Rumor Has It (Chapter 5)

The next day, the girls agreed with Madeline’s plan. They waited until lunch to see the plan in progress. The Cow Belles had the same lunch period as the girls so it was perfect. When Pamela got up to get a snack from one of the vending machines, Madeline approached the sole Mauricia, who was nibbling on her lunch.
“Hey, Mauricia,” Madeline greeted her politely, putting her hands behind her back.
Mauricia looked up and was immediately disgusted. She rolled her eyes before standing up. “What do you want, ex-friend?” she asked, crossing her arms.
“I wanted to tell you how great you look in that outfit.”
Maurica flipped her short, dark hair. “I know. Why are you kissing my butt cheeks?”
“Look, I’m sorry that I used to be your friend and now I’m not your friend. I’m only friends with those... basic girls just so they could get off my back. You know how jealous people be jocking us.”
Mauricia giggled. “You’re right. You’re right about that.”
“I just want to be friends with you two again. You girls were fun, a riot. Like I am so jelly about how close you two are. I bet you guys never lie to each other about anything. I mean, anything!”
“Well, that’s not totally true. But we’re super duper close. Like, super duper.”
“You guys can’t be super duper close if you’re lying to each other.”
“Well, I don’t know if Pamela lies to me but I am def’ guilty.”
“Listen, I can’t be besties with someone who lies to their bestie.”
“Okay, what if I tell you my lie to make you feel better. Huh? Would that make you feel better?”
“Uh, it def’ would!”
“Okay. So one time, I was supposed to go over Pamela’s house to watch a movie or something. But I called her that night and told I couldn’t come because I stubbed my toe. Actually, I didn’t stub my toe. I went out to dinner with Patrick Monaghan. The reason I didn’t tell Pamela was because Patrick was her crush for four years since seventh grade.”
“Ooh! You bad girl!”
“I know, right? I mean if she wasn’t going to date him, why can’t I? It’s like the pursuit of happiness, you know?”
“And did you ever see him again?”
“Ah, a few times, but it was nothing serious.”
“You go, girl.”
Afterwards, Pamela walked up to Mauricia with a little bag of vegetable chips. She had a face of complete confusion mixed with anger.
“Uh, Mauricia, why are you talking to the skank of Laguna?” she asked.
Madeline rolled her lips inside her mouth and tried to ignore that comment.
“It’s okay, Pamela,” said Mauricia. “She wants to be one of us now... again.”
“Really?” asked Pamela before looking at Madeline. “You want to be friends with us again?”
“Uh, no,” Madeline said, shaking her head and crossing her arms.
“No?” repeated Mauricia. “What do you mean? You said you wanted to be friends with us.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“We just had a whole conversation.”
“I don’t remember.”
“You don’t remember. What are you, dumb?”
“No, you are.”
“Hey!” said Pamela, stepping closer. “Don’t call my sister dumb.”
“I’m not sure she’s your sister with all the lies she’s telling you.”
“What are you talking about? Mauricia never lies to me.”
“Oh, yeah? We’ll see about that.”
Madeline stuck her hand inside her shirt, grossing out the Cow Belles. She eventually pulled out what seemed to be a tape recorder. She started pressing the buttons on the side of the recorder, causing a rewinding sound. Then the recorder started playing audio of Mauricia speaking.
“So one time, I was supposed to go over Pamela’s house to watch a movie or something. But I called her that night and told I couldn’t come because I stubbed my toe. Actually, I didn’t stub my toe. I went out to dinner with Patrick Monaghan.”
Pamela gasped with her jaw dropping as low as it could. “You went out with my Patrick Monaghan on our movie night?”
Mauricia giggled nervously. “You never went out with him so I thought it would be okay.”
“If you thought it would be okay, why didn’t you tell me about it?”
“Uh, I forgot?”
“No, you didn’t! You knew I liked Patrick and you’d gone out with him?”
“I’m sorry! I just bumped into him one day and he looked good. He was glistening like some god.”
“I don’t want to hear about that! You lied to me!”
“I was gonna tell you someday.” Mauricia then looked at Madeline and uttered through her teeth, “And why did you tattle on me? I told you all that in confidence.”
“When were you going to tell me? Because I know it had to happen more than a year ago.”
“Seriously. A tape recorder? What are you, a cop? You’re such a ho... and a cop. You’re like—What was that movie Pam Grier was in? Foxy Brown. You’re Foxy Brown. Wait, was Foxy Brown a cop?”
“This is no time for movies. You had a chance to watch a movie with me and you blew me off for Patrick Monaghan!”
“Why would you do this, Madeline?”
“I don’t know,” shrugged Madeline. “I guess I’m a two-timer.”
Madeline strutted away as Pamela and Mauricia continued to argue. She walked towards her friends like a hot woman working at the office while her girls were laughing and cheering her on. When she was close enough to her table, she dropped the tape recorder on top. The girls flinched and leaned away from the small machine.
“Ew, nobody wants to touch your boob recorder,” said Skye.

Rumor Has It (Chapter 4)

