Crooked Neighbor, Crooked Heart

Six

<Ava>

This is not how I want to spend my day. I think as I get ready for what I imagine is going to be a very trying day.

I throw on some black shredded high-waisted shorts and a white tank top. I am not in any way looking to impress either of these boys. I complete my grungey look with a beat-up pair of combat boots and worn in denim shirt. Perfect.

I look over to Jenna who is skillfully applying hot pink eyeliner that flicks into a cat-eye. I was too lazy to do anything more than smudge on some black eyeliner and add a few swipes of mascara.

She turns to face me and frowns.

"What?"

She sighs. "I know you're going for the whole 'I'm-too-cool-to-care' look but can't you maybe look a bit more put together? Here I can just fix up your eyeliner."

She comes at me with the black pencil and dodge her. "Ava seriously cut it out." She leans in again and I jump off of my bed and go across the room.

"This isn't funny!" She looks crosses her arms and tries to look mad but I can see that she is trying not to smile.

I stick my tongue out like a five-year-old. "Nana-nanana you can't get me."

"AVA ROBINS YOU HAVE UNTIL THE COUNT OF THREE OR I WILL DESTROY ALL OF YOUR GRAY TANK TOPS."

"You wouldn't dare." Her smile twists into an evil grin and she moves towards my tiny dresser.

"One." I flinch.

"Two." She pulls out one of my many gray shirts and looks as if she will tear it in half.

"Th-"

"OKAY OKAY FINE." She bames triumphantly and begins to draw a thick line onto my lid.

"Hey Ava can I ask you something?"

"Mhm go for it."

She takes a deep breath. Uh-oh.

"Well we've known each other for like ever now and I've always wondered why you don't like to buy nice clothes and stuff? Not that you have bad clothes but I mean I know that you are more than capable of affording expensive things so why do you act like you're ... ya know not the daughter of a big CEO?"

I think for a minute before answering her.

"I don't want people to think that I'm one of those over privileged rich kids with nothing better to do than play around with photography and shit. I want to know that I can do this on my own without money and my family's name to back me up. I want to prove to people I can make it."

She gives me a big hug when i finish talking and says, "This is why you're my best friend."

With that we grab our bags and head out the door.

<Zayn>

When we walk into the cafeteria Ava and Jenna are too engrossed in conversation to notice our appearance. I take the opportunity to admire how she makes even shorts and a t-shirt look perfect. Jenna is a bit more put-togther looking in a floral shorts and shirt combined thing. Who the fuck came up with that?

"Here we go mate." Harry pats me on the shoulder as we approach them.

"So ladies, what are the plans for today?"

Jenna turns and smiles brightly as she links her arm through Harry's.

"Well we are going to start off by being as touristy as possible which means Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Times Square and so on and so forth."