A Scrunchie and Some Red Lipstick

“Scarlet, why are we shopping for long sleeves? It’s almost 90 degrees outside,” my best friend of all time, Bree, asks me. We are in Target, shopping for a new school wardrobe. School starts on Monday, and I am so not ready.

“I just like long sleeves better than short sleeves,” I reply. She looks at me like I am absolutely insane. “But you always wear long sleeves and jeans. And not jean shorts. Jean pants. Don’t get me wrong, you look cute and all, but you have a great body. Why don’t you show it off?” Bree asks. I get this kind of lectures all of the time.

I turn, desperate to change the subject when I run into a hard brick wall. “Dammit,” I mutter under my breath. I look up and realize that I didn’t run into a brick wall. I ran into a person.

“I am so sorry,” I say to him. He is one of the hottest guys I have ever seen, and Leonardo DiCaprio has been my lifelong crush since I was seven.

Bree is just staring at the guy I just walked into. I quickly scurry away. Gosh, that was so embarrassing. Bree quickly catches up to me.

“Omigosh Scarlet. You just walked into Alex McGraves,” she says, basically jumping out of her Converse.

“Is that supposed to mean anything to me?” I ask her.

“He’s in our grade this year. He transferred from an expensive prep school down in Boston. His dad is building us a new gym and pool,” Bree says. She is basically squealing now.

Bree isn’t boy crazy. At all. If you were listening to our previous conversation, I would understand why someone would think that. She is a swimmer. Our pool is gross, so getting a new pool to her is like giving a kid a lollypop.

She has been trying to get me to try out for our high school team for years, but my loyalty is with my club team. They would be so pissed if they lose me to a school team.

We walk to the checkout line. I put my items on the table. The lady rings it up and tells me what I owe her. I give her the money and Bree and I walk out of the store. I put my bags on top of her car and grab her keys out of my purse. I try to reach up and grab my bags, but my heel breaks and I fall.

Warm, steady, hands grab me and push me upright. I turn around, and I am looking into the bright blue eyes of Alex McGraves. “Thanks,” I mutter and get into the car. I ignite the engine and drive out of the parking lot. Only then, do I look back at Alex. Weirdly enough, he was still looking at our car, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

“Doesn’t he creep you out a little bit?” I ask Bree.

“Nope. He is really hot though. Why?” She asks me.

“No reason.” I look away, but the feeling that someone is watching me shivers down my spine.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Okay, so I picked you up some dresses for the party tonight,” Bree says. She is sitting cross-legged on my bed.

She pulls out a dress from her bag. “I grabbed this dress for you. It’s long sleeved, don’t worry.” She rolls her eyes.

I grab the dress and go into the bathroom. I pull off my jacket and pants, being careful not to look in the mirror. I pull on the dress. It’s a navy blue, tight, long-sleeved dress that showcases my curves perfectly. I dust on some eyeshadow and some lipstick. I pull my auburn hair into a side braid, securing it with my signature red scrunchie.

“You look hot,” Bree says as I walk out of the bathroom. She was dressed in a crop top and a tiny skirt.

We both grab our shoes and jackets and get into my red jeep. “Where is the party?”

“Zach Dunning’s.”

Zach is the most popular guy at Naplewood High. I have never been to one of his party’s, but they are legendary for booze and drunken hookups. Crazy things have happened at his party’s.

“Hey Scarlet,” one of the cheerleaders, Alexia, says to me. At school, I am not considered weird or anything, but I am not cheerleader popular. People know who I am.

I grab a red solo cup and fill my cup with some rum and coke I see on the table. I feel hands grab me from the back and I jump.

“Hey, I forgot to ask for your name today,” a deep voice says from behind me. I swing my elbow back and hit the mysterious stranger right in the middle of his glorious six-pack.

“Ouch,” I mutter under my breath. I’m sure that hurt my elbow more than it hurt his stomach.

I whirl around and look in the stranger’s eyes. It is Alex McGraves.

“Hey, sweetheart. What’s your name?” he asks me.

I have to get outta here. This guy is clearly drunk and does not have my best interests at heart.

I turn to leave just as his lips smash down on mine. I could taste cheap beer on his breath as I gag.

“Let g-go of m-me,” I push him away. His hands grab my waist and trap me against the wall. I feel his hands touch my thigh and then his body is lifted away from me.

I turn to thank my savior, but when I look they are gone. Alex looks absolute shocked and stumbles away.

I stagger away, looking for Bree. I bump into a table edge, and my already bruised stomach shoots in excruciating pain.

“Scarlet, what the fuck happened to you?” I hear Bree asks behind me. She grabs me as I faint into her arms.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wake up in Bree’s room. Sunlight is streaming through the window so I know that it is about ten in the morning. I climb out of her bed, and I realize that I spent the night.

“Oh shit,” I mumble. I try and rush out of the room, but Bree stops me while I am trying to get out. I start dialing my dad’s number.

“Scarlet, where were you last night?” my dad asks. He sounds wasted. “Dad, I spent the night at Bree’s,” I answer him, quietly. “You better get your ass back here right now so I can teach you exactly what happens when you disobey me.” He hangs up.

I look down and realize that I am wearing Bree’s pajamas, which means that Bree took off my dress last night. I am shaking.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I mumble.

“Scarlet, why the fuck are you covered in bruises?” I here Bree say from behind me.

A/N Hey! I am a new writer. I have more chapters up on Wattpad right now, but I will add more chapters soon. Please comment! My chapters will be dedicated to the best comments! TTFN,

Clare Ana Marie