Young Writers Society

Arden laughed and shook her head, moving her hair out of her eyes. "For you it was football. For me... well, it was my obsession with school. I guess we just drifted apart." She smiled painfully, remembering the times before eighth grade, when groups someone hung out with actually made you who you were. "I didn't like all your perverted, disgusting friends, and you thought all my friends were geeks. I think, what really ended our friendship was when you started dating Rebecca Williams right at the end of eighth grade."

"What?" They were both facing each other now. "Rebecca Williams, the head cheerleader?" Arden nodded and laughed.

"Yeah... I think I was jealous. I don't know really. It was just the fact that until eighth grade I was the only girl even close to you and then little me Rebecca came along..."

*g2g to bed sorry! G'night! :D**

Thomas laughed. "She really didn't mean anything. My friends told me I should go out with someone since I was in ninth grade now and I needed someone new. I didn't want our friendship to end. Especially over something dumb like that. I don't think it even lasted a week." Thomas shrugged. "You have always been my girl, Den. I wouuld never trade you for any other girl."

He watched as her face lit up a bright red.

She shoved him. "Thomas, quit."

"I'm serious. You are still my girl. I used to keep a close watch on all the guys you hung out with. Every time you got clsoe to a jerk, I'd confront him and tell him he'd better be nice to you or he could deal with me. Yeah...I know. I suck and am very lame and stokerish. I just couldn't stand to see you be used." And the thing was, it was all true. He reallly cared about Arden. He didn't even know why he took the stupid bet when he cared about her so much. Maybe he knew somewhere deep down inside that he loved her. He just didn't want to admit it.

Arden glared at him playfully. "You're such a stalker! No wonder all my guy friends are scared of you!" Thomas laughed and Arden rolled her eyes, a smile playing across her features.

After the fair Arden was laughing loudly, holding onto Thomas' hand with both of hers like a little kid. "Hey! How about we go to a movie? It's only ten! We can catch the last show of the night!" She smiled lightly. "Please Thom?" She rested her head on his shoulder and giggled lightly. To much sugar was like making her down a load of beer.

Thomas smiled. "If you are sure, Arden."

She giggled and nodded. He helped her back in the car and took her to the nicest theatre in town. His parents were loaded and he didn't really have a want of money. He had plenty. Which is why he could afford to have a so many parties. He took her to the theatre and helped her out. "What movie would you like to see?" he asked, smiling at the gorgeous girl hanging on his arm. He was really starting to like her.

Arden studied the movies playing and smiled widely. "I don't know. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button sounds good... but so does Marley and Me and Yes Man." Arden groaned and pouted up at Thomas playfully. "You choose. All of them sound good and I still stink at making choices," she laughed lightly. Ever since they were kids Arden could never make up her mind, other than the time she chose El Diablo, but all the other times she would beg her mom or Thomas to pick for her.

"Um..." Arden laughed as he tapped his chin thoughtfully. She looked into the theatre, towards a table where a group of tan, dark-haired and golden-eyed guys sat, smirking over at her and Thomas. Packmates. She growled inwardly, glaring. While Thomas wasn't looking she stuck her tongue out at them pulling her bottom eyelid down angrily. "Arden? You hear me?"

"Huh?"

He chuckled. "What were you doing?" he asked.

"Nothing..." She answered.

He laughed. "Okay. I asked if Marley and Me was okay."

"That's great." She smiled.

He grinned and bought two tickets. He led her to his private theatre box and sat with her. "What do you think?" He asked.

"Holy crud! This is yours?" Arden laughed as he nodded, one eyebrow cocked.

"Why?" He smiled.

"Well, my friends and I usually chuck whatever we bought up at whoever was up here," she smiled as he groaned, probably remembering the time she chucked a full cup of soda up at him and his buds.

"You know... that cola never came out of my favorite shirt." Arden busted out laughing, holding her stomach and nodding her head. He'd found out it had been Arden and her friends and had his goons 'nerdnap' Harold and stick him in the trashcan, then roll it down the hill in the school's courtyard.

"Well, Harold's favorite button up was destroyed and we had to disinfect his head with bleach because the smell wouldn't go away." It was Thomas' turn to laugh. Arden straightened as the movie began and smiled over at Thomas, flicking a piece of popcorn at him before turning back to the screen innocently.

Thomas laughed. He placed his arm around her shoulder and let her lay her head on his shoulder. He smiled. It was nice, just the two of them. She laughed and he smiled. He didn't want it to be over because he loved having her lay in his arms...and he didn't know the next time she would let him do this.

The second the movie was over and Arden and Thomas got into Thomas' car her phone went off. She squinted at the bright screen, thankful it wasn't her father. She smiled at Thomas apologetically before putting her phone up to her ear. "Hello?" She croaked, biting her lip.

"Hey Ardie. You comin' huntin' with us down in Me-hee-co?" The voice on the other line questioned, the person obviously wearing a smirk.

"No... um..." she lowered her voice slightly, "I'm going up to Canada. Besides, what's down there in Mexico? A bunch of chupacabras?"

"Hells to the yeahs! They're over-populatin'! C'mon girl, you know you want to go hunt some clawed, fanged freaks!" Arden shifted her gaze of at Thomas before rubbing her temples.

