In The Crowd (not final title)

Chapters 1-4

Chapter 1: Rey

This weekend I will be dancing my stress away with all my best friends, but for now I am walking into my first final of the week. I studied for it, but academics is really all I have going for me, so I need to ace this. My best friends have been blowing up my phone all morning about matching outfits for each day of the festival, I had to turn my phone off. They know I put academics above everything, not because my parents are up my ass or I need a scholarship to pay for college, hell I signed with a college my junior year, but I want to succeed and to do that I have to be better than everyone else. Right before I'm about to walk into class I hear my name being yelled and heels clinking on the floor, I just sigh and prepare for the wrath from my best friend since preschool, "Reeeeyyyyy, you haven't approved any of the outfits! the festival is in four days!" I turn to face Lora before she can screech at me in the hallway again, "Lora you know this is an important week for me, good grades equal a carefree and fun Rey, buy me whatever the hell you want and just Venmo request me. Try whatever you want on and imagine yourself twenty pounds heavier" I bet the entire hallway just saw the eye roll she shot my way, "Rey for the love of God, you are NOT twenty pounds heavier than me, I hate to shop without you, but I'd lose it if I had to wait till the end of the week to go shopping." I laugh, "I'm sure you'll forget all about me not being there when you step foot in the mall, have fun, and send me pictures because I do not consider nipple pasties a proper top." She gives me a hug and I can hear her yell "I'll come over after dinner and we can have a fashion show for the boys." as I enter my testing room. Yes, I am the only one in the room, probably because the test doesn't start for another 30 minutes, but I brought a breakfast bar and my current read, Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover, I would study but this is my history final, and my teacher doesn't teach history as well as he gives the football boys a lecture about their next game, so this will be a piece of cake.

~

A few hours after I'd gotten home from school Lora did indeed show up with Sophia and the boys, so I took a break from studying the different types of algae for Marine Biology, and we played dress up. To my surprise I liked all the outfits Lora picked, we all matched in a subtle way. Lora is excited about us matching because it'll make for "bomb pics." Afterwards Lora and Sophia practically forced me to come to target to pick up stuff we'd need, deodorant, a backpack, reusable water bottle, and OF COURSE the glitter eyeshadow pallet that had all the colors Lora needed to match with our outfits for all four days of the festival. I don't necessarily see that to be something we need, something like sunscreen, (which Lora didn't even think about) would be considered a need but that's Lora for you, carefree, gorgeous, and social superstar. Me on the other hand, I'm a full-blown introvert, OCD as all get out, and not a girl guys pay any attention to really, but I don't care, if I am successful in and after college, I don't need a man.

Chapter 2: Rey

I just answered the last question on my last final. Lora has been outside waiting for about thirty minutes now and if I don't leave soon my phone may literally blow up. I walk my packet up to the teacher's desk and thank her for a great year. As I'm walking through the halls there's a pep in my step as I open the double doors and feel the sunshine, a huge smile spreads across my face. I take a moment to enjoy the bliss I feel until it's interrupted, "I've been out her FOREVER! You finish test in like five minutes, so what the hell took so long?" if only Lora knew what having a straight A report card takes, "well Lora I was making sure all of my answers were correct, so I worked them twice." her mouth drops open, "You are such a nerd, we have places to be and a case of claws to down before we head to the opening night show." I just roll my eyes and get in the passenger seat, when she starts driving, I roll my window down and feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. She turns on the playlist she made months ago that has all the artists that will be at the festival, she even added artists that could be a surprise guest because of songs they featured on with one of the festival artists. I let my hair down and let my head fall against the seat back, this is going to be a good weekend.