Not So Short, Stories By Ava and Whit!

Short Story Four: "Never Be Like You"

[Written by-WhitTheReader ]

" Why hello there Hannah." Rachel said to me as I grabbed my bag out of my locker. " Hey Rach." I answered, closing my locker door. " I'm having this explosive party tonight. Wanna come?" She asked. " Ummm, I have a lot of studying to do tonight and-." " Ohh come on! You haven't been to a party in years!" Rachel exclaimed. " Jake is going to be there." She whispered into my ear. My cheeks turned a light shade of pink. " He is?" I asked. " Yep. This is the perfect time to make a move!" Rachel said, looping her arm around mine. " Jake probably doesn't even know I exist." I sighed, hugging my physics book closer to me. " Ohh come on! I see him look at you in Math class!" Rachel replied giddily. I stopped in my tracks. " He looks at me?" I asked, astonished. " He sure does!" She smiled. I went on walking, " Wow, he looks at me!" I laughed, a smile on my face. I went up to the door of my Physics class, giving Rachel a hug. " I'll be there." I said, opening the class door.

" You look beautiful!" Rachel beamed, looking at me in the mirror. " Don't you think the dress is a little short?" I asked, tugging it down. It was a black, bare back cocktail dress that rested just above my knees. This was one of the shortest dresses I've ever wore. " That's not even short!" Rachel laughed. " How do I look?!" She asked, striking a pose. She wore a very short pink dress, her golden blonde hair trailed down her shoulders. A layer of makeup covered her face, her cheeks a light shade of red. "You look...pretty." I replied, I thought she looked a little slutty. " Okay, the party should have already started, let's get going !" She said, pushing me out her bedroom door. Rachel and I walked down the stairs. Tons people flooded into the enormous house. Rachel giggled, running to hug one of her many friends. I sometimes wish I was like Rachel, I wish I had tons of friends, looked good in anything, could get any guy I wanted. Rachel is probably the only real friend I have, I've known her since second grade. " Hannah come down! The fun is just beginning!" She laughed, dragging me down the rest of the steps. We made our way through the crowd, Rachel headed to the bar. " Whatcha want to drink? Tequila? Vodka? Cocktail?" She asked, pouring herself a drink. " I would like a coke." I answered. " Ohh come on! Try something new!" Rachel insisted, pouring me a drink. Rachel handed me a strong smelling drink in a solo cup. " Now, you drink up while I go find Jake!" She hurried off into the mass of people, leaving me alone. I felt strange standing here, I never really been to a big party before. Unless a youth group get-together counts. " Hey! Aren't you that girl who broke up with Ned?" A girl asked, she was obviously a little tipsy. " Uhh I don't even know a Ned." I laughed. " Ohh I'm sorry." The girl laughed, holding out her hand. " I'm Madalyn." She said, I shook her hand. " I'm Hannah." I replied. " Ohh you're Rachel's best friend! She always talks about you." The girl said, taking a drink from the cup in her hand. " Speaking of Rachel, have you seen her?" I asked, looking around. " I thought I saw her in the kitchen talking to Jake Madison." She replied. " Ohh ok, it was nice meeting you!" I shouted as I disappeared into the crowd. The music blared from the large speakers, I pushed through tons of people, finally seeing the kitchen. When I entered the space, her heart shattered. Rachel sat on top of the kitchen counter, Jake by her side, kissing. Tears threaten to flow as I turned away, pushing people out of my way. I had to leave, I couldn't stay here anymore. I didn't belong here. Once I found the front door, I fled the house.

My pillow received a gob of tears that night. I looked at myself in the mirror, my mascara running down my face. Rachel lied to me, Deceived me, and broke my heart. Why would she do this to me? I was her best friend? I was always there for her?? I was left confused and betrayed. I didn't even want to go back to school, I didn't want to have to see her again. Besides, I totally forgot to study for Physics. After a lot of begging my parents, I went anyway. I walked into the school, no Rachel in sight. Did she know I saw them? Did she purposely kiss him to hurt me? No. She wouldn't be that cruel...could she? I went to my locker when I found her. She was leaned against it, looking at her freshly polished nails. When she saw me her face brightened. " Hey Hannah Banana! Where did you skip off to last night?!" She asked as I opened my locker. " Hey! What's wrong? Did Xander make a move or something?" She asked, now leaning on my neighbors locker. " I saw." I said. " What?" She asked. " I saw you and Jake." I said, looking her in the eye . Her smile faded. " Look Hannah I'm-." She started to say. " Save it Rachel! I trusted you, I thought we were friends!" I shouted, slamming my locker shut. Everyone stared at us. " I'm sorry! I didn't mean for any of this to happen! I swear!" She pleaded. " I was bringing him to you when...that happened and...I'm sorry!" She shouted. " Sorry won't cut it!" I shouted back. " Why can't you just forgive me and we can go back to being friends!"
" I don't want to be friends anymore!" Rachel's face froze. " Who would want to be friends with a two timing backstaber whose parents are so wrapped up in divorce court to even care about her!" I screamed. Tears streamed down Rachel's face, everyone stared at her in shock. Rachel looked around the hallway, embarrassment showed on her face. " I hate you." She whispered as she fled the scene. Now everyone's eyes were on me, watching as I left my locker, heading for the bathrooms.

