“So I’m not going to ask how your day went, because I know that you’re probably having the worst time ever,” Cece bluntly said, as we pushed through the cold metal doors and into the bright sunshine.
I was surprised that we were allowed off-campus lunch-if that happened at my old school, everyone would just leave! As my eyes adjusted to the sunlight, I noticed gobs of students scattered across the lawn, some sitting at tables, some sitting cross legged in the lush grass.
“Yeah, it definitely hasn’t been the highlight of my life,” I responded, hands fiddling with my still slightly damp skirt. I felt disgusting, and I just wanted to go home.
Home home.
“I’m sure it’ll get better,” Cece reassured me, bumping her shoulder into mine in a friendly fashion.
We walked in comfortable silence as we carefully weaved in between various couples having lunch on the grass. A group of boys passed soccer ball back and forth, a few girls giggling at them from afar. There was a chess board with six guys all huddled around, and I saw several kids in the parking lot practicing tricks on their skateboards. It was just like my high school; the dominating cliques, the exclusion, the hazing, everything.
“Why are there so many people?” I asked.
“Well, up here, we don’t have sunny weather like this very often,” Cece smiled.
“You have to enjoy it while you can!”
All of a sudden her eyes lit up, and she grinned super wide.
“Hey Rayanne! Look who I’ve got with me!”
Cece started galloping towards a humongous rock with a girl with long brown braids perched on top.
“Aw, sweet! You’re friends with Bad Gal Beth!” The girl hollered back.
“Bad Gal Beth?” I said quietly, as I quickly followed Cece.
Cece threw her lunch bag on top of the rock and carefully climbed up, grunting as her hands hoisted her up. She got settled and gave the other girl a friendly kiss on the cheek.
“Well come on,” She coaxed to me, when she noticed I hadn't budged an inch.
The rock was about a story tall, and it looked horribly out of place. Graffitti cover half of it, and moss filled entire crevices so you couldn’t tell what color it was.
“What the hell is this?” I called up.
“Historic landmark,” the other girl shrugged. “I think.”
Hesitantly, I placed my foot in a worn down spot, which I assumed was a foothold. I pulled my self on top, careful not to scrap my palms or flash my underwear to unlucky patrons below.
When I sat, I saw Cece and the other girl sitting next to each other, so I sat across. It was the perfect size for 3 people to fit comfortably. It was almost as if my butt completed some ancient triad.
“Hey,” The other girl gave me a salute. “The name’s Rayanne.”
I nodded, giving her a shy smile. “Beth.”
“Oh trust me, I know who you are,” She said, winking and taking a bite out of her sandwich, mustard dribbling down her chin.
Rayanne was sure…particular. It looked as if her style was stuck in the 90s. Her waist-long hair was braided into many different stranded that crowded her petite body. Her vampy lipstick reminded me of Kate Winslet in Titanic, and her uniform, covered by a long flannel, had comical pins dotted along the collar.
Cece laughed, a cute feminine giggle that made my laugh seem like a manly bark.
“Yeah, Rayanne is pretty pissed off at you; she held the record of being the roughest girl around, but you sure surpass that,” Cece joked, drumming on her thigh while munching on her salad happily. Rayanne flexed her bicep and grinned.
I chuckled. “Well, if you want that title back, you can have it. What was it you called me? ‘Bad Gal Beth’? Yeah, no. That’s not me.”
“We’ll work on that,” Rayanne said.
Cece and Rayanne then launched into a full discussion about some History test that I had no idea about, so I decided to scan the area for Finn. The added height due to the rock was perfect- I could see the whole entire schoolyard without straining my eyes.
I finally saw him sitting at a table, his arm wrapped around Angela’s waist. I saw him laugh, the deep belly kind that makes you throw your head back, and my heart swelled. He was adorable. I imagined myself in Angela’s spot, his lean arm around my torso instead.
I sighed. Like that would ever happen.
I looked down at my legs, suddenly very self-conscious. Angela’s legs were so small yet muscular, and mine were like fat hot dogs. She had the perfect pouty lips, whereas mine were overly thick. She had shiny flowy hair that made it look like a fan was following her at all times, and mine was mousy and boring.
“Hey, Beth! I’d like to introduce you to my boyfriend!” Cece snapped me out of my daze, and I looked up only to see….
Finn?
