The Way The Cookie Crumbles

Her name was Arizona. She went by a lot of things, but recently she managed picked up a lot more... undesirable ones. She was seventeen, five foot six and constantly working out with her mother, who was a world-known yoga instructor. Dark blue-green eyes, long blonde hair, and the tomboy attitude to boot. She loved video games, reading, surfing and just being on the beach. She seemed like the perfect daughter. She never went against her parents wishes. That is, until she met her ex boyfriend.

Blake was one of those guys you found on the front of a Hollister shopping back, only with dreads instead of close cropped, boy-band hair. Arizona had started to crush HARD on him her sophomore year in high school and by junior year, they were an item. He wanted sex, she didn't.

Send me a picture.

Of?

You, but don't be wearing a shirt.

She had received the text and it was as if someone else had pulled her too the mirror, topless, and made her take the picture. It was, of course, the worst decision of her life. By the next day everyone had the picture in their hands. Arizona's best friends stopped talking to her, guys kept trying to hook up with her, and finally, at the end of junior year, she talked her mom into moving. '

They moved fifty miles south, back to wear Arizona had spent the first thirteen years of life, and she was happy for that summer. Even though she had no one for three months, she was still happy. She stayed off of facebook, as the comments still poured in about her topless picture. People around her old town found out about it and eventually her parents did too. They moved back and left Arizona and her little brother with their uncle, a mad artist who stayed locked in his room all day and only came down for dinner.

She just wanted to be happy.

With a sigh, Arizona pushed the large comforter off of her body before gingerly tapping towards the large bay window, still in a light cotton cover up that she had slept in. The neighbor was doing the same, but she paid them no mind. "Arizona. Breakfast is ready." The maid spoke into Arizona's room and she sighed before walking back into the bedroom to get dressed.

Austin took a deep breath as he walked into school. Oh how he wished it was already over. School wasn't his favorite place to be, but he had fun while he was there.

"Austin! So guess what, you know that picture that went around a few weeks back?!" Chandler, one of his best friends, said running up.

"Yeah, what about it?" He asked as they walked down the hall. He had wished he hadn't seen the picture, Arizona and him had been best friends when they were little and he hated to see that she had turned into your every day slut.

"She's coming to school here now, least that's the rumor. Supposed to start school this week!" Chandler opened up his locker when they got to them and pulled out some books. "This school doesn't need anymore sluts if you ask me."

"No joke, we already have a cheerleading team full of them." He shook his head and shoved most of his books in his locker grabbing the one he needed.

"She was pretty sexy though!" Chandler laughed.

"And if you girlfriend heard you saying that you would be hanging out to dry right now." Austin laughed shoving him on the shoulder.

Arizona finished off her outfit by slipping her belly button ring in and grabbing a thin jacket, just in case it got cold. As she walked back downstairs and passed the maid, the piercing voice caught her mid-stride. "Hey slut, are you driving?" Her fifteen year old cousin called from the bar in the kitchen as she stuffed her face with Cheerios. Arizona had thought about driving her old '67 Dodge Challenger, but after a comment like that, she opted for the long board, knowing Allison would want a ride.

"No, I'm skating. You're welcome to catch the bus though, cuz," she smirked at Allison's face and walked outside with her board, the sun shining down on her face. Putting in her headphones, she started the mile long skate downhill to the high school.

Having had a tour of the school a week ago, Arizona knew where her locker was, along with the basics of the school such as her classes, the gym, and the lunchroom. The school was buzzing with activity for being as small a school as it was, but Arizona noticed the looks. They were the same looks she got at her old school. The people around here already knew, there was no doubt about that. IT was a dumb mistake and look where it got her. With a sigh, she rolled through the open doors and popped her long board into her hand. She made it to her locker with minimal gaping from others as she set her board inside and moved all of her long blonde hair over to one shoulder.

So far so good.

As Arizona left her locker and started to walk towards her first period, the first comment of the day met her ears. A guy with shaggy blonde hair locked eyes with her, acting like he was going to say something, and as she passed he did. "Nice tits," he winked and immediately his friends began to guffaw in laughter. Biting her lip, Arizona shook her head. Her blonde hair fell and she walked right past her old best friend, having not even recognized him.

