First Day of Senior Year

At the shrill sound of my alarm clock, I shot straight up in bed at the sudden noise, sighing in annoyance as I remembered why I had my alarm clock set in the first place.

First day of my Senior Year.

Groaning as I groped blearily for the alarm in an attempt to shut it up, I finally unplugged the damn thing and smiled at the silence of my room as I laid back down and pulled the covers back over my head. What could five more minutes hurt, anyway? Its not liked I needed to show up to school all decked out to the nines. That's more Stacey's thing than mine, anyway.

As if on cue, my cell phone began ringing, to the tune of Toxic by Britney Spears. The noise of the song set my teeth on edge. Rolling over once again to reach my nightstand, I grabbed for the phone, my eyesight still not completely focused, as I wondered how the heck that song had managed to get onto my phone. Snapping the phone open, I said into the mouthpiece, "It is way too early to be calling."

"Are you up yet?" Stacey's voice demanded and I rolled my eyes as I grudgingly sat up. "Because you are not showing up on the first day of school looking like you rolled out of bed and threw whatever the first thing you saw was. Why do you think we went shopping again?"

"Because you and Dawn like to torture me?" I grumbled as I pushed the covers away and slowly stood up, grabbing my glasses as I made my way over to the closet. "And is my choice of outfits for today really worth the call? And the annoying ring tone?"

"Yes," she replied, in the familiar tone of what-are-you-crazy I had learned to expect to hear whenever I was dealing with Stacey and clothes. "Besides, I knew you wouldn't get up with the alarm, so I knew this would wake you up."

"Yeah, yeah," I said, rolling my eyes as I grabbed my jeans and a tanktop and headed towards the bathroom. "I'll see ya at school. Later."

Without waiting for a response, which was nothing new in our phone conversations, I closed the phone and tossed it onto the bathroom counter and grabbed my toothbrush. Figures that Stacey was the one to put that travesty of a song onto my phone, when she knew how much I hated that crap. Britney Spears and music? The words should never be in the same damn sentence together. She couldn't even compare with the classics like Elvis and Aretha. Smiling slightly as I grabbed the toothpaste and squeezed a generous amount onto my toothbrush, I decided to listen to some good old classic music on the way to school.

Even as I started brushing my teeth, thankful that I had taken a shower the night before, I couldn't help but shake my head at Stacey and her shenanigans. Though we were pretty tight, I don't think I would ever understand her obsession with clothes and always having to look perfect. If it wasn't the first day of school, and I didn't want to hear her rant all day about my choice in outfits, I would have stuck with my usual t-shirt and jeans, instead of the nicer pair of jeans and top I had chosen. I don't think she'll ever really get me, cause I didn't go out and spend all the money that my mom was guilted into giving me. Her? She could blow a thousand bones on clothes at Nordstrom, no prob. We're weird, in that sense. Tight but not. Story of my life.

Spitting the toothpaste into the sink, I quickly washed out my mouth and threw cold water on my face in an attempt to fully wake up. Being awake would help my contacts go in easier. I patted my face dry with the towel and quickly stripped off my pajamas and replaced them with the outfit I had placed on the counter moments earlier. Just as quickly as I had washed my face, I put a bit of concealer and lip gloss on, and ran some gel through my wild hair, calming it slightly.

Glancing at myself in the mirror, I shrugged at my reflection. It wasn't perfect, but it was me. Even if I was slightly more dressed up than usual, I wasn't over the top dressy. And that worked fine with me.

I stepped back into my bedroom, grabbing my backpack as I rushed down the stairs, sliding slightly down the banister and almost running full speed into Anna. She glanced at my outfit and said in a half-amused tone, "I take it that was Stacey on the phone?"

I rolled my eyes as I grinned, accepting one of the breakfast bars she had in her out-stretched hand. "Girl can't let me have a morning to myself, I swear. But at least I actually put effort into my outfit this morning, even if my hair is still crazy."

Anna glanced at my slight tamed hair before reaching up and running a hand through her own straightened hair. "Shannon let me borrow her straightener for this morning, as she is always raving about how great it is for taming curly hair. I think I might have to purchase one as well, since it did work this morning."

"It does look nice," I admitted as we headed out the door, locking it behind us. "But that is way too much effort for the morning. Are we riding together, or do you want to take off as soon as the day is over? Cause I'm staying for soccer, since I'm Captain this year."

