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"-too much and that's and issue, but I'm okay!

Hey! Tell your friends it was nice to meet them.

But I hope I never-" I was chanting slowly in my utterly non-melodious discordant voice while taking out stuff from my locker when Lia stopped me. "Some one is singing dirty songs." Her sing song tone sounded, referring to my singing.

It was dirty and I was embarrassed in front of her but I was unable to refrain from singing it, it was what was on my tongue since last evening. "Uhh-it's an addictive song."

"I know right! It's one of my favourites. But I thought you don't listen to songs......"

"I don't. It's just this one song Carter told me about yesterday and I really loved it."

"So you made up with Carter huh? You know that you keep too many things from me? You don't speak until I confront you about things. And that's really annoying." Lia pointed out and turned her face the other side. "Talk about the snake and he's here."

Realizing the presence of Carter I hid my face behind the locker, remembering the events of last evening when all I wanted to do was smile at him but I couldn't take the risk of him smiling back at me and saying things that would lead me to be attacked by all the bitches and their bimbos.

"And now it's making more suspicious than anything. You know, you hiding your face and Carter looking around to find a certain someone that I'm sure is my little shy friend here whose cheeks are burning right now."

"I deserve to listen to the story right?" I nodded in reply and she dragged me towards the school garden. "I think we have a class right now Lia."

"We still have ten minutes. Now don't waste a single minute and start with the story. The curiosity is going to kill me." She clapped her hands and shrieked. And I had to tell her everything. From when he came to my house to play with Josh till the other day when he drove me back home

Knowing Lia she did the most expected. Squealing. "He asked you out on a date? Oh my god! I'm so happy, I can't tell you! No matter how much of a jerk he is but he's totally head over heals for you. The look in his eyes is a clear picture of that."

I rolled my eyes at her observation. "So..... you're going on a date with him?" Lia questioned. "Ummm.... no, I guess."

"What? Why?"

"I-I kind of...... ran inside after he asked me....... without answering him." My voice came out weak as I stared down at my shoes . I couldn't make eye contact with her because I was aware of how stupid my act was and that level of stupidity had a chance of being rewarded with a Lia-slap. I was afraid of that Lia-slap. "What?! Are you crazy? What the hell?!" She yelled at me.

"God Sophie are you stupid or what? Why did you run?" I was not afraid of her but her voice, that was attracting attention. "Lia, he just asked me out..... so suddenly and-and I didn't know what to do."

"What do you mean so suddenly? You expected him to have told you a week earlier that he is going to ask you out on a date next week? No guy does that Sophie!" She scolded, causing me to flinch a little. I knew the bell had already rung and we were missing our class but this wasn't the correct time to bring that.

"Yes? What are you ladies doing out here when you should be in your classes?!" Teacher's voice from behind us caused us to turn our heads towards her.

Shit!

"Teacher... uh we were just a little late. We're going, come on Sophia." Lia answered her because I was completely unable to. All I did was gawk at her. Before she could burn us with her glare we walked inside.

The day went good. Me hiding from Carter and Isaac went successful. But that was until the break. When I was walking out of my chemistry class I found Isaac standing there waiting for someone. Pretending to have not seen him, I walked towards my locker but he stopped me by calling my name. "Wait! Sophia! I need to talk to you, please listen to me." His tone was pleading but all I could see in him was a monster. A monster who was masked as an angel.

Lia came from behind us and motioned me to talk to him, Isaac didn't notice her doing that as his back was facing her. "I'm listening." I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded. "Okay, I'm really sorry for shouting at you. I'm really sorry for hurting you Sophie. I just wasn't myself at that time. Can you please forgive me? I'm really sorry Sophia."

"If you promise to never show that monster to me again...."

"I prom-" he started to say but stopped him. "And not act like my father all the time."

"I promise." Isaac smiled, nodding and I managed to smile back. "Can we be friends again? Please?"

"Obviously!" As I let it out, I was attacked by a hug. I hugged Isaac back and tried to get back but Isaac didn't let go. A weird feeling crept inside me and this feeling was far from a good one. It was more like a scary one. I coughed a little and pushed Isaac back with some force.