I went into the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. I can't believe I did that. That was totally un-called for. As I stood there at the sink, a girl came out of one of the stalls. It was Madalyn. " Heyyy." She said, a cigarette in her hand. " Hey." I replied. She came up to me, hopping on top of the counter. " Whew, you really blew off didn't you." She said, blowing smoke into the air. " I did." I said. " I'm sorry about Jake and all that. Rachel was a real jerk for doing that." She said. " Yeah, she was." I replied, trying to stay calm. " So, are you going to get him back?" Madalyn asked, leaning against the bathroom mirror. " What do you mean? I never had him in the first place." I laughed. " You want Jake right? Well, then take him." She said. " He wouldn't be with a girl like me. That's why he was kissing Rachel." I sighed. " If you really want him, then take him." She said, jumping off the counter. " Did you not just hear what I said?" " What I heard is that he wouldn't be with a girl like you." She emphasized on you. " What are you saying?" I asked, confused. Madalyn sighed. " You need to change yourself. Be like Rachel." She explained. I laughed. " I could never be like her." " Sure you could! Let me help you!"She exclaimed, throwing her cigarette on the dirty floor, smushing it with her boot. " Can you come to my house after school?" I asked, leaving the bathroom. " Sure." Madalyn replied, walking into the empty hallway. Classes had already started.

I got a C on my Physics test...that's just great. After school Madalyn met me at my house. She brought a backpack full of supplies. " So, first is clothing. Trashy, colorful , and tight." Madalyn said, pulling out an assortment of colorful clothes. " Woah, where did you get all this stuff?" I asked, picking up a light blue crop top. " I've got connections." She said, now taking a pair of high heels out of the bag. " Now, the whole hair situation. You're not exactly blonde." Madalyn said, looking at her hair. " I am NOT dying my hair." I said, my brown hair would have to work. " Alright alright,  next thing on the list is makeup. You have any?" She asked, crossing her arms. " I have a stick of lip stick, lip gloss, and some blush." I answered pulling out my pathetic display of cosmetics. " Good thing I brought some." Madalyn laughed, taking out a bag of makeup. " Now, we have to get you ready for Rachel's-." She started to say when I interrupted. " Wait a minute, ready for Rachel's what? She's throwing another party!" I exclaimed, running my fingers through my hair. " Apparently, her parents are wrapped up in divorce court and don't seem to care." Madalyn said with a smirk. " Hardy har har." I replied sarcastically. " Do you even know if Jake will be there?" I asked. Madalyn laughed. " Since y'all's blowout, Rachel and Jake became official. Look at her insta if you want proof." She replied, throwing a dress in my hands.

I walked into Rachel's house, Madalyn by my side. Everyone stared at me as I went through the crowd, whispering to others about how I look. I felt pretty confident in myself, I also felt nervous. Rachel would probably flip out if she saw me here. " Okay, first things first. We need to find Jake, I'm sure Rachel is going to be with him." Madalyn said, standing by the fire place in the house. " How are we going to distract her?" I asked, looking around the room. " I'll pull her away or something. Don't worry about it." She said, dragging me back into the crowd. We searched for a couple minutes until we found them. They were sitting on the staircase, Rachel asleep in Jake's lap, a empty bottle in her hand. She was drunk as a skunk. " Looks like we don't need a distraction after all." Madalyn laughed. I walked up to Jake, him noticing me right away. I reached the stair case, sitting by the passed out Rachel. " Hey Jake." I said. " Hey." He answered. " Do I...know you?" He asked, studying my face. " It's me Hannah Nobel. Remember me?" I laughed. " Wow, you look...amazing." He breathed, looking at my dress. It was a tight, pastel pink dress that had a slightly drooped neckline. He stopped staring at me when Rachel made a grumbling sound. " She's drunk as a skunk." I laughed. He laughed as well. " Yeah she is. She's been pretty upset about what you said to her this morning at school." He said, stroking her blonde hair. " I'm sure she'll get over it." I replied, trying to change the subject. What would Rachel do? I thought. She'd probably make a move. But I don't know how to make a move! I was silent for a little bit, I just sat there. Trying to think of what to say. " I'm going to take her up to her bed." He said to me, holding Rachel in his arms. " Wait!" I said before he walked up another step. " Do you love her?" I asked. He hesitated a moment, thinking his answer through. Then smiled, " I think I actually do." He replied. I smiled sadly, " Take care of her then." I said, leaving the staircase. " Hey Hannah." He called after me, I turned around towards him. " She misses you." He said, looking down at her. " She hates to admit it, but she does." He continued. " Thx for telling me." I replied, walking into the mass of teenagers. " What happened!" Madalyn asked as she danced with some guy I didn't know. " It's alright Mad. Everything actually turned out alright." I replied, looking back at the staircase, watching Jake vanish upstairs, Rachel's blonde hair hanging over his arm.