"Newsflash Dare, we are clawed, fanged freaks. Maybe not as evil and ugly as them, but we're still freaks." She hung-up right before Daren had the time to tell her how delicious the little monsters where.

"What was that about?" Thomas laughed lightly, glancing over at her and smiling.

"Er... my cousin wanted to know if I was coming down to visit him in Mexico over Christmas break," she lied, biting her lip. Thomas laughed and smiled at her again.

He took a hold of her hand and held it tightly. "This has been so nice, Arden. I missed us spending time with each other. It has been so long since I've hung out with my girl." He smiled and kissed her hand. She was so wonderful. He was actually shocked she had ever agreed to the first date.

He sighed when he pulled up in front of her house. "Will I see you again...soon?" he asked. "I would like to go out with you...but I'm busy next week..." He sighed.

Without a second thought Arden placed his lips on his, soon jumping out of the car and standing at the window. "I'm sure we will. We're next door neighbors after all." She teased, sticking her tongue out playfully before running over to the underneath of her balcony. Her ladder from when she used to stay over at Thomas' house till midnight just talking, then she'd miss her railing, and hit the bushes underneath the almost touching balconies, was still leaning up against her balcony. She quickly scaled it and slipped into her room, shutting the door behind her. She landed on her bed and squealed. It felt good to feel like someone other than the nerd girl that used to be friends with the football star.

Arden touched her lips gently, sending a shock through her body. She'd kissed him. Not the other way around. But I've been wanting to do it since eighth grade! She argued with herself. Her cell went off and she answered it with a sigh of happiness. "So, how'd it go?" Sammy's obvious voice asked through the phone.

"You were probably watching everything in your little mind theater. What's the point of telling you Miss I-can-see-everything-you're-doing!" Sammy burst into laughter on the other end.

"You going huntin' up north? Your vision's getting darker ain't it? I could tell at the movie, and it wasn't the lighting hun. You need to get out next weekend. Maybe earlier." Her voice was warning.

"I know, I know. It's like someone's been stacking sunglasses over my eyes. I'm thinking about heading up to the Coastal Range. Maybe head up to the Alaska Range. Whichever has an overload of animals."

"Yeah... So do you like him?"

"Back to Thomas?!" Arden couldn't see her but she knew Sammy was nodding her head. "Whatever. I really think I do."

"Love?"

"I might..." At that Sammy burst into laughter.

"Well, you're obviously love-struck, so I'm going to let you hit the hay."

"I am not l-" the phone line clicked off. Arden growled aloud before letting a stream of giggled escape her lips. She flipped her lights off, bid El Diablo and goodnight, and crawling into bed, thoughts of Thmoas running through her head.

Thomas callapsed on the bed. The next day was sunday. As soon as it was light, he walked across and tapped on her window. "Come on, wake up. You know you want to talk to me." He smiled. He couldn't wait to see her. She was amazing!

That constant tapping was really starting to tick her off. Thinking it was a bird, Arden rolled off her bed, landing onto her floor on her hands and knees. The tapping stop, but in its place was a deep laugh. Arden shot off the ground, grabbing her blanket in the process and wrapping it around her protectively. She was, after all, only in a pair of girl boxer shorts and a tight tank. She yanked the door open, blinking in the sun and smiling warmly at Thomas. "G'mornin'," she smiled, pulling the blanket tighter to her body before walking over to her closet. She pulled out a dark blue band tee and a pair of jeans as the springs on her bed sounded, signaling that Thomas had taken a seat.

"Morning!" He chirped deeply, making Arden laugh lightly.

"Would you mind waiting like five minutes for me? I need to take a quick shower." She smiled at his expression.

"Great... now I've got to wait two hours." He groaned before plopping back on Arden's bed.

"Au contraire," Arden giggled lightly, "I'm only going be in there thirty minutes at the most. Ten to take a shower. Five to get dress, then fifteen to dry and straighten my hair." Thomas rolled his eyes and Arden walked over, taking a seat next to him and sticking her lip out in a pout. "Pwease Thom-Thom?" She teased. Before he could say anything she pecked him on the cheek and ran into her bathroom, yelling a thanks on the way.

Thomas laughed. He smiled and glanced around the room. He picked up the pet that he had convinced her to buy, and held the little guy tightly. Arden was done in thirty minutes, like she had said. He smiled as she walked back in the room. "To tell you the truth, I liked the shorts and the tank best." She chucked a pillow at him and he laughed.

Arden laughed lightly and shook her head, plopping down on the bed beside Thomas and taking El Diablo from him. "You're a dork," she teased and smiled at him coyly. She leaned against her wall, tips of her fingers dancing over the furry creatures soft fur. "You're going hunting over Christmas break, right?" She smiled lightly.

"Yes, my friends and I are." Thomas laughed.

"Hmm... that's nice. I'm headed to visit... my... aunt, until the twenty-third that is. I've got all my shopping done... almost. All I have to do is get you something. I got your mom and dad each a gift card, like I do every year. Nothing too extravagant." Arden giggled lightly as El Diablo crawled atop her shoulder, nibbing her ear lobe.