Chapter 1
"Perfect, perfect, love da camera, love da camera!" Noelle rolled her eyes to her friend Becky's cousin. She was a professional photographer, and Noelle was there to get some hints on her photography. She was a 13 year old aspiring photographer and she desperately wanted to get a job. Being only 13, though, she had to wait atleast another year to even get working papers!
"Geri is a wacko," Becky whispered to Noelle. "I mean, come on: 'love da camera, love da camera!' How corny is that?" Noelle laughed a little, causing Geri to turn from her camera and look at them. As if on cue, Noelle stopped laughing and smiled sweetly in Geri's direction. Geri gave her a look, then turned back to her work. Noelle and Becky started to laugh again. This time, Geri ignored them.
"Ok, now Noelle, come over here," she instructed. Noelle obediently walked over. "Do you know how to adjust the lens?" Noelle gave Geri an are-you-crazy? look.
"Duh, Geri, that was, like, the first thing I ever learned," Noelle answered.
"Well, I'm sorry. I didn't teach you, so how should I know?"
"I told you about 1,000 times in the car," Becky blurted. Geri stared at Becky.
"Oh, well," she said. She turned back to Noelle. "Now, do you want to take some pictures?"
"Ok." Noelle walked over to the lens and looked through it. "Ok, that's really good, um, what's your name?" she said, referring to the model.
"Matt," he replied, looking a bit confused.
"Ok, thanks, Matt." Noelle began taking pictures again, saying "that's really great" or "awesome!" here or there.
"Noey, good, good, good!" Becky squealed.
"Thanks, Beck," Noelle responded, annoyed at her friend's constant cheerfulness. Despite her happy name, Noelle was depressed most of the time. Whenever she didn't want to be depressed, she took Prozac. Her parents didn't know she took it, and she was becoming quite addicted. She always wore black lipstick and had dyed her hair black, parting it down the middle. She was a Marilyn Manson wannabe.
Becky, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She was always happy, no matter what was going on, she wore bright clothes, had sun-blonde hair, and hated Marilyn Manson. People used to call her a Hanson wannabe before she publicly declared her undying love for Kris Hart, a boy at her school.
"Ok, Noelle, I think that's enough," Geri said after Noelle took about thirty pictures.
"Come on, Geri, it's not even 6 yet!" Noelle complained. "Please let me take some more?"
"I think that Matt would like to put his clothes back on now," Becky cut in. Noelle had to agree. Matt was posing for an underwear ad, and in the 60 degree temperature building, he was cold.
Noelle sighed. "Ok," she said. "Bye, Matt."
"Um, bye," Matt said, still confused. Geri began packing up the equipment while Becky sat on a stool and posed for the invisible camera Noelle was holding.
"It's time to go, guys," Geri said to them a few minutes later.
"Joy," Noelle said sarcastically.
"Yes! Now we can go to the mall!" Becky said. Noelle groaned. The mall was her least favorite place in the world to be.
Becky had to practically drag her out the door, and leading her to the car was like running a ten mile long marathon. In the car, Noelle, Geri, and Becky had a huge fight on what radio station to keep it on. Geri wanted jazz, Becky wanted pop, and, of course, Noelle wanted punk/rock. They decided not to have the radio on at all, though occasionally Noelle clicked it on.
When they got to the mall, Becky and Noelle went one way and Geri went another.
"This is so cool!" Becky said. "We have to go in the GAP! I think they're having a sale!"
"The GAP?" Noelle replied with disgust. "That is so...trendy."
"Well look at you!"
"I am not trendy. I am anything but trendy." Noelle looked down at her baggy black Pipes and black T-shirt with the Nine Inch Nails symbol across it. She also had on a dog collar and black Airwalks.
"Whatever. Let's go to the GAP and then we can go somewhere you want to."
"We can go to Hell?" Becky gave Noelle a look and then started walking towards the GAP. Noelle followed reluctantly behind.
"Oh, I want it, I want it, I want it!" Becky said, eyeing a blue sweater with a lime green stripe down the sleeves.
"You would," Noelle grumbled back. She looked around at all the customers and cashiers, who looked back at her with disgust. One girl in a pastel pink fuzzy sweater and pastel green mini-skirt started to whisper to her friend who was wearing a very similar outfit, pointing and staring. Noelle stuck her tongue out at them, revealing the gold stud she wore in it. The girls started walking in the opposite direction.
"I'm getting this, and this, oh, and of course this," Becky said calmly, showing Noelle her soon-to-be purchases.
"That's nice, now buy them so we can get out of here. All these trendoids are giving me the creeps."
"Funny." Becky handed the cashier the clothes she was going to buy. Once she paid, Noelle grabbed her hand and literally carried her out of the store.
"Good, I can breathe now," Noelle said, putting her hand on her chest and breathing heavily. Becky was not amused. "Oh, come on," Noelle smiled slyly. "Let's go to Shifty's."
Shifty's was a store in their mall where they sold clothes from the skater scene, skateboards, etc. It was the only place in the mall that Noelle could actually stand going in.
"Ew, look at all these...these..." Becky began. Noelle shot her a look. "People."
"Good, Beck. I thought you were going to say something not very nice, and everyone knows that Becky Johnson, the All-American, perfect girl, does not say bad words," Noelle said, being over-sarcastic.
"That's right," Becky agreed, not joking. "I'm perfect. Anything less sucks." She smiled a little a Noelle.
Acting like Becky's mother, Noelle said, "Becky! I can't believe you said 'sucks'!" She threw her arms all around. Becky started walking towards the back of the store, trying to escape the embarrassment Noelle was causing her.
