Love Me or Hate Me

I was driving to school in the new 2011 Mustang Shelby GT500 Convertible. My mustang was red with white stripes, and it was my new baby. It was a back to school present from my father. In the last five years his patent on the camera phone had taken off, and he was literally a millionaire. We tried to keep that from people, though, and the only people who knew how much money we really had were family and close friends. The only person I had told was Vanessa, and my parents had said it was okay because we had known her for a long time, and her family had a ton of money too. They were heirs to some huge fortune, so they didn't have to do anything for money.

The radio was on full blast when I pulled up to Vanessa's house, and California Girls was on. I had offered to pick Ness up so she could see my new car. I had gotten it yesterday, so nobody had seen it yet. When we drove into school riding this, people would freak. I could just imagine the looks on Tiffany and Monique's faces and go into hysterics. They wouldn't know what hit them.

I honked the horn and she came running out of her house balancing two plates of blueberry waffles, her prada school bag, and her open laptop. I laughed and reached over to the open the door for her.

"Morning, V." She slid into the car and handed a plate of waffles to me. Then she closed the door behind her, buckled her seatbelt, and turned down the music so we could talk. "I knew you didn't eat, so I brought you mom's famous blueberry muffins."

"Thanks." I stuffed a bite into my mouth and swallowed, realizing how starving I really was. I gulped the food down and turned to Ness. "You're right, I didn't eat. Thanks for the food, Ness, it's delish."

"Sure." Ness said, eating her pancakes like a lady. She looked at my syrup-covered face in disapproval and handed me a napkin. "Wipe your face."

I rolled my eyes and wiped my face with the napkin. "Yes, mom."

"Are we going to school, or are we going to sit here all day?" I realized I hadn't moved the car from in front of her house yet. "By the way, I love the car. Back to school present?"

"Yup." I answered. I handed her my finished plate of pancakes. "Can you hold the plate while I drive?"

Ness looked at the empty plate. "Whoa, you finished all ready?"

"Yup." I reversed out of her driveway and started speeding down the road. I loved driving fast. "I eat fast under pressure, remember?"

"Yeah…" Ness trailed off. "I need to teach you manners. I know I always say that, but you really do need it."

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes and kept driving.

Just then Lovebug by the Jonas Brothers came on. My whole body tensed, but I knew that Vanessa liked the song, so I kept it. She started singing and poking me in the side, giggling when I jumped.

"Cut it out, Ness." I growled. "I'm driving. I'm kind of hoping you don't want to die, so you should stop or I might crash."

Vanessa laughed. We both knew I was a great driver, and nothing short of a bomb would make me crash. "Yeah right, V. You couldn’t crash if you tried. Your brain would override you." Her face got serious. "I know you still have a hard time listening to their music, but you just got to let go of the past and have fun. We're seniors, soon we'll be out living in the real world, and it's time for us to live our lives while we still can."

I sighed, and my body relaxed. I looked at her and smiled. "I kissed her for the first time yesterday."

"Everything I wished that it would be." Vanessa sang after me.

Then we sang in unison. "Suddenly I forgot how to speak. Hopeless, breathless, baby can't you see. Now I'm."

We started rocking out to the guitar as I pulled into the parking lot of our high school, and all of the guys on the football team were laughing at our dance moves. We were purposely making fools of ourselves so they would laugh, and it sure was working. I parked the car and turned the engine off, leaving the key in so the radio would stay on. Vanessa and I sang the last chorus.

"Now I'm speechless over the edge, I'm just breathless,
I never thought that I'd get this lovebug again.
Now I'm hopeless head over heels in the moment,
I never thought that I'd get hit by this lovebug again.
Oh! Lovebug again!"

I pulled the key out of the ignition and Vanessa and I both hopped out of the car and bowed to the applause of everyone in the parking lot. Tiffany and Monique rushed over to Ness and I with fake smiles plastered on their faces, and Vanessa rolled her eyes at me. We both knew that the had chosen to join us after our little skit was over and a success. If we had been dissed they wouldn't be here, but since everyone loved us they were here to bask in our glory with us. In other words, they used us to get more attention.