Austin watched as Arizona walked by and felt a twinge of hurt for her. But it was soon gone. She deserved it, what did she think was going to happen when she took that picture. Stuff like that followed you everywhere. There was no getting away from it and she should know that.

"I gotta give it to her, she acts like she doesn't care." Chandler laughed.

"Yeah well, she's going to have to get used to it. This is something that'll take a lot before people will get over it, that's a small town for you." He laughed as they walked towards their first class. They found their seats and he saw Arizona sitting a few seats over from him. Everyone found their seats as the teacher tried to get them all quiet.

"Alrighty, we have a new student today. I'd like you all to help her with getting around and everything else." The teacher said oblivious to everything about Arizona. "You all are going to be partnered up and will have to have a project done by the end of the month on Shakespeare. I've already picked out your partners so listen up as I call them out and move to the seat next to your partner."

"Dude, I feel sorry for whoever has to be her partner." Chandler whispered from the seat behind Austin.

"Austin and Arizona..." the teach kept calling off names and Austin wanted to object.

"Dang dude, that sucks!" Chandler whispered before his name was called and he moved seats. Austin took a deep breath and gathered his stuff walking over to where Arizona was sitting.

"Welcome back, 'Zona." He said sitting down next to her using her old nick name.

Arizona heart jumped at the nickname. She glanced up from her note-taking and a bright smile graced her features. "Hey Austin! Thanks!" She was being a little too enthusiastic. Too much, Arizona, tone it down. She told herself and cleared her throat as Austin awkwardly took his seat. "I mean, thanks, it's good to be back." What a lie. He glanced to the back of the room and Arizona followed his gaze to another guy, who the teacher had called Chandler.

His hands were placed on his chest and he was making motions that would make a hooker blush. Arizona bit her plump lip, a nervous habit, and looked back at Austin before turning back to take notes. She really wasn't sure how he had taken the gesture, but she was certain there was humor dancing in his eyes.

Nothing would be the same, Arizona knew that. The only one who didn't judge her was Houston, her five year old brother. He didn't even know what the word naked meant. She thought about how confused he was the day after Mom and Dad left them with her uncle. He had been heartbroken.

"I've written the popular works of Shakesphere up here for every group. You'll all come up and grab one. Ready, go." The seniors raced to the desk up front and Arizona just sat there, eyebrows raised at the frenzy. Austin hadn't bothered to rise out of his seat either. A girl with her brown hair curled and pinned to one side of her head made her way down the row between Austin and Arizona, putting a slip down on Arizona's desk.

Tempest.

"Here you go, since you know, you're one of them." The girl smiled a cruel smile and Arizona did all she could to keep from laughing. So, she was a violent storm?

"Way to go, Officer Brains," she sighed mainly to herself and shook her head. The girl had obviously thought that 'tempest' was the same thing as 'temptress'.

Idiot. At least I have some amount of knowledge.

Austin did everything he could not to laugh at Chandler. This was Zona though, shouldn't he want to protect her from al this, he knew when they were little he always did.

It's been too long, she is the one that stopped writing, cut off the friendship in the first place.

"Guess they picked one for us, Nicole has never been the sharpest knife in the set though." He replied when he looked down at the subject.

"You're telling me." Arizona rolled her eyes. "So how have you been?"

"Fine, staying out of the gossip rings." He replied as he leaned back in his chair.

Arizona gave him a look and he seemed to crack a smile. "You? Austin? I believe that as much as I believe Nicole over there is on the honor roll." She motioned to the brunette with a cheeky grin and Austin followed her gaze, smirking slightly.

"Sure, sure," he smiled. "How about you, how have you been?" Arizona weighed the question. The honest answer would take too long. This was a guy that had know her for over fifteen years of her life. Out of anyone, he once knew her better than she knew herself.