Throughout that whole school day, the girls were furious. Everyone was spreading rumors about them, calling them names from "two-timer" to a "witch". They knew that everyone was going to refer them as such for a long time because the Cow Belles would remind them. So the only way for the rumors to stop was to confront the Cow Belles and convince them to stop running their mouths. Therefore, after school, Andrea looked for the Cow Belles like some crocodile hunter. When she found them, using all of her strength, she dragged the two girls through the halls into Room 230. The room was empty but the rest of the girls were waiting inside. Andrea closed the door menacingly then walked over to her friends so they could all confront the Belles together.
"What did you bring us here for!" asked Mauricia, Cow Belle #1.
"You're, like, a psycho!" said Pamela, Cow Belle #2.
"We're psycho?" asked Skye.
"Yes, Puny McShort-shrimp," said Mauricia.
Skye scowled.
"You started nasty rumors about us," reminded Madeline. "You made everyone think I am some two-timer."
"Everyone thinks I'm bulimic," said Lizzie. "I eat food. And when I do, I keep it in. Unless it wants to come out the other way but sometimes, it doesn't want to so--"
"T.M.I., Liz'. T.M.I."
"You told everyone I wear butt pads," said Andrea. "And that's not true. Everything is a hundred percent natural, honey, okay?" She waved her hand over her butt cheek.
"You said that I practice sorcery," said Skye. "And now, everyone thinks that I'm gonna put voodoo on them or something, which is so stupid. Everyone believes in the zombie apocalypse and now they want to believe in magic? Magicians aren't real, people!"
"And you told everyone that I'm a stoner," said Debra, "which is not new. I've been called a stoner many times before. But I'm not!"
"So what if you're not who people think you are?" asked Pamela. "People will still think so."
"That's because you're gonna keep telling them," said Skye.
"Oh, gosh, you know us so well," smiled Mauricia.
"Stop the rumors," Madeline demanded.
"No," answered Pamela.
"Okay, I'm gonna ask again. Stop the rumors."
"No," Mauricia answered this time.
"Pretty please with sugar on top?!"
"No way," scoffed Pamela.
"People are loving us right now," mentioned Mauricia.
"And it's because they have no reason to love you."
"So everyone is going to think that you're two-timers."
"And everyone is going to think that you have butt pads--"
Andrea screamed in fury. As she screamed, she ran towards Pamela and took her into a chokehold. Pamela screamed as Andrea bent her back, squeezing Pamela's neck with her arm. Pamela held onto Andrea's arm, trying to pull it off but she was too weak. Andrea was stronger, looking like a mad ape.
Mauricia ordered, "Get off of my friend, you--"
Andrea dropped Pamela and screamed like an ape would. Pamela laid on the floor, helpless on her back. Andrea charged after Mauricia and clotheslined her, knocking her over by striking Mauricia in the chest using her arm. Mauricia fell hard on her back. The girls even flinched when they saw how hard Mauricia fell.
But Andrea was not done yet. She grabbed Pamela by the expensive clothing and picked her up. Then she chucked her on top of Mauricia. After that, Andrea began attacking the Cow Belles at the same time. Madeline thought that Andrea had done enough and decided to break up the mess. She ran over to the trio and stuck her arms under Andrea's armpits. She lifted Andrea up in a struggle then successfully dragged her over to their friends.
The Cow Belles, in pain, tried to help each other get up. They wobbled a bit as they stood but soon found their balance.
"Why are you always hurting us?" shouted Pamela.
"Because I feel like it," Andrea replied.
"Listen, all we are asking is for you two to stop spreading rumors," confessed Debra.
"Yeah, so stop spreading lies or we'll report you to the principal," threatened Madeline.
"Uh, if you do that, we'll report you to the principal," said Mauricia. "And we have the bruises to prove what you did."
"Oh, yeah, that's right. So I guess we won't tell on you."
“We’re going to remember this,” promised Pamela. “And because we’re going to remember this, we won’t stop spreading rumors.”
“So we’re gonna leave, go home and ice our backs,” added Mauricia.
Pamela put her hand on Mauricia’s back to lead to the doors. When the Cow Belles exited, the girls looked at each other for references.
“So what are we going to do?” asked Lizzie. “Since beating them down didn’t work.”
Madeline snapped her fingers then pointed. “We can go to Calvin.”
“No, we cannot go to Calvin,” said Skye.
“He helped us with the Cow Belles before in the past.”
“So what are we going to say to him? Start a rumor about the Cow Belles?”
“Yeah, you don’t know what he could do for us. He loves me.”
“But if we start a rumor about them, they’ll make up another rumor about us,” Debra figured out. “Then it will start a pattern. We don’t want to be a part of a pattern.”
“Do you know what pattern we won’t be a part of?” asked Andrea. “Me socking them ‘cause they don’t know how to fight back.”
“You can’t keep socking them, Andrea. Okay, we need another plan.”
Madeline began to nod. “Okay. Okay, I got it.”
“What do you got?” questioned Skye. “Because we can’t read your mind. We’re not Carrie or Spock or whoever reads minds.”

Rumor Has It (Chapter 3)

    "Look at this," Madeline demanded, flattening out the school newspaper on the girls' lunch table. "Just look. Look at this."
    Madeline stood up straight as the girls observed the inside of the paper.
    "Mads, it's a newspaper," Lizzie noted.
    "I know what it is!" said Madeline. "I'm talking about the top of page six."
    "It's a picture of you," said Skye. "Big whoop."
    Madeline sat down in her usual spot. "It's not just a picture of me. It's a picture of me hugging Jackson under 'Laguna's Loveliest Lovebirds'."
    "Oh, that's what you're upset about," noticed Debra. "You're still seeing Jackson?"
    "Yes. I mean no!"
    "Then why does page six imply that you're with Jackson?" asked Andrea.
    "I don't know! But I'm not with Jackson."
    "Then why were you hugging him?" questioned Debra.
    "Because we're friends! Can a girl hug a boy?"
    "Sure," replied Skye, "if a girl doesn't mind that the boy's only hugging her just to feel her breasts on his chest."
    "That is not why Jackson was hugging me. He was thanking me for helping him pick flowers for Priya, who thinks I'm cheating on my 'boyfriend' with my boyfriend."
    "I'm not following," admitted Lizzie.
    "Then follow this. All of Homer's friends keep coming up to me, giving me dirty looks and calling me a two-timer. I am a one-timer, thank you very much. That's supposed to me and Homer on page six."
    "Well, who took the picture?" asked Skye.
    "I don't know. That's what driving me so crazy!" Madeline banged on the table. "Someone must've seen us hugging and snapped a picture successfully because our eyes were obviously closed. I don't know if it was one of Jackson's friends; I know it's not you guys. But whoever it is, it's gonna go down."
    "Please. You can't even hurt a fly. Flies hurt you."
    "Does it say who turned in the picture?" asked Andrea.
    "I don't know," responded Madeline. "Let me see." Madeline lowered herself closer to the paper and read the italic note under the text, "Photographs provided by Sady Zealand, Geoff Fowl, and... Pamela McAdams." She growled as she furiously slapped the paper.
    "Figures," said Skye. "Figures, figures, figures."
    "Tramp, tramp, tramp!" Madeline uttered, banging the table three times.
    "Why do those freakin' Cow Belles always have to ruin our lives?"
    "It's not our lives. It's my life."
    "Oh, then we're good."
    "This is some bull crap," commented Andrea. "Do you want me to Picasso their faces up?"
    "You will do nothing to their faces," commanded Debra. "Madeline, this is just one newspaper article."
    "Yeah, but it gives out all these intimate details about me and Jackson that just aren't true. But everyone believes it because it's in here. This is changing my life."
    "It's just one rumor. Don't worry, it will go away."
    After Debra said that, two girls slowly walked past the friends' table. They captured a glimpse of the girls and start gossiping to one another. 
    "There goes the two-timer," said one of the girls.
    "And look," the other girl started, "she's friends with the Latina with the butt pads."
    "And the bulimic and the black stoner."
    "Don't forget the pink-haired witch."
    "Oh, yeah. Let's hurry up; I don't want to walk into some voodoo."
    The two girls sprinted away with the friends watching them go. Then the friends started making shocked faces to themselves. They just couldn't believe what seemed to be everybody was talking about them, especially in the wrong way.
    "I'm about to Picasso four girls," admitted Andrea.

