School became something I looked forward to. I was trying my best to keep the promise I had made myself but it became increasingly hard. I saw Adam from afar and I wanted to go over and talk to him, find out what he was like. But I never had the chance. When Adam wasn't with other boys he was surrounded by girls. They all liked him. It wasn't hard to tell. But even though Adam seemed polite to them, he didn't show any interest ether. I didn't want his fake politeness. I wanted him to actually like me and be my friend. I wanted to know why he had wanted to jump off a lighthouse, but I understood that it would be a touchy subject for a long time for Adam.723Please respect copyright.PENANAvzoTtB7BeN
Carmen was the only girl in our class, besides me of course, who hadn't literally thrown herself at Adam. All though she was using even more makeup than usual and her clothes were always stylish and as revealing as the school rules allowed. Her tactic was to be pretty and to make Adam come to her. As far as I could tell her plan wasn't working out that great.723Please respect copyright.PENANAHkUddoROAL
I wished Carmen would leave Adam alone. She could have any guy at our school and she had to choose the only one I cared about. Of course I was not going to tell her that. She was still my best friend even though I didn't tell her everything like we used to.723Please respect copyright.PENANAqcDOABFEXa
“Liz, hello.” Carmen waved her hand in front of my face and I realized I must've been spacing out again. “Seriously, what is the matter with you? You have been spacing out like, every five seconds lately. I just asked whether you think lip stick or lip gloss suits me better.”723Please respect copyright.PENANA14Oo6aakm8
“Oh, I think you rock them both.” I said half heartedly. Carmen didn't seem to notice. She noticed a lot less about me these days. In seventh grade she could tell what grade I got for my tests just by one glance in my direction.723Please respect copyright.PENANAPRIDUKvzu8
“I think lip stick makes my lips look chapped. You don't?”723Please respect copyright.PENANALrVvK9P8iW
“I like that lip stick is less glittery than lip gloss.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAERPMGoSrVC
Carmen looked through the makeup kit which she always had in her bag. “I don't have any pretty colored lip sticks. Wanna hit the mall later?”723Please respect copyright.PENANA3rXldhfKbn
“I guess. Since I don't have anything better to do.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAbXbPqoHyxn
“We ought to get you a boyfriend. Then you would have something to do when we aren't together. We could even go on double dates and I could show you how to kiss properly. People think it's easy but in reality kissing is an art. It would be hard for you to perfect without my guidance.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAC9BTdmM0lG
“I thought that you broke up with Gavin.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAhkLQw85bjO
“Gavin was a pig. All he wanted was food and sex. Anyway don't you worry about me. I could get anyone to date me. Shame we don't have a lot of hot boys in the school though.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAPgrMOWDy5Q
“I think there are many hot boys, you have just dated all of them already.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAOsGi4ThakS
“That may be true. That's why it's always nice when new boys come to this school.” She threw a quick glance in Adam's direction. “I'm going to try dating him next.” Carmen said confidently.723Please respect copyright.PENANANiHFvHiM6Z
“You have a lot of competition then.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAKBCMjWRJ32
“Where are they? I don't see anyone worthy of calling competition.” 723Please respect copyright.PENANAGPy2iioGXk
Carmen didn't notice how much her last remark hurt me. Of course she was probably right and she didn't know that I had taken an interest in Adam too but still. Hearing her say those words out loud hurt more than I would have thought.723Please respect copyright.PENANAZHTDOVHpvn
Of course, I thought bitterly, she can get any guy she wants and I am just here to tell her she looks great. Such a great friend Carmen is.
