Capital Dare

Watch out, Asshole Coming Through!

There's nothing better than the feeling of the wind flowing through your hair, blowing it back in wide ripples as you race down the cobblestone sidewalks of Malibu. Although I swear I've got one of the oldest Longboards around, it still manages to get me where I need to go, and give me a little rush along with it.

I had just pulled up to my favorite little fish and chips shack when a short girl bumped into me. "You're late." She said sternly, trying to seem intimidating with her dark eyes and even darker hair. A long, flowery skirt hung loosely at her slim hips, and a tan, summer fedora sat on her head. She would have looked really cute, if it weren't for the accusing look on her face. Ah, classic Elena for you, always so uptight. I narrowed my eyes at my best friend. "I'm late with a totally legible excuse."

I held up a small, white paper bag and I could feel my stomach grumbling with anticipation. Donuts were my weakness. "You know you can't resist the Chocolate."

A smile crept onto her face, and I knew I had her. "C'mon, everyone's waiting!"

Elena put all her 5'1 inches into pulling me through the crowded blue booths and bar stools. We sprinted past the hay themed bar and onto the patio. Our whole group sat chattering away at the farthest corner from the shack.

Elena announced my presence, and they all uttered out Hey's and Hi's. "I brought donuts."

Brett, one of my closest guy friends, nodded his head in my direction. "This is why we're friends."

I ploppped down into the empty seat beside him and smirked. "So you're using me for my donuts?"

He ran a hand through his sandy brown hair and winked. "Not entirely."

Out of everyone in the little dysfunctional group of ours, Brett was the only sane one. He had the looks, the style, and the brains to get him just about anywhere he wanted to go.

Personally, I preferred the whole, 'lone wolf' thing. The first day of freshman year I vowed to be that awesome, mysterious, hot girl with the unkown story. My plan was going great, until I realized that A, I am most definitely not a quiet, wallflower like person. 2, I've never really been into the whole dark clothing thing, and 3, I have a tendency to act before I think.

So I guess it wouldn't have really worked out anyway. Besides, as soon as Elena and I said our first words to each other on the first day of High School day, my whole goth/cool/hot chick phase was history.

"Is everyone ready for the greatest summer ever?" Elena squealed, wiggling around in her chair. Ever since we were 14 years old, our regular group of friends has been planning a summer of awesomeness. Well, mostly Elena has been doing the planning. She has a wild imagination, that girl.

Why was this summer so important? It was the official last summer we would definitely share together. That's right, I, Maddison Hightower, was officially going to be a senior.

The realization of this brought me both excitement, but also the urge to throw up. Sure, being a dare-devil and a killer track runner defined me, but our society reeked of maturity and judgement, and that was enough to drag even me down from my thrown.

Our friends cheered and whooped, but I stayed quiet. The idea of a road trip across the country makes my stomach queasy. Not that I would ever admit it, but just thinking about bumping around on gravel roads has been seriously harshing my mellow.

"What's wrong Mads?" Peyton asked, her blue eyes shining with worry. There was only one word and one word only to describe Peyton, and that was trouble. The girl was more ballsy with her decisions than half of the male student body, and that was exactly why we were friends. Looks were deceiving when it came to her. Sundresses and wedges were her go-to style, but it's a good thing. If she were to dress the way her personality actually was, we would need to shield the eyes of every child.