Rumor Has It (Chapter 2)

    Next week, it was another normal day at school. The bell rang so every student walked out of class to go to the next. Madeline walked through the halls alone that time. As she walked, she saw Homer coming her way. She smiled at him, trying to catch his eye. When she approached him, the couple stayed close to the lockers.
    "Hey, babe," she said. "How was your day?"
    "Don't you 'hey, babe' me," Homer said, a bit angry.
    "What?"
    "You don't think I know?"
    "Know what?"
    "How about I show you?"
    "Please."
    Homer took the strap of his deep blue backpack from his arm so it could hang like a purse. He unzipped the bag and jammed his hand inside. He yanked out a folded-up newspaper and unfolded it to look for a page. When he got to it, he showed Madeline what he was angry about.
    "Babe, that's a newspaper," said Madeline.
    "I know that! I'm talking about what's on page six."
    Madeline looked closely at the sixth page of the paper. And there it was. There was a picture of her, along with a few more pictures, hugging Jackson in black and white. And above that picture was the big-as-day title: Laguna's Loveliest Lovebirds.
    "Okay, 'Loveliest Lovebirds' is not that clever of a title," Madeline commented.
    "Madeline!"
    "Relax! I'm not dating Jackson."
    "Oh, so you know his name?"
    "If I didn't know his name, why would I be hugging him?"
    "Well-- Well, I don't know. But why were you hugging him?"
    "Because he was thanking me for picking out flowers for him to give to Priya Najimi, the girl of his dreams."
    "Oh. I didn't know."
    "Yeah, you didn't."
    "But this article says you guys are in a long-term relationship."
    "So you're gonna believe a piece of smelly paper over your girlfriend? Look, Jackson and I have been friends for a while. And whoever wrote the stupid article probably knew that. But nothing ever happened between us. And nothing is ever gonna happen between us because I'm with you... idiot."
    Homer put the newspaper down and did some thinking. "Okay, so what you're saying is... if you weren't with me, you'd be with Jackson?"
    "No. What-- No! No! I don't want to be with Jackson! He is a friend. Can't you understand that?"
    "Okay, okay. Sorry. It's just that the paper said you were with somebody and I almost lost my mind."
    "Uh, almost? But you're right. Don't feel bad; you had every right to be angry. So once I find out who wrote this, I'm gonna kill them."
    "You go do that."
    "Thank you. And just know that no one can ever steal me away from you."
    "Aw, thanks, babe."
    "I feel bad for Jackson, though. He probably hates me now if he ever saw this picture."
    "Well, if he's a true friend, he'll understand."
    "Thank you, Homer."
    "So I got to get to class. Chat later?"
    "Sure."
    "Okay." Homer took Madeline's head with both of his hands and pecked her on the forehead. "Bye, baby!" he said as he sprinted away.
    "I miss you already," Madeline shouted back with a smile.
    When Madeline turned to walk the other way, she was face-to-face with a girl. The girl had light tan skin, dark hair as long as a night, and a slightly bony body. She put her fists on her hips and stared at Madeline with the eyes of a tiger.
    "You ain't no good," the girl said.
    She then walked away, strutting down the hall like some model.
    Madeline turned her head and shouted, "You're the one with my peonies, Priya!"

Rumor Has It (Chapter 1)

    It was a regular, sunny day at Laguna Beach High School. Students were scrambling up and down the halls to transition into their next classes. The morning was slowly approaching the afternoon and Madeline was chatting with a friend. Not one of her girlfriends, a boy friend. It was Jackson Lowe, her former crush since sophomore year. Even though the two once had feelings for each other, they still remained good friends. Madeline saw through Jackson's pleasant body odor and ravishing good looks as she was enamored with her longest-term boyfriend, Homer Anderson. Nevertheless, Madeline walked with Jackson through the hallway of the second floor, shooting the breeze.
    "Are you sure I can't use baby's breath?" asked Jackson.
    "Positively, absolutely, you cannot," answered Madeline.
    "I'm confused why I can't use baby's breath."
    "It's a bad flower."
    "Says who?"
    "Carrie Bradshaw."
    Jackson chuckled. "That's bogus. But you're right: peonies are good flowers. Peonies are pretty flowers."
    "It's true. I've been called a peony before and let me tell you: it was not an insult."
    "Do you think Priya would like them?"
    "Of course. It's romantic. It's a romantic gesture. You're giving someone flowers that are just as pretty as they are. Girls love flowers... except for baby's breath."
    "Ha, you might be right. I just want her to say yes to the date."
    "Jackson, she will say yes. I mean, look at you. You are such a catch. Look at your luscious hair, your mesmerizing eyes, your adorable smile-- Hold on, I'm getting breathless."
    Jackson laughed, which made Madeline laugh, too. "Thanks, Madeline. You've been so cool about helping me find the courage to ask Priya out."
    "Of course, of course. I love helping people ask people on a date. Dating is so much fun. I love dating! I used to date different guys, like, all the time. Sorry, I hope that didn't make me sound like a whore."
    "Oh, it's fine. You're not a whore."
    "Thank you! You know what? I think 'not a whore' is the best compliment to give somebody."
    Jackson laughed again. "Thanks for everything. You know, you are, like, the only friend I have whose a girl whom I like in a platonic way."
    "Aw! I like you in a platonic way, too."
    The two stopped so they could hug each other. While they were hugging with their eyes closed, a flash went off. The two let go of each other, smiling at one another, never even noticing the burst of light.
    "See you, Madeline," said Jackson before walking away.
    "Bye, Jackson," Madeline waved. "Remember: peonies for Priya. Baby's breath, see ya!"

Smile for the Mugshot (Chapter 5)

