Cheer-Streaked: A Westbridge Over-Drama

9: Freakleration of Independence

Unfortunately, I ran out of gas.

Well, I probably would've done that anyway, since my brain couldn't let me focus on anything so trivial as the fuel gague and I might have kept driving mindlessly until I left Massachusetts... but I didn't expect to run out of gas four blocks away from my house.

"ARGH!!!" I yelled, kicking a tire. "Why do you have to be empty now?!"

"Libby?"

I glanced up to see that Valerie walking out of Starbucks, sipping something warm. Now, I apologise in advance for how coma-inducing this conversation is, but it only gets so good with a girl like that.

"Oh... hello, Birkhead." I nonchalantly wiped my eyes, trying to make it look like I was straightening my hair. "Decided to play among the humans for a change?"

"Why are you beating up your car?"

God, what a nosy little swine. "It asked me annoying questions." Oh, what the hell; it's not like sinking yet lower would make much difference today. "I'm out of gas, that's all. I was too distracted to fill up this morning."

"Oh... well, there's a gas station right there," she said, pointing across the street (how the hell did I miss that?!). "Do you have a can?"

"A... can."

"A gas can," she said, laughing a little. "You could probably buy one there, though... or somebody could push your car to the pump, maybe?"

"Sure... thanks." As I started walking, I called over my shoulder, "In return, I won't tell anybody about those polka-dot socks you're wearing, but only if you never wear them again."

"Oh... okay!" What a doorknob. "Hey, Libby?"

"What?"

"Have you been... y'know, crying?"

What was with people lately? "No, why?"

"Well, your eyes are all puffy and your nose is red." She took a quick sip of her latte or whatever. "I wondered if it had something to do with you and Sabrina getting the red ribbon... not good enough, right?"

"Valerie," I said patiently with a tight smile. "This all falls under the category of none of your business. Now run along and play in traffic while I get some gas in this baby."

"Are you and her friends now or something?"

You know, next to her, Sabrina is almost tolerable. "That's right! We're all just super-duper pals! And if you actually follow me to the gas station, I'll make you lick their bathroom floors!"

"Oh..." She frowned nervously. "Um, okay. Good luck."

Finally, that was over. Still, even if I got some gas in the car, what would that solve? I'd still be precariously close to being thrown out. The thoughts went around and around forever, but they kept going back to the same place: I at least had to go home tonight, I had no choice. Maybe I could be the perfect daughter for a few days until I had a real plan.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah... can you help me get my car from across the street?"

The clerk's blank "you gotta be kidding me" look was just par for the course by now.

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Monday morning came, and with it all the frivilous concerns of school. Though my parents kept giving me funny looks all day Sunday, they were a little nicer that morning... maybe because I was being so sweet it gave me a toothache. At any rate, after first period, Jill and Cee Cee caught up with me in the halls and asked me what was going on, so I told them.