“Ryder? What are you doing here? It’s late. Your mom knows you’re here?”
“Shut up. It’s only your house. Listen, I’m here to tell you something, Jimmy.”
“What is it?”
“I agree.”
“Agree? Really??”
“Yeah, but under one condition.”
“Okayy. I’m listening.”
“I don’t want any rumors spreading about me. One night with your friend and that’s it. No date whatsoever.”
“Okay, fine. But don’t you wanna get to know him or something?”
“I’ll get to know him when we’re doing..it.”
“Right. Okay. I’ll tell him the good news.”

Ryder had made her decision. A week or so after she told Jimmy about it, she cleaned her room and hid all her gaming life evidence as much as she can. The room was now sparkling and she told Jimmy to let his friend come over tonight, because her mom won’t be home. God knows where she’d go.

She found a few aromatic candles in the cabinet so she lit them all up inside her room, putting them on the desk, on the headboard, on the floor, everywhere. She stood still in the middle of her modified room for a while before heading to the bathroom and locked herself in there. She stared into the mirror and took a deep breath. Tonight, she will lose it all. To a stranger. Who thinks she’s beautiful. That’s good enough reason for her.

She doesn’t need to hear what her mother said, what the whole school had said about her being someone unwanted.

There’s one person that thinks I’m beautiful, at least!

Of course, like any other girls, she wanted her first time to be special. But she waited 19 years for that moment. Her mom’s depression and habit of clinging onto men were of no help either. And now, when the letter from Princeton Academy arrived, she can finally kiss the town goodbye and she wanted to go out with a bang. That means at least lose her virginity first.

Hesitating, Ryder took the shaver from the bathroom cabinet and started shaving her body parts clean. Including down there. She watched quite a handful amount of porn to know that guys love perfectly shaven women.

~*.*~

Matt stood in front of the shelf for the longest time. He wasn’t sure of which brand he should take, and how effective they would be. The cashier in front had been eyeing him from the CCTV because they way he looks – demeaning eyes with gauges on each earlobes, piercing on his lower lip and working in progress tattoos on both of his arms – he looked like he was about to steal something from this convenient store.

Plus, his weirdo friend with spiky hair and glasses was outside, smoking with a rather short and plump one with menacingly green eyes and perfect eyebrows and the other, just a simply good looking guy.

It’s quite funny, really. Seeing how criminal Matt appeared in other people’s eyes, yet deep in his heart he was just a virgin teenager who was wondering which brand of condom he should buy for tonight.

“Matt, why are you taking so long? They guys are getting suspicious.” Jimmy whispered, draping one arm over his shoulders.

“Just tell them I’m buying cigarette.”

“Already. They said you’re a picky son of a bitch.”

“Ha. Tell them to go fuck themselves.”

Jimmy chuckled and took one of the boxes from the shelf. “Just take this one then.”

“You’re sure it’s safe?”

Jimmy rolled his eyes. “Matt. Statistics have said that condoms are never 100% safe. My friend wore one, and look what happened to him.”

“What? He knocked up some girl?”

“No, he got hit by a bus. Hahahahaha!!” Jimmy laughed aloud and Matt just rolled his eyes at him.

“I’m just kidding, man! Jeez, loosen up a little. I know it’s your first time and all that shit, but relax. You’re the man. It’ll be okay.”

Matt pursed his lips and decided to just take the box that Jimmy took earlier. After he paid for everything he hid the box of condoms in his hoodie pocket and went out of the store with Jimmy. As soon as he got out, he only saw Zacky inhaling his smoke in front of the store.

“Yo, where’s Brian?”

Zacky pointed using his cigarette and both Jimmy and Matt looked to the direction. Brian was talking to a girl on the other side of the road. A blonde girl that Matt knew very well. She was giggling and he was laughing, resting his arm on the street pole. Matt can sense that he was flirting with the girl.

He grunted and turned his back, walking away from there.

“Hey, Matt! Matt! Where are you going??” Jimmy called but he didn’t look back. He was determined that he will do this tonight. To hell with Valary, to hell with Brian.

Jimmy sighed heavy as he watched Matt stomped away without saying anything.

“What’s up with him?” Zacky huffed.

“Valary. He has a crush on her since third grade.”

“Ouchh.”

“Yeah tell me about it. But…hmm..is that really Valary? She looks a bit different…maybe her hair? Where are her little bitches anyway? Why is she alone?”

Zacky shrugged and continued to smoke.

“Yeah, you wouldn’t know, would you Zack? You live in your own world.”

Zacky chuckled and smirked cockily at his remark.

---

Brian stepped on the leftover of his cigarette and peeked inside the convenient store. It had been 30 minutes since Matt went in there to buy his ‘pack of cigarette’. He glanced at his watch; he had to be home before 3 because his dad needs him to practice jazz together. He wasn’t really thrilled by it but if that’s the only thing that can connect him to his father, he’d do anything.
Now that his sister has reached 4 years old, all the attention went to her. Brian didn’t really have time to hang with his dad anymore given that the old man was busy as hell too.

“Jim, is Matt always like this? What kind of smoke he bought in there? Illegal cigars?” Brian spoke, breaking the smoking silence between them.

“Aha, um…I dunno. Let me…check up on him.”

“Tell him not to be too picky. They taste the same anyway.”

“No they’re not! Jeez, Marlboro freak.”

Jimmy went into the store and the doorbell jingled by his presence. Brian switched his gaze and immediately locked eyes with a girl on the other side of the road, smiling and waving at him. His grin grew, as he bit his lower lip and patted Zacky on the back before he crossed to meet her.

“Hi.” He greeted, slowing down his steps.

“Hi.” The girl smiled sweetly at him. He wondered, why did she become so warm and sweet now when in school she was such a bitch?

“Now, do you remember me?”

She chuckled and covered her mouth. Brian thought that she was cute. “Of course. We met in MPA’s gig.”

He raised his eyebrows and feeling puzzled again. She didn’t call him as ‘Hollywood Boy’ anymore. Or at least not yet?

“You’re friends with Zacky?”

Brian glanced over at Zacky who was still waiting for Matt and Jimmy to come out.

“Yeah. You know him?”

“Totally! Well, he doesn’t really know me. But I always come to their gig. I love guitarists, you know.”

“Oh really? Then I made a perfect choice.”

“Why, you play guitar?”

“Baby, I make love with them.”

She giggled softly and tucked few strands of hair behind her ear. Brian can see that she was blushing hard underneath his stare.

“You were different at school. Why did you act like you don’t know me?”

She frowned and looked up. “At school? Um, that’s impossible because I’m attending an all-girl school.”

Once again Brian was confused. He clearly met her in the cafeteria the other day and received a handful of sneer from her friends and now she denied it?

“No way, you go to Huntington High, with me. You called me Hollywood Boy, remember?”

Then suddenly she opened her mouth wide, and gasped, like she just remembered something.

“Oh! So YOU’RE that Hollywood Boy!”

“You're Valary, right? What are you talking about? You clearly know me.”

She laughed heartily and shook her head. Brian waited for her to stop laughing with a puzzled look plastered on his face.

“Valary is my twin sister. I’m Michelle. Nice to meet you.”

When she finally offered her arm, Brian felt like everything was connected. That’s why she didn’t recognize me at school! It wasn’t her! It was Valary, her twin sister! Wow! They are twins!

He took his hand and gripped it firmly while a really wide grin appeared on his face. “Hi Michelle, I’m Brian.”

Notes

A/N: haha okay WE all know Val has a twin but Brian didn't know that. haha but now he does. look, he married her, right? :P