The silence between Debra and Kyle were killing the both of them. Debra didn't know if she wanted to be with Kyle anymore. And Kyle was mad at Debra for expressing her disappointment in him. But deep down, they still loved each other, despite of their perks. So Kyle was the first one to break the ice. He approached her and said:
"Debra, can I speak to you alone?"
Debra looked left and right before saying, "We're in a locked cell with two other people."
"Okay. Lizzie, can I have your seat so I can speak to Debra?"
"Of course," replied Lizzie. "But I'm not speaking to Donald."
"No one's asking you to."
Lizzie uncrossed her legs and stood up, getting off of the bench. She walked over to an empty corner of the cell, away from Donald, who couldn't stop looking at her. Kyle sat on the spot of the bench where Lizzie sat. He locked his fingers together and slouched over, resting his elbows on top of his thighs.
"I'm sorry that we're in here," he said. "It's my fault that Donald brought drugs in my car. If he didn't do so, we wouldn't be here. But the bag was in my car so I take the blame. However, I don't want you to see me differently because of who I'm friends with. My friends do not define who I am, despite our common interests. I love Donald but I will never be like him. I don't want to be him. He's... whatever he is. But I would never ever do something that would change people's perspectives of me. I know I don't want you thinking that you dated the wrong person. I'm not perfect but I love you and I dreamed of this moment to come. And by 'moment', I don't mean us being in jail." Kyle gently held Debra's hands inside his palms. "I will do anything to regain your trust back. Anything. But if I could prevent this moment right very now, I would if I could."
"And by 'anything', he means sexual favors," Donald blurted out.
"Donald, I will kill you."
"You're sorry?" asked Debra quietly.
"Very deeply sorry."
"Then I forgive you."
Kevin shortly exhaled out of awe. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. I love you. I can never hate you."
"So we're still together?"
"Yes."
Kyle cupped Debra's cheeks with his hands. "Oh, Debra. I couldn't be any happier."
Just when he said that, Madeline poked her head through the open door of the office. She knocked on the door to grab the desk lady's attention. When the lady's eyes were on her, Madeline said:
"Hi, I'm Madeline King. I was told to come here for Lizzie and Debra."
"I can," Debra said, responding to Kyle's statement. She threw Kyle's hands off her cheeks and ran over to the steel bars. Lizzie ran next to Debra and they both held on the bars. "Madeline, you're here!"
"Oh, Maddie, Maddie, Maddie!" Lizzie cheered, hopping up and down.
"Hi, guys," Madeline waved, walking closer to the desk. "You look so fierce behind those bars."
"Thanks!"
Madeline faced the woman behind the desk. "So how much is bail?"
"Well, those four are in here for drug possession which is, no matter how you look at it, pretty serious," answered the lady. "And they have claimed to be eighteen years old, which is legal age. So bail is kind of questionable."
"Well, those four go to high school and live with their parents so I wouldn't count them as adults if I were you. But that's fair. I'm just letting you know that I'm loaded with cash and I will wait until twelve to get them out."
"Okay, although there was only one small bag of drugs found in the car, those four have to take sobriety tests before we let them out of the station. If they pass, they still would have to go to court about what happened. After that is a few consequences."
Lizzie made a sad face, commencing to weep. "Why can't I just go home?!"
"You're gonna go home, princess. You'll just have lots of explaining to do with your parents since you still live with them."
"So there's nothing I can do?" questioned Madeline.
"Actually, there is. If they all pass the sobriety tests, they're gonna need a ride home because we have to provoke that Asian's license."
"You know this Asian's got a name," said Kyle.
"Yeah but I don't care to know."
"So they just need to car ride?" Madeline clarified.
"Absolutely, Legally Blonde."
"You don't got to call me names."
"Oh, Madeline, thanks for coming," said Debra.
Madeline walked over to the cell. "Of course, Debs'. However, I got to figure out a way to put the fifty thousand dollars back in my mother's purse."
"Your mother carries fifty thousand dollars in her purse?"
"Of course. She works as a buyer."
"Oh, I can't stay here, Madeline," confessed Lizzie. "This cell is too small. I can't breathe. There's not enough air."
"Lizzie, two of the walls are just aligned bars with two inches of space in between each of them."
"Oh, well, I guess there is air. But still, I don't want to face my parents. Abraham killed his son and my parents are gonna do the same to me once they find out I'm in jail!"
"I'm very sorry, Lizzie. Sometimes we have to learn lessons from mistakes we didn't mean to make. And if I don't get home by twelve, my mom is gonna teach me a huge lesson on my face if I don't return her money."
"Would you rather stay here than tell your parents what happened?" asked Debra to Lizzie.
"Uh, I guess not," answered Lizzie. "I don't want to spend more than a day in jail but I can't spend any more time with Donald in jail."
"Just admit it," said Donald. "You want me."
"I want you to do what?"
"It's so silly; I've always thought it would be Andrea who ends up in jail," shared Madeline. "I can't believe the only way you would've been in jail is Donald 'Dope' Fletcher."
"Donald 'Dope' Fletcher?" Donald repeated. "Is that something people call me at school?"
"Yes."
"I'm actually appalled."
"Why? You do dope, Donald. You can't be appalled by something that is said about you when it's the truth. You don't want to be appalled? Don't do dope."
"We should've called our parents if we knew we were gonna have to face them anyway," said Lizzie.
"Yeah, you should've."
"At least you're driving us home," said Debra. "I can't handle an awkward car ride with my dad although I prefer our car rides completely quiet."
"Madeline is not gonna drive Donald, though," noted Lizzie. She said in singsong, "He's gonna get in so much trouble."
"Hey, it's not the first time," admitted Donald.
"Why do you do this to yourself, Donald?" questioned Madeline. "Why do you always got to be in trouble?"
"Why are there clouds in the sky?" Kyle asked rhetorically.
"Why is Lizzie so hot and gorgeous?" Donald asked, mocking everyone else.
"The answers to all these questions are not the same answer," noticed Lizzie.

Smile for the Mugshot (Chapter 4)

The girls and their dates found themselves in a small, chilly cell inside an office of a police station. Lizzie and Debra sat still on the only bench in the cell while Kyle and Donald paced back, forth and all around. The teenagers were watched by a rotund woman eating a box of glazed doughnuts on her desk. The woman's hawk-like stare as she gobbled a frosty, doughy ring made the girls shiver. Or perhaps it was the air as Lizzie admitted:
"I'm cold."
"Sorry, Liz'," said Debra as she looked at the doughnut-eating employee.
When Donald heard what Lizzie said, he slid next to her on the bench. "You want me to keep you warm, baby?" he asked all slick.
"No," answered Lizzie, "and don't call me 'baby'. Only DeMarcus can call me that... And my parents, who are going to kill me when they find out I'm in jail."
"You're not in jail. This is a cell you have to stay in before you go to actual jail."
"How do you know that, Charlie Sheen?" Debra muttered.
"Hey, that's none of your business."
"Um, I believe it is my business because we're in jail."
"I can't believe we're in jail because of a bag of candy," said Lizzie. "Did the lady arrest us because we didn't offer her any?"
"Lizzie, it was not candy. The cop said it was various drugs. They wouldn't have been in the car if it wasn't for Donald and Kyle."
"Why are you blaming me?" asked Kyle. His full attention was caught.
"His drugs were in your car."
"But I can't take half the blame. Like you said, it's his drugs."
"But when a friend is doing drugs, you help them. You don't let them consume the drugs in your car."
"Hey! I knew Donald did drugs; I never let him eat them in my car. There is a big difference between the two."
"Guys, I would really appreciate it if you stopped saying that the drugs are mine," Donald admitted quietly. "That lady is still staring at us pretty hard."
The teens looked at the woman, who was still eating doughnuts and looking at them as hard as Donald said.
"Either way," continued Debra, "your car, your responsibility."
"Don't talk to me about responsibility," said Kyle. "Okay? I am eighteen; I know enough about responsibility."
"Apparently, you don't because if you did know enough about it, we wouldn't even be here."
"Debra, I get that we're in jail. Alright, it sucks. We've been here for more than half an hour but it sucks period. You can't be mad at me about something I was unaware of. I never thought a cop would even come to the window and see what I didn't see. Please don't be mad at me."
"I'm not mad at you. I'm disappointed. All this time, I thought you were perfect for me and that you were a good boyfriend. But now, I'm starting to really doubt any of that."
 "Wow. You sound like my dad... minus the 'boyfriend' part. I guess I'm gonna leave you alone now. And by 'leave you alone', I mean 'ignore you while I stand five feet away from you'."
Kyle turned around and slowly walked away from Debra, leaning against the steel cold bars and looking out them, although there was nothing to look at. Debra raised her eyebrows out of sadness and looked down.
"You know, babe," Donald started, putting his arm around Lizzie, "if you start to feel lonely, know that I will never leave you alone. I mean we're gonna be here for a while so we might as well... warm up. I don't mind warming you up in front of everybody."
Lizzie scoffed. "I said don't call me babe."
"No, you said 'baby'. Two different words."
"Which mean the same thing. I'm not that dumb."
"I wish you were."
Lizzie gasped. "Why? So you can warm me up?"
"Well, you don't seem that you will let me."
"Hey, Donald, I wanna tell you something. Come closer."
"Okay."
Donald leaned in towards Lizzie, facing her from only inches away. Lizzie smirked at him, hypnotizing him with her brown eyes, before she balled her hand into a fist and punched Donald between his legs. Donald's eyes almost jumped out of his head. He groaned as he held in crotch, hoping pressure would eliminate the pain. But it did not.
"I'm gonna go take a walk," Donald uttered in a raspy tone, wheezing and coughing.
He lifted himself up from the bench and waddled away, making distance towards the bars.
"Thanks, Lizzie," said Debra.
"Why are you thanking me?" asked Lizzie. "I did that for myself."
"I know. I just always wanted to do that. But I'm cursed with patience."
"That's not true. You sometimes have your 'un-patient' moments."
"Impatient and you're right. I always thought of myself as some lotus flower. How many lotus flowers do you know that went to jail?"
"F-Five?"
"It wasn't an answering question, Liz'. I thought my life was going good, mainly because of my friends, but partially because of my boyfriend. But somewhere I went wrong because I'm in jail and it's not because of my friends. It's because of Kyle. And freakin' Donald, Kyle's buddy. Sometimes, the universe goes crazy, especially on one person."
Lizzie's eyes squinted as they welled up with water. She sniveled, audibly sucking up air through her mouth. She rolled her lips in as Debra took a look at her.
"Lizzie, why are you crying?" Debra asked.
"I'm in jail!" Lizzie responded.
"Lizzie, stop crying."
"Why?"
"Because if you don't stop crying, I'll start crying." Debra's voice began to break and water gathered above her bottom eyelids.
"But you're already crying."
"That's because you're crying."
"I know. That's what you said."
The girls broke down in tears at the same time and held on to each other, wailing and howling like sad wolves. Donald waddled up towards the hugging girls and tried to get in on the action. Debra's eyes were closed but she felt Donald's hands coming in contact with her arms. So, as an impulse, she smacked her hand under Donald's legs, creating more pain in his groin. He held onto his crotch again and decided to waddle away once more.
"We need to get out of here," said Lizzie after pulling away.
"We will," Debra said, interlocking her fingers with Lizzie's. She looked at the pastry-scarfing woman and demanded, "Miss, we need to make our one phone calls."
"Oh, you lesbians are in a hurry?" questioned the lady.
"Look, I know we each are able to make at least one phone call. I've seen it on TV. Besides, we committed a petty crime so we should be allowed to get bail tonight."
"I don't know. I heard you're locked up for drug possession." The lady began to sing, "And if you got drugs, that should be against the law."
"Oh, come on! Please?"
"I'm just messing with you. Of course you guys can make a phone call."
"Wait a minute now," said Donald, who was holding onto the bars. "I can't call nobody. My parents think I've been sober for fourteen months and that I've been using the money to buy food for estranged dogs."
"Have you?" asked Lizzie, getting happy.
"No."
"Oh."
"If I start to, will you make out with me?"
"Talk to the hand... that punched you in the nuts."
"I don't want to talk to my parents either, Donald," confessed Kyle, "but they're my only hope."
"I got to call my dad," said Debra.
"I can't call my dad," said Lizzie. "Or my mom. Or anyone in my family who's a Christian."
"You got to call your parents, Lizzie."
"But you don't understand. They'll see me in these clothes and ground me for a year. And for being in jail, they're gonna make me read the Bible... the whole thing in an entire day! I can't, Debbie, I just can't."
"Alright, then call Madeline."
"Why?"
"Because she got cha-ching-ching-ching."
"You're right. Hey, I bet she'll break all of us out. Should I call her first?"
"Yes, Doll, please."
Donald walked over to Lizzie and squeezed her tight. "Oh, baby, I knew you would pull through."
Lizzie pushed Donald off in one try then slapped him across his cheek. As he held his red, struck cheek while looking at Lizzie all crazy, she told him:
"That's right. I slapped you... with the hand I used to punch your nuts."

