Chapter 8, Round two

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

I wake up the next morning with new-found confidence. And okay, maybe a bit of drool. Not everyone can wake up like Cinderella. 

With a yawn, I unlock my phone and notice that I have yet another message from Mysterious Fucker.

When Mysterious Fucker doesn't respond once again, I close the message. Because this person hasn't done something to hurt or jeopardize me yet, I decide it'll be safe to except this relationship as something similar to Charlie and his angels. 

Not that you're nearly as cool or bad-ass as those girls, my voice of reason points out.

I hop over to my closet. I don't really have any sexy clothes, but Mysterious fucker didn't ask for sexy. He asked for nice, so I end up picking a floral vintage dress and jean jacket to go with it. 

I just hope no one sees the orange paint on the jacket.

When I make my way to the kitchen, dressed and ready for my life sucks round 2, I pop in some toast in the toaster. Uncle Anton will back from his night shift any moment and I think he'll appreciate some toast without breaking his brain to try figuring out the toaster again. 

Aunt Tessa is sitting at the kitchen island, reading the newspaper and looks back up at me. "How was your first day of Tygerwell High yesterday? I never got to ask you," she says.

I shrug, because shrugging will make me seem casual. "It was average," I answer, even though it was opposite of just that. But I feel obliged to fill the 'keep grown-ups out of this' cliche.

Jessy comes bouncing in and stops in her tracks. "Amber, why are you looking so nice?" she asks.

Oh, I don't know, because an unknown number, that also told me to spy on the gangs last night, told me to and I've been keeping this person a secret, because I'll reveal it when it's convenient?

"Well, why not?" I ask.

Note: questions cancel out questions.

Jessy eyes me suspiciously before she hooks her arm into mine, "Let's go" she says and just like that, we're off.

When the Ford is on the move, Jessy asks, "How was your late-night pie?"

"Not how I was expecting it," I admit.

"Mmh, and what did you really do?"

"Spy on Owen and Blake," I admit in deadpan, because there's no way I can hide anything from my cousin. We're like sisters.

Uncle Anton is my mom's brother, but the only thing that makes them look similar is the blue eyes and perfect teeth. The golden hair is something only I got from my mother's side of the family. Jessy over here snagged the perfect teeth, but she missed out on the family's blue eyes.

"Now, remember to lie low," Jessy warns.

I think she was ranting about me spying on the gangs, but I've been zoning out all the way to school.

"Yeah-yeah," I answer, even though I know it's not going to be too possible with the bet hanging over my head. 

We hop out of the Ford and stroll our way to school. Hopefully, I can get further than first period this time round. Oh, and maybe not get kidnapped or almost killed. Seriously, if this keeps up, I'll have to start seeing my psychiatrist again. 

As soon as Jessy and I step into the school, we get swarmed by gossip bees. Damn, this feels like something straight out of the movie Greece. For the love of God, I hope nobody starts singing.

"You're the new girl, right?" I mousy girl asks.

"Did Blake Bowmen really kidnap you?" another person chips in, but I have no idea who.

"Is it true that you rejected both gang leaders?" some girl with glasses asks.

"I, uhm-" How do these people know this?

"I heard she's a lesbian," someone else says, and I fail at spotting exactly who through all the commotion. I'd like to point out that I don't care about other people's sexual orientation, but I'm pretty sure I prefer a corn-dogs over donuts.

"CAN YOU GUYS GET A LIFE?!" Jessy howl and the mob of future paparazzi leave in a blink.

"In what click do you exactly belong?" I ask Jessy, because now that I think about it, I have no idea who she is when she's at school.

"I belong in the 'I used to date a gang-member, but now I'm a queen on my own' click," she explains. I'm pretty sure Jessy isn't the queen bee over here, because those come in three's and so far it's just been me and her.

As if on cue, the actual queen bees show up. They're a group of four though, and that really throws me off.

"Oh, you must be Amber Marigold," the one with black hair and perfectly tanned skin says. 

There's all kinds of things swarming me right now. One, the fact that she's not a blonde in pink and instead a Puerto Rican in tights and a crop top - not that I have a problem with the combination. And two, she knows my last name so she automatically makes the possible suspect list for Mysterious Fucker.

"Jup, that's her," Jessy says.

"We were talking to Amber," Puerto Rican girl's friend points out.

"Who exactly, are you guys?" I ask. It's going to annoy me if I call them, Portarican-girl, Rude-girl, Binder-girl and Fourth-girl-that-shouldn't-have-made-the-queen-bee-cut-but-I'm-guessing-she's-probably-rich-girl.

Even my thoughts needs to heave in a breath.

"Oh, disculpe! Where are my manors? I'm Camila, but you can just call me Cam. My friend over here is Jude; the brains of the group is Lovebird and the boring one is Jane," Camila explains.

I'm not rude, but I think it's pretty understandable for me to be horrible with names. Okay so it's Tan Cam, Rude Jude, Nerdy Birdy and Plain Jane. 

Got it.

"Hello," I greet.

"Oh, we don't mean to be nosy, but is it really true that you got noticed by the East and West gang on your very first day?" Tan Cam asks.

Theory A: Tan Cam will start every sentence with an 'oh'.

"I guess you can say that's true," I answer.

"Oh, maravilloso! That's just juicy!" Tan Cam says.

Theory A is proven correct.

"You must feel really special," Rude Jude adds.

"It can't possibly last too long, though," Nerdy Birdy tries to reason.

Plain Jane stays quiet.

There's something about that girl that I just can't put my finger onto... Something about her eyes. The way she just doesn't fit the part of fourth wheel. And then there's the weird feeling that we've met. But with her plain features, it can also just be that she has a common face and must look like a lot of other people.

Jessy is about to pull me away from Tan, Rude, Nerdy and Plain, but Tan suddenly speaks up and asks: "Oh, so are you coming to my party Friday? It's at Jane's mansion."

Well, at least I'm right about my suspicions of Jane's wealth.

"Uh..."

"Of course she will," Nerdy Birdy laughs.

"She doesn't have a choice," Rude Jude says and before I can ask her what she means, Jessy sweeps me away to register class.

I thank my lucky stars for getting me through register without running into one of the gangs. But when I head to my first period, English, I know I'm fucked because Blake has that class with me.

Mr Wessils greets me shyly, no doubt because he didn't do anything while I got kidnapped yesterday. Instead of sitting at the front, I snatch myself a shady desk at the back corner of the class. Screw Mr Model Teacher.

Not literally.

Halfway through reading through the first chapter of The Great Gatsby, Blake Bowmen comes strolling in late. This is my second day in this messed up school and already I can tell this'll be his routine.

The memory of last night flashes through me like an angry lightning storm. 

Those guys think they're so irresistible. They think they can just go ahead and make a bet on who can get me. Well, they have no idea who they're dealing with.

So when Blake saunters over to me and sits at the desk next to mine, I simply give him my own dazzling smile and say: "Good morning, Blake."

I know the whole class is listening to this.

"Good morning, Darling. Why are you in such a splendid mood?" he drawls back.

I see his flirty smirk for what it really is: A poor attempt to seduce the dumb blonde.

"Well, it turns out that today is my five year anniversary with my boyfriend! Isn't that just great?" I announce.

Blake's grim expression is exactly how I hoped it would be.

Hey,

Hope you guys are excited! And who the hell are these ghost readers? My views are increasing and all, but some of you aren't voting and that leaves me confused. WHO ARE YOU GUYS? How did you find me?

Please go ahead and vote and comment, because ghost readers are freaking me out. Thanks.

~ Holly Shmit

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net