No Worries

Basically, I wrote this for school and I did have some requirements, so you�ll have to excuse anything that seems just way too out-of-the-blue. If you�re in this story and you don�t like somthing that you say/do or you don�t think it�s something you would

        It started out as most unbelievable life-changing things do, in a perfectly normal way. I was working my standard day job, Starbucks. Spectacular fun, I know. But I got free coffee out of it; so sure, there were a few good things. It was a slow day, so I had my iPod classic out and was listening to it. I had just downloaded some new songs from a few CDs that some friends burned for me, so I was pretty tuned into listening to them. I hardly noticed the five girls who approached the counter. When I did notice, I walked towards them, but I was too slow and my friend-because-of-proximity, Annie, got there first, which earned me a glare from here. The girls were fairly normal; they were all wearing jeans, for one thing, but it was winter and that was expected. One had curly dark hair that she had back in a ponytail, very dark eyeliner, and clothes from places like Hollister and American Eagle. There was another one who was dark-haired but with streaks of blue and a lip ring. She had on a jersey and a worn Pink Floyd hoodie. The tallest and probably oldest of the group had short brown hair and an accent. I would guess that she was from somewhere in Europe, Germany maybe. One of the two dark haired girls had a little sister with them. She had dark hair as well, and a silly disposition. She was laughing and joking with the other four of them, but the curly haired one would scold her occasionally. I thought that they were sisters. The other little girl with them had red hair and seemed like she wasn�t related to any of the others, but was friends with the other little one.
        I found myself oddly aware of the girls as they talked and finished their drinks. I kept messing with my bracelet; twirling it around my wrist and not really concentrating on what I was doing. I was, however, concentrating on what they were doing, even when I was filling other customer�s orders. After a while, they got up to leave, and just as they were walking out of the door a blond girl came running at them from behind and tackled the one with dark straight hair. At first I made a move to go save her; it looked like the blond was trying to kill her. Then I noticed that the two older dark haired girls and the blond were all laughing. The curly haired one looked a little resentful, but the blond and the other were obviously good friends, they were laughing really hard and talking a mile a minute.
        It was so weird to see people like this. One of the reasons I wasn�t sure I liked working at Starbucks was because you could notice so much about people but they didn�t even realize that you were paying attention. Like now, no one would notice anything happening. It was such a nice scene, everyone smiling. And that was why I instinctively reached into my pocket, took out my camera, and snapped a picture. I didn�t even think about it, I just took the picture. When I realized what I had just done, I shoved the camera back into my pocket and looked away. I didn�t think they saw anything, but when I managed to work up the courage to look back over at them, they were all bent close together, talking. Well, actually, the oldest one was doing the talking. The little one didn�t seem to care, but the curly haired one looked shocked and little bit scared. Even without knowing the other brunette at all, I recognized a trademark smirk on her face, while the blond had no expression; or rather an expression caught halfway between the other two�s. The older one finished talking and frowned, looking at the others just like I was. The older dark haired one smiled all the way, showing off her teeth, and then started talking. She finished talking and resumed her smirking. The blond nodded, agreeing, and the curly haired one frowned and shrugged. Whatever was just said, the curly haired one didn�t like it, but the oldest shrugged too. The little ones weren�t paying attention in the slightest, but the older ones didn�t ask their opinions. I looked away again.
        I frowned and paused the song on my iPod I wanted to remember the song that line had come from. �Showing off our teeth.� I thought about it for a minute. �The Beach, All Time Low. Of course� I thought. I put on the song and was starting to space out as I had been before the girls came, then I heard a voice.
        �Um, excuse me?� I quickly put my iPod away and turned to see who needed my attention now, then I�m sure I blushed crimson. All six of them were standing in front of me. The dark haired one was the one who had spoken. She was still smirking, even more so when I blushed.
        �Can I help you?� I asked.
        �Actually, I think we can help you,� she said, �This has got to suck, huh? Working here? I mean, aside from the free coffee, of course,� she added when the curly haired one poked her in the side, �so we were wondering, well, mostly me and Lauren,� she motioned at the blond, �if you wanted to come with us. I mean, if you don�t have anything better to do. You seem pretty nice, and obviously you�ve already taken to us.� She carefully pointed out my mistake, still smirking. I couldn�t tell if she was being nice or just trying to make fun of me. �So what do you say? Do you want to come hang with us?�
        I blinked. This was certainly unexpected. �Uh, sure.� I said.
        Then she smiled. And it was a real smile, not just a smirk. �Cool,� she said, �so can you leave now or do we have to wait?�
        �Actually, I think I can manage to quit this place. I�ll be fine,� and I smiled back at her, �Hey Annie!� I yelled, �when you see Management next, tell them I quit.� She nodded. The dark haired girl nodded too.
        �I�m Lilly, by the way,� she said
        �Jasey,� I told her.
        �Like the song?� the curly haired one asked me, then turned to Lilly, �All Time Low, right?�
        �Yeah� both Lilly and I said at the same time. Then we laughed. I opened my mouth to explain properly, but Lilly said �No worries, I get it. Oh, by the way, this is Brooke,� she pointed at the curly haired one, �Lauren,� she pointed at the blond, who smiled at me, �Inez� she motioned to the tallest one, �Lily� the pointed at the red-haired little one �and Julia.� She pulled the little one�s hair and smiled when the little one turned around and stuck her tongue out at Lilly.