The mall was buzzing with students like us. Carmen went straight for the makeup store with me trailing behind her. A lot of teenage guys I didn't know were catcalling Carmen. She didn't spend a single second of her time on them.723Please respect copyright.PENANAyBv3TEKr14
“So, Liz, what do you think of the guy with the red t-shirt standing next to the fountain. He looks like a good match for you.” Carmen asked, pulling a strand of her hair behind her ear and pointing her head in the direction of the guy.723Please respect copyright.PENANAZ9HXikwaoF
“I don't want a boyfriend.” If it isn't Adam. 723Please respect copyright.PENANABKbft2zWNI
“Come on. He's totally checking you out.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAxJ3aSIPedc
“No, I think he's looking at your butt.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAPpZtG0TFMA
Carmen stopped abruptly. I noticed for the first time that she was about four centimeters taller than me. Last year we were the same height.723Please respect copyright.PENANAVNo8p3FISu
“There's nothing wrong with that. He likes me, you are my friend, I think that he might like to take you out on a date. Scratch that, I know he will.”723Please respect copyright.PENANA04Zj3p5P2Q
“Gee Carmen. Is that how it works? Guys only notice me if you point out they might like me?”723Please respect copyright.PENANAG2LdBi2bB0
“Guys are easy to figure out. They like the first shiny thing they see. That would be me. It might be a little …hard for them to notice you right in the beginning.” Carmen looked like she was explaining a simple concept to a small child. “But don't worry. You put on some makeup, you kiss him good, and he will be yours for the taking and dumping if he turns out to be a jerk.”723Please respect copyright.PENANASFJgotLFGr
“Let's just stick to buying lip stick.” I tried to remind Carmen why we had come here but her mind was set.723Please respect copyright.PENANAGWqHBL8RBJ
“There is no point in looking pretty if you don't have a guy Liz. Come on.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAs8UsFEbEIo
She dragged me over to the guy wearing a red t-shirt and standing by the fountain. I pushed my heels against the ground but the floor was made from a quite slippery material so it didn't help.723Please respect copyright.PENANAr5W2nOnxu1
Carmen stopped in front of the guy. There were two other guys and a girl standing next to our 'target'. Carmen ignored them and talked only with the red shirted guy. “Hey handsome.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAMQlI79lNoR
“Hi,” The guy was looking Carmen over from head to toe and obviously liked what he saw. “Do you want to hang out. We were about to go to Sweet Rose.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAOAcx3HlnEJ
Carmen patted her eyelashes. “Sorry. I'm in a bit of a hurry right now but maybe you and my friend Liz here could go and I will catch up with you in about an hour.” She touched the guy's arm.723Please respect copyright.PENANAHj5EtZA1Pv
He turned his gaze to me. I could tell he expected me to look more like Carmen. I knew there wasn't anything special about my dark brown hair or my stormy greenish blue eyes. I wasn't wearing a lot of makeup ether, only mascara and a bit of light pink lip stick. My blue jeans and boots that had once been black weren't glamorous like Carmen's high heeled leather boots and mini skirt ether.723Please respect copyright.PENANA8UJpRtnqdb
“Sure. We will wait for you inside the pub.” The guy whose name I didn't even know but was suppose to date said.723Please respect copyright.PENANAlvvmDVWoRA
“Lets go.” He said to his friends, grinning. Then he turned to me. “Liz, right”723Please respect copyright.PENANA9gRynqhHb4
I nodded, not knowing what to say.723Please respect copyright.PENANARhbyFCN0mU
“Come on then. Our car is parked in the back parking lot.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAuVFt2xtCGS
I nodded again, not knowing what else to do. How was I going to get out of this one? At that moment I hated Carmen. How could have she done this to me? She knew I had never dated a boy in my life.723Please respect copyright.PENANAgRsbM3faFW
“Have fun Liz.” Carmen said as she walked away in the direction of the makeup store. “At least exchange numbers.” She whispered when she walked past me.723Please respect copyright.PENANAigV08r1GCg
And she was gone. Carmen left me alone with some guys and a girl we met in the mall and whose name I didn't even know.
