Young Writers Society

"Move his arm."

Snap.

"Now move the other one closer."

Snap.

"Move him to the left a little."

"Okay!" A jittery, thin, nerd boy, complete with square glasses, a checkered shirt, khaki pants, and red suspenders moved a clay figure to the right of the desk that it was sitting on. A girl behind the only camera in the room slapped her thin hand over her bright blue eyes and stormed over to the desk, grabbing the figure and setting it on the opposite side. "Sorry, Arden," the nerd grumbled lowly, only to make the girl roll her eyes.

"S'ok Harold, just... just pay attention. We really need to get this done before next week for art class." Arden sighed, running a hand through her choppy black hair before snapping a picture and moving the figure again. They had been working on a clay animation for art class for the passed week.

"Comin' through! Watch out!" Some buff guy in a football jacket ran into the room, a few others chasing behind him, loud laughter emitting from their mouths. The buff guy's hand slammed down on the clay figure, smushing it into the wire that helped it keep its structure.

"Thomas you idiot!" Arden screamed at him, rage flickering in her eyes as she tried to rebuild the figure, failing miserably. The guy, Thomas, stared at her, an amused smirk on his face.

"Arden, Arden, Arden," he said her name sarcastically, the smirk widening. "You know better than to leave such a fragile thing on a desk, especially at this school. Really now, I thought you were smarter than that."

Arden snorted and rolled her eyes. "Wow, you actually can do something with that little brain of yours other than play football. That's a surprise. Besides, you know better than to be in the art room anyway. Mrs. Johannason banned you from it, remember?" He had nothing to retaliate with. Ha! "Now all of you, get out!"

"Their brains are probably too small to even do that," spat Harold, making Arden laugh lightly. A huge, greasy haired football player suddenly had Harold suspended above the ground, making him let out terrorfied squeals.

"Put him down!" Arden snapped, kneeing the guy where the sun didn't shine. He suddenly doubled over in pain, dropping Harold, who let out an odd sound. "Thomas! Get your goons and get out!" Most people were intimidated by Thomas, especially Arden's friends, but she wasn't. It was a result of being his next-door neighbor all her life.

Thomas laughed. He was a year older and a grade above Arden. They had known each other for years. He had even babysat her once. She could be a handful. "Oh, come on Arden, you know you love me." He teased.

Shr growled. "Get out! Get out of here!" She screached.

He laughed. He loved annoying her. It was too mch fun. "Come on, sexy, I know you'll miss me." His "goons" laughed.

Arden bit her lip to refrain from shouting out profanities. "Please," she finally breathed, "an incompetent, peanut-for-brain fool like you isn't exactly on my list of things to miss." At that his goons made some odd hooting sound. "Now Thomas... if you will, take your goony-owl things and get out. You've all got something to do I'm sure." Maybe, if I'm lucky he'll get hit by a car. She smiled sadistically at the thought, the image flashing before her eyes.

"Yeah, your mom," one of his many goons coughed lowly, only meant for his buds to hear. They all laughed and Arden glared, fists balled at her fists. She set her glare on Thomas and pointed to the door stiffly. Of all the people at this school he was the only one, other than the teachers, that knew about Arden's mom's suicide.

"Out," she snarled angrily, her eyes now locked on her black converse. Once they were all out Arden rubbed her head and grabbed her messenger bag. "I'm gone Harold. I've got to go to work. I'll work on this tonight," with that said she grabbed her camera and walked out the door, her hands working on stuffing the camera angrily back in its bag, then its bag into her messenger bag. She wanted nothing more that to go home and take a long, relaxing shower. I might call in sick today. I've got enough sick days to last me my entire life. She thought, anger sifting within her.

Thomas felt horrible. "Guys, that wasn't funny." He growled.

"Yeah, it was. Dude! Did you see her face?! Classic." One of them laughed.

He glared. "Grow up." He walked off and headed home. He saw Arden about to go into her house. "Hey, I'm sorry about today. They are idiots. I'm sorry, Arden." He said softly.