        �So, how are we gonna fit everyone in the car?� Lilly asked Brooke when we made it out to the parking lot.
        �Hm, well, maybe you should�ve thought of that, idiot.�
        �Smartass, shut up.�
        �I can go get my own car, if you want,� I volunteered, �but you�ll have to take me back to my house to get it.� Not like I wanted to drive to someplace following them in my own car, but I felt like I should at least offer it. Lilly and Brooke were distracted and didn�t hear me. However, Lauren did.
        �That�s okay,� she said, �if need be, I�ll just walk there. No worries.�
        I knew she was joking but still I said, �You guys say that a lot, you know.�
        �What?� I was beginning to regret saying anything.
        ��No worries� you say that a lot. Twice in the past like, five minutes.�
        �Oh really? I don�t even notice it anymore. I think I got that from Lilly, she�s really easy-going that way, like, �No worries guys, we�ll get to the concert in time even though we have a flat and we�re already late!� that sort of thing. Sometimes it takes a weight off you're shoulders, but then other times it�s like, annoying as hell. But whatever, it works out in the end.� I nodded; they had an interesting take on things, ��if not now, then when� I got that from Lilly too, but she got that from Emma.�
        We reached the car �Brooke�s Land Rover-- and the seating was decided. Lauren would drive, because she was the oldest, aside from Inez, who was from Germany, just like I thought. Brooke called shotgun, because it was her car. The rest of us would sit in the back, and Julia would sit on Lilly�s lap.
        When we got in the car and started moving. Julia asked �Where are we going?�
        �First home, to drop you, Inez and Little Lily off,� Brooke said, �Inez is going to stay to baby-sit you two, so you better thank her. Then we�re going to Borders to get Lily and after that, we�re going to Rachel�s house.�
        �Oh, and I have to drop by like, Safeway, to get a bag of rice for Lily.� Lilly added. I just sat there trying to figure out how this could be physically possible, as both Lilies �were in the car with us right now.
        After a minute or two, I said, �What?�
        Everyone except Inez and I burst out laughing, she whispered in my ear, �I don�t get it either.�
        When they finished laughing, Lilly explained, �Lily is the name of my best friend, ironic, right? But our names are spelled differently, mine is L-I-L-L-Y and Lily�s is L-I-L-Y. �
        I nodded and grinned. This was sure to be entertaining, at least.
        �
        We got to Brooke�s house, and Little Lily, Inez and Julia jumped out of the car.
        �See you later,� Inez said. I was expecting Lauren to just turn the car around and drive to Borders, but instead she drove up to the barn. I was confused, but stayed quiet, then Brooke noticed my confusion and explained.
        �We gotta exercise the horses a bit; the others can feed them though�
        �Well, I�ve never ridden before, have you?� Lauren asked me
        �No� I answered her
        Lilly scoffed, �Stand aside ladies, make way for the real riders.�
        Lauren shoved Lilly�s shoulder, and Lilly turned around and smirked at her. Then Lilly and Brooke walked to the trailer and grabbed a halter and lead rope each and walked out to the pastures. Brooke started walking out into the pasture to get a black horse in, but Lilly just walked a few feet into the pasture and yelled, �Angel!�. A brown horse at the bottom part of the pasture lifted up it�s head and came walking over to Lilly.
        �So, the two horses? Are they Brooke�s?� I asked.
        �The one that Lilly�s getting is hers. His name is Angel, I�m sure you heard. She Keeps him here because she doesn�t have any space for him at her house,� Lauren told me because the others were still getting the horses, �The black one that Brooke is getting is her horse, Max. They�re both Thoroughbreds, racehorses, you know?�
        �Do Lilly and Brooke race?� I asked
        �Oh, god, no. I would be to scared for Lilly; I wouldn�t let her ever race. Brooke does eventing and Lilly does endurance rides.�
        �So Lilly is your best friend?�
        �One of them. I�m not hers.�
        �Why? You seem nice to me, and I barely know you.�
        �Lilly�s best friend is Lily�
        She didn�t say any more, and Brooke and Lilly were walking back by now, so I decided not to pry. Instead I asked Brooke, �Is there anything I can do to help?�
        �Actually, yeah. Grab a curry comb for me and one for Lilly. It�s the oval plastic one, just hold it up and I�ll tell you if you're right.� I held up a weird thing, but it was plastic, and a oval shape, �Yeah, that�s it� Brooke said when she saw it. I handed one to Lilly and the other to Brooke, then turned around to look for Lauren again, only to find her right behind me. �Here,� she said, handing me a brush, �Ask Brooke what to do; I haven�t a clue.� and with that she walked around to the other side of the trailer to ask Lilly what to do.
        �Um, Brooke?� I said.
        �Yeah?
        �What do I do?�
        She took a look at me with my confused expression and brush in my hand, and burst out laughing. When I didn�t laugh, she stopped and said �Sorry, your facial expression was just funny. No worries. Your not a horsewoman, how would you be expected to know? So you just brush him like this; always go the same way the hair goes, okay?� I nodded.
