Rose Bridges

Ten

Carmen

"My english teacher is gonna make my head explode! Like how could he embarrass me like that?!"

Zara chuckles to herself. "He just said to you that he doesn't think Taylor Swift is a lyrical genius."

"Exactly! He saw me listening to her and then in front of a class of guys who already think I'm an incompetent teenage girl said that. And although I love Taylor Swift, boys don't like her because they think she's just another feminist who sings about men who hurt her feelings and then they're gonna take me even less seriously in seminar circles because their immediate response is just gonna be that I'm too emotional and teenage girly to be-"

"Carmen," Zara says sternly to snap me back into the present. I think I'm going into cardiac arrest. But like actually this time. "It's okay. You have to stop caring so much about what some idiot teenage guys might think."

"It's not that I care-"

"You do," she says seriously. "You have to just not give a fuck. You're already a confident girl in many aspects. So what if they make fun of you even more for listening to who you want to listen to?"

I gnaw on my bottom lip and suck in a shaky breath.

"I gotta get to class, but I'll see you at lunch girl." She reaches into her bag and pulls out a lollipop, throwing it at me to catch before walking away.

I stare down at the pink bubblegum flavored goodness in my palms.

She just doesn't get it.

It's not that I'm embarrassed to like what I like. It's just...it's just that why would I make it harder for myself? Give more things for them to talk about?

It's important to stand out from the crowd.

But how far can you stand until you're not allowed in at all?

~

"Okay so my birthday is next Saturday. So therefore, next Saturday night. My house." Amanda smirks.

Julie squeals and her blonde braid falls off her shoulder. "I'm so excited! I have the perfect Hollywood themed dress."

I glance up from my law class notes. I'm not shocked she's doing a Hollywood theme for her 18th birthday. Amanda's dad is a famous movie producer. The girl has met more celebrities than some actual celebrities.

"Except you need to find a date. You can't come alone," Amanda continues.

My eyebrows lift. A date?

Zara groans. "But the dress I have would look better not next to a man."

Amanda rolls her eyes. "Figure it out girl."

Zara purses her lips and looks back down to her book.

A date? I don't think any male in this school would ever willingly go even on a fake date with me.

Amanda has been talking about this party for months, but I did not know that detail.

"What time is it again?" I ask

Amanda takes a sip of her diet coke. "Be there by 7:30."

I think to myself before opening my mouth again. "Can Zara be my date?"

Zara pretends to get all shy and twirls her hair jokingly. "Oh stop," she says before throwing me a playful kiss. I throw her a small one back.

Amanda grimaces and looks at me like I'm crazy. "Um...No."