Pretty Reckless, Chapter 1.

I didn't really know what to think when my best friend started dating the guy I liked, I guess I felt jealousy and then betrayal, as she knew I liked him. She'd always told me that she'd never take him, hah, what a lie.

~ The day I found out. ~

Snow had fallen on the small town in America, as I walked along the frosted sidewalk, my hands dug deep in my pocket with my headphones jammed in my ears, the blasting music blocking out the outside world and taking me into the world of Rock and Roll.

Thankfully for the music, I didn't hear my best friend running up behind me, her unusual shriek of a voice seemed to always make me jump. I felt her tap my shoulder and I ripped one of the buds from my ear.

"Hey!" She smiled.

Her name is Tinsley, her long blonde hair fell down to her waist, her bright blue eyes never seemed to stop glowing, her skin was flawless and her makeup was always perfect.

And then there was myself, short brown hair, which I liked to spike at the back, my always black surrounded green eyes, I was the skinny, lanky kind of person with grasshopper like legs and a really unusual name, Aubrey, what kind of parent names their kid Aubrey? Mine.

"Hello." I replied, ducking my head and slowing my pace, "You're going to destroy your ears, I mean, I can hear that shit from here!" She laughed.

I didn't reply.

"Aubrey?" She asked, moving to stand in front of me so she was walking backwards.

"You're going to fall on your ass." I said and she giggled.

Tinsley moved back to walk beside me; her always-lingering perfume radiated off of her and filled my nostrils, does she bathe herself in the shit?

"So, you seeing Hunter today?" Tinsley asked, smiling at his name.

I felt the blush coming before it even happened, "I don't know, if he's at school then I guess so." I said, giving a small smile.

"Aubrey, there's something I need to tell you . . ." Tinsley started to talk but my phone buzzed and I had to answer, "Tell me later?" I asked, answering the phone.

****

It was at school when I found out, well, I didn't really find out, I saw.

There he was, smiling at every face he saw, greeting every being that seemed to take notice of his presence, I was going to walk over and talk to him, but Tinsley showed herself.

She walked straight over to him and dropped herself down onto his lap, I stopped short in my tracks and all I could do was stare, my death stare was broken when she kissed him and he kissed her back, tears at the back of my throat was the next thing I felt.

I couldn't bring myself to walk over to the group; so the next think I thought of was the bathrooms, hide out there until the next class started.

I hadn't hidden there since year 8, not since Tinsley 'took me in' to her group.

~When Tinsley found me.~

I sat in the bathrooms, just staring at the walls around me, when she walked in. I'd seen her around school before with a flock of boys that followed her around, then there were the girls who just wished they could be apart of Tinsley's group or to have her take notice of them, which was quite unlikely.

She stopped in front of the mirror and opened the flap to her bag, pulling out a tube of salmon pink lipstick, before she opened it; her eyes lay on me.

"What are you doing in here? All on your lonesome." She said, turning to face me.

"Um, I like it in here, nice and quiet." I replied, looking down to my tangled hands, I pulled one of my headphones out and returned my gaze to her.

I felt her accusing eyes glancing down my attire, band shirt and jeans, converse sneakers and heavy eyeliner.

"Why do you hide here?" She questioned, turning to the mirror and applying some lipstick.

"I'm not hiding . . ." I started.

"Yes you are, I see you come in here ever lunch time of every day, you stay in here until it's time to go to class." She said, her voice echoing.

"I have no friends." I answered and she laughed, making me look at her.

"Everyone has friends." She answered.

"Not me." I snapped.

"Surely you do." She said, rubbing her lips together and checking her job in the mirror.

"Nah, I don't." I whispered, standing up and dusting the backside of my jeans with my hands, hanging my bag from my shoulder.

I was about to leave but her voice stopped me short.

"What's your name?"

"Aubrey." I said, she gave a smile, "I'm Tinsley."

"I know."

"So, Aubrey, why don't you come sit with my group tomorrow?" She asked.

I nodded slowly, "Maybe."

I left it at that.

****

It was like year 8 all over again really, but no Tinsley finding me on my lonesome in the bathroom, listening to music with the volume on full.

But this time, I decided to lock myself in one of the cubicles and read what people had written on the walls. Mainly depressing messages about how they were going to kill themselves or love messages, then my eyes lay on one bit of scratchy writing: I love Hunter.

The writing was unmistakably Tinsley's; I'd seen her handwriting many times to clarify it.

So much for being my best friend, I thought.

I sighed inwardly and grabbed my bag, getting out my sketchbook, drawing always helped me pass time.

****

~Later that day.~

It was officially home time and everyone swarmed around the one gate that allowed him or her to have their freedom for only a little while, for they had to return the next day.

But it was the weekend so there seemed to be a kind of happiness in the atmosphere. As I walked, I could feel eyes on me, being the 'emotional' kid, I pretty much lived the hard life.

I mentally groaned because I knew the group that hung by the gate, Tinsley would be there. She'd always managed to spot me amongst the crowd and call for me, I'd always go and see her, and Hunter would be there too.

I couldn't bare the thought of facing them both, his amazing smile and then Tinsley's fake one, honestly, I couldn't think of anything nice to think about her.

As expected, she pulled me out from the crowd and gave me a big smile, "What do you want?" I snapped, my voice cold.

"Whoa, what's wrong with you?" She asked.

I wasn't sure if I should just come out with the truth, that I'd seen her snogging Hunter.

"Oh, nothing." I said, tangling my fingers in the pockets of my jeans, I reached for my iPod.

"Don't just block me out like everything else, tell me what's wrong." Tinsley said, grabbing my arm.

I glared at her.

"Leave me alone." I said brusquely.