        It was relaxing to be with Brooke, because unlike Lilly and Lauren, she didn�t feel any need to fill the silence. I could hear the other two laughing and talking from the other side of the trailer. We finished brushing Max quickly, and Brooke finished the other stuff, like cleaning his hooves, by herself.
        Lilly and Lauren came walking back from the other side of the trailer.
        �What time is it?� Lilly asked as Lauren came to stand next to me.
        �Nearly four� I said.
        She frowned. �Brooke, I don't think we have time to tack them up all the way; wanna just go on a quick run around?�
        Brooke made a face, �Since when have you worried about being on time?� she asked, earning herself a glare from Lilly, �Your crazy� Brooke continued, �I�ll go get my bareback pad.� The two of them smiled, and both got into the trailer, but they were back in a matter of seconds.
        �--and since they need to just walk a bit first, why don�t we let Lauren and Jasey ride?� Brooke was saying.
        �Fine with me. Jasey! Come on,� Lilly said, walking around to the other side of the trailer. I followed her.
        �Meet Angel,� she said, �He�s mine and he has been for a long time, so you be nice to him, okay?� she smiled, �just stand on that ledge thing, on the trailer, yeah. and swing your right leg over. Land lightly; don�t hurt his back.� I did as she said.
        �You look so small!� I said, everything looked different, it was fun. And surprisingly, I wasn�t that uncomfortable.
        �Yeah, things tend to look that way when you're riding.� She looked rather pleased with herself.
        I picked up the reins, and Lilly held them at the base where they connected to his mouth. �Just squeeze him a bit with your legs, he�ll walk off,� Lilly instructed me. I did, and Angel started walking. Lilly navigated over to where Lauren was sitting on Max. She looked a little bit shaky, but proud of herself too. �Ready?� Lilly asked, and then we were walking off around the pasture that the horses had been kept in.
        For a while we just walked in silence, then Lilly said, �Your not that bad, nice posture, at least for your first ride. Wanna trot?�
        I didn�t know what a trot was, but I said, �Sure.�
        �Be careful,� Brooke warned.
        Lilly rolled her eyes, �Okay, just try and sit still. Try not to bounce on his back or anything.�
        I nodded. Lilly pulled Angel forward a little, and she started moving faster. Then Angel moved faster too. It was a whole different motion, and rather hard to sit to, but I did my best. We trotted for a while, but then Lilly stopped, and we were walking again.
        �Isn�t that just awesome?!� she asked me.
        �Yeah.� I agreed
        We were quiet for a while, then I noticed we were getting close to the trailer again. �So, who�s your best friend?� I asked.
        Lilly glanced over her shoulder at me in a what-the-hell sort of way, but answered nonetheless, �Lily. She�s been my best friend since seventh grade. Four years. Crazy, huh? You only meet that kind of person once in a lifetime, but in that lifetime, they�re with you forever. No one has ever been there for me like Lily has; we went through a bit of a rough spot in eighth grade, but it�s over now. What about you? Don�t you have a best friend?�
        �No,� I answered, �I don�t get along well with people. It�s because I have... visions, of things that are coming. Or something like that.�
        �Like Cassandra,� she said, �Greek mythology. That�s cool. So can you like, control it? Or is it just random?�
        �It�s random.� I thought for a moment about weather to say it or not, �sometimes I wish I could turn it off. It�s depressing to be alone all the time.�
        �Oh, I definitely know what you mean,� she nodded, �going in for job interviews, I wish sometimes that I could take my lip ring out. But I�m sure it�s not the same, because this is something I chose.�
        �Yeah,� I wanted to say more. Just thank her, maybe, for listening but then Brooke and Lauren were trotting up to us, and I decided to let the subject drop.
        �Alright,� Lilly said to me, �throw your right leg over and let yourself drop. Be careful, Angel�s pretty tall.�
        �Oof!� I said; she was right, Angel was tall.
        �Okay, Lauren, hold Max. Jasey, hold Angel. Brooke, can you give me a leg up? My horse is taller than yours� Lilly said, smirking.
        Brooke rolled her eyes, �Of course, O Vampire Queen.�
        �Make haste, my beloved subject!�
        I looked at Lauren. She laughed at my expression. �Lilly�s a vampire. She bites. Ask her to show you her teeth.�
        Lilly over heard us, of course, and she turned to me. �Look,� she said. And she grinned, showing off her teeth, this time literally. I noticed a sharp pointed tooth, three over from the middle, that looked like it would be painful if she bit someone with it.
        �Hurts like s**t to be bitten by Miss Vampire over there,� Brooke told me, �I would know.�
        �You bite?� I asked Lilly. She just grinned. Brooke answered for her, �Oh yeah, she--� Lilly held up her left leg as if she was standing on her knees, �One sec.� Brooke told me. She stood behind Lilly and cupped her hands under Lilly�s knee. Then Lilly counted, one, two, three, and jumped up. Brooke hoisted her knee up and Lilly flung her right leg over. She still managed to land lightly. �Wow,� I thought, �they make it look so easy�.