Smile for the Mugshot (Chapter 3)

"Why are we stopping here?" asked Debra, noticing the unintended setting through the window.
"I have to use the bathroom real quick," responded Kyle, pulling the lever on the gear shift to "Park".
"Why didn't you use the bathroom at the movies?"
Kyle unbuckled his seat belt. "I didn't have to go at the time. This will take five minutes. I swear to you."
"You know what, buddy?" inquired Donald, taking off his seat belt. "Let me go to the bathroom with you."
"Great, now you'll take forever," Debra said.
"Please be patient, Debra," demanded Kyle. "Remember what you said: patience is--"
"Is the bitter old man's cup of coffee."
"Correct." Kyle opened the door and hopped out before closing the door.
Donald did the same thing. "Don't miss me too much, babe," he told Lizzie.
"Don't worry," Lizzie politely smiled. "I won't."
Donald closed the door before walking with Kyle and going inside the convenience store in front of the car.
"Did you like the movie, Liz'?" asked Debra.
"Yeah," Lizzie answered, "but it was a little bit ruined when Donald started rubbing my thigh, trying to reach my private place."
Debra looked behind her seat to look at her friend. "Oh, that stinks, Liz'."
"Aw, that's fine. It was Donald's hand, not yours."
"I still feel bad. I convinced you to go on this date, knowing how much of a dog Donald was. It's my fault you're having a bad time."
"Oh, it's okay, Debbie. I'm not having a bad time; I'm having a good time. I just don't know about that Donald. He's... full of sketch."
"Yeah, Donald is such a bad influence on my life. But Kyle loves him so I guess I'm going to have to deal with him."
"Sorry, Debs'."
"It's fine. You need patience to be friends with a guy like Donald and that's why me and Kyle fit the equation perfectly."
"Ah, I don't get math but I understood that."
"I'm glad you're having a good time."
"I always have a good time when I'm with you, Debra."
Debra grinned while reaching out her arm. Lizzie interlocked fingers with her, smiling back at her friend. Soon, they were interrupted by a rapping on the window. Debra looked at the window on her side and saw a woman in a police uniform standing by. Debra rolled down the window, letting the cop lean against it and take a better look at the bohemian-dressed girl.
"Hello," the cop greeted. Her voice seemed really sweet.
"Hello, officer," responded Debra.
"Hi, officer!" said Lizzie, stretching into the space between the front seats.
The policewoman pulled out a flashlight and shined it at the girls' faces. "How old are you girls?"
"We're both eighteen, ma'am," answered Debra.
"Young adults," nodded Lizzie.
"Okay, you're both eighteen," the cop took in. "May I ask what the two of you are doing in this car by yourselves?"
"Oh, we just came back from a movie," Debra replied. "And our dates are inside the convenience store, using the bathroom."
"They're eighteen, too," added Lizzie.
"Oh, what movie did you see?" asked the cop.
"Me Before You," answered Debra.
"Oh. Seen it, hated it."
"How dare you?" questioned Lizzie. "I loved that movie."
"I don't really like movies that much but I watch a lot of them in hopes of having a favorite one day. But it has never happened."
"You don't have one favorite?" inquired Debra.
"Well, I like Whiplash but I don't want to watch that forever, you know what I'm saying?"
Debra laughed. "No, I get it."
"Thanks. So who are your dates?"
"Uh, Kyle Liu and Donald Fletcher."
"They're eighteen, too," said Lizzie.
"You said that already."
"Oops."
"May I see some I.D., just in case, from you?" requested the cop.
The girls went through their bags and found their pieces of identification.
"Here!" Lizzie showed hers. "This is my driver's license but this is Kyle's car."
"This is my regular I.D.," Debra showed hers.
"Okay, just checking," said the cop, flashing her light at the I.D.'s. "Well, since you really aren't minors, that means your dates are probably the same way so I guess-- Wait, what's in that backseat?"
Lizzie looked behind herself to view the seat. She saw a Ziplock bag of what seemed to be capsules sinking into the crack of the right seat. She picked it up and showed it to the cop.
"This?" Lizzie asked, holding it up.
Debra gasped when she captured the sight of that bag.
"Yeah, that," said the officer. She grabbed the bag out of Lizzie's hand and examined it, using her flashlight. "Are these drugs?"
"Drugs?" repeated Lizzie. "I thought they were candy."
"Did you eat any of them?" asked Debra worriedly.
"No, I thought they were weird candy."
"Can you two please step outside?" asked the officer.
"Ma'am, may I ask what's in that bag?" queried Debra, trying to be calm.
"You don't know? It's a sick combination of three different types of drugs like molly and ecstasy."
"Molly is a name of a drug?" questioned Lizzie. "Oh, Molly Hampton from science is not going to like this."
"Will you two please step out of the car?" the officer requested again.
"Ma'am, those are not our drugs," admitted Debra. "We promise."
"Yeah, right. I bet you and your friend are high right now, seeing how calm you are and how happy she is."
"I'm happy because I had a big breakfast today," confessed Lizzie.
Kyle and Donald came out of the store just in time. They walked up to the policewoman who felt their presence and turned around.
"Officer, what seems to be the problem?" asked Kyle.
"What's your name?" the officer asked back.
"Kyle. Kyle Liu."
The officer held up the plastic bag of drugs. "Well, Kyle, I found this bag of narcotics in your car on the seat where I believe your boy, Donald, was sitting."
"You told on me?" Kyle asked Debra.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" questioned Debra. "I'm in trouble, too."
"That's correct," said the cop, "so get out of the car like I asked."
"Debra, I'm not having a good time," confessed Lizzie.