Arden just glared at him, her grip on her bag tightening. "Since when did you care?" Before he could reply she stepped into her house, slamming and locking the door behind her. Music was slamming from downstairs and she growled angrily, rubbing her temples before stomping upstairs. Her brother and his little band was practicing and all she wanted to do was go into her room and take an extra long shower. Her room, thankfully was soundproof both ways. So she could blast any music and not worry about her ditzy step-mom complaining and her father coming upstairs and knocking the hell out of her. The best part though, was that she didn't have to listen to her brother's band.

*~*

Arden stepped out of the bath, a towel wrapped around her body, and brushed her teeth angrily. Yeah, the bath had been a failure. No relaxation at all. She groaned and dug through her drawers until she found a nice pair of jeans and a All Time Low tee. Arden peeked out her balcony blinds across to the other balcony, which led to Thomas' house... opening into Thomas' room. Convinced that he wasn't in there due to how dark it was she grabbed her guitar and stepped out, setting up on the railing and gently strumming the strings. It wasn't completely dark yet. Probably five-something at the most. That meant probably an hour before her father would come up and yank her away from her safe haven and down stairs. She sighed and shook her head, accompanying the guitar strumming with some lyrics of her own.

Thomas heard music coming from outside. He looked out his balcony window and saw Arden playing her guitar. He used to listen to her play it a lot when they were younger. She was really good, and it used to help him fall asleep when he was having a restless night. He missed being her friend. They were best friends once...but that was a long time ago. He snuck out onto the balcony, hoping she wouldn't notice. He sat and just listened, soaking in the sound that she was making. He knew her home life was not very good ever since her mom died. A lot of the time, he had wished he could help her...but she wouldn't let him in. He sighed, then froze. Had she heard him?

Arden glanced up from her guitar slowly, but continued, her eyes locked on Thomas. Once she finished the song she slid off the railing and walked towards Thomas. Was there not a place anywhere in this world that she could get away from him? "What're you doing Thomas? Come to make fun of my 'depressing' music?" She growled, putting air quotes around the words he and his friends used whenever they heard her music. It was hard not to if they were in Thomas' room, considering that his and Arden's balcony were three feet apart at the most. She raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer. It was Friday, meaning that Thomas was throwing some huge party like he did every weekend tomorrow. "Shouldn't you be planning some party for tomorrow or something?"

Thomas glared. "Fine, whatever. I was just listening to your stupid song." He turned and left. His "friends" showed up a bit later. They laughed as they heard Arden playing.

"I bet she couldn't get a date if she wanted one." One of them laughed.

Thomas just ignored it.

"there's an idea." His best friend, Johnathon, said.

"What are you talking about?" Thomas asked.

"Well...I'll bet you twenty bucks that you can't get Aden to go on a date with you."

"That's not even near enough." Thomas laughed.

"How about one hundred bucks? But you have to have sex with her and make her your girlfriend."

He smiled. "It's a deal."

"Arden! Get your skinny, good-for-nothing ass downstairs!" Arden's father suddenly barged out onto the balcony, eyes lit with rage. Arden sighed and slid off the balcony, soon being gripped on the arm and drug down stairs into the dining room. Her 'perfect' blonde step-mom, Christine, was whining about Arden not eating the meat she cooked.

"I'm a vegatarian." Every night she had told Christine that and still, she whined. She probably doesn't know what it means. Arden chuckled to herself.

"Oh yeah," came the dumb reply.

"It means I don't eat meat," she rolled her eyes and quickly put a ceasar salad together.

"I know what it means!" Christing screached right as Arden's brother came into the kitchen. "Rodney! Tell you daughter to stop treating me like I'm some idiot." Arden's father glared and sat down at the table.

----

Once dinner was over Arden excused herself and jogged back up into her room. There was nothing to do. All her friends were working on the science fair project -which she had finished already- and there was nobody to hang out with. Her eyes strayed over to the small desk in the corner of her room, which held a grey and white chinchilla. Arden, her mom, and Thomas had all gone to the pet store on Arden's tenth birthday to get any pet she wanted and she had a baby chinchilla.