        �So basically, yeah, she bites. If she wants you to move, she bites you. If she wants you to listen to her, she bites you. If she wants you to stop talking, she bites you. She bites for anything. She�s a regular little cannibal.� Brooke told me
        �Hey! I am not a cannibal, I�m a vampire. Get it right.� Lilly said, �and Brooke, get on your horse and lets get going. We�re already probably gonna be late.�
        Brooke walked over to Max and said to Lauren, �Do you think you can give me a leg up?�
        �Uh, okay,� Lauren said, �CUS I GOT GUNS!� she did a muscleman sort of pose, we all laughed at her.
        �Idiot� I heard Lilly say quietly.
        �Jasey, can you hold Max?� Brooke said.
        �Sure.� I said.
        I went to hold Max, and Brooke got up quickly. Then they were off, trotting away from us.
        �I talked to Brooke; she said that they�ll probably race, cus Lilly�s such a competitive freak. Lets get on the roof and watch.�
        I grinned, �Okay.� We stood on the fence, balancing carefully. Then Lauren jumped up and used her arms to pull herself onto the roof of the barn. I did the same. We could see Lilly and Brooke still trotting, but on a different path than we had taken earlier. Lilly was a bit farther ahead than Brooke. Then Lilly pulled Angel to a stop and called to Brooke to catch up. Brooke stopped right next to her. We could see Angel fidgeting; he was as ready to go as his rider was. Since Lauren and I were standing so quietly, I could hear Lilly say what sounded like �Wanna race?�. I even heard Brooke sigh. They stood for a bit longer, deciding the conditions of the race. Then they both faced forward. I heard Lilly count, one, two, three, then they started trotting. Just as I was thinking that I expected something way more explosive, they took off. Lilly and Brooke leaned low over their horses necks and I heard Lilly yell. The difference was stunning. In my opinion, Lilly was most likely to win. Angel stretched out his neck and legs, his pace became quicker. Max did the same, but Angel was taller, with longer legs.
        Angel pulled ahead. Brooke and Lilly were still bent low and holding on tight with their legs. I wanted to do that, to run, to race. It looked amazing. Then Angel passed the finishing line, I guessed, because Lilly sat up and he slowed his pace and came back to a walk. Lilly turned around and smirked at Brooke. �I won.� I heard her say.
        �Should we get down?� I asked Lauren, �We can brush the horses when they get back.�
        �Yeah, okay� Lauren said. We went tot he lowest part of the roof and jumped. I hit the ground with a satisfying thump. Lauren followed me.
        �That was really amazing,� I said.
        Lauren smiled at me, �Yeah, it really was.�

        We pulled up at Bloom.
        �It�s no Safeway, but it�ll do� Lilly said, �I�ll be right back. Anyone else coming?�
        �I�ll go,� I said.
        �No, thanks.� said Brooke
        �I�ll keep Brooke the Bat company,� Lauren said, and smiled. That was another thing I had noticed about them, they all had animal nicknames. Lilly Lemur, Lauren Lion, Brooke the Bat, and they had talked about Jurassic Jessie, and Hannah Hamster too. They christened me Jasey the Giraffe. It worked, with a little creative spelling. They said it was because I was thin; I definitely didn�t have the height of a giraffe.
        Lilly jumped out of the driver�s seat. Apparently that was what the race had been about. Winner gets to drive. I hopped out of the car and followed Lilly into the store. She walked straight into the rice section and grabbed a bag.
        �There�s a reason behind this, believe it or not.� Lilly told me, �Lily saved my iPod, William, when he spent a night outside in the rain, by leaving him in a bag of rice for a day or two. Since then, I�ve been providing her with rice when she runs out. I owe her big time.�
        �and it really works?� I asked.
        �Yeah, of course� Lilly told me.
        We were in line by now, and we walked up to the cashier. He rang up Lilly�s rice and said, �That�ll be $5.52, m�am�
        Lilly routed through her purse a bit, �I only have this� she smiled apologetically and handed him a hundred dollar bill.
        �It�s okay, m�am.� he said, then counted out her change.
        Walking out to the parking lot, I said, �You probably shouldn�t carry that much money in your purse, what if you get mugged?�
        �Mugged? In Delaplane? Yeah, right� Lilly scoffed.
        We got back in the car with Lilly driving again, but I was curious about something, �Why does the winner get to drive? Like, I don�t get why that�s a prize�
        Lauren laughed, Lilly smirked, and Brooke made a face. I looked at each of them in turn, �It�s a prize because this is my car, and I should be allowed to drive it, but Lilly always wants to drive. Honestly, her driving scares me. The first time she drove anything, she nearly crashed into a tree. So it�s a privilege for Lilly to drive my car now.� Brooke said
        ��Scuse you,� Lilly interrupted, �The only reason my driving scares her is because she�s such a wimp about driving. I swear, she always goes like, ten miles under the speed limit.�
        �Hey! Just because you drive like a maniac doesn�t mean I have to� Brooke shot back at her.
        I felt bad for the argument, because I was sure I had caused it by asking. Lauren noticed and said, �They�re just joking, neither of them really mean it. No worries.�
        �Thanks, Lauren� I said.
