Take Me to the Stars

Chapter 9

~ 9 ~

I woke up the next morning feeling good. Sure, I lied to my friends about Rico just to get them to start liking me, but overall, it felt good to not be a loser anymore. I jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed in a lace blouse with a flower design and skinny jeans. I slathered on some lipstick and fluffed my hair to make sure it was perfect. Lastly, I put on some mascara and smiled at my reflection before bouncing down the stairs to the kitchen.

I was so exited about today, my mom was letting me and my friends go the grand opening of the brand new Tropical Island Resort and Spa in New York City! The only problem is that she doesn't feel like driving us that far, and I just started drivers education so their was no way I was going to drive, so my mom is making us take the city bus. I hate the bus, it smells like a sewer and if you get on last you have to stand up hold the railing the whole way there. But at least my friends would be with me.

I walked into the kitchen and was trying to decide what to have for breakfast when Derrick walked in, his shoulders slumped and his hair tousled with different parts of it sticking up and weird angles. His normally sparkling blue eyes were gray with exhaustion as he shuffled over to the counter and sat down, putting his head in his hands.

I laughed, “Morning Derrick. Sleep okay?”

“Uh” was all I got for an answer. I walked over to the counter and tapped his shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?” He looked up at me and ran his hand through his hair.

“Sorry Lindsey, I just couldn't get to sleep at all last night and now I have to go to soccer try-outs for 2 hours.” he groaned and put his head down on the counter.

I rubbed his shoulder. “It's okay, you don't have to apologize. Why don't you just tell mom and dad that you don't like soccer?” Mom and dad were worried about Derrick not spending enough doing extra curricular activities, so they signed him up for the high-school soccer team. Out of all the sports they could have picked, football, baseball, or even tennis, they chose the one sport that he doesn't like.

He looked back up at me. “It's not that easy, you know. I already promised I would do it.” he got up and opened the cupboard to find something to eat.

I stared at him. “Why? If you hate soccer, then why did you promise them that you would do it?”

He grabbed an apple out of the cupboard and turned around to look at me. “To make them happy.” he smiled and walked out of the kitchen, leaving me alone.I stood there for a while thinking about what Derrick said, to make them happy. Would I do that? Would I really just do something just to make mom and dad happy, even if it was the one thing that I hated? I was suddenly snapped out of it when the doorbell rang. I quickly ran to the door, my stomach rumbling because I skipped breakfast. I opened the door to find Lily, Grace, and Jenna smiling and bouncing with excitement.

“Lindsey! You look great!” Grace tackled me in a hug.

I laughed. “Thanks Grace, are you guys ready to go?”

Jenna laughed. “Of course! Now come on, you don't want to stand up on the bus do you?”

“Of course not.” I went through my mental checklist of everything I needed. Lipstick, phone, wallet..... purse! I forgot my purse!

“Guys, I’ll be right back I just need to grab my purse from my room. You can come in, I’ll only be a second.” Lily, Jenna, and Grace walked in the house and shut the door behind them as I dashed up the stairs to find my purse.

I reached my room and searched frantically for my for my purse. As I ran around, I slipped and fell with a hard thunk.

“Ow!” I rubbed my knee and looked around to see what I slipped on, and I gasped. It was the picture of Rico that I got two years ago, laying in the middle of my room on the floor. “Huh, I don't remember putting this here.” I picked it up and sighed. His tousled hair and beautiful brown eyes used to make my heart melt, but now i'm not so sure anymore. Suddenly, I heard thumping on the stairs and I quickly shoved the picture in my pocket. Lily, Jenna, and Grace came stomping into my room.

“Come on Lindsey!”

“What's taking you so long?”

“Were going to be late!”

“What are you doing on the floor?”

I stood up and rubbed my hands on my jeans. “Sorry guys. I – uh, fell.” I said hesitantly.

Jenna rolled her eyes and looked at her watch. “Well, get up, get your purse and lets go! I totally want to be the first in line for the new tanning beds!

Lily squealed. “Oh my gosh, me too!”

I laughed. “Alright, alright. Let's go already!” I got up, snatched my purse off my bed and bolted out the door, my friends right behind me.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, my mom was standing there looking out the window with a look of concern. When she saw us running down the stairs, she instantly looked relieved.

“Thank goodness! I thought you girls had left without telling me!” she ran towards me and tackled me in a hug.

I groaned. “Uh, mom, were gonna be late.”

“Oh, right, sorry honey.” she released me and I could could hear my friends snickering behind me. “Okay, so you know where your going?”

“Yes.”

“You have your phone with you? I'm going to be calling every once in a while to make sure you haven't been kidnapped or something.”

“Okay mom.”

“Oh, and make sure you always stick together.”

“Fine.”

“And no talking to strangers.”

“I know.”

“Oh and don't forget -”

“Mom, seriously, we're going to miss the bus.”

She smiled. “Sorry, I just worry, that's all. Now go have fun!”She shooed us out the door. We run down the street and I start to see the bus station in the distance. I just faintly hear my mom yell after us, “Be home by 6:00! No later!” I turn back and wave to my mom one last time before running down the sidewalk to catch up to my friends. As we started to approach the bus-station, I realized that I have never done anything like this before. Going on a bus without my parents, and going to a grand opening of a resort and spa with my three best friends.

It was good to have my life back.