Let’s fast-forward to September 15th. The air was slightly brisk for Arizona, and the sun was hidden behind the clouds. Me, Dad, and John were in the car driving to the court house. I checked my watch nervously-we were still on time. My palms were sweaty; I hadn’t seen Ryan all summer except for this one time when me and Adam were at Jamba Juice.
We were sitting down at one of the little tables outside drinking our smoothies when I saw him walking with another girl wrapped around his arm. She was short with strawberry blonde hair and she wore a yellow sundress. I caught his gaze but then quickly looked away. All I could think was, I just hope what happened to me doesn’t happen to that girl.
Sometimes I thought there was something wrong with me. That I wasn’t pretty enough, good enough, girly enough. I thought that could have been the reason he’d done it. But it wasn’t, I knew it wasn’t. I just liked to trick myself into thinking so.
“You’re so beautiful,” Adam would tell me. He said I always looked beautiful to him, even without makeup. I know it sounds too good to be true, right? Well, I knew for a fact that he was a completely different guy than Ryan and that he would never lay a hand on me like that.
I would answer, usually blushing, with a simple, “Thank you.”
“Are we there yet?” I asked as we rounded the next corner.
“Almost sweetheart,” my dad answered. “Don’t worry; just remember what Rebecca told you: breathe.”
That made me laugh. Yes, I surely didn’t want to pass out in front of everyone-that would not be good.
Once we arrived, I took a deep breath and hopped out of the car. I followed my dad and John inside the courthouse. We waited amidst a group of people dressed in formal attire; mainly suits and matching ties.
“Hey, there you guys are,” Rebecca motioned us over to where she’d set her briefcase down on one of the benches next to a potted plant. She shuffled through a few manila folders and handed me a piece of paper.
“This is just everything we went over,” she explained. “All the main points should be covered. It’s just some guidelines for what you’ll say.”
I nodded and studied the paper over.
She checked her watch. “We’ve got about a minute, we should probably get inside.”
“Okay,” I said and we walked into the court room. The spectators, also known as the jury, were in place. I tried not to look at the right side of the room where Ryan and his party were assembled, but it was hard not to.
Just one peep, I thought and glanced over. He was staring at me, biting his lower lip.
I turned back quickly and shuddered it off.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I whirled around to find Adam standing in front of me. “You came!” I exclaimed, going in for a hug.
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” he said.
I breathed in his lovely smell and then let go. “I just want to win,” I proclaimed.
“I know you do, Mandy. But don’t get upset if you don’t,” he told me.
“I can’t guarantee that,” I looked up from the ground.
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She's Got the Rhythm
Teen FictionMandy Hawthorne never wanted to play the drums. After being forced into playing by her dad and brother, she actually finds herself enjoying it. She hasn't told anyone that she's a drummer because she's afraid of what other people are going to think...
