Bianca Santos As Lily

Lily

    As gently as I can, I close the front door behind me as I sneak away to school, placing the trash outside to be collected. Clem's familiar little grey car then pulls up into the drive and I jump in, a fake smile plastered over my face.

   "Hey," she sadly smiles to me as I place my bag in the back, "did Blake text you back?"

   "Yeah he did actually," I laugh, "and I actually stand a chance of getting him to Connors party, but the only problem is his bitch of a sister who keeps getting in the way."

   "Kennedy?" She asks, pulling out of the drive and heading to school. "What's wrong with Kennedy?" She asks, "she's avoided you ever since-"

   "Don't even." I cut her off, refusing to mention the past. "Okay...." Clem takes the hint and pushes a natural curl out of her face.

    "Listen Clementine I need a favour," I turn to her as we reach a red light. "I'm failing biology and I can't afford too, do you think you speak to your dad?" I ask as nicely as I can.

    "But that's not fair on my dad," she shakes her head. "He has to be fair with his pupils or he'll get fir-"

   "Thanks Clem," I smile, making it very clear that she's not getting a choice. Having a friend who's dad worked at the school came with its perks.

    "Did you see that LJ Anderson was back at the school yesterday?" I smile, desperate for a chance with him if Blake doesn't work out. "He's gotten hotter in the last few years, he suits his hair longer, I always remember him having this stupid buzz cut." I laugh, and I'm offended when Clem doesn't laugh with me, and as she speeds up I push a dark strand of hair out of my face.

   "What do you think of him?" I ask, interested in knowing if she's going to be competition. She's quiet for a few seconds, a dead giveaway that she also thinks he's hot before surprising me with her answer.

    "I've never found him attractive at all," she states, her face firm and jaw clenched. 

   "Huh, okay." I roll my eyes as we come to a firm stop at school, multiple spaces are free because we're early and when I see that Kennedy isn't here I can't help myself.

    "Hey, park it over there," I point, and Clem unknowingly agrees as the engine is turned off.  It's not my car, so I won't need to worry about the consequences.

    Connor and Blake walk in together, and I run up to him, leaving Clem to fend for herself as I appear at Blake's side.

   He smiles at me as we walk into school, my arm linked with his. "So, we good for Saturday?" I ask, practically spitting it through my teeth.

   "If Kennedy gets a date then yes," he laughs, "we are."

   I don't hide it as my entire expression drops and I unlink my ark with his. "You told me she was a problem but you failed to mention you cannot go unless she's there to babysit you."

  "Sorry your little plans not going to plan," Connor adds without being involved in the conversation, I glare at him in response. "Guess you're gonna have to sink your claws into someone else." He laughs.

    Connor mikleson was well known for being hot, he was smooth and good with the girls. But he was too sweet, and it was that which would eventually get his heart crushed.

   He glares at me through his smile, his dark hair and eyes making him that little bit more intimidating. "If you don't remove yourself from this conversation, these claws," I told my hands up to him, "will be sinking into your neck."

   "Okay sweetheart," he raises his eyebrows, "but I'm apart of this conversation either way," he shrugs his shoulders, his brown top getting a little bit tighter across his chest.

Blake then disappears over to the cafeteria to grab some food, leaving myself and Connor alone to start world war three.

   "Then why don't you contribute something useful?" I snap back, and he pretends to be hurt.

  "Well you need someone to take out Kennedy Everett," he states, beginning to seriously get on my nerves. "Really? I never realised," I roll my eyes.

   "And that girls definitely got a bad temper on her at all times," he smiles, the corners of his lips just a little wider than they should've been for talking about his best friends sister.

   "I mean, even when she's sleeping she's still terrifying," Blake adds as he returns laughing, "I wonder if her version of a good dream is someone else's nightmare."

He then hands me something to eat which I smile at. It was the little things in life.

   "And this conversation is going where?" I ask, "if I wanted a boring conversation I would go back over to Clem."

   The stomping away of heels instantly tell me that she heard, but I know I'll get her to forgive me before the day is done.

