I will."