She bit her lower lip slightly for a moment as she considered the option in her mind, as opposed to talking through the options out loud, like I had always done. It still amazed me how different we really were, especially since so many damn people at school still expected us to be like, the perfect identical twins. Idiots had actually asked me why Anna and I never dressed alike. Hello, not wanting to be petted like a fucking doll anyway? People needed to get the fuck over our looks cause we were totally different peeps. The sound of Anna's voice broke me out of my uncharacteristic musings as she said with a soft smile, "I think I will drive separately, today. I want to get home to practice a little extra today, since I will be defending my chair this whole week in orchestra."

I punched her on the shoulder in amusement at her thoughts, ignoring the slight grimace that crossed her face at the contact. "Sure, like someone will be better than you. You're the reigning champ of the violin in this town and everyone knows it. No one can take your place."

"You never know," she responded, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she unlocked her car. "There is always the possibility of a freshmen coming in with an incredible amount of talent."

Rolling my eyes as I waved the possibility off, I tossed my backpack into the passenger seat and called out, "Whatever. See ya at school!"

With that, I slammed the driver door shut and started the car, revving the engine slightly as I backed out of the driveway, immediately putting the car into drive and taking off down the street with a load roar of the engine. I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Anna following, albeit much more sedately than I have ever backed out of the driveway. Shaking my head slightly at her thought that someone could be better than her when it came to the violin, I guided my car down the familiar streets of Stoneybrook, daydreaming as I headed to school.

As much as I didn't really want to admit it, a tiny part of me was looking forward to the school year. Senior year, after all, was the perfect combination of awards, parties, and envious underclassmen. Plus it came with the always awesome Senior Skip Day and built in excuse of senioritis. How could you go wrong with that? And? My schedule this year? Is full of blow-offs, which kicks all kinds of ass. All in all makes for the tiny part of me that doesn't mind the fact that it's senior year.

Leading my car down the familiar streets, I sighed a deep melodramatic sigh as I veered into the Stoneybrook High School parking lot, screeching to a halt in one of the few spots left near the front of the school. The engine died as I turned the key in the ignition, pulling it out with a quick easy pull. Here it fucking goes. Senior Year, in all its glitz and gory.

"Dammit," I muttered under my breath as I pushed the car door open, immediately jumping in surprise at the loud car horn that issued just behind me. Putting on my best "fuck with me you die face," I turned my head quickly to the car, rolling my eyes as the underclassmen in the vehicle kept laying on the damn horn, as if I was taking my own sweet time to get out of my car. Reaching across my seat, I pulled my backpack out from the passenger seat and slamming the driver side door behind me, I flipped the bird to the asshole before yelling, "If there's even a scratch on my car, I'll fuckin' knife you."

A flash of shock crossed the guy's face and I smirked, knowing that what clout I had at the school would make that kid watch his step for the rest of the day around my beauty of a car.

"Stevenson!"

The sound of my voice caused me to spin around, searching for the source of the sound. A wide grin crossed my face as I yelled, "Holy fuck, if it isn't the tan god himself! Where the hell have you been, Blaser? Ya disappeared on everyone."

R.J. shrugged casually, though he gave me the grin that melted the heart of almost every girl in school. His teeth were white against the dark tan of his skin, almost like one of those ads you see for Crest White Strips. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if he used that shit, since he was as vain as Stacey. But unlike most chicks in the school? His tricks never worked on me. I crossed my arms across my chest, glaring up at him.

"Not an answer, babe," I pointed out. "What's the deal? Go on some extended trip to the Caribbean? Meet a hot native girl? Details!"

He chuckled, a deep sound that seemed to resonate in his chest. "Something like that, Stevenson."

Punching him in the arm playfully, ignoring the slight wince that crossed his face at the force behind my punch as he followed me into the hellhole that was Stoneybrook High School. I sighed as I passed through the doorway, though couldn't help but smile inwardly knowing this was the last time I would be passing through these doors on my last day. A strong desire to hug the doorway overtook me, before I pointed out to myself that touching that would not only give me who knows what germs but would lose all coolness I had built up over the last few years. That would suck cause to lose in senior year? And lose all access to hot parties? Fuck that.

It was just as loud as I remembered, though this time? I was in charge. No more pretending to bow down to the seniors, cause I am a senior.

No one will know what hit them by the end of the year. I won't let them.