1: This year, I'm recovering

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''You're watching your back...like you can't relax. You try to be cool, you look like a fool to me...''

Sighing deeply, I mindlessly tapped the steering wheel to the beat of the aged Avril Lavigne song. For some odd reason, it seemed rather soothing on this moody Monday morning.

In no way was I Avril's biggest fan, but I definitely enjoyed this song. Okay,  you got me! Maybe one or two other songs too. You can't really blame me for it, though! If you grew up with 'sk8er boi' blasting through your speakers, you'd understand where I'm coming from.

The inner discussions about Avril's songs were slowly drowned out by flashbacks of last night. Images of my mother lecturing me flooded my sleepy mind as I listened to the song. The lyrics always seemed to fit my life perfectly.

Last night, mother dearest and I had yet another screaming match. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Just my beloved mother and I, gnawing away at the last pieces of our almost non-existent mother-daughter relationship.

I had a wonderful evening, to say the least.

"Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?" I sang to myself quietly, careful not to wake my sleeping best friend, as I swiftly drove right into the school's parking lot.

You can say that again! Why does she have to make everything so complicated? My mother, I mean. Not Avril. Although, Avril always seemed like the kind of person to complicate things.

Hmm, interesting...

I shook off my irrational thoughts and quickly scanned the parking lot, in search of the perfect spot. We were a little early, just how I preferred it to be. That way, I successfully avoided any unwanted encounters. And by unwanted encounters, I mean running into my peers.

"Tina, the music you listen to is so old school. It's honestly kind of embarrassing...and detrimental to my image" Tara, my neighbor and best friend, spoke up. She rubbed her eyes, waking up from her usual hangover nap on the way to school. Her dark eyebrows were scrunched up and her full lips were pursed into a thin line. Well, at least now I know her hangover isn't that bad.

"Embarrassing is my middle name" I muttered in response, paying more attention to parking my car than to listening to her complaints. I really didn't need a crashed car at that moment in my life. It would just be another reason for my lovely mother to hate me even more.

"You're absolutely ridiculous" Tara snorted, shaking her head at me. If I had a dollar for every time she looked at me that way, I definitely wouldn't be stuck living with my evil mother and her perfect rich family. Do I only ever think about her or what?

"Tell me about it..." I replied before stomping on the brakes just to scare her a little, a trick I learned from her twin brother Aaron. Just like me, Aaron liked to push Tara's buttons for no apparent reason. Call us evil, if you must. The Lord knows Tara Kingsley deserves it!

She let out a frightened squeak and I bit my lip to hide the smugness that threatened to escape. The joy of annoying her whenever she's hungover will never tire me."So, tell me about last night!" I encouraged the conversation, pretending I couldn't see her pissed off glare.

Muttering profanities under her breath, she shook her head and slouched into the seat. Her gaze trailed off, landing on a few jocks who were hopping out of a jeep. Her eyes traveled down their conveniently bare abs. I groaned, internally.

Her taste in guys never ceases to surprise me. Every time, I hope it'll improve...but here we are again. Back to square one.

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