Imaginary

2: Back To My Past

I couldn't sleep that night. For two reasons. 1. Because my arm hurt too damn much. And 2. I couldn't stop thinking about Marriette. But mostly because of Marriette. The pain was nothing compared to the thought of hurting Marriette. Marriette and Lily were the only things I had in the world, and the thought of hurting them made me hurt even more. At school, I was all alone until Marriette came along. Sure there were the poetry groups after school and 'Miseries' (a group some kids at school formed for the emo's and loners) but none of them really seemed to care about me. For a while, I thought that I could never truly share the kind of bond that I had gazed upon for so long from the outside, yearning for a way to break in.

SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER

When I first met Marriette, I'll be the first to admit I was on a bad path. I mean, a really bad path. I was spent most of my time with a group of goth and emo kids from one of my poetry clubs. I'm not saying that they were bad, because they were actually sort of nice....it's what they were doing that was wrong. Just about every other period, we'd hijacked the girls' bathroom on the far end on the school (the one no one ever uses) and hang out. Most of the time hanging out involved smoking and gossiping about what stupid mischeif the 'normies' had gotten up to. It was like a darker version of the 'clinqe.' It was an exclusive group. We ruled the school but not with fashion and charm, but steel toed combat boots and toxic hair dye. I never really felt comfortable with them. Sitting there, gagging on cigarette smoke and pretending to laugh at their rude comments on the cheer leaders' performance at the pep rally.

"It looked more like they were trying to seduce us than rev us up for the football game." Liza O'reiley sneered as she took a drag of her cigarette.

"They sure got me reved up for something- but it has nothing to do with football."Andrew Galin said, tossing an arm around Liza's shoulder. He winked at her but she quickly shoved him away.

"Ha! Totally. I felt more like I was at a stip club than a pep rally."Liam Sykes laughed. Nama Valance slid from the bathroom counter and began to imitate the cheer leaders- only with more emphasis on the seduction. She tossed her long purple hair over her shoulder and clapped her hands together like a cheer leader.

"Ready? Okay! Today we're gonna make you! Today we're gonna break you! Our motto is the sex appeal is the best appeal! GOOOOOOOOOOO TEEN PREGNANCY" she chanted with a series of coridinated sedutive dance moves and jumps. We clapped in mock appause and broke out into laughter. Liza nodded in approval.

"Yep. That just about sums it up." Matthew Onair said. Nama bowed proudly and did one last leap into the air before taking her place back on the counter with Liza in a bubble of laughter. I smirked as I thought back to the days when Nama actually was a cheer leader. Yes. You heard correctly. The short purple haired girl who had just mocked them was formerly one of them. Nama was once just like all of the Normies. The bubbly little package wrapped in a tight gold and white uniform who was once kept at the top of the pyramid had now found herself hurled to the bottom, amongst the only other crowd whose power could ever compete with the Popular Crew's- the goth/emo's. She'd traded her pom poms in for toxic hair dye and a wardrobe occupied by only dark colors. So how did this happen, you may ask? It's funny because no one really knows what really happened. All any one knows is that she somehow managed to piss off Kerri Hilton (the sqaud captain,) was kicked of the team one day, and showed up with her brown hair dyed dark purple and dressed in all black. That's when Liza swooped in and saved her from a high school enternity of loneliness. Now she has me, Liza, Andrew, Matthew, Liam, Courtney and all the rest of the members of our crew to back her up. Here, Nama's past is nonexistant. Here all of our pasts have been virtually erased. Courtney pulls out a cigarette and her custom lighter. Well one of them. She changed the lighter she uses almost as often as she changes the color of her hair. Today, it's a lighter with a middle finger carved into it. Typical Courtney.

