“YYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS MOTHER, NOW GO!” Bailey yelled to her mom in the parking lot of Palm Coast High School, looking around to be sure no one could hear this stupid conversation that for some reason has not ended yet.
“But honey are you sure your fine” Bailey’s over-protective mom asked her yet again.
Bailey just ignored her mom and walked in the auditorium where cheerleading tryouts for her freshman year were being held. The fate of her friendships in high school depended on the moment she entered that gym. She held her breath and walked up the sidewalk leading to the double doors.
You see Bailey wasn’t exactly popular in middle school, she was but then one huge event ruined her rise to popularity and the rest of her eighth grade year. She was determined to start fresh and finally obtain her number one goal, to be “that girl” the one everyone was jealous of, who everyone secretly hated but loved her anyways. She has studied books and magazines the entire summer preparing for that one solitary moment when the new and improved Bailey would walk into that auditorium and wow everyone in there, making her popularity reign begin.
Eighth grade had began wonderfully, she was the ‘it girl’ and she was absolutely loving it. She had 2 best friends, Kylie and Bridget. But Kylie, being her second in command, knew everything about Bailey things that could potentially ruin Bailey’s life and eventually they did. Bailey told Kylie all her deepest darkest secrets, even the disgusting things and eventually Kylie got sick of being second in command and told the entire eighth grade everything about Bailey.
Bailey was then left completely friendless the rest of eighth grade, not even the losers would hang out with her. The worst part was everyone who was anyone was attending South Vista High School and so was Bailey. Luckily her father, Nate Owens CEO of many companies across the globe, obtained a new company in California and prompted the entire Owens family to move there at the end of Bailey’s eighth grade year. Now she was starting anew. The family, consisting of Mr. Owens, Mrs. Owens, Bailey’s older brother Michael, and Bailey, Moved to Malibu, California into a huge house right on the beach. The entire family walked into this big, white, Tuscan themed house ecstatic.
“This. Is. Awesome.” Bailey screamed, as she walked into her gigantic new room overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Her brand new bedroom was ocean blue and themed to feel as if she was living in a coral reef or something. Her things were already delivered and set up and she walked out on her patio and breathed in the sweet ocean air, finally able to live again. That’s when she hatched a plan, to completely rule her new school. She ran inside, like a child in a candy shop, straight to her closet. She pulled all her clothes out and began to sort through the things that we salvageable and ‘baby clothes’. She only had 5 shirts and 6 pairs of pants in the ‘keep pile’, and well the ‘get rid of pile’ was pretty full. She had soon concluded that she needed to make a friend in her neighborhood and go shopping. She put on her pink polka dot swim suit and headed down to the beach.
At the beach she saw many beautiful blonde girls, she thought of herself as boring now as she looked at her light brown hair, then their blonde heads. That would have to be added to her make-over list. She saw girls her age playing volleyball and smiled at this opportunity.
“Hey, can I join?” She asked flashing her pearly whites.
“’course!” a blonde girl replied, momentarily stopping the action of this game to introduce Bailey to her and her friends.
“I’m Kelly” She smiled a warm smile and looked to her friends and continued, “this is Nicole” pointing to yet another blonde. “And this is Rachael and Renee, they’re twins” All four of the girls smiled at her. The twins were particularly gorgeous. Rachael had short strawberry blonde hair while Renee had long bleached blond hair.
“I’m Bailey, I just moved here” And with that the new friends got on with the game. Soon after Bailey invited the girls to the mall to shop, and get opinions on what Cali girls wear. Kelly informed Bailey that the mall was just down the road so we could take Nicole’s golf cart. At the mall the 4 girls showed bailey exactly what to wear and bailey left the mall with a brand new wardrobe.
Later after eating at this cute little salad store at the mall with her brand new California friends Bailey went home to unload her new things. She walked thought the door with all her new bags.
“What are those?” Her mother asked. Money wasn’t an issue obviously, since Nate Owens was a big CEO and all, but her mother wanted to be Bailey’s friend and Bailey just wasn’t having that.
“Clothes, I figured I need new stuff since we just moved from New York City to Cali-forn-I-A” Bailey replied sounding quite annoyed.
“Can I see?” her mom asked sweetly.
