Beginnings

Chapter 1





“Annie, come on, you have to get up.”

Groaning, I pulled the covers over my head, “I don't want to.”

I heard a loud bang on the door, then Haley threw it open and came barging in. She stomped to the foot of my bed.

“Did you take my pink champagne lip gloss?”

I pulled the covers down, “When have you ever seen me wear anything other than chap-stick?”

“Unfortunately, never. I just thought either you were playing another one of your stupid tricks on me, or for once you cared about your appearance.”

I heard Adam chuckle, “Why didn't we think to play a trick on her this morning? It's been months since our last one. We should have broken the heels off of those stupid pink shoes she wears and glued them back on so they would break on her at school.”

Without turning to look at him I cocked my head to the right and gave a smirk to let him know I wished we had thought of that too.

“Why don't you just wear one of your other pink glosses?”

“I need that one! It's my power color. Last year I let Charlotte take over and be the most popular freshman, but not this year. Sophomore year is my year! Now, do you have it or not?” She looked annoyed that I was wasting her time.

Shaking my head, “No, don’t have it.”

With a frustrated growl she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

“See? Something to look forward to: watching Haley and Charlotte compete for most annoying girl in school.”

“Can't we just run away to Europe and live our lives wandering the cities?” I asked.

“Believe me, that sounds very tempting, but you need to graduate and go to college.”

“But why?” I said it in a whinier voice than I intended.

“Stop being so dramatic and get dressed.”

“Fine.” I sat up in bed and made a show of stretching. He made a face and rolled his eyes. I got up and went to my closet. I pulled out a pair of jeans and a black tank top, then headed out the door to the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later I had showered, dressed, and blow-dried my hair. I made my way downstairs to the kitchen where I knew I'd find Adam reading the newspaper over my uncle's shoulder.

I sat down at the table and poured a glass of orange juice.

Adam looked up at me, “Is that all you're having?”

I shrugged my shoulders. I was too depressed to eat. I hated school, and high school was proving to be the worst. It wasn't the learning that bothered me, I actually enjoyed that part. I was the weird girl who spent her breaks in the library doing homework. I did it because I couldn't exactly talk to Adam at school without looking like a freak (even though he was never more than a few feet away from me), so I started going to the library to get all my work done, that way Adam and I could do whatever we wanted after school. I was considered a loner for never socializing, and I suppose they were right. Adam had been my only friend for the past eight years and it never bothered me. In fact, I preferred it that way.

“Haley, it's time to go,” my aunt yelled up the stairs.

“Calm down, Sandra, I'm coming!”

Haley had started calling my aunt by her first name over the summer. I think she thought it made her look cool.

Five minutes later, Haley came down the stairs, trying to be as model like as she could.

“Well, how do I look?” She asked, posing at the bottom of the stairs.

“Oh sweetie, you look beautiful!” My aunt said, throwing her hands together and staring at her daughter with pride.

I immediately looked to Adam so I could see the disgust on his face at what my cousin was wearing. I felt my stomach drop. He wasn't staring at her with his usual disapproving frown, he was admiring her! I'd seen that look on his face before when he saw an attractive girl on the streets or in a magazine. He was actually checking my cousin out! I felt nauseous.

“Could you be any more obvious?” I scowled at him.

My Uncle looked up from his paper, “Obvious about what?”

Crap.

“Um, obvious that you're unhappy they want to raise minimum wage again,” I quickly said after Adam pointed to the headlines on the front page.

“That obvious?” He grinned, “Everyone always wants minimum wage to go up, but don't take into consideration that businesses make adjustments to compensate: reduced hours, hiring fewer employees, terminating employees, charging higher prices. Over time we are right back where we started from: not enough money to buy the things we need...”

I stopped listening as he continued his rant. I'd heard it all before. I looked to Adam to give him a thank you smile. He winked back at me, causing my stomach to flutter. I tried to brush it off as nerves for school.

“That's enough, Tom. I have to get the girls to school,” my aunt said, interrupting my uncle.