Smile for the Mugshot (Chapter 2)

Around eight on a Friday night, Debra and Lizzie individually got ready for their date. It wasn't too long for Kyle to pick the girls up with his black Honda Civic. His best friend, Donald Fletcher, was already in the car when Kyle picked up the girls. He sat in the back seat so Debra could sit in the passenger seat to be close with her boyfriend. Lizzie caught a glimpse of the weird smelling, grungy looking punk. He was like a replica of Kyle, only dirtier. Lizzie still tried to be polite, even though Donald couldn't keep his eyes off of her.
Kyle drove on a dark street. The only light he had was the light coming from his headlights and a few passing streetlamps. Kyle and Debra listened to the indie music playing from the radio while Lizzie tried to get to know the punky Donald.
"So how is school for you?" she asked.
"Ah, boring," Donald answered. "I wish it was more exciting. Like, why can't schools just be skate parks?"
"Well, for starters, instead of driving to school, I'd be skating to school." Lizzie giggled her sweet, bubbly giggle. "And I don't think I can skate in heels."
"You do look very good in heels." Donald shifted his eyesight towards Lizzie's long legs.
She stepped on the back of Kyle's seat to show off her shoe. "Thank you. I feel like I was born in them. But that's impossible. If it were possible, that would've really hurt my mom's private place."
"I'd like to see your private place."
"What?"
"Nothing. You got a boyfriend?"
"Oh, yes. Yes, I do. His name is DeMarcus. He's the quarterback of the football team."
"So you like black guys?"
"How did you know he was black? Have you seen him before?"
"Sure. Are you satisfied in your relationship?"
"Donald, watch your mouth," warned Kyle.
"No, it's okay, Kyle," said Lizzie. "We're trying to get to know each other. Uh, yes, I'm satisfied. DeMarcus is the sweetest boyfriend I ever had. He compliments me, he buys me gifts, he gives me kisses. He's like a life-size teddy bear. Or better because life-size teddies freak me out."
"So DeMarcus is a little sauce on the side?" questioned Donald.
"If by 'sauce', you mean 'chocolate sauce', then yeah. Oops, is 'chocolate' racist?"
"Not unless you want it to be."
"Oh, no, I don't want it to be. People have said that I can be a little 'insensitive' to races outside of me. So I try to be as sensitive as I can be. I love DeMarcus so I wouldn't want to do anything to offend him."
"Uh, you don't love him enough if you're going on a date with me."
"Oh, that's not true. I told him that I was going on this date and he was very upset. But he seemed to get over it after I told him that I was doing Debra a favor."
"Shh, shh, shh," uttered Debra.
"Well, since you're on this date and DeMarcus is not around," started Donald, "what are you going to do with me?"
"Uh, let's see," said Lizzie, looking into the air. "Well, once we get to the movie, we can share a tub of popcorn. You know, to save money. And I'm gonna let you use both of your armrests. I don't really like resting my arms on the armrests. I like to squeeze my hands together with my legs. It's just something I do. Sometimes, my hands fall asleep so I like to shake my wrists around to make it look like I have jelly hands. And after the movie, I assume Kyle is to going to drive each of us home. He can drop you off first because I know he's your friend and all that and I don't mind going home last. My parents are kind of cocoa for Cocoa Puffs. Not really, they hardly eat Cocoa Puffs. They're more Special K people. I meant that they're a bit nuts so it kinda feels good to be away from them... like really far."
"O-Okay. So you'd share your tub of popcorn with me?"
"Of course! I'm not going to eat the whole thing. But I just love popcorn so I don't know why I wouldn't eat the whole thing."
"You love popcorn."
"Yes."
"So if my fingers get all buttery from the popcorn, would you suck on them?"
Lizzie laughed. "They're your fingers, pal. I think you should be the one to suck on them."
"So you're not... a dirty girl?"
"Hardly. I like to keep my room clean; I organize all my school supplies; I won't eat off a plate unless it's been washed that day. I'm sorry, I hope it doesn't sound like I have O.P.P."
"I think you mean O.C.D. But I'm down with O.P.P."
"Cool. What does O.P.P. mean?"
"Don't answer that, Donald," commanded Kyle.
"Relax, Kyle-man," said Donald. He then looked and smiled at Lizzie. "I love how he tries so hard to be my wingman."
"Wingman?" repeated Lizzie. "Kyle, do you birdwatch?"
Kyle scrunched his forehead. "No. 'Wingman' means a guy who helps his friend get a girl."
"Get a girl?" Lizzie then looked at Donald. "What girl are you trying to get?"
"Isn't it obvious?" asked Donald.
"Donald, I'm afraid that you can't have Debra. She's dating Kyle; you know that."
"Doll, Donald is talking about you," Debra cleared up.
"Oh. Oh! Donald, I can't date you either. I told you, I have a boyfriend."
"But your boyfriend's not here," noticed Donald. "He doesn't have to know what we'll do."
"What will we do? Because I'm only sharing a tub of popcorn and an armrest with you."
"But, baby, don't you find me attractive?"
Lizzie took a better look at Donald. She noticed his messy blond and brown hair, his stained white T-shirt under his tattered leather jacket, and his dirty pair of black Converse sneakers. The only thing she liked about him was his small brown eyes and smile that only went halfway. But she loved DeMarcus and nothing could ever change that.
"You're okay," she responded. "But when you're in love with somebody, all you see is them. And everything they do is cuter than anybody else doing the same thing. You're gonna find a girl one day who will love all of you but I'm not that girl."
"Okay," Donald said, looking down. After a while, he looked back up. "So I can't slip my tongue in your mouth?"
"No!"
"Donald, I don't want to be rude but can you stop asking such inappropriate questions?" Debra calmly requested.
Donald leaned forward into the space between the front seats. "Hey, nobody's bothering you, sweetheart."
"Hey, hey, hey," said Kyle, letting one hand go of the wheel. "Everybody just settle down."
"Your friend started it," noted Debra.
"But settle down. Okay, let's just have a nice car ride to the movies."
Donald sat back into his seat.
"Do you think the movie is going to be sad?" asked Lizzie.
"I don't know," answered Donald. "But if you don't want the movie to make you sad, you can always divert your eyes and make out with me during it."
"Donald, I swear," started Kyle.
"What? She's the one who asked!"

