FicWad

It was a chilly night, but it was so hot inside that the chill didn’t bother her one bit. She breathed in the arctic air and her lungs expanded to greedily accept the fresh air. She knew she would regret agreeing to come to this party. It made her feel uneasy and guilty. She didn’t like to be with these people; high school students who drank booze until they puked, then mellowed themselves down with a few joints before passing out on the bathroom floor. She was brought up to cringe at even the thought of these people. She was a good kid. Yet, here she was, sitting on the huge brick porch attached to the huge tan house full of drunk and/or high teenagers. She took another deep breath, thankful the air didn’t smell like cigarette smoke anymore.
“Hey Ember!” said a small girl with short, spiky, bubble gum pink hair.
“Hello Lizzie. I see the pink hair dye has done its job,” replied Ember, nodding her head at the girl’s eccentric hair.
“Fantastically! God, I can’t wait till my mom sees it. Hopefully she’ll finally crack and send me to Aunt Tilly’s like she’s been threatening for the past month and a half. I am so sick of this place,” she said with extra vehemence. She rolled her eyes to show she meant it. Then she added, “Oh, but I would totally miss you to no end.”
“And I would miss you. That’s why you should go upstairs and dye your hair back to blonde,” said Ember, tucking a piece of her own hair behind her ear. She couldn’t even begin to image the look on her mother’s face if she chopped her auburn curls off and dyed the remnants bright pink. “That hair is a wonderful gift from God. There are women all over the world who kill to have your beautiful color. Oh, and that volume! It’s just gorgeous!” her mother would always say.
“God, Ember. I love you to death, but sometimes you are just no fun,” said Lizzie, giving her a look of disappointment. She rolled her eyes again and went back into the smoke filled house, leaving Ember alone again. Lizzie has always played the part of the dramatic rebel teen. The kind of kid who stays out two hours past curfew and then complains to no end about how her mother overreacted and grounded her for a week. Lizzie’s mom had no idea she attended parties full of boozed up teenagers. Ember knew that Lizzie was just waiting for the perfect moment to piss her mother off with the news. Surprisingly enough, none of these qualities of Lizzie’s really bothered Ember. Sure, they got annoying and very predictable sometimes, but ultimately Ember just found Lizzie to be intriguing.
Ember, on the hand, was Lizzie’s exact opposite. She was brought up to be the epitome of the perfect daughter. She ate more than her fair share of vegetables, did a one hour yoga routine with her mother every night, did all of her homework, and never dyed her hair pink. And she did it all while balancing four different clubs (two of which she was the president) and being the star of every high school play. She knew people called her a “goody-goody” behind her back, but she didn’t care. In fact, she was perfectly content with being the good girl. She didn’t like to cause a scene, and her biggest fear was letting people down, which she knew was completely ridiculous. You can’t please everyone all the time, right? In the end, she found it easier to just do what she was told to the best of her ability. It was a complete enigma as to how Ember and Lizzie became best friends, but it just goes to show that opposites attract. Ember heard the creak of the door opening and looked to see Lizzie walking back out with two waters in her hands. Her hair was still pink.
“Oh. My. God. I just did three shots in a row on a double dog dare, and I think I’m dying,” said Lizzie dramatically. She handed one bottle of water to Ember and took a sip of her own. She screwed the lid back on then said, “So, where’s Hottie McHotpants?” Her breath smelled of alcohol and her words slurred a little at the end.
“Lizzie, you reek,” replied Ember, waving her hand to get rid of the stench.
“That’s not the point. You never answered my question,” said Lizzie.
Ember let out a sigh and said, “If you’re talking about Kyle, I have no idea.”
Kyle Butcher was Ember’s boyfriend. He was tall, dark, and handsome; everything a girl wants in a man. With his bright green eyes, tanned skin, and ruffled blonde hair, he was simply irresistible. Plus, he had a thousand watt smile that could make Cruella DeVille turn to a pile of mush. However, Kyle’s good looks weren’t what attracted Ember to him. It was his attitude.
Kyle always had a contagious air of confidence and understanding. He never judged people, always had time to help out a friend in need, and never got trashed. Ember thought that was a little ironic since Kyle was the main reason she was here at this giant booze fest. He had begged her to come with him and she was no match for his gorgeous, pleading eyes.
“Well, that’s a shame. He is so hot. I just want you to know that half the school hates you right now,” said Lizzie, taking another sip of her water. That was one way Ember knew Lizzie had been drinking; she always became extremely blunt. “Of course I’m talking about the female half,” she added, smiling at Ember. Of course Ember already knew this, but she still loved to hear it. She had no idea why it made her smile, because she truly could care less what the student body thinks of her.
“Yeah. Well, I’m starting to get chilly, so I’m going to go find Kyle,” replied Ember, hopping down off the porch.
Lizzie let out laugh and said, “Okay. When you find him tell him I think he is gorgeous!”
Ember rolled her eyes and laughed. Then, she turned into the house and made her way through the smoky rooms in search of her million dollar man.