Standing to her feet, Arden walked over to the desk and took the chinchilla, El Diablo, out. He would be seven next month. She laughed lightly and remembered the day she got him. She and Thomas had argued over the name of the little guy. She wanted it to be Bandit, for he had a thick black mark right across his eyes, but Thomas wanted to name it El Diablo because he never liked rodents and thought they were little demons.

After two weeks, however, Thomas would always sneak over and nab El Diablo, just to take him over to his house, then Arden would wrestle him for the small rodent. She laughed dryly and walked over to her bed, laying down and laying El Diablo on her stomach, so she could still pet him.

Thomas smiled as his friends left. He stepped across the two balconies and knocked on her screen door.

"What do you want?" she growled.

He chuckled as he saw El Diablo sitting on her lap. "You still have that thing?"

"Thomas, I swear. Now leave."

He put up his hands in surrender. "Easy. I was just wondering what you were doing tomorrow night?"

Arden gawked at him. "What?!"

"You heard me. I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow night."

Well... I'm not busy tomorrow, and I can always work on the art project Su- Wait! Am I really considering this?! Arden shook her head and groaned, sitting up and opening the glass door to let Thomas in. "Don't you have some party tomorrow?" She cocked an eyebrow and leaned against the wall her bed was against.

Thomas laughed and shook his head. "No, my parents are home this weekend. The party's next week when they're on their ski trip."

"Of course," Arden rolled her eyes, running her hand across El Diablo's fur, "No parental control as usual. That's what pissed my dad off last week." Thomas burst into laughter, holding his stomach while Arden just cocked an eyebrow.

"So, is that a yes?" He regained his posture, smirking like usual.

"Well... I guess..." She mumbled.

"Great. See you at seven thirty," with that he ran out the door and over to his house. Arden shook her head in disbelief, that she had actually agreed, and layed back down, hand over her eyes.

Thomas smiled. H ecouldn't believe she had said yes. He smiled and went to bed. The next day he rushed around getting things ready. This thing had to be perfect. He didn't even remeber what she liked to do anymore. He just knew that it had to be perfect. He had to actually make her his girlfriend. He thought hard. Then a thought entered his head and he smiled. He grabbed a pair of jeans and put on a clean crisp white shirt, looking like he stepped out of an advirtisement for American Eagle. He smiled and went over to her house, pulling out of his garage in his red convertible.

He got out and headed to the door. He knocked on it and waited. Her dad yanked it open and growled.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

Thomas had never liked her dad, and the feeling was mutal. "I was going to take your daughter out, sir." He replied, trying to sound polite.

"Yeah right." Her dad snorted.

He tried not to get mad. "She said she would last night. So...if she is here, if you'd please let me take her out, I'd be greatful."

Before her dad could reply, she showed up at the door, and it was all Thomas could do not to drool. She cleaned up good...for a nerd that is.

Arden picked at the bottom of her shirt, worridly. Her father studied her, surprise decorating his features. She sported a not-too-dressy black and white shirt, a pair of jeans, and a pair of black flats. "Arden... are you really going somewhere... with Thomas?" She nodded, making him upgrade the surprised face. "Erm... okay. You know the time you're suposed to be home," she nodded again and weaved her way around her father.

"Yes sir." She smiled lightly, trying to hide her annoyance.

"Bye then," he waved.

"Bye," she clenched her teeth and followed Thomas to his car, sliding into the passenger seat, nails digging into the seat below her.



***Clothes are here

Thomas looked at her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah...I'm fine. Why?" she asked, trying to smile.

"Uh...you just seem aggrivated." He shrugged.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

He smiled. "You'll see." He smiled coyly.

Arden cocked an eyebrow and let out a light laugh, the tension around her letting up tremendously. "If we're going anywhere that you usually go I'll kick your ass," she teased, but held a bit of seriousness in her voice. Thomas just laughed and shook his head.

"No need to worry about that." The tone of his voice caused Arden to grow suspisious.

"Mhmm," she lowered her cocked eyebrow and propped her feet up on the dashboard, laying her head back and closing her eyes.