        �Oh, I have to call Lily,� Lilly said.
        �Oh no, no way are you talking on the phone while you're driving. Lauren, call Lily� Brooke said before Lilly could even pick up her phone. Brooke threw Lilly�s phone back to Lauren and she picked it up and pressed a few numbers.
        Lilly turned the stereo on low while Lauren called.
        �Lily?� Lauren said.
        �Yeah, hey, it�s Lauren.
        �Yeah, we�re like twenty minutes away.
        �I know, but the riders just had to go out today
        �Okay, we�ll be there soon
        �Uh, no, I don�t think so
        �Well, for one thing Rachel doesn�t know her well enough, and also there won�t be enough room in the car
        �Normally I think it would be fine, but Lilly invited someone else.
        �No, it�s not like that, really. I mean, not a guy. Shocking, seeing as it�s Lilly, too.�
        �Smack her please,� Lilly said to me.
        Lauren laughed, �Yeah, I know, right?
        �Okay, see you soon.
        �Yeah, bye.� Lauren pressed the end button and handed the phone back to Brooke. Lilly looked at her in the mirror, �Just you wait, Lauren, as soon as I get out of this car...� she left her threat unfinished.
        �What�d Lily say?� asked Brooke
        �She wanted to know if she should bring Allison. I told her about Jasey. She was surprised Lilly hadn�t invited some random guy along,� Lilly glared at her, �and she was annoyed that we�re way late. But she�s been reading, so she�s okay.�
        �Sounds fine with me,� Lilly said.
        �Lauren?� I asked.
        �What?� she said.
        �What were you talking about? With Lily?�
        �You mean about Lilly bringing a guy along?� she asked and I nodded, �Oh, she�s just crazy. I swear. Like, for example, as soon as she got her drivers lisence, she took off on a damn road trip with a guy she only saw once in a while. They were gone all freaking summer too, but they went all the way around the country. It was insane, but she had a great time. The rest of us, however, had to listen to her talk about how great it was for like, months.� Brooke grinned at me in the mirror in a oh-that�s-just-so-typical way.
        �And then there was that one time with Isabelle, Lilly and her like, took a whole weekend and went down to this barn to see if they could find a horse Lilly used to love. They traced him and found him. Then Lilly used like all her saving from working and everythign and she bought him back. It was insane. It took me like, a week to realize it even worked.� Brooke told me.
        �Hey, no more talking about Lilly�s social life, okay?� Lilly said, then she cranked up the stereo and we couldn�t talk anymore. With a quick smirk in my direction she changed the song to one I recognized instantaneously. Jasey Rae. I smiled and mouthed the words. �Lights out, I still hear the rain...�

        We got to Borders sooner than I would�ve expected. Only 5:50. Lilly parked the car and we all got out. Lilly led the way into the store but before we got inside, she turned around and faced us then said, �I have an idea,� she smirked
        Lilly walked inside the store ahead of the rest of us. We followed her a bit behind, then Lilly spotted pointed at a girl with curly hair and a hat with ears sitting in the manga section. Lauren split off to one direction and Brooke to the other. I walked up next to Lilly. Brooke and Lauren were sneaking up on each side of the girl by going through the stacks of books on either side of her. Lilly and I walked up to her; but she was really distracted with reading. Lilly had her rice in one hand and she threw the bag down at the girls feet. The girl looked up, startled, then she saw it was Lilly and she smiled.
        �Hey� Lilly said, then stuck her hand down to help the girl to her feet. �got you some rice.� Lilly pointed at the bag on the floor.
        �Thanks,� the girl said and bent down to pick it up, �Lauren and Brooke are in the car?�
        �Yeah, I think so,� Lilly replied, �Oh, hey, this is Jasey,� she motioned to me, �Jasey, this is my best friend, Lily�
        �Nice to meet you,� I said.
        �Yeah, nice to meet you too. Are you coming to Rachel�s with us?�
        �Yeah� I replied.
        She turned to Lilly, �What about after?�
        �I guess she can come back to my house. Or wherever we decide to go.�
        �Does Rachel know she�s coming?�
        �Er, no.� Lilly Looked a bit sheepish
        Lily gave her a look like this was so typical of her, �Rachel�s gonna throw a fit. You really should think ahead sometimes.�
        �She will not, and hey, it was really spur-of-the-moment�
        It was then that I noticed Lauren and Brooke sneaking up quietly behind Lily.
        �We should get going.� Lily said.
        �Are you buying that?� Lilly asked her.
        �Nah,� Lily answered. At the same time, Lauren and Brooke jumped forward and yelled �RAHHHH�
        Lily screamed and swung around, her hand like a claw with her long nails. Lauren and Brooke had both moved back, as if they knew that was going to happen. All of us except Lily were laughing. Some other people had looked over curiously. She glared at us, then walked away. Out to the car, I guessed. Lilly recovered from her laughing fit sooner than the rest of us and dashed after Lily. Brooke, Lauren and I made our way more slowly.
