Vanessa

I leaned in close to the bathroom mirror as I carefully traced the outline of my mouth with Va Va Vroom Red. The fire engine color shrieked against my pale skin, but I liked it. It made me feel like a voluptuous vamp. With a clang, the tube of lipstick dropped into the sink as I turned my head from side to side to study my new look.

Smokey eyeshadow covered my lids and a flush that for once, wasn't natural dusted my cheeks. So maybe it lacked the perfection and technique of Addison's hand, but my makeup wasn't half bad for a beginner.

I grabbed the curling iron that sat on the marble top, wincing at the still hot metal. Never mind that. The wisps of curls that framed my face was good enough for me. Besides, Devin or anyone else was hardly going to be focusing on my hair when I came strutting into French class wearing my skintight denim and a top so cropped, the lace from the dusty pink bralette I sported underneath could be seen poking out.

Taking a final glance at my reflection, I nodded my approval. Lines from an old Taylor Swift song immediately popped into my head. "Sorry, the old Vanessa can't come to the phone right now," I mouthed into the glass. "Why? Because she's dead."

That's right, ladies and gentlemen; plain, no self-esteem V is gone. World, I would like to introduce you to bold, sexy, flirty Nessa.

It was past time for me to stop feeling sorry for myself that I wasn't like Addison, Kayla, and all the other girls on the planet that could have guys wrapped around their finger with just a flick of their glossy locks. I could be like them.

I had watched my best friend breeze into a room in a tornado of hair gel, glitter, and perfume enough times to feel confident enough to be able to emulate exactly what guys wanted. Males didn't desire boring. They didn't lust after girls with frizzy hair, and they certainly weren't charmed by stutters and sweaty palms.

If I had played the part of good, little vixen from the beginning maybe I wouldn't have blown it with Matt. Perhaps I would have been the one he was fooling around with below the stairwell or the one sitting in the passenger seat of his Jetta as he peeled out of the school parking lot on a Friday afternoon to head up to "the spot."

Forget him. He's dead to you, too. You have Devin now.

Well, I would. Just as soon as I commenced Operation Hot Guy. So maybe he wasn't hotter than Matt, and perhaps he was a little more "all-American boy" than bad boy, but he was still drop-dead handsome and the best candidate for my plan.

Curling my lips up into a smile, I flicked off the bathroom light. The chase was on. Only this time instead of me being the one to do all the pursuing, he would be trying to catch me.

***

Matt

I woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. My skin was drenched, and beads of perspiration dotted my forehead as I bolted upright. Scenes from the nightmare I had just experienced flashed through my mind in a loop.

Kayla's golden locks shimmered as they caught the light of the glittering Christmas tree behind her. I joined her on the plush white carpet, handing her a sloppily wrapped mound. She threw her head back in laughter at the sight of the present tearing through a small hole that had begun to form on the side.

"What is this garbage, Mattie? Did you even try? Pathetic. I don't know why I'm wasting my time with such a loser. A low life like yourself doesn't belong with an elite member of society such as me."

Blowing out a breath, I dragged the back of my hand across my brow. Christmas was two weeks away and the realization that I had no idea what to get Kayla plagued me. She was definitely the type to expect something. And judging by the leather bags she swung around and the diamond necklace that glistened on her chest, it was to be something expensive.

I could probably scrape enough cash together to buy her a pair of cubic zirconia earrings if I pawned a couple of my more valuable books. But do I really want to go that route? Jewelry was a more committal statement than I was looking to make. I could go the low-key direction of presenting her with a gift card to Forever 21 but I knew the lack of thought behind that idea would just be plain insulting to her.

It hadn't been this hard with Vanessa. I just surprised her with whatever I thought would make her happy. No question about it. If I had the tiniest inkling something would bring a smile to her face, then I would do whatever it took to make that present happen.

I tried to think about what Kayla liked and what gestures would bring her joy. A romantic stroll in the snow? Nah, she would just complain that the slush was getting her boots all wet.

What does she talk about non-stop? Purses, shoes, Taylor Swift. Well, I knew nothing about bags and footwear. I supposed I could always ask Addison for advice but was that tacky to ask your old girl's best friend what to get your new girl?

Alright, so technically Vanessa was never my any kind of girl but the idea's still the same.

Back to the drawing board. I had heard rumblings that Taylor Swift was going on tour again so perhaps I could score some concert tickets? Yes! That would be perfect.

Satisfied with that plan, I rolled over to return to my sweet oasis of slumber, but my eyes snapped back open. Wait a minute; weren't concert tickets sold months in advance? If I traded my soul to be able to land her a pair of those then surely, she would assume that I was expecting to be the one she took as her date. She would no doubt think that I was already looking towards our future together.

That was not the message I wanted to send. We had only been dating for a couple of months and I was nowhere near ready to get serious with her.

Covering my face with a pillow, I yelled into the fabric. Would it be completely insensitive of me to break up with her now and then get her back after Christmas? I seriously considered this option for a solid couples of minutes until I realized her birthday was in January and then there was Valentine's Day in February.

Ok, maybe get back together with her in March then? Oh god, didn't she say her mother had Irish roots? What if she expects a present for Saint Patrick's Day? Then Easter baskets and she would be crazy not to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. Who doesn't love a good excuse to scarf down tacos?

The list could go on and on. I was doomed to stick with her for all the holidays and give her all the gifts. This only left me with one option; I had no choice but to figure out what to get her.

***