(1) Talk Me Down: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 2: Begging

        As we were leaving, a bunch of guys crossed our paths. There were four of them, but only three struck me as familiar. I tried to keep my eyes on the back of Veronica's head, but it was difficult not to look at them beacuse they were flat out staring at us.

        Veronica seemed to be th eonly one who didn't notice them. She walked with her head up, showing her confidence that most girls hated about her. It was one of the things tat had people talking abotu her. SHe did what she wanted, and said what she thought like she couldn't hurt other people's feelings. She loved attention, another quatlity I didn't have. The thought of just one of those boys watching me, or us, made me feel nervous. I wished I had some of Veronica's confidence, but it was too easy to fall into her shadow.

        "Those guys were totally checking us out!" Ava squealed, pushing between Charlotte and me. I couldn't help looking over my shoulder along with them, but I turned around immediately as one of the guys met my eyes.

        Ava nudged her elbow into my side, grinning. "Competition for Nolan?" She teased, as Veronica spun around, causing us all to stop.

        "Don't get too interested girls," she said with her hands on her waist. Her eyes travelled over our faces, but she lingered on Jay a moment longer. "They're not worth your time." She turned back around and I turned to Ava, who just shrugged. I was a little confused, honestly. Veronica had just given us advice, kind of. She was typically uninterested in whatever guys caught our eye, but it was like she was trying to warn us.

        "I'll see you at my house!" She called from her car as a reminder, waving slightly before she slid into the car. Her birthday was early in the year, so she already got her permit and her license, but she couldn't drive anyone else around for almost six more months. Sophia and Ava were in the same boat and Jay had jst gotten her permit. Charlotte and I had late birthdays so we had a little bit of time.

        Sophia left right after Veronica, then Ava, and then Jay once her mom picked her up. Charlotte was bringing me back to my house, so we were the only ones left.

        "Is your mom going to let you go to Veronica's?" Charlotte said, her expression hipeful. She had to be the nicest one from the group, and I found that when I wasn't with Veronica, I was usually with Charlotte. I trusted her most out of anyone else, besdies Veronica, of course.

        "I don't know," I sighed, shaking my head. "She's going to be really mad, but if I can clean my room as soon as I get home she might let me. I'll just have to beg." I made a face at the idea of pleading with my mom to let me go out tonight and Charlotte laughed softly.

        "See you later?" she said, basically as a question. I nodded, climbing out of the chair.

        "Hopefully." I thanked Charlotte's mom before shutting the door and walking up the driveway, into the garage and into my house. I crept in slowly, hoping my mom wouldn't hear me. It was stupid, because my mom heard and saw everything. Before I even got into the kitchen, she was calling my name, her voice pulling me towards her.

        She was sitting at the table, flipping through a magazine. She looked at me, briefly, scissors in her right hand. I stood at the other end of the counter, waiting for her to say something or to yell at me. She looked calm, so I wasn't sure what she was going to do.

        "You didn't clean your room," I felt my eyebrows fold in confusion at her short sentance. Maybe I hadn't expected to be yelled at, but I was expectig her to at least sound anry, but she didn't. Her voice was even and calm.

        "Veronica asked us all to lunch. I ran out of time," I said carefully, trying not to prompt her into yeling. She flipped the page in her magazine, cut something out and then looked at me.

        "All I did was ask you to pick up your room before you went anywhere. It would have taken you ten or fifteen minutes. You could have finished long before Charlotte's mothe came," She said, not looking at me as she cut another coupon out of the magazing.

        "Mom, I'm sorry, but Veronica asked us out and I didn't have time," I said quickly, and that was all I got out before she cut me off.

        "Yeah, but..." I started, but my mom wasn't in the mood to argue with me, so she cut me off again, her tone final.

        "You will go upstairs and clean your rooom, and you're not going anywhere else today," she said firmly, my eyebrows narrowing into a hard galre.

        "I have plans tonight," I said darkly, and my mom almost looked amused as she watched me, my arms crossed tightly over my chest and my expression angry. It almost looked like she was about to smile as she shook her head slowly.

        "I asked you to do one simple thing and you didn't do it, so why should I let you go out? she questioned, challenging me.

        "Mom!" I exclaimed, "I can't not go to this sleepover! You have to let me go, please!" I begged, taking a few steps towards her. "Please, I'll go clean my room right now."

        "Kara," my mom said warningly, giving me a look saying that I was in no position to bargain with her. I stood on the other side of the counter, watching her with wide, hopeful eyes. She sighed, shaking her head as I begged a little more, "Please, please, please!" She raised her eyebrow at me and I smiled widely.

        "Go clean your room, now," my mom said, and my fake smile turned into a real one. I jumped up, running from the kitchen and up the stairs yelling, "THANK YOU!" numerous times until I reached my room.

        My room wasn't that messy really. I had a bunch of clothes on the floor from not being able to choose an outfit that mornng. I threw half the clothes in the laundry basket and hung half of them back up. I picked up whatever else was on the floor, placing them in random spots throughout my room until there was nothng left on the carpet.

        It had only taken me ten minutes, and I had a few hours left until I needed to leave for Veronica's house. She hadn't given a specific time to when she wanted us there, but I knew her better than anybody, and she didn't want to be waiting around for the rest of the day for someone to show up. She wanted people over there soon, and it was in our best interest to get there early.