Chapter One

Manotinous work enveloped me... No...My journal of my life... Definitely not...She scribble words on her open hand that meant nothing to her, but anything that would pass time would do. Perfect.

"Oh boy. I've got a sentence. Great. If only I could really do some serious writing." Amber sat at her desk in front of her computer. She'd been there for more than half the day trying to think up some lasting idea that would keep her writing chapter after chapter. She hadn't had any real luck even though there would be a sentence here and there that would make her go on for a few paragraphs, but then she'd stop once again.

Amber was a pretty, young 17 year old, who was about 5'5'', and had reddish-brown hair. She wasn't the most popular in school, but many people knew her, and she had a few really close friends that truly understood her. Most of the time she had great confidence, but when it came to boys she was just about as smooth as chunky peanut butter.

"UUUUGGGGH!!" She hit her fist on the desk, but soon regretted it when the pain went threw her hand. "OUCH!! Crap!!"

She sighed with complete annoyance, and began saving her work and putting them into different folders so she could remember where they were.

When they finally come to destroy the earth they’ll have to go through you first, and I bet they wont be expecting that
When they finally come to destroy the earth they’ll have to deal with you first

"CRAP!" Amber began searching about her messy room for her cell phone, as she heard the Ok Go song "Invincible" play.

And my money says they won’t know about the 1000-Fahrenheit hot metal lights behind your eyes

Invincible oh oh oh

That crushing crashing atom smashing white hot things it's invincible

"I'm coming Elix!" She tackled her phone which was laying disowned on her pillow.

"Ello?" Amber answered a bit out of breath.

"About time! What were you doing running a marathon?" Elix laughed from the other end.

"Pffft. Like I'd ever do that! I couldn't find my phone! Haha." She grinned and began picking up stray clothes, that had be discarded onto the floor over the past few weeks, as she held the phone to her ear.

"Go figure. Hey! You'll never believe this! I made me soooo mad."

"Wait don't tell me, it has to do with H-A-I-L-E-Y right?" Amber rolled her eyes knowing the anger, and continued to listen. She had seen this coming eventually.

"YES!! She makes me so mad! I hate this! It was never like this before! She's changed!" Elix was kind of yelling into the phone, but not loud enough for Amber to pull the phone away from her ear.

"I know. I know. High school has changed her a lot, and we knew by the end of freshman year that the friendship wouldn't last or be there by our sophomore year, and we both know how she wedge herself back in last year, and that's the only reason why we have any kind of friendship with her this year. Don't worry it's going to be over soon anyway, her over achieving ass will be graduating next week, and she'll probably never talk to us afterwards."

"Amber, I'm just sick of it. I'm sick of her. I'm sick of her stupid drama, and her stupid boy problems!"

"I know. Both of us were done long ago, and we were ready to let go long ago as well. We both know why we didn't."

"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cause we knew Kelly didn't want to. She wanted to fix what was wrong."

"And she did in a way didn't she? Remember that feel we got while around Hailey near the end of Freshman year? How we couldn't even look at her and try to be nice at the same time without feeling sick? And then after the big blow up it went away, but I think we all knew things would never be the same. Even if we were on good terms."

"Exactly! And we knew that it wouldn't last by that time the next year. I even remember you saying it was the last straw, and the next thing that happened you were going to be done. We both know what happened though." Elix sighed.

At the same time they both said their thoughts," The break up."

There was silence between the two girls, Amber milled over the events of the past few years as she lay in her bed now staring at the ceiling.

"This it ridiculous. I feel as though we're have the same conversation week in and week out." Amber finally said with anger and annoyance in her voice. There was no reply. "Oh god, don't tell me you're watch Scrubs again!"

"Actually, I am." Elix laughed.

"I swear you and that show. I know it's great, but must you really watch it every time we're on the phone? It sucks to feel like I'm talking to a mime." Amber shook her head, but laughed a little as well.

"Oh! So back to what I was saying about getting mad!...Wait hold on..." There was the faint sound of Elix's mom talking to her and a reply from Elix saying, 'Yes mom.'

"You have to get off the phone?" Amber questioned.

"Yes and no. My mom just wants me to go to the store for her, and I don't really want to talk on the phone while driving. I really want to tell you what happened though, so why don't you meet me at Kroger?"

"Hmmm... I could use some getting out of the house. Sure! I'll meet you there." Amber hopped off her bed, and made a face at herself as she look in the mirror. She was still wearing what she'd slept in the night before, and it was now four in the afternoon.

"Alright awesome! I see you there! Bye!"

"Bye." Amber shut her phone.

"Craaap... It's totally a good thing I took a shower last night."

Amber quickly brushed through her hair then put it up in a pony tail with her bangs still hanging out. She then rummaged around her closet for a shirt, quickly finding a red tank top, and then searched her room for a pair of jeans which she found on the floor by her bed.

Eh... nothings on them. No harm there.

After changing as fast as possible Amber ran down the stairs of her house grabbing her keys to her Civic. "Mom! Dad! I'm going to the grocery store to meet up with Elix, do you need anything?"

