Amanda hears her alarm clock going off at six in the morning. She groans and pulls herself out of bed.

“Ah shit” Amanda groans while she stretches. Amanda walks to her bathroom and starts the shower. Amanda calls her friend Khloe to pick her up for school.  

“Hey Khloe, are you on your way yet?” Amanda asked politely.

“Yeah girl, just running late, I had some shit I had to take care of. See you in 20,” she replied.

“Alright, be safe,” Amanda told her before she hung up.

After Amanda hung up the phone she went down stairs. The room is silent while everyone waited for their rides. Blake’s bus arrived at 7:07AM.

“Bye Manda, I love you,” Blake said to his sister, and then walked out of the front door.

Amanda knew that her friend wasn’t going to be there in twenty minutes. She was always running super late. Amanda went outside and sat on the porch to wait for Khloe. She reached into her right jacket pocket and pulled out a pack of Marlboro Reds. She had five left. Amanda took one out, closed the pack, and then lit her cigarette. She sat there on her porch, puffing on her cigarette just thinking. Thinking about how far she has come in her life. Thinking of what could happen. She wanted to know what her future would hold. Two hours passed and Khloe still wasn’t there. Amanda went to pull out another cigarette and realized she only had two left. She lit one and just sat there staring at the end of the driveway, waiting for her friend to show up. Amanda wasn’t mad that she was late because she expected it . No matter what they’re doing, if Khloe if coming to pick Amanda up, she’s at least three hours late.

Forty more minutes passed and her friend wasn’t there. She pulled out her last cigarette and lit it. She puffed on the cigarette for seven minutes before she heard a car in the distance. She saw what she thought was Khloe’s car about to pull in the driveway, but the person turns down a different lane. .

It was after ten when Kloe finally pulls into the driveway.  She locks the front door before she steps down off her porch to get into the car.

“Hey girl, what’s up” Khloe asks Amanda.

“Ya know, same shit different day. You got a cigarette, I smoked all mine,” she asks her friend.

“Yeah, check in my purse” she replies.

“So, has anything gotten better at home?” Her friend asks her.

“Well, aunt Kay said that all the money mom left me got put in the bank for when I turn 18, but we will see about that. I mean, my sperm donor has been paying child support for how many months now, and neither me or Blake has seen a damn penny of it.” Amanda replied in a tired voice.

“Man, that’s such bullshit. You and Blake deserve that money.” Khloe says as she swerved around a dead raccoon on the road.

“Yeah, I know. It’s a load of horse shit.” Amanda replies.

“So, you down for that party tonight at, Ridley’s? Khloe asks her to change the subject.

“Yeah, I heard his parties are always bumpin’. I’m riding with Charlotte there because we have to be home by curfew.” she replied as she pulled into school.  

They walked into the front doors of Edgewater High School.

“Hello Ladies, late as usual?” The receptionist chuckled as the girls walked to the window.

“Indeed, we are. Can we get a slip for class?” Khloe asked politely.

“Sure thing, just give me one second,” she replied.

The receptionist handed the ladies their notes, and they went on their way. They both had English together, and that was the class they were always late to.

“Well, look who decided to show up today,” said their teacher as they walked in.

“Well, I just missed you so much Mr. H. So, I just had to come see you.” Amanda replied with a smile.

“Find your seats and take your notes out,” Mr. H said.

They sat down beside each other, took their notebook out.

“So what’s going on with you and Ridley?” Khloe asked Amanda.

“Well, I’m not sure yet. I was planning on meeting him for the first time tonight,” she replied back.

“Let me know how it goes, will ya,” she asked.

“If it goes anywhere, I will,” she smiled.

As the bell rang, Amanda and her friends found each other in the lunchroom. They sat their bags down, and then got in line.

Amanda felt a hand on the small of her back, “hey girl, I didn’t see you this morning.”

“Yeah, me and Khloe were a little late today,” Amanda said to Charlotte.

“A little? It’s lunch now, and I haven’t seen you all morning,” she laughed.

“Well, me and Khloe went on a ride this morning before school,” Amanda replied.

“Now that makes sense. Do you know what we are having for lunch,  Manda?” She asked.

“I don’t know let’s go find out,” she said as she grabbed Charlotte’s hand and pulled her into line.

“Pizza!” Charlotte says to Amanda excitedly.

“Nice,” she replied. They grab their food and sit down at their lunch table. The lunchroom was loud. There were a lot of different conversations going on.

“So you leave after lunch right,” Charlotte asks Amanda.

“Yeah, did you want to do something before we went to Ridley’s? She replies.

“Um, wanna go to my house and get ready, then go grab a bite to eat?” Charlotte asks.

“Sounds good to me,” She said with a smile.

After lunch the girls walked out to Charlotte’s car. The smell of rain was lingering in the cool breeze of mid day. “So what do you think about Ridley,” Charlotte asked her with a smile.

“I haven’t really talked to him that much. I was hoping to get some alone time with him tonight. I’ll tell you all about it,” Amanda said with an excited but nervous look.

“Listen, I know you’re nervous. I can see it in your eyes. Just take a couple deep breaths before you go into his house. I promise it’ll help,” she said with concern in her voice.

“I have no idea what I’d do without you, Char,” she replied to her.

“Well, here we are,” Charlotte said.

They got out of the car and grabbed their bags. Charlotte took a key out from her purse and unlocked the door. They both walked in and went straight to Charlotte’s room. The room is messy, with blue walls plastered in Backstreet Boys and Guns N Roses posters. They sit their stuff in the corner and then sit down on her bed.

“Where do you want to go to eat,” Charlotte asked.

“I don’t care, honestly,” she replied.  

“How about we just get something when we get back from the party? I’m not very hungry,” she insisted.

“Sounds good to me,” Amanda replied.

Charlotte’s mom knocked on the door and then walked in.

“Hey girls, what are you doing, she asked them.

“Just hanging out, aunt Susan.”

“Alright, just let me know if you girls need anything, she told them.”

“We will,” the girls said in sync.

“I really appreciate everything your mom has done for me. She’s my mother figure. I love her so much,” said Amanda.

“She loves you like her own. She was there since you were born, and she’s always going to be there when you need her, Charlotte replied.

They sat on Charlotte’s bed for a while. Then, they put in a movie. Once the movie was over they started getting ready for the party.

“Where’s your hairspray,” Amanda asked.

“Over there,” Charlotte pointed to a basket on top of her dresser.

Amanda grabbed the hairspray and started styling her hair while Charlotte got dressed.

Once they were finished, Amanda got dressed and did her makeup. Once they both were done, they went to go walk out the front door, they were stopped by Charlotte’s father, Amanda’s uncle Poppy.

“Now you girls don’t be out too late,” said Charlotte’s father.

“We won’t, bye, We love you,” the girls said as they walked out of the door.

“Okay, now where am I going,” Charlotte asked.

“879 Cedar Drive,” she read to her off of a crumpled piece of paper she pulled out of her pocket.

“Oh that’s right by Devon’s house,” she says as she pulls out of the driveway.

“So, do you like Ridley,” she asked Amanda.

“Well, he’s really hot. I just want to get to know him, I mean it’s not like we are going to have sex.