Song
As I'll Ever Be — Chaz Cardigan
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Saturday rolls around, and I can't sit still all day because I'm supposed to go on a date with with Josh later in the day and I'm a bit nervous about it. It's not like I haven't gone on a date with him before, anyway. Two days ago we we went to the movies and I picked The Lovely Bones thinking it sounded romantic but little did I know it was actually about a pedophile raping and murdering girls. I was completely mortified.
Right now I'm in the living room eating a frozen custard and watching TV with Brad, Mona, Luke and Veronica. We're watching Transformers, and Luke keeps arguing with Brad about how he thinks the second movie is better than the first. Veronica is on the couch scrolling through her phone, watching something that looks suspiciously like TikTok. It's still a bit strange to see her in my house but I'm getting used to her being around. We're not enemies anymore, but we're not exactly friends either.
I'm shovelling more of my frozen custard into my mouth when Mona suddenly says, "Hey, nice ring." Instinctively, I cover the promise ring with my other hand.
"Thanks," I say. "Josh gave it to me."
"Can I see it?" She asks eagerly. I stick my hand in front of her face and she whistles. "Nice. Your boy's got game."
"It's really pretty, isn't it?" I say proudly. "Only, it must have been so expensive. He had it custom made."
"That's so sweet," Mona coos.
"Oh, please" Luke scoffs. "I mean, that's not exactly original, is it? I got Veronica a gift card for a day at the spa like, two weeks ago, and that was way more practical. Right?" He glances at Veronica and she gives him a beseeching smile. "Of course it was," she says, snuggling up to him. "You know what Ronnie likes, don't you, Lukie?"
Barf.
"It's the thought that matters, and that's what counts," Mona says, coming to my defense, then changes the subject before it can spark any controversy. "Anyway, the movie's over now so we can go bowling now like we planned. You in, Anna?"
"Can't," I say apologetically. "I've got a date with Josh."
"But you love bowling, Anna," Luke says, surprised. "It's practically Saturday night tradition now. Ditch Miller and come hang out with us."
"No thanks," I say.
Luke shakes his head in wonder. "God, you've only been dating for a few weeks now and he's already got you wound around his little finger," he says. "Crazy."
"She's so whipped," Brad interjects.
"Stop picking on her, guys." Mona says, shooting them dark looks. "Come on, Anna, let's get you ready for your date. I'll do your hair for you if you want."
"Yes, please," I say eagerly. Mona ushers me upstairs to my room and makes me sit at the edge of my bed, grabbing a couple of hairbrushes and hairsprays. She brushes my hair back into a high ponytail and secures it with clear elastic, using a fine-toothed comb to tease out two face-framing pieces of hair at the sides of my temples to soften the look. Then she curls the ends of the ponytail with a big barrel curling iron of Mom's and spritzes in some voluminizer so it bounces around my shoulders shampoo commercial style. It looks great.
YOU ARE READING
Pranking The Prankster
Teen Fiction"I wasn't trying to be your boyfriend, Anna. I swear I wasn't. It was just the fact that you ignored me that got me interested. No one's ever ignored me in my whole life, Anna, and especially not a girl. They look at me - at all of this - and they f...