"No honey. Thank you anyways. Why are you going to the grocery store to meet her?" Her mom came out from the hallway that lead to the garage and her parents bedroom.

"Oh her mom just wants her to get somethings, and she needed to talk to me. Crap with Hailey again." Amber rolled her eyes sighing and continued, "We'll probably go somewhere else after she drops off the stuff for her mom."

"Alright honey. Well be careful." Her mom sighed, and gave Amber a tight hug.

Smiling and hugging her mom back," Will do mom."

Grabbing her wallet off the kitchen island, Amber said a final goodbye, and walked out into to garage.She walking a little down the driveway where her car was parked, and got in.

Amber's POV:

I hadn't hung out with Elix outside of school for a while now, and to top it off I was happy to be getting out of the house. Sure the whole time I'd probably hear about Hailey, but maybe it won't been so bad. Hailey hasn't been there for us for a while anyway. She began slipping away our freshman year, which was a little over a year after she'd gotten engaged to her boyfriend of a few months. Don't worry it's cool she'd known him all her life, and he's just five years older then her. Not. A. Problem. Sarcasm is a bitch.

I can't honestly make this about him though. I don't have anything against Paul. He's really actually a great guy, but I think he should be a man sometimes and get angry about the things Hailey's done to him. With that said Hailey isn't really in the right mind set. She thrives on sympathetic attention, and we've come to learn the weird voice that she gets when she's lying.

I sighed as I slowed to a stop. I looked out my right side window, and then back to the stop light. I suddenly had to turn my head to the right again when I realized who was next to me in her yellow bug. Grinning like an idiot I honked my horn, and then waved overly excited to a surprised Elix. She laughed then repeated what I had done. I jumped when I heard honking behind me, and I looked up to see the light had turned green.

Whoops.

Elix is just about 5'2'', and has gorgeous big brown eyes with dark long eyelashes. Her hair has natural big curls and is dark brown. She's pretty blunt most of the time, and when she tells some one off she tells them good. That's why you never make her mad. Or rant for that matter. If any good has come out of Hailey practically shutting us out from her life, it's that it has brought both Elix and me closer then ever.

Elix and I laughed as we walked into the store, and began making our way around so Elix could pick up all the things her mom had wanted her to get, which was just some simple things like; milk, eggs, tortillas, dried hot red peppers, etc. Did I forget to say Elix is half Mexican? Her mom makes some of the best Mexican food I've ever had, so I get pretty excited when I come and hang out with Elix. But, that's not where I was going with any of this.

"Hey, Elix?" I asked as I poked at a loaf of bread that was in a weird shape.

"No it's not an alien baby." She said monotonously.

Laughing," I wasn't going to ask that. I was going to ask you to spill."

"Oh! Right, wow I totally just forgot why I asked you to come with me." She hit her palm on her head, then continued, " Well I was walking through the hall the other day. You know the one over by the art rooms? Anyway, I passed Hailey in there, when she stopped me. She said that she's back with Paul. That she "couldn't live without him", and that if we "couldn't except it" we weren't to be her friends anymore!" Elix threw a bag of bread in the basket she was carrying angrily.

My face held a mixture of shock, disgust, and soon anger, as I thought over what Elix had said. "WHAT!?" An old woman near by turned and looked at me funny.

"Yeah. I know." She gritted her teeth, and continued to walk to a different isle.

"But...But. ELIX! WE NEVER CARED!! Everything that happened was NEVER because of him! EVER! She's the one that changed BOTH after getting engaged, and the break up!!" This was one of very rare occasions I showed exactly how angered I was.

"Shhhh! Amber! People are looking. Calm down. I know how you feel. My mom says she's just trying to make up excuses as to why things went for the worst for them the first time." Elix looked around, there were people who look around to the entrance of the isle to see what was the big deal.

I sighed know she was right, but it didn't stop the anger that still boiled through my blood. "Elix. Remember that time that I said it was the last straw? Consider the straw gone. From this point on, I'm done. Officially."

Elix nodded her head quietly. I knew she didn't have anything to say, and that's why she kept quiet. She agreed with me, so she knew that there's no need getting me more fired up. I gave her a hug, which she returned laughing at my weirdness.

"Hey! How about after we get all the stuff for my mom, and I drop it off at my house. We go meet up at the mall?"

"Pfffft...Heck yes! I'm up for that!"

I parked close to the front entrance of the mall, and got out locking my car. I decided to go looking around in a jewelry store near the food court, and I began looking at the same silver gold necklace with a simple heart shaped locket on it that I'd been look at for months.

"Hello, Amber. Looking at it again?" Garret smiled at me from behind the counter. He was wearing his usual suit with no tie, and had his hair spiked up a bit. He always looked hansom and clean cut, and most of the time had a certain happy gleam in his eyes. To bad he's gay.

"Yup." Amber sighed. "I totally need to get another job."