"I've been better," she admitted. Knowing Austin, she knew he knew about the picture. Realizing that was more embarrassing than when her parents not only found out, but saw the picture as well. "A bunch of unneeded drama, confusion and misunderstanding went down last year and I was just trying to get away from it. I don't think coming back here was the best idea though," she smiled and the bell suddenly rang. It was suddenly as if Austin's whole demeanor changed. Arizona voiced a small goodbye and stepped out back into the bustling hall of judging eyes.

A couple of freshman guys stared at her as she passed. If everyone here already had their opinions about her, why should she work so hard to change them. She fluttered her eyelashes into a wink at the group and soon heard them arguing over just who exactly she was winking at.

Everyone knew who she was.

Something about that was sickeningly empowering.

Austin watched her reaction to be stared at and he smiled. There was the Arizona he knew.

"Gosh, look at that slut, I mean really?! Flaunting around like she is something special!" Chandler said walking up.

"It only shows that everyone was right about her. I mean look at her walking around like that!" Austin smiled back.

Arizona huffed a breath as the final bell rang. She'd spent lunch in the front office, trying to change her schedule, so her day went better than she had expected. She pulled her long board out of her locker. Right as she turned around, she ran into Austin's side. She took a couple steps back and looked up at him, his brown eyes looking into her green ones questioningly, somewhat asking why she'd ran into him.

"Sorry," she smiled softly at him and nervously bit her lip. His friend, Chandler, snorted and sent her a glare.

"Why don't you go send some more pictures," he growled and Arizona's eyebrows lifted in amusement.

"Why don't you go suck some more dick," she smirked at his appalled appearance before dropping her board to the ground and shoving off, right through the doors. She blew past half of the students outside the door, including her cousin.

A pastel-colored building came into view on her way back to her uncles. She was taking the scenic route, which was about two miles of sidewalk on the beach. The outside of the store read, "Twirl" and underneath it, it said "Frozen yogurt".

A job wouldn't be too bad. Right on the beach and all I'd have to do is stand there.

With a smile, Arizona popped her board up and walked inside. A younger man with a goatee and a hilarious looking mustache was sitting, rather boredly, behind the counter. "Welcome to Twirt, fro yo for the soul yo." Arizona bit her lip to keep from laughing. As she walked up to the counter, Mustache slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes widening a little in interest as he studied the seventeen year old.

"Say," she smiled sultrily, however not intentionally at all, "Are y'all hiring?" Arizona shuffled her feet and chuckled softly when Mustache jumped out of his seat to get an application.

"Well, usually it's just me and my sister, but, uh, I'm sure my dad can hire you." Arizona let out a giggle and took the application, quickly filling it out.

"That really would be wonderful." The door dinged open, followed by a loud groan, but she paid no mind to it. "I just moved back and I've really been looking for a cute job with sweet people like yourself."

"Yeah, uh, here," he took her application and placed it right by the register, "I'll make sure to give him this. Would you like some complimentary yogurt?"

"That's be delightful!" Arizona beamed and stuck her hand out. "I'm Arizona by the way."

"Marcus," the guy smiled and handed her a cup just as the other customers made their way to the front.

Austin wanted to role his eyes when he saw Arizona in the Twirl show too. This was where living in a small town was going to start to stink. Because yeah he kinda missed his old friend, but obviously that wasn't her anymore. Arizona he knew had way more respect for herself then to go showing off pictures of herself naked.

"Ah look Marcus is flirting with the whore." The girl standing next to Austin giggled low enough that Arizona couldn't hear them.

"To bad he's the one that spread that picture around." Chandler laughed still low enough that Arizona couldn't hear.

**Hope this is ok**

Arizona sighed as she filled her cup to the brim with yogurt, making sure to leave the center hollow. She filled the middle with fudge and then looked up at the others in the store. Chandler's gaze caught hers and his mouth turned up with a smirk. She, in turn, glared. They acted like she was the biggest whore they'd met. Surely, there were girls a lot worse than she was, they were just never caught.

"I figured she wouldn't get anything on it," a feminine voice chagrinned and Arizona balked. She had plain yogurt and they were comparing it to that picture?