   "If you want someone to go out with Kennedy, you're going to need someone who's not afraid of her." Connor adds before quickly disappearing off to find his locker, making eye contact with me as he leaves.

   "Is that even possible?" I ask Blake, sighing and ready to give up on him. There were a million other guys in the school who were as average as he was, the only thing special about him was the fact no one could get him, no one but me. It was the perfect way of getting back at Kennedy.

   "What about that asshole?" Blake adds as he clenches his jaw, we both look over and see a dark eyed Leon Jake Anderson staring back at us from a window side. "LJ?" I laugh, he was the only person in the school that literally did not give two shits about anything in the world.

  "He may be the only person in this entire school who's scary reputation might be as big as hers, I mean he literally socked me across the face the first week of school."

   I laugh, the faded memories of sitting with Kennedy and watching as she ran over to an unconscious Blake crossing my mind. The vivid flashes of her slapping LJ across the face seem like they happened yesterday.

   "He's perfect," I smile, "leave it all to me."

*****

    "Please Clem I didn't mean what I said," I roll my eyes as I know I'm lying. Clems cries can still be heard from inside the stall. "Leave me alone Lily, I've been your friend long enough to know your lying to me."

  "No, I'm not," I continue to lie, "I just said it because I'm trying to look cooler in front of Blake," I make up on the spot, ready to hit my head against the wall for making it sound so stupid.

   "Yeah well that sucks for me," she answers, her muffled cries getting quieter and quieter.

   "Listen I'm so sorry okay, you can forget about it because I didn't mean it and-" I think for a quick second to try and make me sound genuine.

   "You can forget about the whole asking Mr Hargreaves...your dad for a better grade." I tense up neck as I know not passing Biology will hit me hard in the next few months, but lucky for me, it seems to work on Clem.

   Slowly she unlocks her stall and steps out from it, her cheeks slightly red and swollen.
"You're a crappy friend."

  "I know," I answer.

   "But I need you to do me a favour," I ask and she laughs at me. I sigh, knowing that this probably won't go down well.

   "Oh course you do, why else would you come here and act apologetic towards me." She laughs, heading over to a mirror and brushing away all tears from under her eyes.

She places both hands on either sides of the sink, "What?" She asks me.

I look at her blankly, confused.

"Lily what do you need me to do?" She tells me, her tears fading away. I swallow and walk towards the door, turning back to look at her last minute.

"I need you to go up to LJ Anderson and ask him to ask out Kennedy Everett," I pause, "tell him I'm willing to offer compensation for his services." I finish before walking out and leaving her to herself.

No one dared to near LJ Anderson, he was everything that was wrong with the world. A drinking problem that started before he even reached high school, a father with a drug problem and a dead mother. He would stab anyone who dared look at him in the wrong way, and Blake had learned that within the first ten minutes of him entering the school.

"Hey," I flash a smile as I walk up to Blake, careful to drop hints but not look too desperate. "Hey," he smiles back. I tilt my head over to the window at the opposite side of the cafeteria where LJ sits with his friends from freshman.

Clem was going to be eaten alive, she was actually going to confront him.

She makes her way out of the bathroom, and looks over to Blake and I worryingly. I wave with a smile.

She shakes her head and walks towards him, I realease a sigh of relief as she's actually going to do it. Taking her under my wing had been worth it.

Blake then grabs my arm and quickly turns to be, not looking happy. "Lily! What have you done? Why's Clementine going over to LJ Anderson by herself?"

I shake his hands off of me as Connor joins us.

   "And why disturbing plan have you conjured in that dark mind of yours?" He rolls his eyes and poking me in the forehead. "You need Jesus."

"I told you to leave the dirty details to me," I sigh, "and it's going to stay that way."

By this point Clem is now speaking to LJ, who doesn't look too happy about being approached. But as he raises his arm, his black shirt rises and I find myself distracted as begins Blake runs to Clem.

"Wow there, leave the energy for basketball practise," Connor adds.

He then quickly grabs Blake, and calms him as LJ doesn't lay a finger on Clem. Instead, he looks up to me and gives me a subtle nod.

The plan was on its way.