"Babe, you don't need another job. You need a boyfriend." Garret laughed. The thing I loved about him is that he would seem straight to anyone who didn't really know him. He was voice was deep and manly, and he was also pretty muscular.

"Me? Have a boyfriend?" I scoffed. " You're speaking of something I haven't had since my freshman year when I decided I didn't really like anyone."

He raised an eyebrow at me,"No one?" He looked around the store to see if anyone else was there, and grabbed a chair and sat down when there was no one in sight.

"No one. I mean. I had this boyfriend through out the summer before ninth, and I really liked him. I'd known him since I was in seventh grade, but when we got into school, it was like he was some one else, and he just kind of annoyed me. It was the guy I knew from the summer that I really liked, not this new guy. So I ended it about two or three weeks into school. After that I didn't want a relationship, I had hurt his feels pretty bad." I took a breath in and let it out.

"Ooooh wow. That sucks." Garret frowned.

Laughing I said, "Oh that's not all. A few months after that I had this guy friend, he really wanted to date me, but I had told him I didn't want a relationship. Then he bugged me so much about getting together, that I said yes." I cringed kind of disgusted with myself.

"Wasn't a good relationship?" He noticed that face I made.

"Nope. He was a complete dumb ass, and apparently thought I was one too because he would tell me all these lies. Which, when I called him out on it he denied completely. He didn't really know me like he thought he did, and it really made me mad when he'd try to predict how I'd react to things. He was always wrong of course, which didn't help his case much. Finally, after a month I just couldn't stand it, and broke up with him. I had realized I never really like him."

"Wow. Harsh. So you've liked no one since that guy from that summer?"

"Nope. We that's a lie." I laugh. "I did like this really suave guy for a bit, he was the real definition of tall, dark, and handsom. But I messed that one up, and came to find out it was just a little crush."

"Ooooh, what color were his eyes?" Garret got interested at the sound of this.

"They were this gorgeous blue gray, and he had longish blonde hair...it was a little curly too." I smirked when I saw Garret's nose scrunch up.

"You know I don't like men with curly hair. Why would you ruin my fun of thinking this man was gorgeous!?" He laughed jokingly.

"Hmmm...come to think of it. I think he's about your age now. He was two years older then me." I shrugged.

"Oh baby." He winked. "I guess I better just be looking out for this man, and hope he's changed his preferences."

"Garret! Shut up." I laughed and grinned at him. "Hey. I better get going. I think Elix will be here soon, so I'll need to go find her."

"Right you are Amber, but never fear!! For I am here!" Elix laughed walking into the store. "Hi, Garret."

"Hey, Elix. So any boys chasing after you and your gorgeous self?" Garret asked.

"Pfft. No. Maybe I should dress like a skank, so then maybe I'll have some more luck." She rolled her eyes.

"Don't even. I think Amber AND me would kick your ass if you ever did that! You only get crappy men that way." Garret glared.

"Hey now. I was only joking!" Elix laughed. A couple walked into the store they looked about in their mid-twenties.

"Welp, I guess we better get going, and let you work Garret." I said smiling.

"Alright girls, I'll see you later." He waved to us and began walking over to the couple.

"Bye!" We said in unison.

"So this is pretty crazy." Elix held up a zebra stripe and flower designed shirt.

"Oh my god! WHAT IS THAT THING!!" I began laughing hysterically.

"I have no clue, but I'm done with this store lets go some where else. You're turn to choose." Elix wiped away a tear of laughter.

"AWESOME! F.Y.E. it is then!" I quickly linked arms with Elix, and began skipping to the exit from the store back into the mall.

"Girl, you're crazy. Oh! You know who works there now?"

"No..." I looked at her curiously. "Who?"

"Dustin. I wonder if he's working--" Elix's voice faded, and I didn't really listen to what else she might have to say.

Immediately my heart began to race, and I got a nervous feeling in my stomach. Dustin was tall and thin, and had gorgeous facial features. His hair was black and shaggy, and grown down a little passed his ears. Pretty much he was friends with friends of mine, so I've only ever seen him, never spoke with him. He was usually very quiet, and didn't say much, but when he did he'd always have a smile placed on his lips. The feeling I was having now was the feeling I got every other day in school when I'm walking to class, and I realize he's walking close behind me.

"Amber!!" I hit into a soda machine landing on my back.

"Aaaaagggh..." I winced in pain as I lay on the floor. I could hear a few people laughing. Jerks.

"Wow. Are you okay?" Elix stood over me stifling her laughing, and began helping me up.

"Thanks for warning me. Oh go ahead. Laugh. Laugh you big meanie." I glared jokingly then began to laugh at my own stupidity.

"I can't believe you did that!" Elix laughed with me.

"Me either!" I winced touching my forehead. "Ah, I'm totally going to get a freaking bruise from this."

"No doubt. Now come on! Let's go look at some music."

Crap. What? I glanced over to the right, and notice we were practically right in front of the F.Y.E. This. Sucks. I could see inside clearly through the glass front walls, and see that some guy in the store had just nudged Dustin and pointed at me laughing. This. Really. Sucks.