The next morning, I woke up in a daze. The window cast in a bright glow, and I tried to shield my eyes from it. I looked over in Amanda' s general direction and was met with a sprawled, dead asleep Amanda. There was a slow roll of drool from her mouth. I laughed.
This might sound rude, but it's good to know sometimes that even the most perfect person isn't perfect all of the time. The way Amanda's hair was in tangles reminded me that she wasn't a perfect barbie doll.
I walked to my joined bathroom to see an array of new hair care products crowding my counter. I ignored it, and started the shower and walked in. My mind couldn't help but to dwell back to what happened last night. I couldn't believe that I told Amanda that I wanted to be popular. The way she just accepted me at first made me feel safe, but now that I think about it again, how can I be sure that she isn't setting me up?
But why would she do that? That seems like such a mean thing to do, especially without no real motive. But from what little non-educational movies I saw, popular people were cruel. Was I ready to become cruel? Are they even cruel in real life?
I could already feel a headache starting. I groaned, and focused my attention of the warm water pulsing at my temples and washing up.
699Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqn6n8G0Ho
Amanda didn't wake up until after I was halfway done blowing my hair dry. She stumbled out of her bed and into the bathroom. She came out a few minutes later, brushing her teeth the line of dried drool cleaned off of her face.
"Morning," She said, and I nodded my head at her. I turned off the blow dryer, turning to her expectantly. She seemed to knew that I would do that, and leaned on the bathroom door frame.
"So, I called up some of the friends I made here. I planned for us to meet them at the mall." She said, and I nodded for a second. Then it came to me. How did she make friends around here? She lived 2 hours away.
699Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs84mD9oj10
"There was a party here that I was invited to a month ago. I made some good friends." She turned back into the bathroom. I could still feel the awkwardness that was around us. I was the one that sat and watched, she was the one that called all the shots. I frowned, did I want to be the follower?
I sighed for what seemed like the 15th time today. I walked towards my closet, and grabbed the closest thing that looked 'cool'. It was skinny jeans that my dad bought me for my birthday, a tank top with a purple sweater, and some dark brown boots. Amanda walked out of the bathroom and nodded at me.
"Good enough. Leave your hair down, okay? You have this really cute windblown thing going on now."
-----
We entered the back entrance of the mall, by the Macy's, over the small bridge, around the sinside movie theater. Amanda walked like she had a purpose. It caused me to wonder again. Did she know where she was going?
"You've been here before?" I dared, pulling at the fabric in my sweater. I felt slightly underdressed; Amanda had on another of her amazing sundresses. She paired it with some heels this time; instead of cowboy boots. SHe nodded.
"Only briefly. I made it my mission to buy at least one thing from every single mall in the county. It wasn't that hard," She ended with a giggle. Her phone then went off. She looked at the text, and stopped short. She bit her lip.
"What's up?" I asked casually. She shook her head.
"Oh nothing, it's just that we're meeting at the subway. Good God, too, because I need one of those sandwiches and something is telling me that there's a Chipotle near by there too." She smiled, and set off in the opposite direction. I couldn't help but wonder yet again how she knew exactly where she was going. I licked my lips. The taste of the lipgloss I borrowed met me. Is it too early for this? Am I... prepared? Amanda seemed to see my mind struggle.
"Look, Lacie," She said, tasting the name on her tongue, "This isn't anything like Mission Impossible. I can tell you that. When I was first noticed by a popular person, I was delighted. Then I soon realized that I wasn't ready. I was lost. Scared. I didn't know what to wear, how to talk, what to say. But I learned. And the whole time I was trying to figure all of this out, I felt that those popular girls were judging me. And let's be frank; they were. Do you think that I would just throw you into this? No. This is just phase one. A casual meeting. Nothing too major." She said, in a huff. Her hand reached out to grip my shoulders. She was a little shorter than I; but I could understand that she was telling the truth. She wanted to help me.
