Waiting

Running my fingers though my tangled mess of hair, I paced around my room, thinking about what I had just gotten myself into. I couldn't believe I had pretty much started a war between Tori and me. I plumped onto the window seat, my back leaning against the glass. If I turned, I'd have a perfect view of the backyard.

My sketchbook was open on the seat beside me. Tori's half drawn face stared at me from underneath the jewelry box she'd thrown at me the night before. I stopped working on it after she'd messed it up. I wanted to see if I could figure out what she looks like when she's not glaring at me.

Sighing, I picked up the box. I had yet to open it. A silver half pendant of a heart gleamed up at me, while a note fell out from the lid. I was astounded. I'd never owned anything as expensive as this, unless you count the iPod I bought second hand.

As I unfolded the note, I held the necklace in the palm of my hand. It was from Jimmy, who explained that he bought the two friendship necklaces for Tori and I while he was in Italy. He thought that we would like them since Zacky had told him we were getting along. It was a nice thought at least.

I left the note by the box and laid down on my bed, the pendant still in my hand. I eventually placed the necklace on the bedside table. It made me feel a tiny bit guiltier about plotting pranks against Tori. A tiny bit.

Nobody said I was mature anyway.

~

I must have fallen asleep thinking about pranks, because I woke up in the same clothes I wore yesterday. Rubbing my eyes, I took a shower and changed into a black tank top and skinny jeans. I had all these plans that I some how had thought of, so there was no time to waste. I had to get to breakfast before Tori did.

"Whoa, where's the fire Maddie?" Zacky asked after I ran into the kitchen.

"Can you or Gena take me shopping today? I need new hair dye."

It wasn't a complete lie; my roots were beginning to show. I also needed a bunch of other stuff too, but I've lived without necessities before.

"Sure, I can go ask Gena to take you." He smiled, taking his coffee mug with him as he left the room. I couldn't even get a glass of apple juice before the blonde stampeded down the stairs squealing.

"Of course I'll take you shopping! We could make it a girls day out! I'll go call the rest of the girls."

"Gena, I just need to go to the drugstore to buy hair dye." I mumbled, looking at the floor.

"Nonsense! I saw your bag the first night you came; you need more than just three of four outfits. And, no offense sweetie, but I've seen you wear that shirt over a hundred times already." Gena continued on rambling while pulling out her phone and beginning to text the others. She wouldn't let me protest about it either. Everybody was going to spend money on me, she said, whether I liked it or not.

"What's going on down here?" Tori yawned.

Zacky looked at me sympathetically, "Your mother's planning a girls day out to most likely make over your sister."

If looks could kill, I'd be six feet under with the way Tori was glaring at me. I suddenly realized that this could work in my favor. Mustering up all my courage, I smirked. "Would you like to come along?"

"Of course she would!" Gena beamed before her daughter could reply with some smart ass remark, "What girl wouldn't take her sister shopping?"

Tori rolled her eyes and dragged her feet up the stairs, mumbling something about me not being her sister. It was actually getting old. Well, all of this was getting old. It's so much easier to either ignore someone or be friends with them, but in Tori and mines case, it was easier to be enemies. I almost told her I wasn't looking forward to this either, seeing as I don't like to spend other people's money. I just slipped on my old chucks and met the rest of my "family" at Zacky's car.

The whole gang was already at the mall when we arrived "late". Gena had somehow forgotten that the thing I really needed was hair dye, so I made her wait about five minutes while I ran into a Rite-Aid and bought two boxes of hair dye, red and pink, and a stick of eyeliner. Even Tori was upset I made Zacky take the "detour".

But Tori looked angry the whole time. I avoided her the entire time the girls led me around the mall, the guys trailing behind to goof off and hold bags. All they were concerned about was buying me as many clothes as possible, whether I liked it or not.

"Okay, Leana has a case of the rumblies that must be fixed soon before it destroys her tummy in search of food." Leana patted her slim tummy as she frowned. Jimmy ran up and swung the bags he was holding all over the space around him. "I do to! Unless y'all don't want a drummer, I suggest we find a place that sells food of the foody-edible nature...."

"But we have more shopping to do!" Michelle and Gena pouted at the same time.

Val laughed at the two, "We'll finish shopping later. The stores aren't going anywhere, babes." She and Lacey were probably the only ones who actually cared if I liked the stuff they were buying me. Even though I was afraid it would come back to haunt me, I was grateful they wanted to buy me stuff. I'd never had people that cared about me enough to make sure I had everything I needed. I kind of liked it.

After arguing for a few minutes, the guys and their girly friends or wives had come to an agreement over the restaurant. Because there was just a food court and a Mexican restaurant as the other choices, our group piled into the doorway of a Ruby Tuesday. I was somehow sandwiched between Brian and Tori. The 'what the hell did I just get myself into' thought came to mind again.

The fact that Tori didn't really say anything to me scared me more than the thought of her talking to me during the meal. She would glare, and then turn her gaze back to her chicken, stabbing the meat with her fork over and over again. I tried to think of something she might do to me as I twirled my pasta. Tori was very creative, even if she didn't think she was; and I'm pretty sure she's seen plenty of horror films to get ideas from.

"Watcha thinkin' about?" Brian nudged my arm, his mouth full of fries.

I shrugged, "Nothing special."

"Well, it must be something big," He paused to sip his coke, "because you have the same look Zacky does when he's thinking very hard."

"What do you mean?"

"You and Zacky both furrow your eyebrows and stick your tongue out the side of you mouth. In fact, Tori does it too."

"It's a Baker thing," Zacky grinned, over hearing out conversation from across the table. I saw Tori flinch in the corner of my eye. As much as she hated it, I was a Baker, ever if my last name wasn't.

It didn't take long for Gena and Michelle to get everybody to finish eating. It did, however, take another few hours for them to finish shopping. The sun was setting and the dogs were begging to be let out when we finally returned to the house. I scratched Icky behind the ears when he came running up to me after he did his business outside. I picked him up and maneuvered my way around all the bags scattered on the floor of my room.

I vaguely remembered that I needed to put the pink dye in Tori's shampoo bottle, but as I kept petting Icky and laying on my bed, I realized I didn't want to get up. I didn't want to see the faces of the people who probably felt like they had to take of me just because a DNA test said they had too. I didn't want to see Tori's continuous hate for me. I didn't want to see my broken self in the mirror.

So I just laid there and decided I'd get up tomorrow.