The Bucket List

Chapter Four

When Laurel drove into the driveway, my dad was taking out some groceries. He looked up and waved at us before he closed the truck. Emma leaned forward between Laurel and I, she already took her seatbelt it seemed.

"Are those Oreos?" her quiet voice shivered with excitement.

I didn't want to say yes because if I did she probably would jump out the moving car. Emma is very quiet, but that doesn't mean she's proper, she and Lauren are always starving for junk food. When Laurel stopped the car, Lauren and Emma were the first ones out.

"Argh!" Jaime shouted, "Lauren your dirty shoe touched my mouth!"

I slid out of the car as Lauren and Emma grabbed the bag my dad was holding and dashed into the house. He shook his head at the girl and waved at their backs, "Hi to you too, girls," he call out.

I rushed up to give him a big hug, and then I realized that Brandon wasn't nagging in my head anymore. My dad was like that I guess; he made my problems go away without doing anything or knowing it. I beamed at him when I let go, Laurel gave him a quick kiss before she went to grab some groceries. I loved seeing them together, they were so cute together.

"How's that bump yours kiddo?" my dad asked as he reached out to touch the bump.

I cringed away, "It still hurts," I muttered.

My dad shook his head, "You gotta be careful, Baldwin. If you were looking than you wouldn't have run into that pole,"

I looked down my feet to hide the redness rushing to my cheeks. I hate lying to my dad or to anyone in fact, but what would he do if I told that I jumped off not anyone's bike but Lauren's bike to talk to a boy? He would probably have a heart attack from knowing he has a boy crazy teenage daughter. "I'm gonna head inside before Lauren and Emma eat all the food," I said walking quickly into the house.

Lauren was sitting upside down the couch with her head between her legs. She happily licked the icing off an Oreo before putting the whole thing in her mouth. Emma lay down on the large black shaggy rug and stuffed two Oreos in her mouth at the same time. I shook my head at them, after school both of them ate two bags of Doritos-each. I joined them only taking one Oreo in my hand.

"Only one, BJ? Jeez, you're making me feel like a pig," Lauren said with a full mouth, her snapback fall onto the rug revealing her dark brown locks.

"You already are a pig, Lauren," Jaime sniffed as she sat the comfy couch beside me. She laid her long light brown legs on my white skinny ones. I hope she won't realize that I haven't shaved in four days. "And you look like you're trying to lick your ass," Jaime sneered. Bridget sat at me feet with the remote as she flicked mindlessly through the channels on the T.V.

Lauren stuck her chocolate-cover tongue at Jaime, "You're an ass, Jaime,"

Jaime threw her legs off of mine, "Lauren, for once can you be mature," she seethed

I sunk down in my couch not wanting to be in the conflict. Jaime always had a short temper; almost anything can make her angry. Especially Lauren who has a knack for irritating people.

Lauren back-rolled off the couch onto her knees, "For once can you not be such an upright b-"

Bridget flicked off the T.V. "Lauren, don't"

Lauren growled, but didn't say another word. Bridget had that effect on us; she was kind of like a pack leader. Sometimes I wonder that if Bridget wasn't my friend then if Lauren and Jaime would ever be my friends. Whenever I think that though I get antsy, I hopped off the couch.

"I gotta go and check on the box," I stammered hopping over Emma's legs

Bridget shrugged, "There's nothing good on T.V. anyways,"

"Hey, I have an idea," Jaime held up her math textbook, "Maybe we should start on our homework like we said we would do,"

Lauren crackled, "Jaime you've known us for three years, since when we do homework?" she grabbed her snapback and pulled it back down on her head, "Please I rather watch Baldwin drool over her shrine of Witten than do trigonometry ,"

"Hey!" I looked at Lauren; my cheeks flushed red, "That was only one time, Lauren. I was tired okay? And you promised to never to talk about it again,"

Bridget wrapped an arm around me and gave me a small smile, "Never, trust Lauren with a secret then," she advised

............................................................................................................

Lauren leaped and almost bounced off my bed, she sighed, "Mmm, it smells like vanilla and cinnamon buns,"

"And you smell sweaty and gross," Jaime remarked as she sat down on my plush white carpet.

I walked towards my dresser and pulled it back. Behind was a small white door the size of a large shoebox at the bottom of the white wall; I opened it revealing my most valued possession in my room: the Box of Secret Dreams. That what I call it at least. Only the people in this room know about it. I pulled out the old shoebox, it used to be plain white and from Macys, but the iconic red star was covered with black and pink hearts and tons and tons of glitter. Pipe cleaners and ribbons trailed the edges with glitter glue. It looked like something a first grader would make, but I actually made in the seventh grade.

"When are you gonna update the box?" a quiet voice behind asked

I spun so fast I almost lost my balance; there stood Emma eating a chocolate cupcake. She large brown eyes stared at me waiting for an answer. I let out a breath of relief and shrugged.

"Hey, why didn't you tell me that Miss B was makin' the cupcakes," Lauren said snarling at Emma, she got up and went out of my room, "You people are just damn useless,"

I walked to bed and Emma and Bridget crawled to sit next to me, Jaime stayed on the floor. "So, what section of your stalker box needs to be refilled?" Jaime asked coolly.

"Jaime, please" Bridget said sharply

"I'm not a stalker," I said automatically as I opened the box. I frowned, everything in here was from before winter break and it's now April. Brandon got a new haircut and got leaner since then. I closed the box and fell back onto my bed. I was greeted by my colony of stuffed animals, "Bridget do you think he'll ever like me?" I asked quietly so only Bridget could hear.

Bridget looked at me, she was pretty. Long light brown with blonde highlights always perfectly messy, tan with faint freckles, light grey eyes and high cheekbones. She even had a beauty mark. Brandon would like a girl like her. I felt a sharp pain in my heart when I thought that. I was nothing like Bridget, not all. I blinked back a tear and took a deep breath as Bridget shrugged.

"I don't know, BJ," Bridget simply said, "You know that,"

I didn't like that answer, "I wish you did" I muttered as I sat up. Emma laid her head onto my shoulder and started to play with the strings on my grey hoodie.

Jaime rolled her eyes, "Maybe you would you talked to him and not stalking him," she muttered as she pulled on my carpet

I looked at Jaime with all the anger I could fluster, but I had more sadness than anger. And that's because she was right. I groaned into my hands, Thanks Jaime, for making me feel like crap,"

"I'm just being real," Jaime held up her hands in defense.

"Yeah, isn't that what Serena Westfall said to you when she said when you're an uptight bitch," Bridget said bitterly. The words almost stung me, Bridget can be mean but she usually does it in such a nice way. That sentence was just cold and sour. I looked up at Jaime who was a shade paler than before. She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath in, but didn't let it out.

"Don't worry, Baldwin," Emma whispered to my side, "Jaime is just being Jaime,"

I stared at Brandon's frozen smile and a wrinkled love poem. No, Jaime was just being right.

YAY!!! Fourth chapter (sorry, I like even numbers). So what do you think about Jaime. Do you thinks she's just a good friend who's really honest or do you hate her? What about Lauren, is she funny or immature? What about Baldwin? What are your thoughts about her? Put in it in the comments below!!! The next chapter will be up on Saturday. Also checkout that Jaime banner.