The Downside of Popularity

3|Are you real?

Dedicated to: yashu07 for believing in this story's potential

Alina
✿____________✿

The events at the mall last Saturday replayed over and over in my head as Terry pulled his truck into the school parking lot.

I adjusted my backpack up my shoulders and flinched when my phone vibrated in my pocket. Yanking it out, I glanced down at it.

Alice: R u in school yet?

Terry parked and cut the truck's engine. I sat still and watched the students fill the lot, all walking in different directions. Brightly colored backpacks hung over their shoulders, displaying a kaleidoscope of colors.

Me: Yes

Alice: Ok then. Text me if there's any problem and you need my help.

Me: Okay

I smiled at her SMS wondering what she could do to help me if I got into trouble here, from all the way there in L.A. But then again. . . it was the thought that counted right?

"Would you get down already, or are you going to sit there texting your boyfriend all day?" Terry complained.

I stuck my tongue out at him, rolling my eyes. "Dude, I don't have a boyfriend."

"Well, you should try getting one. It's what normal teenagers do," He said with a smirk as I got out of the passenger's seat.

I slammed the door with a loud bang and stormed away from his truck. My only goal was to puncture his eardrums.

I smiled that devious smile you only see the bad guys do when their bad plans turn out well as his smirk was replaced by a scowl. Mission accomplished, I thought until I heard him say: "Feel free to get your ass home on your own today, Miss smarty pants,"

On the second thought, maybe that bang wasn't so necessary... Right?

"I won't be picking you up!" He added, giving me the middle finger and speeding away like he was on the shoot of the Fast and Furious.

Oh, great... I thought cringing as a handful of students walking around glanced in my direction. Some ran their eyes over me, accessing my hair, outfit, and my brother's rusty pick-up.

Tightly shutting my eyes, I prayed the ground would open up and swallow me Tom and Jerry style as the sound of their whispers reached my ears. But when does God ever answer my prayers the second I say them?

I shot Terry a quick middle finger as his car disappeared out of the school's premises even though he couldn't see me. What a great way to start my first day as a sophomore. Terry would have to pay for this humiliation when I got home.

As my mind went wild with payback ideas for Terry, a group of blonde girls wearing various shades of pink exited a fancy car across the lot, and their giggles and nasally voices reached my ears.

Another car, a red race car, pulled into the lot, rap music pouring from its speakers. I recognized the guys inside as they were like the most popular basketball players at Elm Valley and friends of Jake.

The blonde girls in pink waved at them, all squealing and talking in high-pitched voices and my chest tightened as a sleek blue Mustang pulled into the parking lot, right next to the race car.

There was only one person in Elm Valley with a ride as smokin' as that. It was someone I was hoping to not see for the rest of the school year at least. If I had not been stupid enough to explode at a total stranger at the mall that day, I wouldn't be in such a mess today.