What an interesting girl. Amethyst thought back to her IM conversation this morning as she sat in the back of a stiff town car. It wasn't like her to get anxious, but then again, she'd never met someone like Natasha. The girl was taking Algebra 2 at six forty-five in the morning! But then again, while Natasha did seem like an overachiever, however, she was also pretty friendly to Amethyst, so that had to count for something.

"Miss Wishbone?"

"What?" Amethyst asked, her driver's voice jolting her out of her thoughts.

"We've arrived, Miss Wishbone."

Amethyst looked up. They were parked in the driveway of a middle-class house. The outside was painted a light baby blue with white window frames and white curtains. The overall appearance was neat and tidy. Amethyst's hands suddenly felt clammy. She had never done this before - stayed with a totally stranger hours away from home.

"Thank you," Amethyst said as the driver opened the door to the town car. She had wanted to take a taxi but her mother, usually as carefree as her, had gone all protective and insisted that she could easily be kidnapped or killed. Amethyst had rolled her eyes at the time, but now that she was in the big city, she understood her mother's worries.

"No problem, Miss Wishbone. Do you need help with your luggage?"

"Um, yes, please." Amethyst hadn't been this anxious since the time she had to take a swim test in five feet deep water when she could barely swim in the baby pool. She had, of course, failed, but nearly drowning had given her new motivation to learn how to swim. She was now an alternate for her town's swim team which was perfect for her - she got to be on the team but she didn't get as much of the stress as the full-time swimmers.

"Are you okay, Miss Wishbone?"

Amethyst realized that her hands were shaking and made herself stay still.

"Yes, sir, thank you," she said, taking the handle of one of her suitcases he had just put down on the ground. She waited for him to get back in the car, but he just stood there.

"I, uh, think I'm all good," she told the driver, hoping he'd get the hint. He just shook his head, however.

"Your mother has instructed me to wait until you meet your hostess."

"Oh. Okay." Amethyst let go of the suitcase and timidly made her way down the path to the front door.

Deep breath, Amethyst, she told herself as she paused in front of the door. Breath in, breath out. In, out. After a few calming breaths, she reached out a millennial pink-painted finger and hit the doorbell. Okay. She had done it. Now she should just pull out her book while she waited and return to her usual, happy self. After all, there was no reason to be nervous. She'd just had a great chat with Natasha Summerville this morning and-

"Amethyst Wishbone?" The door creaked open and an impeccably dressed woman appeared. Amethyst sucked in a breath. This was why she should be nervous.

"Um, yes. Ma'am," Amethyst said nervously. She didn't usually call people "ma'am" and "sir", but she couldn't imagine calling this woman by anything else.

"Mom?"

Amethyst relaxed a little as a girl around her age - presumably Natasha Summerville - appeared in the doorway. She was shorter than Amethyst, though she somehow looked much, much more mature. Her slightly wavy brown hair stopped just below her shoulders and she wore little makeup - some blush, a touch of mascara, and some gloss. The girl's expression, however, was anything but mature. She looked like a toddler on the morning of her birthday.

"Hi, I'm Natasha, you must be Amethyst Wishbone. I'm so excited to meet you, I've set up a cot in my room, but if you'd rather stay in the guest room that's fine as well. I-"

"Natasha." Mrs. Summerville's voice was firm and it wiped Natasha's excited look right off her face. She straightened up and held out her hand to Amethyst.

"Hi, I'm Natasha Summerville. You must be Amethyst Wishbone. Pleased to meet you."

Amethyst slowly reached out and shook Natasha's hand.

"Um, you too."

"Excuse me, sir, would you please bring the luggage in?" Mrs. Summerville called out to Amethyst's driver as the two girls stood awkwardly on either side of the doorway. Amethyst turned around to see the driver already wheeling her two suitcases toward the door.

"That's okay, I can get them myself," Amethyst said hastily, hurrying toward him. The driver shook his head politely.

"No Miss, I can handle them."

Amethyst reluctantly waited by the door while her driver brought her matching pink-on-pink-on-pink suitcases to her.

"Thank you," she said automatically while Mrs. Summerville handed him two ten dollar bills. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Please don't, I have money with me," she said, fumbling her wallet.

"Nonsense." Mrs. Summerville handed the driver the money and waved him off. "You are our guest, after all." She stretched her lips into a thin smile that Amethyst thought looked one hundred percent fake. "Natasha, show Amethyst to her room, will you."

"Yes, Mom." Natasha smiled at Amethyst and took the handle of one of her suitcases. "Come on."

"Don't scratch the floor!" Mrs. Summerville yelled after them. Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Just be careful," she whispered to Amethyst. Natasha winked, then led Amethyst into the house, which would be her new home for the next few months.

Will these two get along? Will Amethyst and Mrs. Summerville become worst enemies? Find out more in chapter three!

~ writesthetic