"Great singing, guys!" Tiffany gushed, pulling Vanessa and I into her skinny little arms. I swear to God, that girl ate absolutely NOTHING.

"Yeah, loved the song," Monique said.

She was texting furiously, and I guessed that it was her boyfriend Jake, who was in college. He was some model dude, and that was the only reason she was still with him. She liked to say that she had a model boyfriend, but that didn't keep her from cheating on him at every party she went to. She was a slut, excuse my language, but it's the only way to describe her. She only connected herself with people that would get her higher in the world, and Vanessa and I were popular, so she stuck to us like glue.

Tiffany, Vanessa, and I started walking away from Monique and to the entrance of the school building. It was the first day of school, so we weren't going to do much, but Vanessa and I still wanted to get the best lockers first. When Monique realized we were going to ditch her she stuffed her phone in her fake prada bag and ran after us in her six-inch heels. She was only 5', so she wore heels to make her as tall as Vanessa and I. I always thought it was hilarious that she actually cared that much. If I was short I wouldn't even care, but that's Monique for you.

"Wait up, guys!" Monique screeched at us.

Tiffany stopped in her tracks, but Vanessa and I kept walking. We dealt with them, but we weren't going to do what they said, especially if it was Monique screeching at the top of her lungs. Very unattractive.

Tiffany and Monique caught up to us and we walked over to our senior Homeroom teacher, Mr. Case. He was the awesomest teacher in the entire high school, and that was one of the only great things about being a senior, you got him as your homeroom. He was also the drama and voice teacher, and we were super close to him from all the years of acting and singing we had done.

"Hey, Mr. Case!" Vanessa and I cheerily called to him.

"Sup, girls?" He asked, holding his arms out for a hug. He was like a second father to both of us, so it wasn't creepy at all. Plus, he was gay so it wasn't like he was hitting on us or anything.

"Nothing much," I said, giving him a hug. "You?"

"Eh, nothing really." He said thoughtfully, hugging Vanessa. "I got a new dog!"

"Cool! Pictures, dude?" Vanessa squealed.

"Okay, one sec." He pulled out his iPhone and scrolled through his pictures. "Here." He handed the phone to Vanessa and I. "Her name is Chloe."

"OMG!" Vanessa and I squealed. She was a tiny black puppy with tan paws.

"She is like the cutest dog ever!" I told him.

He smiled and rolled his eyes. "Well, we know I have good taste in pretty much everything, now dogs is just added to the list." He joked.

"Um guys?" Tiffany interrupted rudely. "Aren't we here to get our schedules?"

"We're kind of creating a line." Monique bluntly said.

"Why don't you guys get your schedules and we'll help Mr. C hand out stuff to everyone else since we created the line." I suggested.

"But-" Tiffany started. She didn't want us to hang out with Mr. C, because we would make him the cool teacher, and he didn't like her for being a bitch.

"Now, Tiff," Vanessa interrupted her. "Go and find some good lockers for us, okay? We have to help because it's our fault there's a long line."

"Fine." Tiffany and Monique grabbed their schedules from Mr. C and walked over to the good lockers in front of the cafeteria. They were in the middle of the school, so no matter where you were you had good access.

"Finally, they're gone." Mr. C said. "I was going to start screaming if they kept on staring at me like I was wasting your time."

Vanessa and I laughed. "We're sorry they're such bitches, Mr. C." Vanessa said. "We don't like them either…but they kind of stalk us like crazies."

"It's fine." Mr. C handed Vanessa and I schedules to pass out. "Now get working, girlies!"

Vanessa got A-I, Mr. C got J-Q, and I got R-Z. Mr. C tried to take more, but Vanessa and I wouldn't let him. We all walked in opposite directions, looking for the people on the sheets. Luckily Vanessa and I knew pretty much everyone in our grade, so it didn't take that long.

Vanessa and Mr. C were all ready done, but I still had one more name left, Ashton Lucas Rooks. We had looked all over the school, but we couldn't find him.

"Where could this Ashton boy be?" I yelled in frustration after three loops around the school in heels. My feet were going to blister tonight, and I was not happy.

"Seriously." Vanessa slumped to the rolly chair in Mr. C's office. We were taking a break in his icy cold air-conditioned room. Tiffany and Monique were still getting lockers and talking with friends, and we weren't in a rush to find them.