"You've got to be kidding me," she breathed, walked around the group and put a five dollar bill on the counter. Even though he said it was on the house, she didn't want Austin and his friends thinking anything else. "Thanks Marcus," she smiled shyly and walked back outside, standing near the door as she checked her phone for any messages.

Austin and the other walked up to the counter and Marcus took their orders.

"Hey, Austin, do you know anything about her other than the picture?" Marcus asked him. Austin wanted to tell him to leave her alone, but he had to keep reminding himself this wasn't Zona they were talking about, it was Arizona.

"Not really, why?" Austin smirked at Marcus.

"Nothing, I'm going to get her a job here and just wanted to find out if she was taken." Marcus smiled.

"Like that would stop you." Austin ground out. "Thanks for the yogurt." He went and sat with the rest of the group peeking out the window where Arizona stood. What had happened to his Zona, the girl he swore when he got old enough he was going to marry. Yeah they were just little kids and he never told her that. But what had happened to that sweet little innocent girl. Up until he got that picture on his phone he always held out hope she would come back. Now he wish she hadn't, it hurt seeing that Zona wasn't there anymore.

Arizona sighed as she sat at the table across the street from the yogurt bar. She could see Austin laughing with his friends. His new friends. She let her long blonde hair blow in the wind around her, gingerly taking a piece and twirling it around her fingers. She didn't matter to him anymore. Especially after what happened.

Houston didn't get off the bus.

Her phone buzzed right as a big yellow bus barrelled to stop down the street. A curly, blonde haired hazel eyed five year old stumbled down the stairs, his backpack too big for his back as he looked around, first at the beach, then over at Arizona. I big grin broke his face and he hustled over to the picnic table, climbing up one leg at a time before taking the cup of yogurt from in front of Arizona.

"What's this?" He asked and Arizona grinned.

"Yogurt," she answered, "it's like ice cream, but better." Houston started shoving the sugary treat into his mouth. "Hey, how was school?"

"I hated it! I had nap time." Arizona chuckled at him as his eyes sparkled. Oh, how she wished she got a nap time in high school. "This isn't good." He got up and promptly toss the yogurt into the trash bin.

"Did the teacher send anything home?"

Houston shook his head, his curls bouncing, and stood up on Arizona's long board, holding onto her fingers as his legs wobbled. He started to giggle and she smiled brightly, all of the days aggravations seeming to fade away.

Austin kept glancing over towards Arizona. Her little brother got off the bus and was telling her something exciting as he talked with his hands.

"So you coming to the party tonight?" Chandler asked.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it." He smiled back.

"Maybe we should invite the new girl, spice things up!" The blonde across from him laughed looking across the street.

"It's your party, Tabby." Chandler grinned. "It would make sure it wasn't dull."

"HEY!" Tabby complained.

"I doubt she would even agree to go." Austin replied.

"Well I'm asking anyway." Tabby smiled getting up and heading towards Arizona.

"You ready to head home?" Arizona smiled down at Houston, who had let go of her hands. He nodded once, eyes still concentrated on staying ontop of the longboard. As she stood up and grabbed one of Houston's hands, a platinum blonde head of hair caught her attention.

"Hey!" The girl shouted, and then crossed the street. Arizona bit her lip and held Houston's hand tighter.

"Hi," Arizona was trying to be nice, she really was. Her teeth found the inside of her cheek and she started biting away at it.

"I'm Tabby," out with a manicured nail.

"Ari...zona?" She knew that this 'Tabby' character knew who she was. "Can I help you?" This girl looked sinister, in the sense that if she was compelled to ruin someone's life, she had the people and tools to do so.

"I wanted to invite you to my party. It's just gonna be a small gathering," Yeah right. "-and I really wanted to know if you'd like to show up." Before she could answer, the girl whipped out her phone and handed it to Arizona. "Put your number in and I'll text you about it." Arizona nodded and punched in her numbers, smiling softly at the girl. "Great! See you at nine!" She bounced back across the street and into the yogurt shop. Arizona glanced up, catching Austin's eyes gazing over at her. Her face lit up in a blush and she started to pull Houston along.