anevatrese

Reputation
Part Thirty-Five
 

  "Mandy? What are you doing in here?" I asked her.
  "I was mad at you today. I didn't want to come to school at all, but I did."
  "Mandy, I'm really really sorry. You have to believe me." I pleaded.
  She just eyed me and then looked at her shoes. "Ok, I'm not really mad at you. I'm just... Hurt, i guess. I miss your brother." She looked in the mirror and stared at her reflection, then at mine. "This is weird, Aree."
  "How so, baby girl?"
  "Just, I've never really liked a guy before, and--"
  "Wait wait wait," I stopped her. "You've NEVER liked a guy before?! What the hell?!"
  "Well, I've never met a guy worth liking before."
  I scoffed. "And Ashton is worth it?" She gave me a look and I apologized. "Sorry, habit."  
  "It's ok. But you know, there's more to him than meets the eye. He actually does get hurt sometimes. Contrary to your belief."
  "Yeah, I guess." I thought for a moment. "But honestly, Mandy, I've ever seen him that upset. And I've never seen him look at a girl the way he looks at you."
  She looks back at her shoes and blushes. "You're just saying that." 
  "No, I'm not, Mand. I think he loves you. My brother's never been in love before and this could be the first time he softens up. And, Oh God, I ruined it!" I sank down to the floor and felt the tears building up again. "Why do I always have to ruin everything?!" I wail. "Your brother trusted me to take care of you and you go out and get drunk by some skeevy high school guys. And then the one time my brother falls in love, I ruin it! I ruin everything!!" I knew I was being overdramatic, but I didn't care. 
  Mandy sank down beside me and started rubbing my back. "It's ok, you didn't ruin everything. We're going to find Ashton, don't worry. And then Kyle's going to come home and everything will turn out perfectly. Shh.."
  We sat like that for a while, then we heard the second period bell ring. "Crap, we better get going." I wiped my eyes and reaplied my lipgloss. We shared a look and walked out into the busy hallway.

*Author's note: ok.. i'm OFFICIALLY the worst person EVER. I'm SO sorry I haven't written in so long! Thank you to all my COMPLETELY AMAZING followers!!! Love you all!!
 

Reputation
Part Twenty-Four

   On Monday morning, i took a deep breath and walked into my school. I cautiously walked into the busy hallway and started to made my way to my locker. While I was walking, I thought about Mandy.
   That morning, when I knocked on her door, she didn't answer. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. I spent 15 minutes calling her name but eventually gave up to get ready for school. I picked out my cutest outfit and had driven the entire way to school going over what happened at the football field.  
   I don't know why I kept feeling guilty. My guilt never lasted this long. Maybe it's because Mandy feels guilty, and it's just rubbing off on me. I don't like it.
   When I reached my locker, ACL was standing by it. Angie, Cassie, and Lacie, i remember. WTF? How the hell do I remember their names now, when I never did before? Whatever. Wait, why are they even by my locker?
   "Heyyyyy Areeeee!!!!!" Angie says.
   "Long time no see, girlieee!!" Cassie squeals as she hugs me."
   "Uhm, yeah!"Lacie says. She was the one who macked on Bryan behind my back. She looked really uncomfortable.  
   "Uh, hey guys. What gives?" they kept looking at me, so I tried again. "Why are y'all over here, talking to me? Y'all ditched me, remember?"
   "Ohh, but that was sooo long ago!!" Cassie said.
   I just looked at her. "It was 3 months ago." 
   "Exactly!!" Angie says. "And besides, you didn't ACTUALLY think we were ditching you, did you?!"
   "Well," I said. "Kind of. Because you did."
   "Nooo, you don't understand!!" Cassie told me.
   Angie pitched in, "Yeah!"
   "You see," Cassie began. "We just had to come up with a plan to get your reputation back. That's all!" Ah, my rep, again. That's what started this whole thing.
   "Yeah!" Angie said. "And to do that, we had to stay popular! You know, so we could pull you back up to your rightful place as the school alpha!" This made no sense.   
   "Uh, ok. Whatever. I got to get to class." I started walking away, but Lacie grabbed my arm. She hadn't said anything. 
   "Look, Aree. I'm really sorry. I just had always like Bryan, and I never wanted to hurt you, I just--"
   "Seriously, it's no big deal. I honestly couldn't care less. K?"
   "Really?" She asked me. Her face relaxed when I nodded. "Oh, um, ok then."
    I started walking away again, but she walked with me. "So," she started again. "What's with you and the new guy? Where is he, anyway?"
   At the sudden mention of Kyle, my eyes filled with tears. WTF?! Tears?!
   "Uh, nothing. I don't know. Hey, I'm just gonna go to the bathroom." I told her, shielding my face so she couldn't see I was crying.
   "You sure? K, I'll come with." She started to come with me.
   "No, it's fine, you'll be late to class."
   "Oh, ok." She hesitated. "But we're cool, right?"
   I probably should have been more mad. And I was, at one point. After all, she had went behind my back, when I had trusted her. A couple months ago, I had wanted to ruin her. But that was before I didn't care. Before I didn't want to. Before I met Kyle.   
   "Yeah, we're cool."
   She smiled. "Cool."
   I ran to the bathroom, and just made it through the door before the tears came. The flowed out and I sunk down onto the floor. I sat there for a second, before I heard a voice in the bathroom.
   "You came here too, huh?"
   No way. "Mandy?"
 