        We caught up to Lily and Lilly waiting by the car, because it was locked and Brooke had the key �You should�ve seem your face,� Lilly was saying, �It really was priceless.�
        Lily just glared. Brooke handed Lilly the key but she waved it away, �You can drive, I�m gonna sit in the back with Lily and Plur. Jasey can ride shotgun.�
        �Plur?� I didn�t understand.
        �Oh, it�s an old nickname. Lauren. She has a lot of names; Lauren Lion, Plurodon, Light-Shade-Of-Red, Laurenplurodon, Beth� with a smirk at Lauren, she said, �Butch.�
        �DO NOT CALL ME BUTCH� Lauren screamed. Lilly laughed.
        We all got in the car. Lily still seemed sort of annoyed, but Lilly was in good spirits.
        �Hey Brooke, isn�t it nice to be the one doing the scaring for once?� Lilly asked Brooke.
        �Oh, shut up.�
        Lilly looked at Lily, who was still glaring a bit, but as Lilly looked at her, her face brightened, �Look what I found the other day,� she said, and pulled a framed picture of two girls on the beach out of her purse.
        �Wow. Seventh grade. That�s crazy, man.� Lilly said when she saw it. She handed it to Lauren.
        �Aww, you guys were so cute,� Lauren said, �What happened?�
        �Shut up.� Lilly said
        Lauren handed me the picture. It did look like Lily and Lilly, but they looked so young. It was amazing how people changed. I showed it to Brooke and she smiled.
        �Nice, guys,� she said, �That�s Georgia, right?�
        �Yeah,� Lilly said.
        �Best place in the world,� Lily said, and Lilly nodded, �Remind us to take you guys sometime.�
        �Hey Jasey, get my iPod and change it to The Great Escape.� Lilly requested
        �Boys Like Girls, right?� I said, grinning.
        Lilly smiled, proud, �Yeah.�

        After The Great Escape, we listened to I�m Through, Dancefloor Anthem, and Smooth Criminal (by The Sunstreak, Good Charlotte and Alien Ant Farm, respectively) before we got to Rachel�s house. She had a barn close to the actual house. A rider, just like Lilly and Brooke. Since we were what Lily called �fashionably late�, it was already dark when we showed up, but there were lights flashing from the basement windows. So we walked inside and downstairs.
        �Hey!� Lilly yelled when she saw everyone crowded around. She threw her hands up and did a little dance move. A short girl with dirty blond hair sprinted up to us and wrapped her arms around Lilly�s neck and Lilly hugged her back. �Jesme,� she said, �hey. Meet Jasey� she pulled me up with her.
        �Hey,� the girl said to me, �I�m Jessie.�
        The music was blasting, and Jessie went around to hug the rest of them. �Stick with Lily, okay? I don�t trust myself not to ditch you, sorry,� Lilly told me. Then she walked off, dancing, to hug what seemed to me like everyone else who was here. Brooke walked past me with Jessie, talking, and Lauren ran over to Lilly. I turned around and Lily smiled, �Here, I�ll introduce you to everyone else. Just don�t mind Kiely, she�s sarcastic, but she�s not actually mean.�
        Lily introduced me to a girl who was my height with hair that i couldn�t tell the color of who �left to be with Jessie and Lilly� named Sarah, a tall blond girl named Kiely, a curly dark haired guy named Zach, someone named Nathan and his friend Drakeo --but I only saw them for a moment in passing--, and a few other people who�s names escaped me. Lily and I stayed with Kiely, who was sarcastic but not mean, just like Lily said. We talked a lot. I told them how I was sometimes embarrassed because people made fun of me for reading so much. And they read a lot too. I thought I found my clique, even though I was a year younger than them. Lily and Kiely didn�t mind, but Lily warned me that some of the other had �issues with age� and �might be mean because of it�. It was nice to know beforehand.
        For at least an hour and a half, we talked. We were away from the rest of them, where the sounds were muffled, but not at all silenced. Then Lilly, Lauren and Jessie came stumbling into our room.
        �Jasey!� Jessie shrieked, which made Lauren and Lilly giggle hysterically.
        �You don�t even know her, dumbass. But this girl, she�s my new bee eff eff.� Lauren announced while Lilly just subsided into giggles.
        �Great.� Kiely said, �some other idiot gave these idiots some helium and alcohol. Wonderful combination, don�t you think?�
        �Come on guys, don�t be party-poopers,� Lilly said, or rather slurred. They were all talking with a slur, �Come dance with us.�
        �Yeah, dance!� Lauren said, grabbing Jessie�s arms and attempting to tango across the room.
        They all kept laughing; Kiely just rolled her eyes and Lily sighed. �So typical,� I thought I heard her mumble.
        Then Lauren pulled on my arm, �Come on, come on.� I decided that I should at least keep an eye on them, so I stood up and started walking to the other room. Lauren, still clinging to my arm, followed me, and Lilly and Jessie screamed their joy and stumbled out behind us.
        We were walking into the other room, and I had just turned a corner when I almost crashed into someone. When I took a few steps back, I recognized him. But I couldn�t think of his name.
        �Oh, hey, Jasey, right?� he said, �I was just looking for--� he stopped when Lilly turned the corner, �--Lilly.�
        �DRAGONBOY!� she yelled. He grimaced.