“No” Bailey snapped back while trotting up the staircase to her new bed room. It seemed like everything was new these days, new place, new room, new friends, and new clothes. After unloading countless shirts, pants and a few new swim suits Bailey walked over to her Macbook air and got online. She logged onto facebook and looked over her old friends profiles. Kylie posted new pictures from some party Bailey wouldn’t have been invited to because of her loser status. Bailey frowned then went to the delete profile tab and clicked and then poof! Her old life had disappeared, at least for now. She opened a little notebook she bought at the mall and hatched her master plan
How to be popular:
1.
New Blonde hair! I mean brown is like poop!
2.
My new clothes need to be prefect
3.
Observe how my new friends act, copy them
4.
What to do and how to do it.
She smiled at the list she had made and decided she’s beginning tomorrow, starting with hair.
The next morning she woke up bright and early and walked to the mall all alone with a big sweatshirt on, in case she saw anyone that she knew she needed to impress! As Bailey walked into the mall she saw so many hot guys through her big sunglasses and she thought to herself ‘yes!’ She walked into a drugstore and grabbed 3 bleaching kits and then she wandered over to the makeup. She thought about learning how to put it on and she pulled out her mini journal and added it to the list. Bailey wasn’t looking but she continued walking and BAM! She ran straight into someone who seemed pretty huge, and her notebook as well as her hair things and makeup went flying everywhere. She hurriedly picked up her hair dye and other things but couldn’t seem to find her notebook; although Bailey didn’t want to look up at this stranger she needed that notebook. She looked straight up at an amazingly hot beach God with brown hair. But he wasn’t looking at her he was looking at the first page of her notebook. Oh no, she thought, he’s reading everything I wrote he’s going to think I’m a total loser, I hope he doesn’t go to my school…she continued thinking and he smiled at her.
“Wow, this is…quite interesting. I can see you’ve got your priorities straight” He finally said, closing the notebook and handing it to Bailey.
Bailey was so red at this point her face had turned purple. Was it possible to die of embarrassment? She thought and prayed she didn’t ever have to see him again. Finally she replied, “Yep”.
(Now in Bailey POV)
Wow, that’s all I could think of? Yep! Gosh I’m a totally loser and if this hot guy goes to my school I’m totally screwed. I just now realize that I’m still sitting on the floor of Walgreens with a really hot guy standing above me.
“I’m just kidding, I'm Ryan by the way” He said to me pulling me up from the ground. I smiled and wished I could suddenly erase his memory.
“Hi. I’m Bailey. That notebook is a joke sorry” I replied nervously. My god! A JOKE, I'm pretty sure meeting a cute boy and trying to come up with excuses for unveiling my master plan were not a good combination.
“Really? Aw I thought it was kinda cute, and maybe I wanted to help” alright I couldn’t help but smile uncontrollably at this point. This guy was adorable.
“Seriously?” I asked
“Ha! So it isn’t a joke. And yes seriously, I always like to help pretty ladies. I assume you’re attending Palm Coast?” There were so many things in that sentence that made me practically die, in good and bad ways. First, he call me a pretty lady, although he figured out that it wasn’t a joke but he wants to help. And he’s going to my high school. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.
“Mhmm, but you’re not telling anyone about that” I said pointing to the notebook in my pocket. A manager gave us a funny look so I figured that meant, we should leave
Ryan laughed, “Let’s go” and with that we were off down the Pacific Coast.
I laughed as we walked in the sands leading to god knows where.
“So what’s your story?” I asked him, trying to sound normal.
“Born and raised In Cali and my parents are divorced and I live with dad and little sister because our mom ditched two years ago.” He answered looking at the sand as we walked on.
“Oh, I'm sorry” I replied actually feeling sorry for this boy I had just met.
“It’s all good; she was a horrible mom anyway.” I couldn’t believe someone would say that about the woman who gave birth to them, but I guess I didn’t know the woman so I couldn’t judge. He continued, “What about you, Miss popular?” he had taken a liking to the nick name because of my whole notebook thing. I still felt like a total idiot and he knew I did. Feeling my embarrassment, he casually nudged me on the shoulder and I smiled.
I then told him the whole reason behind my plan and why I moved to California. He seemed interested enough but he only replied with,
“You know, you’re really pretty” I beamed at him. I loved receiving compliments, but I really didn’t know how to respond anymore. I haven’t been receiving compliments often; they had become insults when my popularity declined. Everyday I’d deal with both girls and guys yelling mean things about all my horrible secrets to me, and when I walked away they’d talk about me.
