Relationships Are Like Rollercoasters

It was loud in the mall, voices echoed throughout the place. Pepper didn’t want to shop anymore. Her happiness went down the drain. She dreaded each step she took walking into the next store. She felt tired; she didn’t want to do anything. Ryan walked by her side, she felt his warm hand trying to hold hers. She simply pulled her hand away moving it in front of her stomach. Pepper stared right in front of her ignoring his presence. She was mad beyond belief.

Of course, he is still flirting with Meagan even though she chosen him. Him, no one else. It was very hard for Pepper to tell him that she wanted him to be her boyfriend. Nobody else, but now she felt used. She went back through her memory if she ever recalled him breaking up with her. No. She didn’t. Pepper only believed his word, she felt like a fool having trusted him.

“What’s up?” asked Cindy walking right next to Pepper. She stared right into Pepper’s brown eyes.

“Nothing much.”

“Hmm, well where do you guys want to go next?” Christian asked glancing at the girls. He knew that something was up, again, between the girls and boys. DJ was behind Pepper, Cindy, and Ryan. She was walking right beside Justin. There was silence between them. They haven’t spoken to each other since Summer spoken to Justin. Her words bounced around in her head.

“He said that he broken up with her. I even heard it with my own ears. What did he do with her the night of the prom?” DJ thought silently to herself. That tiny seed was gradually sprouting in her mind. She stared off into space not hearing what Christian said.

“I don’t know,” Pepper replied. She turned to DJ, “Where do you want to go DJ?”

DJ jumped back into reality, literally. “Oh well, I’m not for sure, um-“

She glanced up at the store that was right next to them. It was Rue 21; it was one of her favorite stores. She grinned, “Let’s go in there.”

Cindy grinned as she grabbed Pepper’s hand, “Yeah, great idea. Let’s go in!” Pepper let her pull her. She didn’t want to go shopping anymore. Pepper wanted to go home and not be near Ryan. DJ followed behind having a smile upon her face. She was happy that they were shopping now. She didn’t have to deal with Justin right now. DJ wanted to forget about what happened in the food court. Christian grinned following them. Ryan and Justin stood outside the store pondering for a bit.

“What the hell was that all about back there?” questioned Ryan pointing towards the food court.

Justin shrugged. “I’m not for sure.”

It was silent, once more. Justin was reaching for the door knob when Ryan hit it away.

“What was that for?” yelled Justin, rubbing his hand.

“I don’t think we should go in there,” explained Ryan as he nodded his way towards the girls smiling and laughing.

Justin stood there watching them. He felt sad. They weren’t happy around them all because of those stupid girls: Summer and Meagan. Let’s make a mental note, never go out with those two girls EVER again. Justin hoped that he wouldn’t have to date anyone else besides DJ. A sigh escaped his lips.

“I think we need them to cool off,” Ryan says, “and explain to them that NOTHING happened between us and Summer and Meagan.”

Justin kept watching DJ as her eyes were glancing at the clothes before her. “Yeah, that’s a good idea, Ryan.”

“Come on, let’s go to Best Buy.”

Ryan began walking away from the store as Justin stood there for a moment. He hoped that this was just something small that the girls would push or forget about for they didn’t do anything with those girls. Justin shuddered at the thought of what Summer was talking about. He walked away going towards Best Buy with his best friend.

***

“What do you think about this one?” questioned DJ popping out of the curtain from the changing room with a dress on. She walked in front of the mirror turning side to side while Cindy was in the other changing room and Pepper sat down on a chair. She stared off into space. DJ was smiling at herself as she repeated herself.

“What? Sorry,” replied Pepper, she straightens herself in her chair.

DJ rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what she was thinking about: Ryan. “Pepper, get your head out of the clouds. Try on some dress on, it will help you forget about you know who.”

“Voldemort?”

“No. You know who I’m talking about,” said DJ laughing at Pepper’s joke.

“Yeah.” Pepper got up from her seat going out into the store scanning to find a dress to try on.

Cindy popped out from the closet, too. “Ta-da!” Her arms were in the air. Her dress was dark blue that came down to her knees.

DJ was checking herself out in the mirror seeing Cindy’s reflection, her pretty dress that she wore.

“Oh my gosh, Cindy!” she yelled turning around to see look at her, “It’s so pretty!”

“I know! It’s so comfortable. I might buy it,” replied Cindy running her fingers over the dress.

“What? What did I miss?” Christian rounded the corner. His blue greenish eyes went huge as his mouth was opened wide in an 'O' shape. Then he grinned showing off his new teeth that no longer had braces on them.

