Make Me Perfect

Chapter 22 - Somehow I Forgot

"Hungover today?"

I rolled my eyes as Aiden flashed me a wink before leaning against my locker. I pushed him out of the way and slammed it shut. "I didn't drink that much," I said with my tongue out.

Aiden laughed, slinging his arm around my shoulder, "Did Nina have a good time?"

I smiled with a nod, "I think she got that guy's number." As I spoke my binder slipped from my hand. "Shit," I mumbled as I bent down to pick it up.

"No way," Aiden gasped above me.

I sighed as I gathered up my fallen papes. "What?" I muttered, stuffing my homework into my bag.

He ignored me, "It can't be," he said instead, still in a shocked tone.

I rolled my eyes and finally got to my feet. "AJ, what the hell is your--" I stopped mid sentence as my eyes caught what had surprised him. My jaw dropped, and with a huge smile on my face I whispered, "Go Nina."

The petite girl strutted down the hallway, her high heels clomping against the tile in a sweet rhythm. He long hair was flowing behind her, and with the makeup she perfectly used to shape her emerald green eyes, she looked like a new student. There were no glasses in sight, no baggy clothes, just a gorgeous girl in black jeans and a ruffled top.

As she made her way over to me, she got whistles, stares, and even some 'damns' spoken from the jocks. She stopped right in front of me, and in a struggle to find words I was finally able to blurt something out, "Nina, is that you?"

Nina laughed, "Peyton, I can't thank you enough for what you did. I'm tired of hiding behind my glasses!" she said excitedly before whisking away with a crowd of boys in tow.

I stood speechless, Aiden laughing beside me. "Peyton, you okay?" he finally asked in between his chuckles.

I shook my head slowly, "That was not the same Nina that gave me shit for putting too much glue on the plastic stars yesterday."

Aiden chuckled, placing his hand on my shoulder and pulling me along, "Come on. We got class."

I looked back over my shoulder to find Nina chatting along with Taylor Thompson, the co-captian of the football team. I bit my lip, still stunned at her appearance.

It was because of me.

The reason Nina Changling looked incredibly gorgeous, the reason she would have a boyfriend by tomorrow, the reason no one would think of her as the goody-two-shoes Nina anymore was because of me.

Huh.

So this was what Peyton Lemming's good side could do.

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"Pasta for dinner?" my mom asked as I walked in the door after school. I nodded and flew up to my room. I dropped my bag onto my bed with a sigh and fell backwards after it.

School was a bitch.

I rolled over, accidentally kicking my bedside table with my foot. I yelped out in pain as I looked over to see the damage I had done. The whole table had dumped over, including the drawer, which contents were now spread over my carpet. "Why me?" I mumbled as I began to clean up the mess.

I stood the table back up and began throwing things back in the drawer. I picked up a blue folder and tossed it in as well. Suddenly I froze, and with a curse I tore it back out of the drawer. I ran my hand over the worn cover.

The cover of my father's hospital report.

How could I have forgotten? It had been two weeks since I had met Andrea, the nurse who used to attend to my father. I had been so caught up in suspenion, clubs, populaity, Nina, and Aiden, that I had completely forgotten about my mission to find out what my father wanted from me.