“Thanks” I figured that would work. I felt really confident at that moment, I looked over to him and just glanced in his eyes they were a gorgeous blue color that looked like the sky that day.
“So, how can I help your little plan?” he asked me. I couldn’t believe he was actually serious about helping me. I figured I would quiz him and see if he was popularity material, and he could help if he was. He would be perfect boyfriend material.
I didn’t answer his question I just asked another, “So what sports do you play?” I thought that would be a reasonable question.
“Football”
“Do you know other people from PCHS?”
“Yeah, my cousin goes there and he’s really popular so I chill with him and his friends, why so many questions?” He asked me in reply.
“I’m seeing if you’ll be any help in my plan, I conclude you will be” I smirked back, and then he grabbed my hand and ran over to the boardwalk which was closer than I thought. He pulled me along until we got up to the actual boardwalk, but he didn’t let go of my hand after. We walked down it and I looked at all the cute little sea shops. He pulled me into one.
“This is the basic hang out for everyone a PCH” he told me, I felt like I was being taught, but I was actually. I couldn’t believe he knew this stuff. I looked around the little shop he had pulled me into; it was an adorable coffee house with tons of adults. I turned my focus to Ryan and asked,
“So where’s everyone at then?”
“They don’t hang here during the day, it’s a night spot” He answered laughing, and then he led me out. We walked onward down the boardwalk and ended up in front of Joe’s Crab Shack. He asked me if I was hungry and of course I was. I had woken up and gone straight to Walgreens, and ever since I had been walking down the beach. I figured I would tell my mom where I was, I texted her then entered Joe’s.
“So, tell me Bailey, are you ready to take over?” Ryan asked me once we sat down in a booth. I, at that moment, realized I looked like hell. My hair was down, but it was a mess and I was wearing just a plain blue t-shirt and some old jean shorts. I almost had a panic attack, but I attempted to answer Ryan’s question.
“Of course, I’m preparing currently. Gathering information from you like a criminal master mind! And you forced me to leave Walgreens earlier so I have to go back!” I replied attempting to sound like I was joking, I was completely freaking myself out! I needed to work on that, so I was about to pull out the notebook but I remembered what happened earlier.
“You just continue to creep me out, Bailey” The waitress showed up just then. She smiled at both me and Ryan. But she gave Ryan a special smile, one that I used to give Nate.
Oh Nate, that boy back in eighth grade. We had been totally in love with each other for years and eighth grade year he was finally going to do something about it, or so I thought. Kylie was hopelessly in love with him too, and I was the only soul on earth who knew that. She knew he liked me though, and she was totally jealous because she knew he was going to ask me out that year. From the time Nate had laid eyes on me back in sixth grade I’d given him the “hopeless smile” as Kylie would call it. This was the exact smile waitress lady was giving Ryan, and I had to admit I was feeling a twinge of jealousy.
“Welcome to Joe’s what’ll ya be havin to drink? She asked the both of us, but looking at Ryan. She looked barely old enough to work, and she was totally gorgeous. I couldn’t believe Ryan wasn’t looking at her like she was gorgeous, and to my surprise he was looking in my way. I thought for a second, but then realized Waitress lady was waiting for us.
“I’ll just have water” I said
“Can I have a mixture of, like, all the sodas?” Ryan asked
“Sure?” Waitress Lady replied, sounding unsure, before walking away.
I thought again, it would be really awesome if we actually did date, because I’d walk in my first day of school with his hot guy then he interrupted my thinking.
“That’s Nicole; she would be a very popular junior.” He told me, looking down at his napkin.
“Ohmygod, I look like s***!” I just about knocked the table over trying to get my hands to my head to fix my hair.
“You don’t, actually” then he smiled, I loved his smile. It was an adorable half smile and I felt like I was about to melt. I obviously smiled at that compliment and didn’t say anything. We sat there in silence until Nicole came back with our drinks.
“Here ya go, Ryan” She said while putting the drink in front of him.
“Thanks.” Ryan replied shyly he looked down again and Nicole looked at me. I tried not to return her glare, but that’s hard when someone is staring you down. I could feel her tearing me apart. I knew this would not help my plan at all. She, then, set my drink In front of me and walked away.