So picture this; my boyfriend just dumped me and I’m starting my seven km walk home in two and a half inch heals and in a strapless dress. I’m not in the best mood. He dumped me! Allan dumped me! Okay, so the relationship wasn’t too serious, and it wasn’t like I was in love with him or anything, but I was just pissed off that he’d dumped me.

He’d taken me out for a nice dinner after the school awards ceremony, and told me then.

You’re really nice, and I still want to be friends, but I’ve had my eye on someone else for a while...

“Friends”, my ass.

I was royally pissed off.

He had told me after diner was done so I didn’t even have the pleasure of embarrassing him and storming out during the middle of dinner. No he had told me in the parking lot.

Jackass.

Of course, I wouldn’t let his parents drive me home. I had no money on me, no cell phone and flat out refused to ask to borrow his, so I was stuck with walking home.

Oh, I hated him.

Part of me wondered why I had to be so proud. Why hadn’t I just let his parents pick us up, so that I wouldn’t break my neck walking home in two and a half in heals? Because then I would be giving in, letting him win. I wouldn’t do that, not if it killed me. It probably would, seeing how I had to walk at least seven kilometers to my house. The evening would no doubt end with me tripping, falling and my neck snapping in two.

Why, why, why?!

At least I knew the way; straight along the boulevard. The down point was I couldn’t take off my shoes, because broken glass and gravel littered the sidewalk for the most part. Speaking of down, I’m not going down. It’s pretty much uphill the whole way to my house. Did I mention that I’m wearing a coral strapless dress that’s slightly too big for me and tends to slip down if I move too much? Well I am. I was planning on sitting through an awards ceremony where I wouldn’t win anything and then a dinner where I’d just have to sit and eat, not a hike. A convertible drove past with some college guys in it, probably on their way to a party; they yelled out cat calls and honked the horn as they drove past.

I scowled, gave them the finger and pulled up my dress further to keep it from sliding down my chest, exposing too much cleavage for my liking. Okay, I’m not drop dead gorgeous- as you might expect form the things they yelled- but I’ll admit, when I spend more than 18 seconds to get ready, I don’t look half bad. I could turn a few heads if I wanted to, but I don’t. I’m all about practicality.

Never again.

The next date I went on, it was a tank top and shorts, like every other day, nothing special, no dresses and no heals.

How the hell did movie stars pull this off?!

A truck slowed down beside me.

Okay, so I’m a bit paranoid when it comes to things like this, and tend to get hysterical if I don’t force myself to stay cool. I suppressed the urge to run, and just kept walking.

“Hey, you want a ride?” came a guy’s voice from inside.

RAPE! Was the fist thing to come to mind, why did I have to think like that?

“No thanks,” I said, instead of looking at the guy I just looked ahead. “My house is just around the corner.”

“No it’s not, what are you talking about?”

AH! HE KNOWS WHERE I LIVE! STALKER! I looked over at the truck and tried to see who was inside, but it was too dark. Did I mention it was like 9:30 at night? Yea, it adds to the fun tremendously.

“Sorry, I don’t accept rides from strangers.”

I noticed that the truck seemed familiar, really big and green...

He flicked on the light inside the truck so that I could see his face.

“Look, Annie, I know we don’t know each other all that well, but we’ve been neighbors for two years now.”

I gaped; “Matt?!”

Oh my god... it was the hottie from across the street! The guy I would stare at as he jumped on his trampoline, as he skateboarded, mowed the law, walked the dog, made skateboard ramps...

I do not stalk him, in case you’re wondering. He just happens to live across the street and I just happen to love reading outside on the front step. I do turn the pages most of the time, so that counts as reading, right? But he’s just so much more fun to look at than words...

Oh my god, he drives now... Be still my beating heart! There was something unbelievably hot about guys who drove... or maybe that was just me being my ninth grader self, wishing I was old enough to drive. Whatever, same difference.

I didn’t even know he knew my name.

BREAKTHROUGH!

“Oh,” he laughed. “I was starting to think I was offering someone I didn’t know a ride, from the way you reacted.”

“I just didn’t realize it was you, its dark out.”

“You look different... I was pretty sure it was you though.”

“Yea, I got my hair cut,” I said, running my hand through the short spikes. “I cut it off for a wig company that makes wigs for cancer.”

“Wow, that’s really nice of you... So do you want a ride after all? Seeing how I’m going past your house anyways?”

“Sure,” I said. Now that knew it was him, I didn’t have a problem. I opened the door and stepped in.

“You look...” he looked at me. “Nice. Where were you?”

“Oh, I was on a date.”

“Then why are you all by yourself?”

“Oh, my boyfriend dumped me.”

“And he didn’t offer to drive you home?” he said, putting the truck back in drive.

I smiled and crossed my arms in front of my chest, “I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.”

He laughed; “So you’re one of those girls, aren’t you?”

“One of what girls? I just wouldn’t let his parents drive me home after he dumped me.”

He smiled as he drove, “You don’t seem too broken up over it.”

“Oh, I don’t really care if I have a boyfriend or not, I’m just angry that he did it after dinner, I mean, what was the point of taking me out?”

“Better than over the phone,” he said.

“I guess...” I said. “You’re really nice.” I said.

He just smiled; “Thanks.”

I felt like we’d been friends for ages, he was really easy to talk to.

“Thanks for letting me spill my guts,” I said, as we turned up our street.

“No problem, any time you want to talk, I’m free to listen.”

“Really? You’re not too busy? You never seem to be home.”

“Nah, I’m there, I just spend most of the time in the garage working on ramps.”

“Oh, cool,” I said. “So you don’t mind if I go over sometimes to just... talk?”

“Nope,” he said. “It’ll be nice to have some company.”

“You’re amazing.” I sated. He laughed. “Thank you so much for driving me home and listening.”

“Not a problem at all,” he said, pulling into my driveway.

“See you around,” I said, smiling and hopped out of the truck.

“Bye,” he said and pulled out of the driveway, and backed into his own. I walked to the front door and let myself in. I turned around and half closed he door, looking through the crack so that he couldn’t see me watching him. He was standing in the driveway and turned to walk up to the house. No doubt he had been making sure I got inside.

I smiled and closed the door completely. I walked into my room and changed into my pajamas. Finally, clothes I would move in! I went to the bathroom a washed off my make up and brushed my teeth. I would have a shower in the morning; I was too tiered now... I walked into my room and closed the closet. I went forwards and jumped on my bed. I had this weird thing where I didn’t like to put my feet near the bottom of the bed; it was because of monsters, one monster in fact; my cat. As stupid as it sounded, my cat was a monster. She enjoyed jumping out from under my bed and attacking my feet, it was cute to see, but freaking scary to experience. I opened the window and turned out the light. I could hear the wind blowing as I drifted off to sleep.