"Come on, Lia might be waiting for us." I called out, walking ahead of him. He smiled at me and at that moment it made me happy because I could finally see the old sweet Isaac again. When he caught up to me I decided to ask him about Lia. "Isaac, just by the way, do you by any chance have feel-"

"Sophia! Sophia! Sophie!" I heard Jack shouting my name. "Jack? What happened?" I couldn't help but feel worried, my eyes catching a breathless Jack. "Carter's looking for you." He stated as he stopped before me.

"Well, I'm not planning to go. But what's that got to do with you being breathless?"

"I was dared to bring you to him in five minutes. Because non of our friends could find you. And you know what? If you come with me I'm going to get ten dollars from Carter. And it's not like I want them, it's just that I don't want him to think of me as a looser. Come on!" He looked too excited for any normal human being.

"Jack I really want you to win but I can't face Carter right now. Please try to understand."

"Thank you so much for agreeing! We have to run, we only have like, two more minutes." And just like that without even explaining what he said, before I could understand anything, he started running towards the basketball area. But the problem was, me getting dragged along with him.

When we reached there, he pushed me inside. Despite my efforts, I couldn't stop Jack from pushing me inside. He locked the door after going outside, leaving me alone in the gym. "I'm sorry! I'll buy you an ice cream with the money I win to make it up to you!" Jack's distant voice sounded.

I sighed. "What the hell am I supposed to do here?!" I whispered but due to the emptiness of the room it echoed. "Uhm-uhm." A person's coughing made me realize there wasn't only me in the room.

"You're supposed to listen to me and not run away like yesterday." Carter's voice came. I gulped, turning around. The ground became the most interesting thing to me. And my eyes were pleasuring while looking at the muddy foot prints. "I-I am s-sorry...."

"No problem. It gave you time to think." He walked towards me as he spoke. Tugging my hair behind my ear he showed me his million dollar smile. I didn't reply him. "So, are you going to say something or stare at the ground the whole day?"

I stayed quiet because I didn't know what to say. "It can't be more attractive then me, can it?"

It can't.

When I didn't answer for a while, he breathed out, saying, "I'm sorry if it was a weird way of asking you out but you can't blame me. I told you I don't date. I don't like to date."

But that sentence of his ignited curiosity in me. "Why did you ask me out then?" I tried to object. "You're a totally different case Sparkle. I actually want to date you."

"So," he raised his eyebrows bending down to look at my face that I couldn't lift.

"are you going to go out with me?......"

"Because right now you have no choice but to agree. You can't back away this time. Nor can you disagree because I won't take no as an answer."

My heart was shouting at me to agree and the look he pulled melted me completely. That smile of his melted my heart. "Yes?" He asked again when he didn't receive any reply.

After thinking millions of times I knew what I had to say. "Yeah."

"What?! Are you serious? You're agreeing to go out with me? Thank you! Thank you so much Sparkle." He shouted before hugging me tightly, almost tackling me. "You agreed just to get rid of this ass Carter, didn't you?" Carter moved away as he said.

"No, no......"

"Then that means you like me?" His lips formed into a smirk, his eyebrows wiggling while questioned me. "Umm, I don't know. How do you know if you like someone?"

"Now, who can be a better person to answer that, than me?" He laughed.

*****

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Josh cheered.

"I told you! I knew it! I knew it!" He started jumping on the sofa as he sang. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" He kept saying.

"Josh, even I knew it! Everybody knew it. There's nothing to be so excited!" Rebecca entered the sitting room with a tray of juice in her hands. "No, you didn't know, okay? Don't you dare say you knew. I knew it before any of you!" His bouncing didn't stop. Rebecca rolled her eyes at him, showing how immature can she be.

Believe me, they are always fighting.

And every time it's me who's being their toy. "Sophia, you decide. I knew it before Rebecca, right?" Josh climbed down and ran towards me. Before I could come up with a reply Rebecca started, "Obviously she's going to support you at your face but in actual I knew it before you did." Rebecca sticked her tongue out.

"Only If she's my sister doesn't mean that she's going to take my side even if I'm wrong. But I know, I'm right!"

