The day was hot. ha, like that was anything but ordinary. it was always hot in Taylor. kinda like some climatal sauna. cosmic jokes on us huh? well as i was saying, the day was hot. the air was thick as was te sweat on my forehead as i trumped down the main street over to the local grocer..if thats what u cpould call it. it's a small maitinence store with three sorry looking gas pumps and a sun faded gas pricing sign with cracking numbers out front. with the exception of home grown greens, it was the only available food source in Taylor.
I WONDER IF THIS IS HELL...
i stepped through the doors, the cold hitting me with such force gooschills instantly arose on my skin. i rubbed my arms, warming them to get accustomed to the sudden temperature drop.
"sup Garin?" i called over to the lanky super senior behind the checkout counter4. he lifted a slow hand up to let me know he acknowledged my presence and continuied to listen to his headphones, lyrics escaping into the cold air.

"blackbird singing in the dead of niiight,
watch these broken wings
and learn to fly"

i rolledf my eyes and walked farther into the peice of s*** place, looking for bread. along my way, i grapped some jolly ranchers and popped one in my mouth. if they didnt want u to eat it in the store, why sell it ya know? so here i was, unwrapping a green jolly rancher, my mouth watering with anticipation.
"hey, girl. u know u shouldnt do that right? i got busted for it back in tennessee, said it was stealin'" an unfamiliar girls voice sounded to my left, just out of my periphial vision. i turned, and resisted stumblingg nshock.
this girl was SOOOOOO not from taylor.
she was sitting on the counter in front of an oblivious Garin, her long tan legs folded in her shockingly short shirt, brown cowboy boots reached her shin and her flashy sparkling beaded shirt showed a little to much chest. her long black hair was held up in chopsticks and a few rouge curls spilled forward, creating a messy but cute look to her. and oh my god, her face. it was like..her eyes were gold. not hazel, actual gold. huge, darkly lined, and sparkling with laughter. hey lips....soft and pink..full and kissable. i found myself begingin to loose myself in her little lopsided smile.
"what? i got somethin in my teeth?" her hand shot up to her mouth. her nails were painted black and they were short stubs with chewed ends. on two of her fingers were little 25 cent kiddy rings from the machine dispencer next to the register.
"no, you dont. i was just....i thought i knew everyone in Taylor." i smiled, haphazardly patching the situation "or at least knew all the talk 'round town."
"ahh, a Taylor native in her natural habbitat. interestin." the girl jumped off the counter and walked slowly toward me, as if i was some wild animal. my laughter surprised even me. she stuck her hand out, bracelets jingling as they colided making some sort of theme noise that'd make the birds silence themselves. "Anna at ur service ma'am." she giggled
i took her hand gently, as if she wasnt quite real skin and flesh...but delicate porcelin. "Allyssa." i smiled, feeling rediculous compared to this beautiful new girl.
"pretty name. way better then anna."
"i guess. i like anna though."
"i guess i like Allyssa." she smiled.
"hey, Ally? u gonna pay for those or what?" Garin said, music blaring from his single headphone that was out of his ears.

"so, Allyssa, what's there to do in this town'a yours?" anna said, laying on her back on the hood of the burning car-a blanket protecting her skin from the festering metal. a old town crier newspaper waving her sweating face.
"abosulutely nothing." i mumbled, holding my hand over my eyes.
"perfect!" she smiled, turning her head and flashing white teeth under pink lips and shining gloss. her sunglasses huge and bulky but cute all the same. she sounded gueninly happy at the fact i lived in a dung hole of a town.
"what?" i giggled, sitting up and looking at anna, the beautiful stranger.
"im so tired of the crazy city, ya know? all 'dem people runnin 'round like chickens without heads on."
"i've lived here my whole life. i dunno how city people act." i scoffed, waving my hand dismisivly.
"ah, well i dunno how country people act. how things work 'round here." she copied me, waving her hand with her stubby black nails.
"well, seems we have a lot to learn from each other." i smiled, looking into her gold eyes.
"it seems we do." she giggled, sliding from the roof of the car, pulling her short skirt down and taking her chopsticks out, her long black hair falling around her shoulders in a mass of black curls.
as if on cue, i took the elastic of my pony tail, pulling it out and shaking my straight blonde hair about my shoulders. she smiled, stepping forward, holding a strand of my hair between her fingers.
"ever been colored doll?" she mumbled-looking closely at the blonde.
"bleached?"
"i see." she smiled, dropping the hair. stepping around me in circles.
"ur too hot to be a country girl."
"what?" i looked at her, i could practicly feel the surprise on my face.
"you dont know how gorgeous ya are, do ya?"
"no...yes...no...well..people t-tell me all the time, but i d-d-"
"SHHH! lemme think girl!" she hissed, her golden eyes gleaming over the rim of her sunglasses.
"sorry..." i mumbled, looking down.
"what color is ur hair naturaly"
"brown.."
"k. c'mon!" she cried, grabbing my arm and running off towards the road. i ran with her. no clue where, no clue how far...just running. my vision blurred by her long, black curls