"So, let's get down to buisness. Are we gonna crash this dance or not?" She asked to no one in particular. I creeped me out how hervoice never seemed to show any sign emotion. Sometimes I think she could comit murder and her voice would still be cold and stony. It's sort of a routine for us. Every year we go to the dance, dressed in a more formal version of our normal black attire, and crash the Normies' party as a sign of our rebelion to their lives of lies. Last year Liz lead the pack in a elegantly bad-ass black tea length dress with a mesh layering on the skirt with black roses sewn into into it and a black silk belt (reason why I know every detail about the dress is because it was originally my dress until Liz saw it and bought it before I even got a chance to go the store) and together, after so much practice, we bombarded the DJ, popped their balloons and stole the crowns off of the Homecoming queen and king. It was one of the few times I felt like I really belonged in the group.

"Definately. And this year is gonna be the best yet." Liz said with a mischevious grin as she pulled out a folded peice of paper from her back pocket. Liz looked up at us with a glint in her eye that could only mean that she was surely up to trouble. "I have it all planned out." She handed the paper to Nama, who after examining it thoroughly, nodded in approval and passed it on Matthew.

"I'm in." Nama said. I tried to get a peek at the paper as it made its way in a counter clockwise circle around the room. I was growing very anxious as some people nodded and others frowned. I hoped that this dance would be my dance. The dance where I finally get to lead our pack into our frenzied war cry against our high school society. Last year's big dance was Liza's but the other two were Courtney's and Andrew's (who did so with stunning charm and strength, if I do say so myself.) I've never been a leader, just a small part of the innner circle. But now I was hungry for more. As I impatiently watched the list slowly made its way toward me, I said a silent prayer that God would let me have this dance- just this one dance. Five people before me, four, three, two, one.... I gripped the paper, my hands sweaty with anticipation. I took a deep breath and carefully read the list from the top. In Liza's neat, flowing handwriting was the following:

MUSIC: OLIVIA RENOLD

TECH: VANNESSA JORDO, ZAYN MICHEALS, TERRY VINNYL, AND GARRETT RUSSEL

VISUAL EFFECTS: JAIDA PRIM, GABBY LAURELL, AND NIOMI CURTIS

MAKE UP: SHANDRA DONELLY, MITCHEL TOLAND, AND CATHERINE BRIDGET

CHOREOGRAPHY: BRENA LYN, LENNA YOUNG, AND OLIVER SKYE

OUTFIT COORIDINATON: MARLEY KNOLS, CAMERON DALLAS, AND NINA SANDERS

CO. LEADER: ANDREW GALIN

LEADER: LUNA PHSYCE

****NOTE! ANYONE NOT ON THE LIST STILL IS INVITED TO ATTEND. YOU ARE NOT DISCLUDED FROM THE EVENT...YOU ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT TO THIS CAUSE AS EVERYONE ELSE. YOU WILL ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THE DANCE, AS WELL

I stared at the paper in disbeleif. I was actually the leader. This was my year. This was finnally was my year. I went down a mental checklist, envisioning the day in every detail. In the midst of my day dream of being the queen of the group, I realized something even more amazing than being the leading the group; it was who I would be leading with. Andrew. Sweet, beautiful Andrew Galin. I've had a crush on him since grade school when he first walked in with his fabulous flippy hair and his dazzling good looks. Back then his hair was a dirty blonde but still, it was equally gorgeous. While other kids riduculed him for his lovely hair and his lone wolf life style, I admired him from a distance- too shy to approach him but hating myself because I couldn't. But then Liza came along. She got to him first with her long shiny black hair and stand-off attitude. I was devastated. I had lost my chance to make Andrew mine forever. So I watched their friendship grow with a heart broken scowl from the outside. Eventually, I ended up befriending Liz and becoming a part of the group. But I still dream of my future with Andrew with deep longing. I looked up at Liz and Andrew, over-joyed. Liza was playfully shoving Andrew as they laughed about something. Liza caught sight of me looking at them and winked with a smile. Andrew curriously looked up to where she had diverted her attenion and winked at me, too with a grin. I blushed and sat there, awe struck that he had actually noticed me. Me. Luna the invisible. Who he hadn't noticed me for almost nine years- since first grade. My bubble was popped by someone impatiently tapping my shoulder and tugging at the list. I relunctantly let go, even though I felt like running off with it and framing the wonderful peice of lined paper. I sunk down the the floor in a dreamy daze. This was my year, alright. My year to claim my prize.