A boy who looked just like Finn had his lips pressed to Cece’s cheek. He had the same flawless skin, white teeth, and soft hair. What was happening?
“Hi, how’re you doing?” The boy asked.
“But- I thought-“ I stuttered. I quickly snapped my head to where I found Finn sitting with Angela before, and I saw him in the exact same spot.
Am I hallucinating? Am I really that in love with him that I see his face everywhere?
The boy crumpled his eyebrows, looking confused. “You’re Beth right? I saw you at that fight. Things looked pretty gruesome.”
“Uh-“
“Maybe you got a concussion? Me and Finn tried to help you up-“
His voice droned out as relief washed over to me. I started laughing nonstop. He wasn’t Finn.
“Beth?” Rayanne asked, looking concerned. “What’s your problem?”
I buckled over, not able to breathe from my laughing spell. I wiped away a tear from my eye and muttered, “You guys are twins!”
Finn’s twin smiled wide as he realized what had happened.
“Oh my god, I’m sorry for the confusion. I should have introduced myself. I’m Jack.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
After lunch was over, the rest of the school day went by in a whirlwind. When Louise and her limo picked up me and Angela, I was still in a fantastic mood. Not even the snarky remarks of my stepsister brought me down.
Hours later, I was in my room completing Spanish homework when I heard a strange noise downstairs. I clutched my soft bed comforter with sweaty palms as the noise happened again, and again, and again.
I was supposed to be home alone, but I guess I had a visitor.
“Shit,” I muttered, heart racing. “The first day I’m here and I’m going to get murdered.”
I quickly grabbed my mirrored lamp, wrapped my hand around the cord, and crept closer to the door, careful not to make any noise.
I held my breath as I opened the door, quietly swinging open. I jumped into the hallway, thinking a surprise attack would be best for the intruder.
Nobody was there.
Thump. Thump.
I slipped silently to the grand staircase, carefully peering over the side of the balcony, with no avail. I gripped the lamp tighter when I heard rustling coming from the living room.
“A robber, I bet you,” I thought to myself, and sneaked down the stairs and tiptoed into the lush living room. I looked over the couch and saw a tangled mess of-
“Beth? What are you doing here?”
Two bodies wrapped up in each other on the couch proved to be Finn and Angela. Finn quickly released her thin body and sat straight up, fixing his messy hair. Angela did the same, discreetly covering her raw lips with the back of her hand.
“Oh, I just thought-“ I loosened my grip on my lamp and started to back away embarrassed. “Samantha said you were going out with her shopping.”
“Well, I thought she took you!” Angela exclaimed.
I looked at Finn, who’s flushed face combined with his unbuckled jeans clearly told me a story that I didn’t want to know.
“Well, sorry I interrupted,” I muttered, looking at my shoes. Angela grimaced at me, and stood up, pushing me slightly.
“It’s over now,” she hissed, and bounded into the kitchen, leaving Finn and I alone in an awkward silence. He avoided my eyes and looked almost…sad?
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Finn stood up and grabbed his things, which were huddled in a corner (I obviously had not seen his backpack when searching for the possible murderer) and lowered his head in shame.
I didn’t know what to think. On one hand, I was incredibly disgusted that I walked in on a whole makeout session, but on the other, I wast terribly hurt. If I thought I had any chance with Finn, those odds were completely diminished now. He liked Angela, he salivateed over her body, he had a clear sex drive- why did I think any different?
“Whatever,” I snapped, turning away as his eyes snapped to mine.
“I didn’t see anything.”
A/N: By now, I think you know the drill of how I update this story. I come back , claiming "I'll post ten billion chapters in one week!" and then only post one and leave for a few months. I'm sorry, that's all I have to say. I just get so anxious writing sometimes because I'm a complete perfectionist. So it's one of my passions, yet I'm terrified by it sometimes..? Does that make sense? Right now I'm enrolled in an English summer school class, and I'm just so...English-ed out. You feel me? Ja feel?
So I hoped you liked the chapter. yeah. If you could vote, subscribe, and/or comment, I'll bake you cookies. Cool deal. BYEEE
BY THE WAY! I have started writing oneshots to hopefully tide off my lovely and sexy readers when I don't update this as often. So please, please, please, check them out. I've only written one so far, but I have one hot on the presses. (is that the saying? yes? no? I don't know.)