Uh, the book's here with me and I'm kind of lazy and suffering from Writer's Block, so yeah. I'll just post up whatever Yoomi & I have continued writing before. (:
Maybe we could do a dramatis personae introduction some other time?
So, here goes!
"Well, we can be lesbians, can we not?" Lena asked cheekily, slipping an arm around Carmen's shoulder.
"Ew, get away!" Carmen's eyes shone with laughter as she shrugged her best friend off. "Nice chokti, by the way."
"Oh you like it? I got it from this nice Russian lady with blonde hair and these enormous boobs, like oh heck yeah!" Lena squealed, gesticulating wildly in front of her chest. But suddenly, as she leaned back to wave at someone on the street, she doubled back and snatched at a bunch of fabric on Carmen's sweater.
"Girl, seriously? Like, plaid? Goodness, that is so yesterday already! How're you gonna score any boys looking like that?"
Carmen clutched protectively at the plain cloth draped around her shoulders.
"It was my mom's, 'kay? Sentimental value alert!"
Lena said nothing; just shook her head disapprovingly. Carmen suddenly felt a rush of anger that she could not suppress. She grabbed the strap of her light green haversack and scowled at her best friend.
"What I want to wear is my business. It doesn't concern you one bit, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't oppose my style everyday. At least I look normal. Not everyone wants to dress like a freak. Not everyone wants to dress like you." And turning her back on her friend's devastated face, she stalked away.
Chapter 2
"I don't know anymore!" Carmen moaned, burying her head into her arms. "I mean, is it really that obvious? Am I all that unfashionable? Is this sweater so revolting? I thought it was cute enough for today!"
Her lab partner, Dylan McKenzie, patted her arm sympathetically but said nothing. Out of the corner of her eye, Carmen noted the skinny jeans in place of baggy school pants which clung invitingly to Dylan's legs. Leather bangles decorated his slim wrists and countless belts fought for attention as they overlapped each other, hanging precariously off his hips. Her best guy friend was one of the most appealing bodies in Jude High, that was for sure. Carmen felt - if pisslbe - even smaller.
Dylan pushed a stray strand of dark hair out of his eyes. "So let me recap. You think you're ugly?"
In spite of herself, Carmen frowned. She tossed her braids and said indignantly, "I never said that. I just asked if my clothes were that...well..."
"Awful? Hideous? Utterly, utterly unbecoming?" Dylan supplied, looking hopeful.
"Thanks a bunch," muttered Carmen. Really, Dylan was good-looking and all, but when it came to tact, he was about as smart as a lamp-post and as helpful as a broken umbrella on a rainy day. She snatched the worksheets which answers he had been copying and hid it under her arm. He was instantly contrite.
"What I meant to say was, you clothes aren't so bad, hey! Like well, that plaid cardigan? Suitable for a night out at the circus, yes but just not for Valentine's Day. Now could you please lend me that worksheet again?"
"Of course." Carmen responded primly, but inside, she was glowing. Although Dylan was flaming gay, she had had a crush on him for two entire months and the familiar fuzzy feelings she always got whenever he complimented her were rising in her stomach again. Jude High's pretty boy liked her sweater. Her confidence rose ten to twenty-fold.
Take that, Lena.
While Dylan frantically copied answers, his pen a blue, Carmen's wandering eyes finally came to a rest on Lena, who sat with Charlie 'Tuna-breath' Tune, a guy with an afro, lots of gold jewellery and of course, the aforementioned tune-breath. She didn't seem a bit saddened by their fight. In fact, she was flirting with Charlie like he was the last guy on Earth. Carmen assumed that no girl would flirt with him unless he was the last guy on Earth. That was how unpopular he was.
Her hand nudged the teal tiffany-coloured gift box under her desk. She instantly felt nervous. The box was just begging her to give it to its desired owner. It was February the fourteenth after all, a day to give cute gifts to handsome guys. But this wasn't any cute gift. It had cost her an arm and a leg, and a whole ton of free time with Lena to boot. Carmen wished she could ask Lena what to do, but remembered they were still fighting. She knocked her head against the table softly and sighed.
"Lend me your art book for a mo', Dyl," Carmen whispered.
Dylan pouted as he turned the page. "Now? I'm kinda busy - "
"Now." Carmen said dangerously.
Dylan huffed. He rummaged through his haversack and pulled out a thickset, leather-bound book. Carmen grabbed it and turned to the page with a sticker that had a large "T" inscribed on it. She highly priced that book; it contained a record of all the boys Dylan had gone out with, and some heard by word of mouth.
tune, charlie
a.k.a.: tuna-breath, charfro
description: afro (would be cool if it wasn't so gross), gold jewellery (more than my mom), tuna-breath. 5'8, 65kg.
date factor: -1/5
Below, there was an address ad\nd cellphone number.