"Guys guys, you're fighting like kids. And what's the topic? Who knew I was going going to date Carter...... that's so childish of you. I'm not going to decide anything now." I stopped them. "Not even the dress you are going to wear?" Rebecca asked, wiggling her eyebrows as she filled her mouth with some juice.

"Rebecca! Stop teasing my sister!" Josh spat at her. Not again! "How about you two choose an outfit for me? I bought some good amount of dresses with Lia some days back."

"I'd love to help you but not with this annoying kid here!" Rebecca objected. "Does it look like I care? I'm not even interested. I'm a boy not a girl!"

"But you're my cake, no? You'll help me brother, right?" I pinched Josh's cheeks. Rebecca giggled and I realized I did a mistake by calling him with this stupid nick name again. "Ugh! I hate you guys!"

"I'm not really good with this stuff. Why don't you ask Amelia. I heard she has a good fashion sense."

That was the best thing Rebecca had said in the whole day.

Rest of day passed quickly and it was midday before I even knew. I spent half of the Saturday watching spongebob with Josh. It's our favourite. And who doesn't like spongebob?

I was eating my Nutella sticks, pleasuring my taste buds when Josh poked me. "Hmm?"

"Can you give me one? Mine are finished." He made those puppy dog eyes of his that always seemed to work on me. "Don't make that innocent face Josh!"

"Please?" Josh begged licking his lips, drooling at my Nutella sticks. Unwillingly, I gave it to him, "take this! Eat all of it! You never let me eat my Nutella sticks Josh!" I whined.

"Thank you Sophie! I love you so much!" I was sad, but when he said that and gifted me with a tight hug all sadness was gone. I can really give my life for him anytime.

"Sophie! Aren't you supposed to get ready? Come on! If you said he's going to pick you up at 1, you don't have time!" Rebecca climbed down the stairs in a hurry and her words got my heart to start racing.

God, I didn't have time. And Lia wasn't here yet. I knew it was a bad idea to agree on going with him because I had no idea how to dress up casually. Rebecca didn't really had a good fashion sense but it was better than mine nonexistent one.

"Guys I'm here! Come on Sophia we're late!" Relief was what I felt hearing Lia's shout. Waving a hi to both Josh and Rebecca Lia made her way towards me.

She dragged me towards my room behind her and barged inside. She opened my cupboard and kept throwing the clothes out. "I don't understand if you have such nice clothes why don't you use them? Here take this!" She tossed my skinny jeans capris to me. "Which shirt do you like with it?" She held out two shirts, one was a loose white shirt with a grey dotted pattern on it while the other one was a shaded top but blue colour dominated it.

My choice was the white shirt. I grabbed it and went to the washroom as I changed into them. It felt really weird, I don't usually wear crop pants. When I stepped out, I found Lia busy in searching my draw for something I had no clue about. "I guess you should tie you hair-if it's a casual date or something. And I've already sorted out some nice jewellery for you. Here!"

She had taken out ear studs for me which had a white orchid on them with a matching necklace. I wore them quickly and let her do my hair meanwhile.

After she was done with my hair, she suggested me to apply a light pink shade of lipgloss. I followed her suggestion and did as she said. One thing that was making me uncomfortable were the capris which kept ridding up my legs no matter how much I tried to pull them down. "Touch your jeans once more and get ready to be deprived of your fingers for the rest of your life. Because I'm going to chop them off!"

"I'm sorry. They're just so uncomfortable."

"Then thank Carter he didn't ask you out on a fancy date. All you'd have done is pull your dress down until it would've teared into pieces." Lia made a joke and laughed at it herself. "You can have these grey vans. They match perfectly!"

I laced up the shoes after wearing them. A sigh went out of my mouth as I stared at myself. I was feeling different emotions but insecurity dominated all of them. I knew I was no Snow White. And I was confused as to why Carter has a liking towards such a plain girl that is me. Doesn't he feel embarrassed to hang out with me? To hangout with a girl who has cut marks on her wrists, who have no one by her side, who's luck is shitty and so everyone hates her, she hasn't got a good face, good body, nothing about her is even close to good.