Smile for the Mugshot (Chapter 1)

"I'm going to do a little bit, okay?" said Kyle.
"Okay," Debra nodded.
"I don't want to overwhelm you."
"I don't think you will but I'm ready."
"Okay. Annyeonghaseyo..."
"Annyeonghaseyo..."
"... jeoneun dangsin-ui..."
"... jeoneun dangsin-ui..."
"... jandileul kkagneun yeogiewassda."
"... jandileul kkagneun yeogiewassda."
"Good job."
"What did you make me say?"
"'Hello, I came here to mow your lawn.'"
Debra playfully pushed Kyle on his shoulder. "That's simple?" she laughed.
"It's simple to me."
"Okay, how do you say, 'Waiter, there's too much pepper on my poppycosh'?"
Kyle laughed. "Are you serious?"
"Come on! How do you say it?"
"Weiteo..."
"Weiteo..."
"... nae poppycosh..."
Debra giggled. "... nae poppycosh..."
"... e neomu manh-eun..."
"... e neomu manh-eun..."
"... gochu gaissda."
"... gochu gaissda."
"You sound so cute when you speak Korean."
"Thanks. Or should I say, 'Gamsa'?"
Kyle chuckled.
"So... is our date still on for Friday night?"
"Yeah, about that..."
"I knew it. I sensed something would be wrong."
"Nothing's wrong. It's just that my buddy, Donald, had nothing to do on Friday and I kinda blew him off to be on a date with you. So I asked him to come along with us. I know; I did something stupid."
"No, it's okay. I love Donald. Well, I like him. I mean I don't hate him. I totally get it so he can come with us. The more, the merrier."
"Yeah, speaking of which, I kinda promised him that you would bring a friend so he wouldn't feel like a third wheel. Is that stupid?"
"Uh, no. Not at all. Actually, I have one single friend so maybe I can convince her to come with us tomorrow."
"Yes! I knew you would understand. You're so awesome."
"That's why you're dating me."
"And hey, maybe a girlfriend will straighten Donald up. Don't you think?"
"Yeah, definitely. A relationship can change a person, if not both. I know when we started dating, you stopped eating cheese fish."
"It was the only way for you to kiss me."
"And also a smart decision." Debra looked ahead of herself and found her girlfriends standing by her locker. "Oh, there goes my friends, especially Andrea. I should leave you for now so I go up and tell her about the date."
"Wait, Andrea's your 'single friend'?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"
"Doesn't she... hurt people?"
"Kyle, you love Andrea."
"Yeah, but not for Donald."
"Don't be rude. Rudeness is--"
"--Is the old man's endless rocking chair."
"I'm so glad you listen."
"Alright, you go to your friends. I guess Andrea is better than no one, right?"
"Exactly."
"And since I stopped eating cafeteria cheese fish, can I have a kiss?"
"You most certainly can."
Kyle held Debra by the waist as they slowly brushed their lips against each other. After a loving look into each other's eyes, the couple parted ways.
"See ya," Debra smiled before sprinting towards her friends. "Hey, guys," she greeted them.
"Hey, Kyle Kisser," Madeline responded.
Debra snickered while twisting the combination knob on her locker.
"Don't act shy," said Andrea. "We saw you giving your man some sugar."
"There's not a day where I can't," said Debra.
"Ooh, Debbie's got spring fever," remarked Lizzie.
"Or delirium," added Skye.
Debra pushed Skye lightly, making Skye hit her back with a smile.
"So, Andrea, what are you doing Friday night?" Debra asked, opening her locker.
"What we always do on Fridays," replied Andrea, "watch bad movies."
"I thought you were ditching us on Friday to be with Kyle," Madeline remembered.
"Yeah, but Kyle decided to bring a friend to our date to the movies," said Debra. "And since Andrea's single, I wondered if she wanted to come."
"Oh, sure," said Andrea. "I'll gladly come."
Madeline scoffed. "You're gonna ditch Bad Movie Friday to watch a possibly good movie?"
"Don't start, Maddie. It's my choice. If you can't accept that, you will be eating your shirt."
"Harsh."
"Now, Andrea," started Debra, "I know the way you talk is part of your personality but please don't speak that way when you're around Donald."
"Donald?" inquired Andrea. "Donald Fletcher?"
"You know him?"
"Si. He's in my history class, always sleeping and playing with his lighter. Everything that comes out of his mouth is a practical joke and sometimes pills. I also see him walking around with Kyle so I know it's not a different Donald. Dios mio, you booked me a date with Donald 'Dope' Fletcher?"
"Y-Yeah but once you get to know him, he probably won't seem like a bad guy."
"Debra, he is a bad guy and I am not going out with bad guys."
"Come on. It's only for one night."
"Yeah, right. I bet after that date, he's going to fall in love with my bootyliciousness. I am not going on that date, Debra. No way, no how."
"But I promised Kyle you'd be there. What am I supposed to tell him?"
"Debra, it's a straight no. Let me give it to you in Spanish: no!"
Andrea walked away to avoid any persuasion yet to come.
"Come on, Andy!" shouted Debra.
"No to the no to the no," Andrea shouted back, still walking.
Debra relaxed her shoulders. Then she panned to Skye. "Skye, will you--"
"No," Skye quickly answered.
"Why not?"
"I have a boyfriend."
"You don't even like him."
"That's not true. Even if it was, he's mine, ain't he?"
Skye walked away as well with the same intentions as Andrea.
Debra sighed. "Madeline--"
Madeline walked away, too, without even responding to Debra.
It was down to Lizzie, who just stood there after watching three of her friends leave. Her and Debra were eye-to-eye in a puddle of silence.
"If I say your name, will you leave?" asked Debra.
"I don't know," answered Lizzie.
"Then I won't say it then. Do you want to go on a double date with me, Kyle and Donald?"
"Gee, Debs', I appreciate the offer but I don't think DeMarcus will like it if I go on a date with another guy."
"But the date will totally be platonic. You don't have to do anything with Donald that you don't want to do. All you have to do is get to know him and befriend him."
"Alright but I think DeMarcus should have the right to know if I'm going to date Donald the Dope or whatever Andrea said."
"So is that a yes?"
"Yes."
"Oh, thank you!" Debra picked Lizzie up quickly in a hug. "We're gonna have a 'splend-dipity' time. We're gonna see 'Me Before You'."
"Oh, is that the movie where a woman falls in love with a man in a wheelchair and in the end, they roll away into the sunset?"
"I don't know how the movie ends, Lizzie. That's why we're seeing it."
"Oh, of course. But if it does end that way, it'll be so romantic. It'll prove to all that love can be legless."
"Don't say words like 'legless', Lizzie."