723Please respect copyright.PENANAcYroG0vM7c
I was squeezed in the back seat between the girl and one of the guys. My 'date', at least according to Carmen, was driving.723Please respect copyright.PENANAOx65Vo7loq
They had a window rolled down and all of them were smoking. The guy sitting next to me reached forward and turned on the radio. A song by a band called Script came on. I quite liked the band but the driver obviously didn't.723Please respect copyright.PENANA3YcsQRrG8p
“The shit is this?” He asked and changed the station. Now the thing playing wasn't so much of a song than it was yelling. “Listen and learn shithead Ben.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAPXxrIE5xfv
“Who you calling shithead, shithead?” Ben slapped the back of the driver's head. “Hey Pen,” He turned to the girl sitting besides me and smoking. “Do you see any shitheads around here?”723Please respect copyright.PENANAnULaTJFy7A
She blew out a ring of smoke. “That's an excellent question Benny and the answer is: I don't see anything because of all this goddam smoke.” Pen averted her gaze from Ben to the driver and snapped. “Steven, open the rest of the windows.”723Please respect copyright.PENANA3hJ111eKot
Steven did what she asked without complaint.723Please respect copyright.PENANA2ShjjMnQI4
Pen seemed satisfied. She turned to look at me. “Sorry you had to hear that, hon.” She patted my head. “Try not to listen to adults talk. It might rub off on you.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAvi62S4oOnP
My cheeks turned scarlet. “Penny, leave the poor kid alone.” Ben said.723Please respect copyright.PENANA6sm03GYA5q
“Leave her alone, you two.” Steven interrupted. “Don't worry about them, Liz. Penny is just jealous because she isn't as young as she used to be.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAhzQRSoijYu
I looked at Penny and didn't know what they were talking about. She was wearing even more makeup than Carmen did and Pen's was darker. That made it a bit difficult to guess her age. She looked to be in her early twenties but since Ben and Steven seemed to be about nineteen I guessed Penny was about the same age.723Please respect copyright.PENANANMTLU1E7RX
“Steven, I swear to god if you don't shut up I will beat you to a pulp.” Pen swung her fist around and my head got in her way.723Please respect copyright.PENANADVh66MHyYr
“Ups, sorry Mid.” She smiled innocently. “That was your name, right?”723Please respect copyright.PENANAlubedRDNyz
My head throbbed but I think I managed to conceal it quite well. “Actually it's Liz.” I corrected weakly.723Please respect copyright.PENANA73IcN6nYkL
“That's what I said.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAK2Dn1Be2wr
“Play nice you two.” Steven said warningly.723Please respect copyright.PENANApfdMk1mPD5
“I don't know why you are taking her side.” Pen replied.723Please respect copyright.PENANAEBRLAPYtRK
“Because her friend is coming soon and I don't want your manners to get in our way. Liz, what's your friend's name again?”723Please respect copyright.PENANACYAbHmg92f
“Carmen,”723Please respect copyright.PENANAmH7pAytXfb
“Then, Penny, be polite to both Liz and Kar.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAz71a9sJliw
“Like you were nice and polite to me when I started dating Ben.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAxP3HABLpmf
“You don't do nice. You never have.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAGwdxPMZAEM
“He's got a point, babe.” Ben said slowly.723Please respect copyright.PENANA3sRTFXhPxM
Penny threw her cigarette out of the window. “Give me a beer, will you Ben.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAIMcdFmTbpl
Ben rummaged through his bag and threw Pen a beer bottle. Penny opened it at once and drank a big gulp of the liquid. “Ah, that's better. Now I can think again. And I think I don't want to go to Sweet Rose anymore.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAKzf70sRN4E
“Where then,” asked the boy sitting in the passenger seat and had stayed quiet until now.723Please respect copyright.PENANA2X2tS8q4EX
“Let's just grab a burger. We still have a bag of beers left to wash it all down.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAPKftu0IteR
“Carmen won't know where to find us.” I said. I was starting to panic. I was in a car full of young adults who drank alcohol and smoked in the car. I didn't know any of them and if Carmen didn't know where we were she couldn't come to the rescue.723Please respect copyright.PENANALN05yKMOoF