"Okay. I believe you. Was it really that hard to adjust? I'm new to all of this, well obviously." I giggled nervously. She sent me a friendly smile.
"Yes, it was for sure. But we have quite a ways to go before we meet the gang, so we can have a quick crash course. Walk and talk with me hun," She started, and laced her hand through my arm. We started to briskly walk. "First off, don't walk like you have a stick up your ass. Walk like you know you're the shit, okay? That means chest out, chin up."
She pushed my back in, sending my chest out, and pushed my chin with her finger.
"Better. Now, walk with some flavor." I looked at her incredulously. What?
"What? How the heck do I do that?"
"Hell, Lacie, Hell. And swish." She corrected, and walked around my, her hips swinging seductively. She motioned that it was my turn. I walked, moving my hips.
"No, no, no! Lacie, we want hot, not deranged. Softer." She laughed, and placed her hands on my hips. She lightly moved my hips from side to side. She then let go, and I did it myself.
"Good, good! Now, let's try the simple diss." She said.
"Diss? Like rude things?" I asked, and we both started to walk again. Me, walking all new and improved. Now that I look at Amanda, I can see her hips moving, her chest out. It's slight, but it's definitely there.
"No, not really. I see it more as a life improvement. I don't like the way some bitches take it too far. You see, this is my simple diss," She started, and began to look at the people around us. She finally set sights on her target. "You see the teenager there? My life improvement would be, 'don't wear that sweater again until you're 85 and in a nursing home,'. Lame, I know, but that's what I think." She said, and I nodded.
"So basically, you just find a flaw and speak on it?" I asked, thinking that's what she means.
"Exactly, Lacie, you're catching on! Now. We are close to the Subway, so I will tell you one last thing. Think twice about what everyone says to you. Popular girls are rarely ever openly mean."
"Uh.. Okay?"
"And finally, text me if you have any questions. Okay?" I nodded. We then walked into the Subway, and towards the back. It smelled of meat. There was a very long line. We walked around them, and to the table in the back of the store. There was a loud group of teens, laughing and eating. We slipped into the last two seat.
"Mandie, long time no see hoe!" A redhead said, smiling towards us. The rest of the group waved, said hey, or something else. I waved shyly.
"I know! This is Lacie. She's my stepsister."
"She's hot." This one buff guy said, smiling at me. I wanted to barf, but I sent him a small smile back.
"Uh... thanks?" I suggested. He smiled wider.
"Anytime." He winks. I shudder a little. The guy next to him hits him.
"Quit creeping her out." He said, and the first guy hits him back, but joins in the conversation Amanda was in. The second guy looks at me.
"So, did you guys just become stepsisters?" He asked, and I nodded. His blue eyes twinkled a little in the light, and he flipped his chocolate hair back with a hand.
"Yeah, my dad and her mom recently got married. We share a room," I added as an afterthought, and he smirked.
"Cool. So. Do you go to school around here?" The awkward conversation continues. I give him another nervous smile.
"No, no. I'm.. homeschooled." I decided to take this route, because I want to be someone different. Sad thing is, I know him from Troy High. They just didn't notice.
"I'm Louis. I go to Troy high." He smiles politely. I return the smile.
"Like the guy from one Direction?" I send him a wicked smile. He groans.
"No, I mean, yes, I mean... it's different." He sighs, and the girls around us giggles. The one from earlier with the redhead pushes his shoulder.
"I mean, he looks like him, doesn't he?" She giggled, and I nodded.
"All he needs is the hair." He glared at us.
"No, no, no, I don't! Do you see how angular his face is? That is NOT how I look! I'm chiseled. He's... Feminine!" He bellows, collecting the attention from everyone around us.
"So you look at him now?" Amanda says, and he groans, again. They all laugh, and go into a Forever 21.
Maybe, just maybe, being popular isn't that bad. even though this is just the beginning, this doesn't seem too bad. Not too bad at all.
ns 15.158.61.37da2