Realizing where her friend was going, Noelle followed frantically. "Beck, hold on, wait!" she called. When she finally reached Becky, Noelle caught her breath. "Was I that bad?" she asked innocently.
"No, not you!" Becky whispered sharply. "It's him!" Pretending to be busy searching through a clothes rack, she pointed behind her. Noelle followed her direction.
"Oh!" she said loudly.
"Shut up! Don't stare! Don't make him come over!" Becky was pleading as best she could.
"Ok, fine," Noelle grumbled softly.
"Thank you." Becky began to look at some hemp necklaces far from where Noelle was standing. Seeing this opportunity, Noelle walked over to the person Becky was pointing to.
"Kris!" she yelled, speeding up as she got closer. Kris looked up from the skateboards he was looking at.
"Oh, hi," he said, showing no expression. "What's up?"
"Not much. You?"
"Same." He looked around. "Ya here alone?"
"No, your lover's here somewhere back there." She motioned to the back of the store where Becky was completely absorbed in some keychains.
"Oh, her," Kris said with disgust. He had a rather disliking towards Becky, but that made her love him even more.
"Yeah. Are you here alone?"
"No, my brother, Chris, Justin, Jared, Zack, and Ryan are around somewhere."
"Oh, ok, cool." There was an awkward silence. "Um, I think I'm just gonna get some stuff and leave."
"Ok. Tell Becky that I hate her, ok?" (That sounds so...fifth grade-ish...it's so last year...)
"Ok, understandable." Noelle turned and went back to where Becky was, taking the last thing that Kris said very seriously. Though he may have been joking, she was still going to tell.
"Oh, I thought I was going to die of embarrassment!" Becky said when Noelle finally came to the point where she was standing.
"Why?"
"Because you were talking to Kris Hart, the guy I love!" Noelle rolled her eyes.
"He said that he hates you, Beck."
"Stop calling me Beck! I hate that name!" Noelle jumped at her friend's crude remark.
"Why, Becky, I never knew!" Noelle acted surprised. "Live with it, ok?"
"No! I'm sick of you always getting your own way! You get all the friends, all the guys swoon over you, and you are totally clueless! I'm just-tired of it!" Becky looked exasperated. Noelle started to laugh.
"That's funny!" she said. "I thought you said that you were sick of me always getting my own way!" She started to laugh again.
"I did." Noelle stopped laughing and looked at her friend.
"You really think that I always get my own way," she declared.
"Yes, and it's true," Becky said matter-of-factly.
"Name one time when I got my own way." Becky thought.
"We went to Shifty's," she said.
"After we went to the GAP, mind you," Noelle defended.
"You came to the photo shoot and got to take some pictures."
"You made me come! You told me that if you had to be alone with Geri for a minute than you would scream, so, of course, here I was to save the day-"
"Oh, shut up!"
"Fine, fine. When did you get so touchy?"
"Whatever. Let's just...leave."
"How? We have no clue where your screwed up cousin is."
"We'll take the bus." Becky gritted her teeth. She started to walk to the food court, through all of the tables and people, past the movie theatre, and out the door. Noelle followed.
Becky waited at the bus stop as far away from Noelle as possible. Noelle still didn't understand why Becky was acting like this, but she didn't really care. I want Prozac, she thought. The rain was pounding down on the closed off bus-waiter's area. Some of the people shivered, including Becky. Noelle was soothed by it.
"The beautiful people, the beautiful people..." Noelle sang over and over. She started off quiet, but as she got into the different verses became louder and louder.
"Excuse me, excuse me!" an old lady said. "Can you please...shut up?!"
"Why? There's nothing else to do, and no one interesting to talk to." Noelle shot an evil glare at Becky. Becky was looking out the window of the closed off area, watching the rain blur her vision.
"Well, you may still want to sing, but sing softly, for no one wants to hear those...shenanigans!"
"Shenanigans? I haven't heard that since my grandma died!" Noelle started to laugh. The old lady gave a little 'hmph' and went back to watching the rain.
When is the bus going to come?, Noelle thought to herself. This is really boring. I bet no one has any Prozac, either.
Not wanting complete silence except for the plinking of the rain any more, Noelle leaned over to Becky. "Beck, hey, Beh-" She stopped. "Pardon me, Beck-y, are you bored?"
Becky turned toward Noelle. "Who are you?" she asked with genuine astonishment.
"Funny, but are you bored? Do you think anyone has any Prozac?"
"Who are you? Do I know you? My cousin should be here soon..."
"Geri's shopping, remember? That's why we're here, waiting with all these screwed up people who have nothing better to do." Some people looked up and stared at her.
"No, Geri's not my cousin's name, it's Lily, so please leave me alone!" Noelle gave Becky a quizzical look. Becky's green eyes tried to burn into her's, but Noelle fought it off.
"Bye, Becky." Noelle got up and stormed out of the covered area into the pouring rain. She didn't know what was up with her friend, but at the moment, she didn't care. She walked around the paring lot a little bit, just thinking about how much she would like to get high at that point, though she knew it wasn't possible.
After a few minutes, Noelle's hair and clothes were soaked. She didn't fell like going back in the wretched mall, but she didn't have any urge to go to the bus stop, either. She didn't really know what to do, so she started to walk home. Halfway across the parking lot, she stopped to see Kris and his friends get into a car. This could be my only ride home, she thought. Making a quick dash for it, she ran across the rest of the lot, dodging cars and people. She had to get to that car. She had to.
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