Pretty Smart

I went straight to my locker, deciding that skipping one last period would not harm me. I grabbed my stuff, shoved it in my bag, put on my coat, and hurried out the side door. The cold air hit me, and nipped at my skin. The wind blew without mercy, and wearing heels was a bad mistake. (Although I didn't know I'd be skipping class in my defense.)

I ran around the building and to the parking lot. I went to find my car, hoping to escape the cold. As I came to the spot I parked in the first thing I noticed was that my car wasn't there anymore. And in its spot rested a small piece of paper with a rock holding it down.

I reached down and plucked the paper from underneath the rock before reading it. Basically the note told me that my car was towed because of unpaid parking tickets. Which was of course great (insert sarcastic voice) and left me without a car and unable to get home. Finding no other way without telling my parents of this incident I decided to just walk home. In the cold. In heels. While being an emotional wreck. Which was probably not my best desicion but this is a story of learning and I most certainly learned.

After about half an hour I had probably only made it a quarter way to my house and was already developing frost bite. I stopped to sit for a minute and found a sidewalk curb that was almost completely free of snow. I reached into my bag and grabbed a granola bar to snack on while I tried to warm up.

Finally, while I was away from school and everything else, I let myself crack. I let my head fall back against the fence behind me as the tears came, hard and steady. My hands found themselves wrapped up in the roots of my hair as I tried to calm down. But I couldn't. He cheated on me! And not just with anyone- with my best friend!!
I may had been wrong about alot of things, but my thought of her being a penny were completely true. I found that out the hard way.

And what about Danny? He loved her! She didn't just hurt me, but him as well. The man she claimed to love back. But at that moment, I couldn't tell if anything she had ever said was anything but a big fat lie. I wiped my eyes as the tears began to stop. When I pulled them back they were wet and black.

Cars passed me, and a really loud, old, orange, truck came down the street at the speed of a hummingbird. Though, maybe hummingbird isn't the right word for it. Maybe at the speed of a cheetah? I don't know, it just came fast.

And then, it stopped with a jerk, and came to rest right in front of me. I sat there, my teeth halfway through my granola bar, my jar frozen in it's place, leaving me with my snack in my mouth, and frighteningly curious of the trucks' driver. The window rolled down slowly, the glass looking as if it would break with any sudden
movements.

I saw of all people, Jesse, with his half smile, half smirk stuck on his face, and bit down and quickly chewed my granola.

"Hello Teller," he said smirk smiling even more. "I was driving along when I saw a girl sitting on the curb. And you must realized my surprise when I figured out it was you. Honestly I was shell shocked. So I figured that since I haven't done my one good deed for today that I would do it now. Alex Teller would you be so kind as to grace me with your pres-"

"I'd rather take my chances hitch hicking," I told him, getting up, walking a bit in front of the truck, and using
the hitch hicking thumb trick. I soon heard him sigh, then the door opening and closing. "Great," I thought, "Now he gets to see me crying and an emotional wreck. Woo hoo."

"Come on Alex, just get in the car," he said, pleading with me for some absurd reason.

I glared at him. "My name is Ally," I said and turned away rather rudely.

"Okay, fine. Get in the car, Ally," he asked, emphasising my name.

"No," I told him, not needing help from him of all people.

"Ally, we can do this two ways-" he began.

"And let me guess. There is the hard way and the easy way," I said angrily.

"Nope," he said, and I turned to him " the dignified way, and my way," I raised my eyebrows, and turned back around finding that Now the cars had decided not to come for once. "Okay, fine. Have it your way." He said and I heard him walking to me right before I was lifted into the air and thrown over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" I shreaked.

"And why would I do that? All you're going to manage to do out here is freeze, so I suggest coming with me with no kicking or screaming," he told me sternly

"In some places this could be considered kidnapping," I told him and I felt him shrug.

"Good thing for you I'm taking you to your house and not my evil sex trafficking warehouse where I take most of the girls I kidnap," he said and I glared at the only thing I could; his feet and the ground. He brought me to the passanger side and opened the door before throwing me in and shutting the door. He then got in the driver's side and buckled up, I following suit.

"So, what were you doing out here anyway?" I asked him.

"Well my warehouse has to be somewhere, doesn't it?" He told me.

"Har, har, har. Aren't we Mr. Jokey today? Where were you actually going? The only things out here is the fancy side of town ,and the road to Gallersville, and the hospital," I said

"Well if you must insist on knowing, I was headed home," he told me nervously

"Oh, so you live near me then?" I said, curious of him.

"Yeah, I live two blocks down from you," he said nonchalantly.

"And you know where I live, why?" I asked

"Well you and your turtle slow car are usually ahead of me and I get stuck behind you all the way up here until you go to your house," he said glancing over at me.

"Huh," was all I said.

"Yeah," was all he said. And that's where we stopped talking for awhile, just sitting in comfortable silence. Until…

"So, I know it's really none of my concern," he told me and took a turn, "but what were YOU doing out here, on the side of the road, crying?"

"You're right ," I answered,"It really isn't you're concern."

"What do you even have to cry about? Little miss perfect, the princess of our school." He said.

"Oh cause I'm sure you know everything about me," I said, holding back sobs,"Yup, you're just an Alex Teller expert."

"I didn't mean it like that," he said, softer," I just- sorry."

"It's fine," I replied, taking a deep breath and turning to the window.

"But your not," he said, pulling up to my house, "Alex,"
I turned to him, wiping away some stray tears.

"Yeah?" I gulped.

"What happened?" He asked, his words no longer sarcastic.

"Something I should've seen coming," I said, throwing open the door, and slamming it shut. It creaked as it shut, and I focused on that noise. That noise kept me from exploding. Because, I really should have seen it coming.

He gave me a promise ring, and the next week Danny had gotten Madison one. Only he never wore it… but she did. Mike never wanted to go too far with me. He never liked to hold my hand. He didn't like me showing up at his football practices. In truth… he just didn't like me.