"Have I done something?" Automatic worry was written on her face.

"Yes, you have." I replied, ripping my arm from her grip and walking out the gates along with every other student.

****

When I arrived home, mum was working over the stove, like every other day.

"Hey mum." I said, she smiled up at me and then went back to what she was doing.

Ever since dad left and came back, she'd do anything for him, like, cook him what he wanted, not what she or I wanted.

"What's on the menu tonight?" I asked.

"Roast pork and vegetables." She mumbled, dad's favorite.

I groaned and moved towards the stairs, "What happened?" She said, stopping me short.

Being my mum, she always knew if there was something wrong, by the way I acted or spoke, I didn't really know how she did it.

"Nothing, why?" I whispered.

"There's something wrong." She replied.

"Saw Tinsley snogging the guy I like, no biggy." I continued up the stairs to my room, unlike the rest of the house, my room was very dark and dreary, came with the whole 'emotional being' aspect.

I'd painted my walls black before the start of year 8, my mum had sort of grown into knowing about me being sad and got me a black quilt cover and all, she'd let me get dark purple carpet.

Hell, she'd done everything in order to keep me happy, like letting me get my tongue pierced, which at first she'd said no to, but once I said it'd make me so happy, she changed her mind.

I set my bag down on my bed and got my phone out, I had a text from Tinsley.

It read:

y r u so upset?

I decided to ignore it, despite most of me wanting to reply, I turned my phone off and shoved it in my drawer, like every other day, I turned my stereo up to full and drew something that was off of the top of my head.

Once 7 came around, I went down stairs to see my mum setting the table and my dad coming in the door, taking his jacket off and giving me a smile.

"Hey Aubrey, how was your day?"

"Shit." I replied, sitting at the table as mum set a plate in front of me with a glass of water.

"What? Why was it shit?" He asked, sitting opposite me.

"Nothing really, my days are always shit." I said, putting some peas onto my plate.

Dad gave mum a worried look and piled his plate high with food and began to eat, mum sat down and glanced over at me.

"Why?" She asked.

"No reason." I replied, not willing to discuss the issue further.

"Please tell us?" Mum asked, picking up a piece of pork and nibbling at it.

"Why?" I demanded, picking a pea up with my fingers and squishing it.

"Because we're your parents and we care about your wellbeing, that's why." My father snapped, I flinched and looked down at my plate.

"If you cared about my well being you wouldn't have left." I barked, standing up fast, which caused my chair to tumble over.

My dad looked astonished, he had nothing to say, good.

I left the kitchen with nothing else being said, feeling the burning eyes of my parents on my back.

****

I awoke groggily, the sunlight seeping through my black curtains and casting bright light onto my face.

This caused me to groan and shield my eyes, I stood from the bed and took a glance at the mirror, I nearly choked on laughter from my reflection.

"Aubrey? You up?" My mum called, knocking on my door and sticking her head in.

"Yeah." I replied, finding yet another new outfit for the day.

Mum left and closed the door, leaving me in some sort of privacy.

Soon enough, I'd found something to wear and was making my way downstairs, then came the god awful sound of my parents yelling at each other.

"We can't send her to boarding school!" It was my mum.

"I can't have that girl under my roof!" My dad yelled.

"She has a point . . ." Mum started.

"No she doesn't! All we wanted to do was help her out of her 'depression stage,' if that's what she is going through." Dad snapped.

"You can't just give up on her!" My mum screamed, sounding somewhat pleading.

"I am not giving up on her! I want her to get some help and maybe boarding school is the best case for her." My dad replied smoothly.

"Just because she snapped at you about leaving last night, is that why you're acting so cold to her? If she goes to boarding school, what's it going to be like for her then?" My mum questioned, "Like now, she only has Tinsley, what's it going to be like in boarding school?" She added.

There was a long silence, my dad was no doubt thinking of his future actions.

"It's the best for her." It was all he could say, with no further ado, I heard his footsteps and then the door open, slamming shut.

I decided to make myself known and walk into the kitchen; my mum was on the brink of tears and was clutching the cross at her neck.

"You're not going to send me to boarding school, are you?" I asked.

My mother frowned, "I'm not sure yet . . ."

"You are! I know that look mum!" I screamed in her face.

She was taken aback, "Do not use that tone of voice in my presence." She snapped.

"Could say the same for you." I half whispered but she heard it loud and clear.

She brought her hand across my face, leaving the skin on my cheek tingling in pain.

"You are the worst mother." I hissed, turning my back on her and making my way upstairs.

"For the record, you are going to boarding school, tonight!" She screamed after me, I felt my shoulders drop and my half smile fall.

I was going to boarding school, half of me felt happy, but the other half wanted to refuse, fight back, but for all it was worth, boarding school could get her away from the Tinsley problem.

****

Halfway through my Saturday, my phone started ringing, I grimaced, as I knew who it was, Tinsley.

I opened the draw and saw Tinsley's number; I decided to answer.

"What?" I asked coldly.

"This is about Hunter isn't it." Her voice shook.

"Yes Tinsley, this is about Hunter." I said.

"Oh grow up, Aubrey!" She yelled.

"Tinsley, you knew I liked him . . ."

"He didn't like you, he liked me, okay? So get the fuck over yourself." She snapped.

"Well, okay, by the way, I'm going to boarding school tonight, was good being your friend, well, for a while there it was." I whispered.

"Wait." She said, her voice barely audible, I didn't want to hear what she had to say.

I hung up.

I gave a deep, drawn out sigh and threw my phone back into the drawer, in the end, it almost sounded like Tinsley was about to apologize, but there was another part of me that felt she was going to rub it all in, her relationship with Hunter.