Chapter 15

Okay so just you guys don't get confused this chapter starts with Amy's POV from two years ago.



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Melanie spun the bottle and it landed on me.


"Truth or dare?" Asked Zach.


"Dare." I answered bravely. I could do whatever they had.


"I dare you to enter the beauty pageant next week." My best friend Raine said smugly.


"What?! No way!" I protested.


"Why? Chicken?" Zach taunted. The rest of the group agreed.


"No I'm not chicken, Zachery. I just hate beauty pageants." I snapped.


"Why? Afraid you're too ugly you'll lose?" Michael teased. By now I was beyond pissed.


"Shut up! Raine, you know I hate them."


"Yeah I know that. But you're bound to win and seeing my bribery last week didn't work this has. No backing out from a dare unless you want to run down the street in your underwear."


The guys hooted and I crossed my arms letting out a puff of defeat.


"Fine I'll do the damn pageant." I grumbled.


My friends cheered and promised they'll all be there, with their video cameras. I groaned internally. I was never going to live this down.


 


I went home that day and told Ellen what had happened.


"That's great! I'm glad Raine dared you to do that." She beamed.


"What's so great about that? I'll probably just make a fool of myself." I mumbled.


"Amy, Amy, Amy. You. Will. Win. This. Thing." She said clapping her hands to my face.


"Yeah, yeah whatever."


A week filled with shopping and hell later came the stupid pageant. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, I was beyond nervous even though I tried to show otherwise. Raine and the rest of my friends gave me moral support while Ellen sorted out everything I needed. They all wished me luck and it was my turn on stage. I breathed in a huge gulp of air and walked out.


***


"And the three winners are... drum roll please... Mary Costal, Erin Daniels and Amy Sanders!" One of the judges announced.


At first I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but the hoots and cheers coming from my friends told me that it was true. I walked to the stage still dazed about what I had heard. The announcer gave me a trophy and asked me what it felt like to win. I don't really remember what I had said but I remember mumbling something. I looked at the crowd staring at my friends. Melanie, Zach and Michael were screaming their heads off along with Ellen. I looked at Raine, she was cheering as well but I couldn't help but see jealousy in her eyes and a hint of anger.


Why was she mad at me? Wasn't she the one who had dared me to enter in the first place?


After everyone congratulated me I headed back to my dressing room.


"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as soon as I stepped inside.


"Shh. Do you want people to think I'm a murderer?" The man hissed.


"Who the hell are you? And what do you want?" I asked still horrified about the fact that there was a strange man with a strange accent in my dressing room.


"My name is Antonio Fantalio. I am the owner of Fantalio's Modeling agency. I am here to offer you a job."


With every sentence he said my jaw dropped lower. Fantalio's was like the biggest modeling agency in the U.S! Who ever worked with them got instant fame!


"Let me get this straight, you're here to offer ME a job?" I asked pointing to myself, unsure of what he had just said.


"Do you see anyone else in this room?" He asked.


I shook my head furiously. A grin made its way onto my face.


"Seriously?! OH MY GOD! YES YES YES!" I squealed jumping up and down. "I'm going to be a model! I'm going to be famous! This is the best day of my life! Wait till I tell everybody!"


He chuckled at my enthusiasm and handed me a card.


"Call me on this number after you have asked you're parents and we'll start business." With that he left the room.


I was practically bursting from happiness. I ran out of my room looking or Raine. After all she was my closest friend so I would have to tell her first. When I found her talking to Zach I ran up to them and tackled her into a hug.


"Whoa! What's wrong?" She asked concerned.


"You will never guess what just happened." I said out of breath.


"What?" She and Zach asked together.


"You know Antonio Fantalio?"


"The owner of Fantalio's?" She asked.


"Yeah him."


"What's this got to do with him?" Zach asked.


"He offered me a job!" I squealed.


They both stared at me; their jaws were on the floor. Zach got out of his daze and crushed me to death in his arms.


"That's great news!" He laughed. "You're going to be famous! Make sure you don't forget about us little people though." He said in a joking tone.


"How could I ever forget about my bestest friends in the whole world?" I asked hugging him back.


"What did you say?" Raine asked in a small voice.


I pulled away from Zach to stare at her confused. Weren't best friends supposed to be happy for each other?


"I got a job at Fantalio's." I answered.


"I heard that. What did you say? What did you tell Fantalio?" She asked again. I could hear the venom in her voice and see the hate and jealousy in her eyes.


"He told me talk to my parents then calls him."


"I said, what did you say?! As in yes or no! Damn it Amy, are you really that stupid!" She yelled.