“Cindy,” he was flabbergasted, “You look beautiful.”

A blush began to form on her cheeks. “Thank you, Christian.”

Christian glided towards her placing a kiss upon her cheek. His arms wrapped around her waist, she was smiling so big. DJ gently smiled. She wished that Justin was here … never mind. She pushed those thoughts away as she went into the changing room.

Pepper came back into the hallway holding a blue dress that had black lacings on it. She hoped that she picked the right size on her. Pepper went into a dressing room.

“I think I will buy it for you,” stated Christian still hugging Cindy.

“No, you don’t have too.”

“No, I would like too, for you.” Cindy grinned with happiness. Pepper heard this conversation: she let out a sigh as she zipped up the dress and glanced at the mirror. It wasn’t that bad. It showed her curves, she walked out of the room to show the dress to Cindy. DJ popped out of her changing room, too, right after Pepper. She wore a new dress that was longer, it was dark blue with white puffy feathers on it.

“Wow,” Pepper observed, “You look astonishing.”

“Thanks,” DJ replied glancing down at the dress and then looked at Pepper’s dress.

“You look so pretty, Pep, you should buy that,” declared DJ.

Pepper started fiddling with her fingers. “I’m not for sure, it’s very pretty but I don’t know.”

“Just get it. You look marvelous,” pressed DJ smiling.

“You do look very nice,” piped up Christian glancing at her Pepper, “and you do, too, DJ.”

“Thanks,” they both mumbled under their breaths. They, both, seemed to be still uncertain for something inside of them seemed to be off. Both thought the same thing, “What are Justin and Ryan doing… are they with them?”

***

The girls bought their dresses, well Christian paid for Cindy’s. After that when they were ready. They went on a scavenger hunt looking for Justin and Ryan.

“Do you know where they would be at?” questioned DJ. Her question was directed towards Christian. They were walking side by side; it went Pepper, DJ, Christian, and Cindy on the end. He was rubbing his chin.

“I would think they would be at an electronic store or something,” offered Christian shrugging his shoulders not knowing for sure, where Ryan and Justin were.

“Why don’t we call them?” suggested Cindy.

“I already tried calling Justin,” declared DJ, “I got his voicemail.”

Pepper’s heart fell into her stomach. That wasn’t a good sign; she didn’t call Ryan because he forgot his cell phone at DJ’s house. The palm of her hands were getting sweaty with nervous. Where would Justin and Ryan be at?

“Isn’t there a Best Buy, here?” asked DJ glancing at her friends.

“Yeah,” Cindy piped up, “I believe there is a Best Buy its right around the corner.”

Pepper hoped that Summer and Meagan wouldn’t be there. When they turned the corner, right in the middle of the hallway was a diamond on the ground. There were some plants on the sides of the room, and in the middle were Justin and Ryan. They weren’t alone.

DJ stood there glaring at Justin. So this was what he was doing? He went to Best Buy to flirt with Summer. Of course, he would cheat on her. Her head was held up high trying not to cry. Pepper’s feet were glued to the floor. She just stared at Ryan. He was glancing at Meagan in this … special way that she couldn’t describe it.

“Justin! Ryan!” Christian yelled out throwing his hands in the air, “What the heck, dudes?!”

Justin and Ryan stood there like deer got caught in head lights. It was silent, until Ryan spoken up.

“It’s not what it looks like.”

“Oh really,” hissed DJ stepping up, “it looks pretty simple to me. You guys are cheating on us.”

“DJ, I would never cheat on you-“

“Shut up, Justin!” DJ shrieked. Nobody moved waiting for her reaction. She felt their eyes on her. She hated that feeling so she fled from the place. Justin started running after DJ yelling her name. Pepper watched her friend head towards the car. She followed her wanting this pain to go away, but not running just walking. Ryan soon followed her. He was telling her the ‘truth’ whatever that was.

“Pepper, I would never cheat on you. You are the most-“

She drowned out all of his words, she opened the door. It was raining outside, it was pouring down rain. Pepper didn’t care, it felt good as her tears were falling down her face, that’s when she heard a crash. She glanced up to see DJ lying on the ground … with Justin holding her.

“Someone!!! Help me!!!” he shrieked, his voice was cracked. Blood was on her head and on her arm.

“DJ!” yelled Pepper running towards her, not paying attention to the other cars around her.
She felt a hand pull her away, as a car drove by; she almost got hit by a car.

“Thank you,” she whispered to Ryan.

She didn’t hear what he said because she ran over to her best friend.

Pepper pushed three buttons on her phone. “911 what is your emergency?”