        �You know I hate that name,� he told her.
        �Dragonboy,� she said more quietly.
        �Lilly, what have you been drinking?� he asked her, frowning.
        �Whatever they hand me. And some helium. They should never give me helium. And my glass is somewhere around here. Somewhere.�
        �Let�s not find that drink. I�ll get you something else.� he offered and she smiled, �Come on.� he said, and proceeded to drag her off to places unknown. And then there were three.
        �Dragonnnnboyyyyyyy looooooooveessss Lilllllyyyyyyy!� Lauren screamed at his retreating back, then collapsed into laughter. He flicked her off, but kept walking.
        �YOU WANNA GO, DRAGONBOY?!� Lauren screamed.
        I didn�t get why Jessie and Lauren weren�t objecting to Lilly being taken away, then a very giggly Jessie explained, �He�s liked her forever, but he�s a year younger. And he still likes her, even after like, a gazillion years.� Lauren kept laughing.
        I decided to keep walking, but it was a bit difficult as Jessie and Lauren were both clinging to my arms. Eventually, we made it into the other room. Lauren and Jessie managed to stand up properly and go to the dancefloor. I stopped walking. I could see them laughing, but I couldn�t hear them, the music was so loud. They were dancing, both a bit off balance, but still. It made me smile.
        �Hey,� a voice said, right in my ear. I jumped and spun around to see who it was. I saw a guy with longer-than-a-buzzcut-but-not-shoulder-length hair. I thought his eyes might be blue, but I wasn�t sure. He was at least a nine inches taller than me. He blinked, probably surprised at my speed, �I�m Pete. Are you the girl who came with Lauren and them?�
        �Yeah, I�m Jasey.�
        �But you're not like them. Your new, right?�
        �Yeah, I just met them today,�
        �Hey, I have to go, but I�ll see you later, okay?�
        �Kay�, I said. As he started to walk away from me he grabbed two drinks from the counter. He handed one to me and said, �Bottom�s up.� I grinned and drank a huge gulp of whatever the drink was. The liquor hit me in the back of the throat and burned going down, but I liked the taste. I smiled again and brushed past him to join Lauren and Jessie on the dancefloor.
        The next few hours I remembered in bits and pieces. Lauren and Jessie joking around, handing me a balloon to get helium. Lilly coming back to us, dancing, with Drakeo trailing behind her. Pete handing me more drinks until I got around to finding my own with Lauren. Lilly smirking forever. Kiely and Lily rolling their eyes when we stumbled into their midst again. Fireworks going off while we stood outside in the cold, watching. And I remember dancing. A lot of dancing.
        It ends with this; waking up in a bright bright room, lying on the floor with my head on someone�s stomach, and someone else�s head on my stomach. I could still hear music playing somewhere. I lifted my head up to look at what was around me. I had my head resting on Lauren�s stomach, Lauren had her head resting on Lilly�s stomach, Lilly had her head resting on Jessie�s stomach, and Jessie had her head resting on my stomach. It was a circle on stomachs.
        �Good morning, Sunshine,� I heard someone say. I looked around. I could see just my three friends, until I looked behind me. It was a guy that I recognized, vaguely, as if from a past life. �don�t worry, you guys have only been out for a half hour or so,� he said as I stared at him. �It�s only like, eleven thirty.�
        �Who�re you?� I asked. My voice was dry and scratchy. I coughed and he handed me a bottle of water.
        �Nathan, remember?� I felt like and idiot for asking, �I�m Lilly�s half-sister.�
        I nodded, then groaned. My head hurt so bad. He handed me an aspirin. �Ta.� I said.
        �What?� he asked
        �Ta. You know? Thank you.�
        �Oh, well, no problem, so where are you guys going when they wake up?�
        �Nowhere. Can�t drive.�
        �Lily can.� said someone who I knew that I knew.
        I turned to the voice. �Lily� I smiled and shut my eyes again.
        �How long have they been asleep?� Lily asked Nathan.
        �About a half-hour. I�ve been here the whole time. I looked after them, you know. Where were you?�
        �I wasn�t wasting my time; I knew they would do this. And now I have to drive them home,� Lily said, �Oh, never mind. Thirty minutes is long enough. Jasey.� she said. I opened my eyes.
        �Hm?� I mumbled
        �Are you awake?�
        �Mhm�
        �Good.� She walked forward and shook Lauren�s shoulder.
        �What?� Lauren whined
        �Wake up, we�re going home.� Brooke told her. Lauren just moaned and squirmed a bit. She mumbled what sounded like a protest to me, but Lily was already waking up Lilly, who whined as much, if not more, than Lauren did. Nathan helped us all to stand up.
        �Come on, you guys,� Lily said to us, �Let�s go home.�

        Though I don�t remember it, somehow we got into the car and drove to Lily�s house. The next thing I remember Lauren and I were lying on the couch at Lily�s house.
        I could hear voices coming from the other room, so I stood up and went to see what was up. Lilly and Lily were in the kitchen talking. Lily was leaning against the refrigerator, and Lilly was sitting on the counter drinking water and eating chocolate ice cream.