"Charlie Tune?" Carmen snickered. "Wow. You really get around, boy."
"I didn't go out with him!" Dylan said bitchily
Carmen flipped to the previous page. Many names were scribbled in bright colours, but one name right at the top of the page caught her eye.
taylor, stephen
a.k.a.: steph, taylor
description: blonde, green eyes, dimples, jock with more brains than usual. nice guy. 6'2, 68kg.
date factor: 6/5
Stephen Taylor. Captain of the soccer team, and honorary member of the Science Club. Mr. Popular, homecoming king and Carmen's one desire. But over his name was a big red stamp that read, "TAKEN".
"Excuse me?"
Dylan rolled his eyes. His friend's voice head taken the hyterical, high-pitched edge that signified the start of a temper tantrum. "What now?"
"What does this meeeeeeaaaaaan!?" Carmen shriek-wailed, pointing an unpolished finger at the page while trying not to shriek-wail above a whisper.
"It means what it says. Duh." Dylan deadpanned. "Stephen's got a girlfriend."
Something seemed to dislodge inside her. It was unsettling.
Maybe because it was a chunk of her heart?
"I...when?" Carmen blurted.
Dylan shook his curly brown head sadly. "Oh hon," he sighed, "they hooked up at the last game's post-party. Clarissa Johnson, St. Jude's resident nice-girl and over-achiever. Heard of her?"
Carmen's stomach lurched. Of course she had heard of Clarissa Johnson; who hadn't? Petite, ebony-haired and blue-eyed because of a mixed parentage, she carried both handsome European good-looks and slim Asian features, resulting in an exotic face that left an impression. Pretty and smart, with a college portfolio the size of a dictionary that her parents had built up since she was five, she was involved in everything - the Environmental Club, Chess Club, Robotics, Maths Club, the debate team and was valedictorian for the senior class. How could Carman ever hope to compete with a highly accomplished individual like her?
"Dead." Carmen whispered.
"Huh?"
"Dead." she mumbled again. "I'm DEAD DEAD DEAD!"
She buried her face in her hands. Clarissa Johnson was together with the love of her life. It was impossible to wrap her head around the idea of them going out. Sure, Clarissa was pretty but what else did they have in common?
"Miss Lewis!"
Carmen jumped, nearly launching Dylan's book into the air. Before she could blink, Dylan had snatched the book back from her lap and slid the worksheet over the her side of the bench.
"Y-yes, Mrs. David?" Carmen lisped sadly.
Mrs. David eyed her disdainfully. Her chestnut hair had been teased into a triangular clump of curls, and her pasty, doughy face had been liberally covered in drugstore-bought foundation. She wore a wool cardigan over a long dirdul of a skirt. If Carmen was a fashion nightmare, then Mrs. David was a catastrophe.
"I know it's Valentine's Day today," she said primly, peering at Carmen throug her granny glasses that looked like they had been around since the time of the Beatles, "but honestly! Enough of the woolgathering and get back to work! Go help poor Dylan or it's detention. Your choice."
"Whatever, Mrs. D," Carmen said tiredly. It did not help that Dylan was flashing his "poor-little-me" look at her as well. She pulled the worksheet from under her arm and flipped to the correct page. As she picked up her pen to write down the first answer, Dylan slipped her a note.
hey, i don't think you're uglier than clarissa(=
Carmen snorted out loud and rolled her eyes, then smiled angelically as Mrs. David glared suspiciously at her. She scribbled hurriedly on the scrap of paper, then threw it back at the smirking boy.
You blind!?!?
Besides, Stephen probably doesn't even know I exist but that girl is so obviously in the darned 'CONSIDER ME!' group already! Ugh my life is such a spiralling abyss and my best friend hates me now. ):
Dylan plucked the note out of the air and read it, his smile growing bigger.
i wouldn't worry about lena, if i were u. shes been pining the whole day.
n about that hot guy? MAKE HIM. ;)
Carmen read through the note twice, then turned sideways to look at Lena. She caught a flash of bright blue eyes filled with desperation before Lena tossed her head, causing strawberry-blonde locks to topple down her shoulder and hide her face. Her hand, unconsciously feeling around for her textbook, brushed against silky ribbon.
Carmen sat up a little straighter. She knew what she had to do now.
Guys my fingers hurt. ):
And uh I did a bit of editing here and there, I thought some of the sentences were a bit choppy. Do edit if you find anything unsatisfactory, this has to be perfect if we're going to be broadcasting it to the public! (:
Oh and about the typos? I'm not on Rick but my dad's computer and the keys are kind of hard to press so it wasn't done on purpose sorry. But the typos in Dylan's notes ARE on purpose LOLOL! Oh and we should ttly scan handwriting in and add-as-image for the notes part how cool would that beeee :D
MIKE
