Just The Way You Are (Jaime Preciado)

Chapter 3

"Bye, Tony!" I yelled, opening the front door.

"Wait!" He yelled, running down the stairs to meet me. "Where are you going?"

"To the movies with Tay," I lied, easily.

"Tay? Who's that?" He asked.

"A girl I know from school," I shrugged.

"When will you be back? Do you need money?"

"In a few hours, Dad," I teased. "Tay and I were also going to get something to eat but I have some money."

"Okay," He smiled. "See you in a while."

I smiled too as I shut the door behind me. Yeah, I knew a Tay. In fact, she was like an older sister to me. But I wasn't meeting her tonight. I was going with my friend, Lilly to the movies. Tony had banned me from hanging out with her because she got me to start taking pills when I was fourteen.

She had moved and her and I lost touch anyways. But Lilly had come back to visit San Diego.

I got to the movies and waited for Lilly. She was always a bit late.

"Hey!" Lilly shouted at me as she got out of her brother's car.

I gave her a hug, "Hey, you ready?"

She smiled and twisted her long black and red hair a bit, "About that, you know Jason? Jason Harrald?"

"Yeah, I know him." I didn't like him.

"Cool!" She grabbed my hand. "We're going to his party."

"Wait!" I said, yanking my hand back. "I could get in big trouble for this."

Lilly rolled her eyes, "Well, I thought you changed, but you know what they say, 'Once a pussy, always a pussy.'"

"I am not a pussy," I said, definiantly.

She smirked, "Prove it, Pussy."

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I walked in the open door and almost gagged at the weird smell coming from the livingroom. I didn't know what it was, but it smelled horrible.

"Amy!" Jason yelled.

"Jay!" I laughed as he picked me in a hug.

"So glad you could make it, Short Cake," He smirked, still yelling over the music. "You wanna a drink?"

I nodded and he grabbed my hand, leading me to the kitchen where the drinks were being made by Luke and Sammi.

Sammi's long, curly blonde hair with red streaks, bounced as she pulled me into a hug, "Girl, I have missed you!"

I haven't seen Sammi since I graduated high school. It had been a whole month.

"I missed her more!" Luke said, smiling and pulling me away from Sammi, his dark eyes sparkling. "Lots more!"

Sammi smiled, but rolled her eyes at him as he squished the crap out of me.

"Missed you, too, Lukey," I laughed.

"What can I get you?" Sammi asked.

"A coke?"

She smiled, "Yep."

Sammi handed me a Coke and I drank half of the glass in just a few minutes. Then I tried to take in the scene before me. People. Lots of people. Drinking, smoking, dancing.

"Luke, can you get me another Coke?"

"Sure thing, Hon," He said turning his back to me. Soon he handed me a Solo cup of bubbly Coke.