        �Well, my house was the closest, and I didn�t want to drive too much more� Lily was saying as I walked in
        �But my mum is probably freaking out right now. And it�s way too late to call her,� Lilly protested. I glanced at a clock. Ouch. It was a little bit after two o�clock in the morning. I took a few more steps into the kitchen until Lily noticed me.
        �Hey.� she said.
        �I feel horrible.� I told them.
        �Well, maybe you��ll learn a lesson and not go crazy with the drinking next time,� Lily frowned at me
        �Lily, be nice,� Lilly told her. Then she held out her bowl of ice cream, �Best solution.� she told me.
        �And some Ibuprofen,� Lily added.
        �Ta.� I said and took two Ibuprofen from Lily. Then I got myself a bowl of ice cream. Surprisingly, it did make me feel a bit better.
        �I�m gonna bring some to Lauren,� I said to them.
        I got her a bowl of ice cream and two Ibuprofen and was about to go back to Lauren but Lilly said, �Here, take these,� she handed me a few sticks of gum, �I can guarantee she�ll ask for some, but make her eat her ice cream first.� I nodded and made my way back to Lauren.
        �Lauren Lion, wake up,� I said, gently shaking her shoulders.
        �Jasey?� she croaked
        �Yeah, here, sit up.� I helped her into a sitting position and handed her the Ibuprofen. She shook her head and asked, �Gum?�
        �Not until you finish your ice cream and have your Ibuprofen.� I told her
        �I hate you,� she said, but ate the Ibuprofen anyway and started on her ice cream. We stayed silent for a while, just relaxing and trying to heal. Then Brooke walked in.
        �How�d you get here?� I asked her
        �I�ve been here, I just ran to the store because Lilly had a craving for pomegranates,� she rolled her eyes, �and of course, what the Vampire Queen says goes.
        We were quiet for a while longer, then Brooke turned on the TV, �Let�s see what�s on, shall we?�
        But we couldn�t find anything worth watching. After a while, Lily and Lilly returned. Lilly had a new bowl of ice cream, and she said, �Let�s watch a movie.�
        �Okay,� Brooke said, �What one?�
        �Howl�s Moving Castle.� Lily answered automatically. Lilly nodded and Brooke shrugged. Lauren and I stayed silent.
        Lilly looked around, �Howl�s Moving Castle it is.�
        They put on the movie while I finished up my ice cream. I put the bowl on the table and leaned on Brooke a bit. The movie was making me tired just by focusing on it. I started to fall asleep.

        When I woke up again, I realized how trashed I had gotten last night. I groaned and looked around. I was lying on what seemed like two beds right next to each other. Brooke was on my right side, and she was next to the wall. Lauren was on my other side, and Lilly was next to her. I wondered briefly where Lily was, then I spotted a book on the floor. I reached down and picked it up, then started reading. I must have read for an hour at least, because Brooke lifted up her head and said, �Jasey?�
        �Yeah?�
        �Good morning.� she smiled, �What time is it?� I hadn�t even thought of checking the time, but I reached into my pocket and, sure enough, my phone was still there. I looked at the time, �It�s like, one. In the afternoon.�
        Brooke just groaned and rolled back over.
        Everyone else seemed to want to sleep, but I was wide awake. I wanted to go do something. go to Brooke�s or someone�s house, or go to the mall or something. But I was the only one, so I climbed carefully out of the bed and went downstairs.
        Lily was sitting on the same couch that I had sat on last night. But then again, it was her house. She was reading too.
        �Hey,� I said. She looked up.
        �Hey.� she replied, �I take it you wanna read too?�
        �Yeah, if that�s okay,�
        �Of course, its fine.�
        �Ta.�
        We read for a while, until the other awoke and came downstairs. We made some pasta to eat, and watched another movie. Sitting on the couch with my friends, I reflected on how it was amazing that just one simple picture had changed my life. Where would I be if I hadn�t impulsively taken that picture?
        Then my vision went black. I was in my skin, but not in my skin. I knew what was coming, but I was still scared. Then I was seeing the view from the back of a horse, racing over the finish line. I crossed the line and looked up into the stands. I saw four girls in a exclusive-looking box. They were all older, in their twenties, but they were unmistakably an older Lilly, Lauren, Brooke and Lily, cheering for me. Friends forever.
        Then my vision cleared and I was back in the present time. Lilly was looking at me, �You okay?� she asked.
        I smiled, �Yeah,� I said, �No worries.�

Author's Note

Disclaimer & Reality Check: This is purely a work of fiction. Any people, places, or songs used are property of their rightful owners. The people in this story are not represented exactly the way they really are. Also, this is not a clear representation of the future or the present. This is also NOT an autobiography. As stated before, this is purely fiction.

Reviews

[Wolfwind Words]

This was a good read! It was very grounded in the real world which was pleasent, alowed to focus on the individual character personallities and such. I loved how it was very modern, having names of bands and technologies and movies, that alot of people can relate to these days.
Amazing truly, how something like a photograph can effect so much of a persons life.
I feel that this story was well thought out and had a effective and strong story line.
Great Job!