Getting Cheated On (Chapter 5)

"Are you still upset about Kevin?" asked Madeline.
"Yeah, I am," Andrea answered, twirling her spoon endlessly in a cup of strawberry yogurt.
"Maybe you should stop thinking about him."
"It's hard to stop thinking about him when you keep talking about him."
"I'm just doing a job, girl."
"I'm so mad at Kevin for cheating on you," admitted Debra.
"Hey, that's what I get," said Andrea. "I cheated on a cool guy to be with Kevin and now, he cheated on some girl to be with me. I guess what goes around comes back around."
"Hey, don't compare Kevin to Justin Timberlake!" said Lizzie. "Kevin is bad, Justin is good."
Skye made a face of confusion.
"Andrea, don't think of it that way," said Debra. "I mean, sure, you shouldn't have cheated on him in the first place. But you changed and you thought he did, too. You two loved each other but I guess some people don't change."
"It's so crazy," remarked Andrea. "I remember years when I would brag, 'I'm dating Kevin Christie!'. Now there's nothing to brag about. What can I say about that jerk? I'm so glad I dumped him."
"You didn't really dump him," noticed Lizzie. "You just threw his phone at his foot."
"It's the same thing."
"Listen, I'm glad that you and Kevin are done," confessed Skye. "I didn't think he was right for you at all. Now that you see this side of him, you guys can stop fooling around."
"If he wasn't right for me at all, why didn't you stop me?"
"Because he made you happy. How do you tell a friend to stop being happy?"
"Aw, Skye..."
"Don't start."
"Skye's right," agreed Debra. "I never liked Kevin and I like everyone."
"I should've seen the signs," admitted Andrea. "But nope, I was in it too deep."
"Don't blame yourself too much, Andrea," said DeMarcus. "Kevin was a manipulative fool. It's his fault that you loved him. I can never imagine cheating on Lizzie. She has been so good to me and she doesn't deserve such deception. I know that one day someone will care for you like the way I care for Lizzie."
"Aw, DeMarcus. That's so sweet."
"Yeah, it is," Lizzie cooed, gripping onto his arm with both hands.
"Because it's the truth," DeMarcus continued. "I feel like if it wasn't for faith and destination, we would have never met."
"You mean fate and/or destiny," corrected Madeline.
"Oh, yeah, right. But I feel like faith and destination had something to do with it, too. I mean I had faith that I would find somebody special and if my destination wasn't that Fourth of July party, I would have never had the chance to speak to Lizzie. Either way, I found her and I'm the luckiest brother in the world."
"Oh," Lizzie melted. "I love you, my Oreo."
"And you know I love you, too, my Italian wedding cookie."
"Aw," uttered Madeline, "that's the first time you two said, 'I love you' to each other."
"No, we've said, 'I love you' way earlier," Lizzie rectified.
"Oh. Well, why didn't you call me before you said it?"
"Because they didn't need to, third wheel," Skye responded.
"Your aunt is cooler than you."

Getting Cheated On (Chapter 4)

The day after, Lizzie tried not to tell Andrea about Kevin's unfaithful ways. However, she still stuck with her plan which involved her boyfriend, DeMarcus, and Kevin. Lizzie learned what class Kevin had last so she told DeMarcus to catch him around that room. When school ended, Lizzie found Andrea and begged her to help her find something before dragging her along. Meanwhile, DeMarcus ran all the way to Room 225 and luckily caught Kevin as one of the last people coming out.
"Hey, hey, hey!" DeMarcus called, grabbing Kevin by the arms to grab his attention.
"Oh, hey," Kevin said. "DeMarcus, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's up, player?"
"Nothing much."
"Hey, you're the one dating that girl, Andrea, right?"
"That is correct."
"Yeah, the thick, Latina one?"
"Yeah, that's her."
"Awesome, awesome. Listen, word on the street..." DeMarcus looked side to side to see if anyone was watching. "... is that you got another chick on the side."
"What? No. No way, man."
"Come on! You can tell me. Man-o to man-o."
"You're dating Lizzie Duvall."
"That's right, dude."
"Did she tell you anything?"
"What? No! That girl don't tell me nothing. But, uh, why would she say something?"
Now Kevin had his foot in his own mouth. "Uh, because--"
"So it is true!"
"Fine! It is. I'm cheating on Andrea. So I guess you think I'm scum now, huh?"
"No way! Not at all, man."
"Really?"
"Yeah. If I can be honest with you, I was thinking about two-timing Lizzie myself."
"You want to cheat on Lizzie Duvall?"
"Of course, man. She's so-- She-- She's so-- I mean she's-- I just don't like her anymore, man. But I don't want to get rid of her since she's so fine and all. Sometimes you need two people to do the same job. You know what I'm sayin'?"
"I guess so."
Around that time, Lizzie arrived by the hall in which Kevin and DeMarcus was situated with Andrea. To prevent Andrea from saying anything, Lizzie covered Andrea's mouth with her hand. "Just listen," she whispered into Andrea's ear before she forced her to watch the two boys quietly.
"So how do you do it?" questioned DeMarcus.
"Do what?" asked Kevin. "Cheat on Andrea?"
Andrea's eyes widened.
"Yeah," said DeMarcus. "How do you cheat on her successfully?"
"Uh, I don't know if I should be telling this," Kevin said unsure.
"Come on, Kev'. Brother to brother. From other mothers. How do you get away with it?"
"You really want to know?"
DeMarcus nodded.
Kevin reached into both of his jeans' front pockets and, at the same time, pulled out two smartphones, one black and the other gray. "I got two phones," he confessed.
"One for the plug and one for the load?"
"I got two phones."
"One for the women and one for the dough?"
Lizzie released her hand from Andrea's mouth to let her do her own thing.
"You got two phones?" Andrea asked angrily.
Kevin looked over to his right to see his "girlfriend" standing from afar. He finally realized that he got set up.
"Andrea," he said as she marched towards him.
"You're seeing someone else?" she asked, this time almost weakly.
Kevin froze. "Yeah. Andrea, I didn't mean to hurt you again. I am so sorry."
"And I'm sorry, too... for this."
Andrea snatched the black cell phone from Kevin's right hand and forcefully threw it down on his right foot. Kevin yelped before holding onto his sneaker-clad foot, hopping like a pogo stick.
Andrea turned around, facing Lizzie who ran up to her.
"I'm sorry, Andrea," she said. "I found out yesterday and I wanted to tell you but Kevin said he wanted to tell you. I got confused so I set up this whole thing which might have been a bad idea. I'm genuinely sorry."
"It's okay, Lizzie," said Andrea. "Just... if something like this happens again, can you tell me yourself next time?"
"Of course, Andrea. It's just hard being a supporter of love."
"I know. I should know. Well, let's go."
Andrea walked away by herself as Lizzie waited up for DeMarcus. He wrapped his arm around Lizzie's neck as she held onto his arm. The couple looked at the jumping Kevin while walking away.
"Shame," uttered DeMarcus. "Shame on you."
"Shame," Lizzie agreed.
"Someone should hit you, baby, one more time."
"That's right."