 

Reputation
Part Thirty-Three
 

   Mandy still won't talk to me. I dont think she's mad at me, more like she's mad at herself. but that doesn't make me feel any less guilty. She hasn't come out of her room for two days now, and ashton hasn't come home. my parents aren't even worried. they probably think that he's at a friends house, but i have a hunch that he doesn't really have any friends anymore. sure, i feel a little bad. but he deserved it.
   right?
   of course, mandy didn't think so. but then again, of course she doesn't. she's in love with him.
   ok, so maybe not in love. but she definitely likes him. and he likes her. and i completely ruined anything they could've had. i guess that's what i feel bad about.
    i was sitting on my window seat in my room. it was raining, and i saw a bird outside that was trying to huddle her kids together, and save them from the rain. one of the chicks jumped from the nest, into a large puddle. the mother jumped out after it and tried to fish it out. meanwhile, the other chicks were just watching. for some reason, i was shocked that the other chicks weren't helping. their brother was drowning, and they were just standing by, watching it happen. but why did that bother me so much?
   the answer was obvious. 
   it's like my life. i was supposed to be the mother. i was supposed to watch over mandy and help her if the time came. i was supposed to look after her if i needed to and not let her drown. but instead, i was just watching her be in trouble. 
   kyle had trusted me to look after her. and now, she's in emotional solitary, because i wasn't looking out for her.
   the thought of kyle brought a wave of sadness over me. something dropped on my shorts and made a temporary, circular stain on the denim. i touched my cheek and realized i was crying. i looked toward my vanity and stared into my mirror.
   i was taken aback at what i saw.
   who was that in the mirror?
   was that the laid back girl who ate as much as she wanted and watched action movies, who mandy and kyle brought out? 
   or was that the self absorbed girl that didn't care about anyone but herself? who only ate water and little else and made everyone feel like crap because they weren't good enough to be friends with her? the girl that the world brought out?
   i stared into the unfamiliar eyes and wondered which girl i wanted to be. obviously, i wanted to be the first. but somehow, that second girl kept coming into my life, and ruining it. i tried to clear her from my mind, but we had a mutual thought and priority that made her keep showing up. that thought?
   the obsession for my reputation. 
   and even though i have tried so hard to maintain it, something always comes along and ruins it. no matter what i do.

 

Reputation
Part Thirty-Two 
 

Aree's POV::
   Mandy was quiet on the way home. i, on the other hand, was ecstatic. i can't believe we had finally gotten back at ashton. he had teased and tortured me for my whole life, and finally, people were laughing at him for the first time in his life. he deserved it.
   Apparantly, mandy wasn't so sure. from the time he ran off the field, mandy had looked dazed and unsure. i was trying to cheer her up, but i had no luck. 
   i tried again at the house. "Heyyy girl. what's up?? why aren't you all smiles? our plan was a complete success!! he was humiliated!!"
   she looked at me and spoke up for the first time since before the incident.
   "thats the problem." she said. "aree, i don't care if he deserved it. i feel awful."
   "girlll, you shouldn't!! he had it coming!!"
   "maybe, but maybe we shouldn't have gone that far. his life is pretty much ruined, now."
   "so, what, you're in love with him now?" my voice came out a lot harsher than i meant. ashton brings he worst out in me. she looked like i had slapped her.
   "when did i say that? i just said that i felt bad. no, i'm not in love with him. you have to know someone to be in love with them. i barely know ashton. but yes, i care about him. is that so wrong?" 
   i waved her off and turned my back on her. now she was under his spell, too. well, not necessarily.. she was too wise for her age. i knew she was in the right, but i didn't want to admit i felt bad, too.
   "hon, i've lived with him my whole life. he'll bounce back. eventually."
   "how do you know?"
   "because!" i laughed. "he's ashton. i know everything about him."  
   "oh, so you know that he's heartbroken."   
   my smile dropped. "what?"
   "ashton. when i looked into his eyes... it was like... i don't know... he looked like he was a little boy that had just seen both his parents killed and skinned alive, right in front of him. he looked so betrayed and shocked and disappointed. so since you know him so well, you must know that, right?"  
   i was speechless. her voice was shaky, so i turned and looked at her. she was staring in the mirror, glaring at herself. she looked angry, exhausted, devestated, regretful, and a whole bunch of other emotions i couldn't comprehend. 
   she turned and looked at me with her hazel eyes filled with tears. "that's what i thought." she said, and stormed out of my room.
   at least she was wrong about one thing: she's sure as hell in love with him.
   and judging by the way he hesitated running away from her on the field, the worst part is that he's in love with her too.   
   
 

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