All of my life, i had never felt this way towards a girl. ever. it was like....a hurricane? i dont know. all i know is that this feeling deep in the pit of my stomach was special. as she held my hand, pulling me with her down the street--i had the urge to laugh. really laugh. i was learning to live, and i hadn't even known this girl for more then 2 hours.
"Ally! come on!" she laughed, looking back at me glancingly and pulling me harder, her golden eyes gleaming brightly.
"anna! anna please" i gasped. she sighed, halting. i crashed into her and we toppeled into the grass, she ended up leaning over me, laughing as her raven curles enveloped us, along with the sweet scent of green apples.
"i didnt mean like that!" i giggles, blowing a lock out of my eyes.
"how old 're ya allyssa?" she murmered, her eyes locked on mine.
"19." i breathed, captivated and captured by the sheer closeness and smell of this strange, lively girl i had just met.
"why do ya stay here?" she whispered, her face growing serious.
"because this is all i've ever known. small town and...and my family."
"don' ya think there might be more to life then all ya'v ever known?" suddenly, i realized she seemed closer, her eyes larger--more golden.
"all the time. but im scared." i whispered. i had no clue why i was revealing this to her, the wild-carefree stranger.
"i know how u feel. im scared of somethin...." she smiled slightly, "many things." hey eyes grew sad-large with greif too old for her to carry.
"and what is that?" i managed, my voice thin and whisperey.
"you.." she grinned. suddenly she was so cclose, her lips were brushing mine, it tickled and i wanted her to kiss me...i wanted it so badly
"me? whats to be scared about of me...?"
"ur so....gorgeous, and nieve, and...innocent." she chuckled quietly. "im intimidated."
kiss me. KISS ME!!!
"but..."
"shh..." she smiled, and her lips closed the small distance, pressing firmly against mine.
i didnt have to thik abut what i was doing, i just had to do it. i loved to feel of her breath on my cheek, the taste of her strawberry lipgloss, the feel of her soft, sweet lips against mine. it was maddening.
"Allyssa?"

I froze, so did anna. the low, southern drawl of Kry chilled my veins. my boyfriend of sorts.
"who...wait you like girls?" he asked, his deep voice shaky, i couldnt see his face yet-but i could tell he was shocked and horrified.
"uhm..." i pushed Anna off of my gently, sitting up and looking at the tall, muscular frame of Hyde.
"wait...so this is why u wont sleep with me?" he mumbled, my face flushed bright red and i looked down.
"no...theres more.." i sighed, risng to my feet and taking a tentative step towards him
"lkie what, your a virgin? you know i love u...i wouldnt use u...but it looks like ur using me." he looked at me as if i just told him i was a boy.
"you dont love me, Kry. you think u do. as for u using me...i know what u did to Sophi.." i whispered, turning from him as my bottom trembled. maybe i didnt love him-but being cheated on still hurt.
but what was i doing to Kry? ddi he really deserve this?
"Sophi? that was just...we...we were drunk and....im sory Allyssa...but i do love u...at least i think this is what love is. i think about u all the time, i crave ur touch, ur kiss....but if u told me no, i would just walk away. is this what that is? u saying no?" he stumbled, quickly trying to fix his mistake with flattery.
"yes!" icried out, turning around-throwing my arms out and up. "you used me! you used my best friend! you pushed me! trust me...i'd be glad is u turned and walked away this minute." and i stod there, fuming and huffing.
"o...ok allycatt....im just...good luck...i-i'll see you later.." he mumbled

as soon as he was out of sight, i crumpled to the ground-tears pouring out of my eyes.
"allyssa..." anna murmmered, crawling over to me and taking my hands from my face, looking at me fall apart.
sniff "what?"
"you are so beautiful..." she smiled, and i looked at her with raw eys.
"i didnt even...like him." i sniffed, "why does it hurt?"
"because he...used you." she sighed, a smile playing on hyer lips "and cause he's a jerk."
i looked up, tears still dripping out of my eyes and sniffling. she smiled, her hand pushing my hair behind my ear gently.
"where were we going? before this happened?"
"to my trailer to give u a makeover." she smiled bigger. "you wanna go?"
"yes please" i smiled, standing up and stroking tears from my eyes, laughing slightly at my own mess.

