right now,” she said. She made a comment about how I left Deerwood to escape the drama but ended up getting myself wrapped up in more drama.
“I know, right!”
We both laughed. It was really good hearing her voice. I missed her.
I let her go as my mom and I pulled into Starbucks. I usually got a vanilla latte venti, and my mom always ordered a skinny peppermint mocha venti. Every time we went there, my mom and the manager constantly flirted with each other. He was a little bit taller than her, and he had short sandy brown hair and sapphire blue eyes. His face was smooth, and the muscles in his arms bulged through his shirt. My mom always said he reminded her of Matthew McConaughey. I was starting to think she wasn’t going there for the flavored coffee.
My mom didn’t feel like cooking, so we decided to pick up a pizza for dinner. I wasn’t hungry, so I didn’t eat any of it. Finally, I asked her if I could be excused. She said yes, so I went up to my room and plopped myself on the bed. I started thinking about the day Brooke and I first met, how close we’d become in just a month. She was my one true friend at Willowdale High, and now she was gone. I closed my eyes and wept silently.
***
When I woke up the next morning, I had a headache and my eyes were puffy from crying the night before. I really didn’t feel like going to school; I just wanted to hide from the outside world.
I sat on the edge of my bed and stared at the scars on my wrist. I wanted the pain of losing Brooke to go away, and I remembered how good cutting myself made me feel. I was tempted, but I decided I didn’t want to go down that road again; instead, I reached for my phone and decided to call Marisa. At that moment of weakness, I really needed my best friend.
***
That afternoon, Claire wanted to cut class to go shopping for homecoming dresses. I suggested we go on the weekend instead of missing class, especially since I couldn’t really afford to buy anything, but Claire was used to getting her way all the time.
We walked out of the doors that led to the student parking lot and headed towards Claire’s car, which was parked in her spot. Jessica opened the front door on the passenger side.
“Uh, new girl is sitting in the front,” Claire ordered.
“Hanna,” I said, correcting her, but everybody ignored me.
“But I always sit in the front,” Jessica protested.
“Well, not this time.”
“Really, it’s okay. I’ll sit in the back,” I offered. The last thing I wanted to do was get between Claire and her friends.
“I insist,” Claire said in a pushy tone.
Jessica had a look of fury on her face; if looks could kill, I’d be dead.
The leather seat squeaked as Claire sat down. She then clicked her seatbelt and turned on the ignition. She put her dark brown, big framed Gucci sunglasses over her eyes and combed her hands through her hair, then put the car in reverse, backed out of her parking spot, and accelerated down the street.
“Our social calendar is filling up, ladies. Tomorrow night is Angela’s party, and next week is the homecoming dance.”
“I know, right?” Katie uttered.
Jessica sat in the back, pouting, with her arms crossed over her chest.
“I have to find the perfect dress. Remember, girls, pink is my signature color, but for homecoming it’s baby blue” she said, not taking her eyes off the road.
“Right,” Jessica mumbled from the back seat.
“Problem, Jessica?” Claire said as her eyes met Jessica’s in the rearview mirror.
Jessica’s arms relaxed, and she drummed up a smile. “No…no problem,” she responded.
Claire glanced at me and smiled as she turned right at the next intersection. We ended up downtown, where palm trees and light posts lined the streets. Behind them stood clusters of white and brown office buildings, and amongst them was an upscale- looking hotel. There were blocks of retail stores and restaurants, and posh men and women swaggered down the
“I know, right!”
We both laughed. It was really good hearing her voice. I missed her.
I let her go as my mom and I pulled into Starbucks. I usually got a vanilla latte venti, and my mom always ordered a skinny peppermint mocha venti. Every time we went there, my mom and the manager constantly flirted with each other. He was a little bit taller than her, and he had short sandy brown hair and sapphire blue eyes. His face was smooth, and the muscles in his arms bulged through his shirt. My mom always said he reminded her of Matthew McConaughey. I was starting to think she wasn’t going there for the flavored coffee.
My mom didn’t feel like cooking, so we decided to pick up a pizza for dinner. I wasn’t hungry, so I didn’t eat any of it. Finally, I asked her if I could be excused. She said yes, so I went up to my room and plopped myself on the bed. I started thinking about the day Brooke and I first met, how close we’d become in just a month. She was my one true friend at Willowdale High, and now she was gone. I closed my eyes and wept silently.
***
When I woke up the next morning, I had a headache and my eyes were puffy from crying the night before. I really didn’t feel like going to school; I just wanted to hide from the outside world.
I sat on the edge of my bed and stared at the scars on my wrist. I wanted the pain of losing Brooke to go away, and I remembered how good cutting myself made me feel. I was tempted, but I decided I didn’t want to go down that road again; instead, I reached for my phone and decided to call Marisa. At that moment of weakness, I really needed my best friend.
***
That afternoon, Claire wanted to cut class to go shopping for homecoming dresses. I suggested we go on the weekend instead of missing class, especially since I couldn’t really afford to buy anything, but Claire was used to getting her way all the time.
We walked out of the doors that led to the student parking lot and headed towards Claire’s car, which was parked in her spot. Jessica opened the front door on the passenger side.
“Uh, new girl is sitting in the front,” Claire ordered.
“Hanna,” I said, correcting her, but everybody ignored me.
“But I always sit in the front,” Jessica protested.
“Well, not this time.”
“Really, it’s okay. I’ll sit in the back,” I offered. The last thing I wanted to do was get between Claire and her friends.
“I insist,” Claire said in a pushy tone.
Jessica had a look of fury on her face; if looks could kill, I’d be dead.
The leather seat squeaked as Claire sat down. She then clicked her seatbelt and turned on the ignition. She put her dark brown, big framed Gucci sunglasses over her eyes and combed her hands through her hair, then put the car in reverse, backed out of her parking spot, and accelerated down the street.
“Our social calendar is filling up, ladies. Tomorrow night is Angela’s party, and next week is the homecoming dance.”
“I know, right?” Katie uttered.
Jessica sat in the back, pouting, with her arms crossed over her chest.
“I have to find the perfect dress. Remember, girls, pink is my signature color, but for homecoming it’s baby blue” she said, not taking her eyes off the road.
“Right,” Jessica mumbled from the back seat.
“Problem, Jessica?” Claire said as her eyes met Jessica’s in the rearview mirror.
Jessica’s arms relaxed, and she drummed up a smile. “No…no problem,” she responded.
Claire glanced at me and smiled as she turned right at the next intersection. We ended up downtown, where palm trees and light posts lined the streets. Behind them stood clusters of white and brown office buildings, and amongst them was an upscale- looking hotel. There were blocks of retail stores and restaurants, and posh men and women swaggered down the
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