"What do you think I would say? Yes of course." Tears were starting to well up in my eyes.


Why was she being so mean? This wasn't the Raine I knew. The Raine I knew would be jumping up and down with me. I could sense Zach staring at her like she was an alien. He put an arm around my shoulder for comfort.


"Is fame more important to you than our friendship?" She asked coldly.


"What?! I never said that! Of course it isn't!" I was fighting back the tears refusing to let them fall.


"But one day it will be."


"How do you know? Raine you're my best friend. I would never forget about you like that." I said in a small voice.


"Bullshit! Stop lying to me! Stop lying to everyone! Zach you had better leave her before she forgets about you when she's up with the stars." She yelled.


"Shut the hell up Raine. " Zach growled.


"Fine don't believe me. When you're yesterdays news don't come crying to me."


With that she flipped her hair and walked away, leaving me to stare at was once my best friend.


I let the tears fall freely and Zach led me away to my dressing room. As soon as he closed the door he pulled me into his arms and let me cry there.


I can't believe Raine actually thought I would put fame over friendship. She was the girl I had talked to about my crushes and the person I told all my secrets to. The way she looked at me with those two cold eyes that carried pure hatred for me. I understand if she were jealous, hell if I were in her place I would be. But I would be happy for her not the other way round.


Zach stroked my hair and whispered soothing words in my ear. If that was Raine's reaction and she was supposed to be my best friend, I wonder what Michael and Melanie would say.


I just hoped that they wouldn't act as coldly as her.


After I cried my eyes out I pulled away from Zach.


"Thanks." I said in a little voice.


He cracked a small smile. "Hey, what are friends for?"


"Seriously Zach. Thank you. You're a true friend." I looked at where I had been crying. There was a dark patch on his shirt. "Sorry I ruined your shirt. When I get my first paycheck I'll buy you a new one. Any brand you want." I said smiling up at him.


"That's if your dad agrees."


"Yeah I guess you're right."


"Are you going to tell Mike and Mel?"


"Probably. I just hope they react better than Raine."


That night I told Melanie and Mike. They were both happy for me. Zach told them what had happened with Raine seeing as whenever I said her name I started to cry.


When I got home Ellen noticed that I was distant and asked what happened. I told her everything and she asked me one thing;


"Do you want to do this?"


"Yes." I whispered.


"I'll talk to your dad and make sure he says yes." She promised.


As Ellen had promised, my dad agreed and I had a meeting with Mr. Fantalio. Ellen became my manger and I changed my name to AJ (the first two letters of my initials, Amelia Jane). I dreaded the next day. My first day of school as a model. How would they react when they saw me? Would they all hate me or become all fake because they wanted to be friends with me? Normally I wasn't in the popular crowd so number two was likely to happen.


***


I entered the school building with my head down. Whispers coming from every angle. I saw Stacy, the school bitch coming my way.


Please don't see me, please don't see me,


I prayed.


"Hey Amy, or should I say AJ." She said, a fake smile plastered all over her fake face.


"Um... hi?" I said, well more like asked.


"Look at her, she's being modest." She laughed in her high pitch voice slapping my back or breaking it in other words. Her posse laughed along with her. "How would you like to sit with us at lunch?" She asked. "Since you're famous and all you should sit with the popular people, not those losers you always sit with."


The anger bubbled inside me. No one called my friends losers and got away with it.


"Look Stacy, I don't want to sit with you at lunch and don't ever call my friends losers again." I hissed. She was about to open her mouth to say something else but I walked away before she could.


Walking to my locker I saw Zach waiting for me. I ran up to him and hugged him.


"How's little Miss Celebrity on her first day?" He chuckled, hugging me back.


"I'm fine." I mumbled into his chest.


The rest of the day was pretty much the same. Girls acted all fake around me while a few showed pure hatred. I don't know why but I was glad some people actually showed their hate for me, it was better than having to deal with fake people all day. The guys on the other hand either flirted or joined my fan club. I was glad for having Zach around; he made them all go away. He was my only real friend now. As for Melanie and Michael, Raine had somehow turned them to the dark side.


Two weeks later I was fed up with all this. My 'Fan Club' wouldn't let me walk two meters without sweeping the floor in front of me while my 'Hate Club' would do anything to make my day miserable, from putting dog shit in my locker to making me get detention. Zach was moving to England in a week saying his father had been transferred there. I was really going to miss him. He was like my brother. After enduring a few more days of hell I confronted Raine. When I spotted her in the hallway I pulled her into the janitor's closet.