Inside the trailer, it was girls paradise. pink walls with yellow carpet and pillows on pink chairs. yellow vintage fridge and yellow bowls, plates, and cups. it was aweing really.
"woah"
"i know right? this is mah baby. worked day'n'night on this beauty for three weeks. back there behind the curtain is my room. go through my clothes and pick out a few shirts and bottoms." she smiled, opening the mini fridge and pulling some strawberries and eggs out.
behind the sequined yellow curtain was a white framed bed with a pink and yellow polka dot comforter and fluffy pillows. the walls in the room were painted a soft, lemony shade and light was being filtered in through gauzy white curtains. i smiled and walked over to the closet, a small little thing--to be greeted with not hung clothing, stacdked. folded and set-halfway up the height of the college. denim, chiffon, cotton....it was an array of shirts, blouses, dresses, skirts, shorts, capris, skinny jeans of every color, jeans, pants, sweats..
my eyes goggled slightly and i went over to a pile i hoped was tshirts and lifted a creamy one from the top, it was light and airy cotton. it felt smooth and soft under my fingers. gently peeling my own sticky black tshirt over my head and slipping it on. sliding the doors over to the otherside, i lifted up some of the other sweaters off the one i wanted, a grey, light one. as i put it on i realized...her clothes fit me perfectly.
grabbing a pair of light denim beaded skinnys from the middle of a pile and tugged them on, sliding them up over my ankles, my calves, my thighs, and up to my hips, buttoning them and grabbing a pair of black flats, i stepped out to see ana standing by the oven, holding a frying pan over a burner munching on strawberries. i stood and watched her for a minute. she had headphones in her ears and her shoes off, and she was dancing.
leaning against the wall, she continued on obliviously. dancing around the tiny kitchen barefoot with her curls long and loose down her back. smiling i stepped forward, grabbing her arm lightly and turning her towards me. then without really thinking, i slammed my lips into hers.
She reacted quickly, dropping the pan with a clang, spilling half cooked eggs. wrapping her arms around my waist, she pulled me into her. my fingers wove their way into her raven locks, deepening the kiss. her tounge wormed its way into my mouth, exploring slowly asmy hips were pressed into hers. i bit her tounge gently, and a low moan escaped her throat.
i felt her pushing me back gently, and i fallowed. her hand pressed to the small of my back as she held me closely, pressing my against the wall. her lips trailed from my lips to my neck, nipping and kissing in spots and extracting feelings in the pit of my stomach. a quiet moan erupted from my lips and she kissed harder, trailing her toung alone the line of kisses and bites. i stratched my neck back and bit my lip to avoid noise making.
i felt her smile aainst my throat as she licked from my collorbone up to my chin and across my lips, where she kissed me again. the taste of strawberries on her lips.
suddenly she pulled back, looking at me approvingly.
"good outfit." she smiled, wiping her mouth and turning back to the mess in the kitchen.
"thanks" i said breathlessly, smiling to myself.
"ah, no use cryi n over spilt eggs ya know? let's finish with your makeover. then lets go out."
"out where?"
"two towns over theres a club."
"how are we gonna get in?"
"uhm...we're hot?"
i laughed, falowing her into the bathroom.
"ssit on the toilet." she insttruced, and i did.
from under the sink she puled out a huge, silver box with two ways to open it from the sides. she opened one side, reveling makeup galore.
and she set to work.

two hours later i stood in front of the mirror, heart hammering in my chest. my blonde hair was teased and fell around my shoulders artisticly in beautiful ringlets. my eyes were lined with dark kohl liner and my lips were glossed pink. i was a creature from another world, with the queen of tha beautiful world standing behind me aranging my curls in the most atractive manure,
"im..beautiful"
"hunny buns, u were beautiful before i did this. i just made u sexy." she smiled, her golden eyes flashing.
"you succeed..." i smiled shyly as she pecked my cheek.
At the party, anna waltsed in, smiling and greeting people with hugs and flips of her long, long hair. i stood off to the corner, leaning against the wall as boys walked past me, eyeing me hungerly. girls strutted to and fro from rooms, their heels catching on the boards hunder drunken feet. music throbbed, and i could feel it reverbating in my chest.
"Hey baby" a voice slurred in front of me, i dragged my eyes slowly from an interesting spot on the floor to the face of Kry, mishapen with achohol and a bloody nose and bruised eye.
"Kry! what happened?" i gasped, steppin forward and touching his bruise softly
he winced
"Got in a fight allycat" he shrugged, his voice thick and his tongue triping over itself to get the words out.
"over what?"
"i cant remeber"
"Kry...." i groaned "You're drunk"
"No i'm not, allycat" he scoffed, throwing his hand out and snorting.
"Yes you are." i said firmly
the smell of his breath alone was rancid, much less the sweaty smell of blood and body odor that hasnt been washed off since the day befopre, even after feild nwork all day