But whoever you are, you do have expectations. And my expectations were way to high for them to ever be fulfilled. And that's what made me scared. Scared that I'll get my hopes crushed again. I tried to not hope but I couldn't stop myself from doing that. I had no idea what Carter saw in me that he asked me out. After hanging out with beauties such as Maddie and Bella how can he think I'm better then them, that I'll be up to his standards.

My room's intercom rang bringing me out of my mental debate and Lia answered it as she was close to it. "Oh, Carter's here Sophia!"

Carter was there. And as good as that sounded it was giving shivers to me at the same time. I stood there rooted to the ground, not willing to move any part of my body. I was regretting accepting Carter's offer because I was sure I couldn't give him a good time and I wouldn't be able to come up to his expectations. "Are you suffering from dyspraxia?! Come on you statue!" Lia shrieked.

I nodded and started to go out when I stopped abruptly. My eyes caught the strawberry cologne I had bought last year which I never planned to use. What brought me close to it was the strawberry pasted on its bottle. I was going on a date with Carter after all.

But it wasn't new. I was doing many things that I never expected to be doing. Many things that I were not able to do until I met this certain guy.

Not wasting a single moment I sprayed it upon myself, the room blossoming with a strawberry scent. I smiled at myself and tried to calm my heart down, hoping Carter feels okay with me. With slow steps I reached down stairs, finding Josh sprawled on the couch in my way. Kissing him goodbye and waving at Rebecca I opened the house's door.

Carter was standing there in casual Bermuda shorts which were light blue in colour. His body was covered in a grey t-shirt that said, ' I'm awesome and I know it! ' with a cheerful smile on his face.

A giggle escaped my mouth at the sight of his shirt. "You look really c-" I stopped, realizing what troubles my stupid mouth would've caused. "I know I look cute and all but I'd greet you with a hi. So, hi Sparkle!"

"Hey!" I greeted him back. "Carter? Do I look fine. You know you asked to dress casual. And I had no idea how to do that. It sounds really idiotic but I didn't know which clothes of mine were casual. These are just chosen by l-"

"You look perfect Sophie. Just one thing that I don't like...." as soon as those words were out of his mouth my heart started to sink. I knew this was going to happen. "Are these....". He reached out for my glasses and removed them. "You have contacts?"

I nodded, trying to remember where I kept them after I bought them some years back. I didn't even know how to wear them and I kept praying Carter doesn't ask for that. Because I'll be in great trouble if he did. "Wear them." He spoke with a bob of his head.

"I'll try. Why don't you wait inside?" Carter welcomed himself inside and directly went towards the tv room where Josh was lazing around. I ran as fast as possible to my room. "Lia Lia Lia! Do you know-how-to wear contact-lenses?"

"What?! Contacts?"

"Yeah! Carter-wants me to wear them." I was out of breath because of climbing the stairs so fast. Sometimes I really wished there was a lift. That'd have been so much more comfortable. But right now a bigger problem was, I was going to be subjected to the torture of wearing the lenses.

"Ahhh!" I closed my eyes shut and started to jump wildly do to the stinging caused inside my eye. That stupid moronic shitty lens!

"Okay, okay, you need to open your eyes for it to adjust." I opened my eye but the eyeball wouldn't come down. With a lot of struggle I tried to bring it down. Tears wet running out of my eyes.

Then my other eye had to go through the same pain before they were set. A little lot red then usual but it was quiet better. It felt weird not wearing my glasses when going out but I reminded myself again and again that I was wearing contacts. When I reached downstairs Lia poked my arm lightly. "If you comeback again, I'll lock you inside and then forget any one ever asked you out!"

"You're such a violent friend Lia! It wasn't like I enjoyed wearing those lenses!"

"But believe me you look prettier in these. Without your glasses I mean." She gave me a warm smile. "Be confident okay?"

I nodded straightening my shirt as we stepped into the Tv room. The sight I found was something completely stored something inside my heart emotionally. Carter was tickling Josh whose laughter was echoing around the room. When he saw me standing there he gave me a smile and winked mouthing, "perfect."

I knew I was blushing by then. Lia elbowed me from the back. "He's such a cheeseburger!" You know there are some friends of yours who will never learn how to whisper. Lia was one of those. She said that out loud and she didn't even know it.