"I want you to tell me why you're doing this?" I hissed angrily. "We used to be best friends Raine. What did I do wrong? How can you go from loving someone to hating them in less than a day?" I asked hurt.


She smirked and then answered. "Who said we were ever best friends? Who ever told you I loved you or even liked you for that matter? I hated you since day one. The only reason I dared you to enter the damn pageant was so you could make a complete fool of yourself but you didn't. NOTHING I EVER DO GOES TO PLAN! YOU JUST HAD TO WIN, DIDN'T YOU?" She yelled.


"Why?" I asked in a small voice.


She let out a humorless laugh. "Why? I'll tell you why. Every guy I had ever liked liked you. When one of them asked you out you would turn them down-"


"Isn't that what best friends are supposed to do? I turned them down because I knew it would hurt you if I didn't."


"Don't interrupt me bitch! As I was saying, you turned them down. You would go and think you're better than everyone just because your dad is rich and you could afford designer clothes and bags-"


"Was there one time I didn't offer you anything? Was there? Every time I bought something I would buy you something better, I-"


"I SAID DON'T INTERUPT ME!" She screeched as her hand made contact with my face. "You only did that because you pitied me! Not because you actually cared. Well guess what? I am sick and tired of you walking around thinking you're some princess who can order everyone what to do!"


The pain from her slap hurt more on the inside than the outside. Tears were beginning to well up in my eyes. I never knew she felt like that.


"I never looked down on anyone! I have never pitied you. I've always adored you're courage and honesty-"


"BULLSHIT! STOP TELLING LIES!" She slapped me once more before storming out the door.


I curled into a ball and cried until the end of school, not bothering class.


My best friend. Whoever though she would become my greatest enemy?


***


A week later Zach had moved to England. I missed him so much. After he had left the guys had shown more interest in me. Some who were polite would ask me out. I said no to them all. The last thing I needed was more members in the hate group. Others would force themselves on me. I would just knee them in the balls and run.



A few days later at lunch someone had bumped into me while I was walking to my table. Which I sat on alone. I apologized and quietly ate my salad. I could feel a weird taste in my mouth while I ate. I ignored it and continued.


Later that day I felt funny. I excused myself to go to the bathroom and I threw up. I headed over to the nurses office.


Turned out there were mushrooms in my salad. I was severely allergic to them. I was sent to the hospital and stayed there for two days. The funny thing was that the school never put mushrooms in their salads. That meant one of two things; either they 'magically' started to or someone had put them there on purpose. That someone could only be one person; Raine. She was the only one who knew about my allergy.


I felt anger boil inside me. She was taking this too far. Did she want murder on her hands? I blinked back the angry tears.


After Ellen heard about this she pulled me out of school.


Three weeks later Raine came back knocking on my door.


"What do you want?" I hissed.


She looked taken back at my tone. "I- I need your help." She said in small voice.


I was so angry that if this were a cartoon I would have steam coming out of my ears.


"What makes you think I would help you after everything you've done? After lying to my face all these years, making me the bottom of the food chain at school after everything you've done to me, what makes you think I would help you?" I was beyond mad now. Who the hell does she think she is?


"I know I shouldn't be asking you but I've got no one to turn to." She said quietly, her eyes rimmed with tears. I now took in her appearance. Her clothes were dirty, her hair messed up and I could see dirt on her face.


"Why's that?" I asked.


"I'm... I'm pregnant."


"So?"


"My parents disowned me after they found out. The father of the baby left me and said it wasn't his problem. I made a mistake. I need your help Amy. Please?" She looked at the floor as she said this.


I was fuming. "And this is my problem because?"


"It's not, okay. I know that I shouldn't even asking you for help but I have no else to turn to. You're the only person I know that has a good heart. Please?" She pleaded. "I'll do anything. I'll become your maid, anything."


I sighed. She needed my help and despite what she had done to me I couldn't leave her to live in the streets. Once a upon a time we used to be best friends.


 


I opened a draw and took out a bundle of cash.


"Here." I said tossing it to her. "There's about five thousand dollars. Take the money and leave." I said coldly.


"Thank you so much! Amy I'll owe you forever! I'll-"


"Just leave." I snapped, cutting her off.


She mumbled another thank you and hurried out the door. The nerve she had, asking me for help after all she's done to me.Well as long as I didn't have to see her again I didn't care.


 


***


"Wow." Eric said after I had finished telling him my story.


"Yeah." I mumbled.


"I can't beleive she actually did that."


I sighed in agreement. We sat there for a few more minutes before we got up and headed home.



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