“Can't you call her?” Steven suggested.723Please respect copyright.PENANA2sopBw2tmR
“Yes, L, do call her. We wouldn't want to disagree with Pen she can be quite scary when she is angry.” Ben said.723Please respect copyright.PENANAF5dmGCLEIq
I threw a quick glance in Pen's direction. She was silently drinking the rest of the beer and didn't object.723Please respect copyright.PENANAekrRPU7tXd
I took out my phone and dialed Carmen's number. She picked up. “Hey, Liz. Are you living the dream yet?”723Please respect copyright.PENANAzmJVeKTIFa
“Carmen we aren't going to Sweet Rose. Can you meet us at…” I wasn't sure which burger place we were going to. “Steven, where should she meet us?”723Please respect copyright.PENANArfUWOXetGg
Steven didn't even have to think before answering. “We are going to stop by McDonald's and then stop on Burke Lane to eat. She should meet us there. Ask her what she would like to eat.”723Please respect copyright.PENANA91A4OeTYh2
“Carmen, meet us on Burke Lane. We are going to stop by McDonald's too. What do you want?”723Please respect copyright.PENANAfEr74ejHw3
“Just get me anything and don't hold back with the guy I selected for you. Bye Liz.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAZONBFhPQJd
She hung up before I could say another word.723Please respect copyright.PENANAw6a6Vr5Vys
Ben was giving beer bottles to everyone in the car. When he gave it to the guy sitting in the passenger seat Steven said. “Don't overdo it, Jackson. If you throw up again I won't be the one cleaning up the fucking mess.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAG04M2EXjcC
“Whatever you say,” Jackson responded dully while opening the bottle.723Please respect copyright.PENANApP6mOHRQ4f
Ben handed me a drink too. I held it but didn't open the bottle. Everybody else was drinking, even Steven who was the one behind the wheel.723Please respect copyright.PENANAbu6U8woxxr
“Steven should you be drinking?” I asked uncertainly even though I knew the answer.723Please respect copyright.PENANAUZHLnuAdp1
“Don't worry 'bout it.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAf019P1lopg
“Chillax, Liz. You have been blessed by our company. Enjoy it.” Penny's words were a bit slurred. She was on her third bottle of alcohol.723Please respect copyright.PENANA7MIK820qnG
We didn't go to McDonald's. We just drove around the outskirts of the city. At one point we stopped because Jackson hadn't listened to Steven and drank past his limit. Thankfully he held it in until he got out of the car.723Please respect copyright.PENANAL5uCkvQzL3
It was dark outside and the street was deserted. Steven only opened his door but didn't get out. Ben held onto the car for support and he had his hands around Penny's waist to hold her upright. I still hadn't opened the bottle of beer Ben had given me.723Please respect copyright.PENANAcuY96nTRbQ
Penny released a shrill laugh. She tried to take a step away from the car but lost her balance. Ben was the only thing keeping her on her feet now. She was definitely the most drunk.723Please respect copyright.PENANAzN1JmwCXYl
“Benny boy, hold me tighter I might fall otherwise.” She said flirtatiously. Ben did what Penny asked with pleasure. The girl pressed her lips on Ben's and hopped into Ben's arms. She wrapped her legs around his middle and Ben leaned against the car to stay on his feet.723Please respect copyright.PENANAd2tpF1BZrH
I sat back into the car. Jackson was still throwing up, Ben and Penny were making out and I was alone in the car with Steven.723Please respect copyright.PENANA5cjbJr8gYn
“Liz, I don't think we are going to meet up with Carmen tonight.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAzsuFzurYFJ
This had not played out how I had thought it would in the beginning. I didn't think even Carmen had wanted the night to turn out like this. I was ready to go home now. “That's okay. I think I should get going now.”723Please respect copyright.PENANA2HhgRjkEvn
“Sure. Can you give me the phone number.”723Please respect copyright.PENANAtikpLQUFvG
I wasn't interested in him but I didn't want Carmen nagging on me so I scribbled my phone number on a piece of paper and gave it to Steven. Carmen's mission: accomplished, sort of.723Please respect copyright.PENANAqjO4VqfW3m
723Please respect copyright.PENANAXJG4SwAuNw