"I know he's new, because I've never seen or heard of him before, but he should know that today's the first day." I sighed. "You think he would be at least looking for his schedule."

"Well, I was looking for the schedule until I realized that two beautiful young ladies had it." A male voice said from the entrance to the office. "Mr. C told me you would be here. Sorry I was late, my little brother stole my car keys."

Vanessa and I stared at the boy in shock. He was gorgeous. I used to think that Nick was hot, but this boy blew him away.

"Are you a model or something?" Vanessa asked, her mind losing control over her mouth. "You're hot."

Ashton blushed. "Um, no, I'm not a model. I play water polo and volleyball."

"Wow, you're a hot jock." Vanessa said. I slapped her and she snapped out of it. She blushed when she realized what she had just said. "Don't remember anything I said in the last five minutes, and PLEASE don't tell Tiffany Wilde or Monique De Mesa, they'll never let go of it."

Ashton laughed. "Don't worry, I won't tell those girls. No offense, but those girls are bitches." He bluntly stated.

Vanessa and I looked at each other and burst into laughter. Not only was the boy hot, but he stated things as they were. He looked at us confused. "Do I have bacon in my teeth or something?"

This just made Vanessa and I laugh harder, and Ashton just stood there, extremely confused. "Seriously guys, what's up?"

"I see you've met my two daughters, Vanessa and Genevieve." Mr. C stated from the door. He smiled at us laughing. We were slowly starting to calm down. "Did you guys give him his schedule yet?"

I smiled and took a deep breath. "Not yet. We were too busy laughing."

"I know this is weird, but are you guys really sisters?" Ashton asked interestedly.

"No, we're just best friends." Vanessa said. "Mr. C isn't even our dad, he's just our mentor."

"Oh, cool." Ashton nodded. "What were you guys laughing at?"

"Well…" I looked at Vanessa and she started to giggle. "The way you called Tiff and Mo bitches was hilarious…especially because you were being so blunt about it."

Mr. C looked at Ashton in shock. Most guys were just fooled by their looks, and were to interested in getting in the girls pants to actually see them for what they really were. "Wait, you called Tiffany and Monique bitches?" He was totally floored when Ashton nodded, and I could tell he had found his new role model. "Wow, that’s cool."

"Dude, daddy don't hit on other guys in front of us. Not cool." Vanessa pouted, and Ashton looked at Mr. C in shock.

"You're gay?" He asked in shock. I really hoped he wasn't a homophobe.

"Yes." Mr. C admitted. "Shoot me if you want, I really don't care." We all held are breath for his reaction…

"No, it's fine." Ashton looked like he was totally cool with the whole thing, and Vanessa and I started to breath again. "I have three brothers, two older and one younger, and one of my older brothers is gay. I'm pretty used to it by now, so don't worry about me being a homophobe."

"EEK!" Vanessa screeched in excitement. "We are going to be the BEST OF FRIENDS! Not only are you hot, but your nice, truthful, and you like our second daddy. This is absolutely perfect."

"Calm down, Nessie girl." I patted her head like she was a horse and she slapped me. "She's kind of a spazz, sorry."

Vanessa pouted and Ashton smiled. Those two would be the perfect couple. "Don't touch my hair or I'll chop of your hands." She said seriously.

I quickly took my hands away from her head. My tummy rumbled and I gasped. "What time is it Mr. C?"

"Time to get a watch." He said absent-mindedly. I glared at him and he snapped out of his little zone. "Oh, you actually want to know the time." He looked down at his watch. "11:30." He did a double take. "Wait, WHAT? How can it be 11:30 already? This is insane! You guys go get lunch. Here's your schedule Mr. Rooks." He handed Ashton his schedule and shooed us out of the room. "Eat!"

Ashton held his schedule in his hand and looked around, totally confused. "So, where's the caf?"

Vanessa and I rolled our eyes. New people were always so oblivious. I hoped for Ashton's sake he would get used to the school soon, because Vanessa and I couldn't do everything for him.

"C'mon hot stuff." Vanessa grabbed his right arm and I grabbed his left. "We have a lot to do and little time to do it in."