When I was fourteen I dreamed of how my first kiss would be. I envisioned myself anxiously waiting after a first date for the boy I liked to nervously ask if he could kiss me. I pictured so perfectly the innocent exchange between two nerve rattled teens. The sweet looks, the shy hand holding, the buildup of love and expression before finally the pleasure of that long awaited, perfect first kiss.

I never could have pictured that it'd be stolen from me.

Whatever attempt of affection I may have felt in me towards Blake was dying a horrific death when I heard his answer for why he kissed me.

"Because, I knew if I didn't kiss you he would have." Blake's stunning eyes were intensely on me, "Don't you get it? Kitty, I wanted to be your first..."

I stared at him with my gaze turned icy cold. "Is that it?"

Blake's mouth opened and shut silently, he was totally caught off guard. Was he expecting me to swoon or something?

"Did you not hear what I just said? I said—"

"I heard you the first time, Blake. I get it. You wanted to be my first, just like you decided that I'd be your plot device to making Cara jealous. Am I supposed to be happy about that? You didn't kiss me because you want to be with me or even like me, you kissed me just so Marco, the boy Cara adores so much, wouldn't be my first kiss!" The more I talked the angrier I grew, I reached for the doorknob, yanking it open and pointing out towards the curb.

"You need to go, my mother will be coming back home soon and I'm not supposed to have anyone over."

Blake wet his lips while looking between myself and his parked vehicle. "It's not like that."

"Then what is it like? Did you plan to kiss me and then what? Go fake date Cara and kiss her too? What was the plan here?"

Blake didn't say anything. Part of me wished he'd prove me wrong. I wanted him to tell me that I was wrong, that I misunderstood him, that he took my first kiss for a good reason. If he'd have just said he liked me, at least that I could have understood, but he didn't, and he wasn't saying anything. I didn't expect my chest to hurt, but it was starting to. I never should have let things get this far.

"Go. Just go!" I shoved him. I wanted to just get him as far away from me as possible. He stood outside my door with his impossibly blue eyes sorrowfully looking at me. I didn't want to look at them. I was scared he would apologize and I knew I'd lose it if he did.

I tried to catch my breath and before I closed the door I told him, "Consider this our fake break-up."

But it felt like a real one. . .

The next two weeks went by like a blur. I was going through the motions, but my heart wasn't in them anymore. I guess I'd put aside my need for revenge, I forgot to be put on the act. I didn't share my notes, I didn't pretend to laugh at the jokes the boys on the soccer team would tell me in the hallway. I had completely lost touch with whatever reason I had to pursue this whole thing in the first place. Suzy tried her best to comfort me, she reminded me that I could just go back to being the old me like I had planned to from the start.

I avoided both Blake and Marco. One I avoided out of anger, the other I avoided out of embarrassment.

I decided to skip lunch and head for the school's atrium. I just wanted to think and be alone for once, I was sure that Suzy would understand that.

"So everyone knows that Blake and Kitty are done."

I stopped in my tracks. Had I just heard my name? I carefully decided stay up against the wall and just peer around the corner to see who was talking about me without them noticing that I was listening.

Cara, Kristy and Samantha were standing near the entrance to the school atrium. Samantha was posing for her camera to try and get a cute selfie angle, while Cara was fussing with her hair in the window reflection. Kristy seemed to be the one gossiping about me, her perfect little purple gel-polished nails filtering through her hot-pink phone.

It was horrible how a group of such cute girls could be so petty.

"Of course they were going to break up. Blake had like the hugest crush on me growing up. It was so bad, he was so in love with me it was gross." Cara lifted a fist full of her hair to test and see if she liked how it looked in a ponytail. "What do you think? Hair up or down?"

"Def up, you never wear it up." Samantha advised without even looking at Cara, she was too busy making a strange, but cute expression into her phone camera. "So you think they broke up because he still likes you?"

"It's pretty obvious Blake went all extreme makeover to win me over, seriously that boy loves me. He was just with that Kitty girl to make me jealous. Even if Kitty changes from baggy jeans to flower skirts, it takes more than being pretty to be popular. It's so exhausting to be popular." Cara sighed, as if being the most desirable girl in school was such a terrible thing.

"I'm glad they broke up. It's not right to have such a hot guy with some social ladder climber. She's so desperate to be popular, it's sad. So, then. If you don't want him, I will take him." Kristy's curly hair had a way of making her look innocent. Everything about this girl screamed sweet and pretty. You'd never expect a girl so in love with lavender and pink to be so nasty.

Cara let her hair slip through her fingers and she turned around to face Kristy. "I never said I didn't want him. In fact, he's going with me to Lacey's birthday party this weekend."

I felt a sting in my heart with those words.

"What about Marco?" Samantha finally seemed to be done taking selfies, now that the conversation topic had gotten juicy enough for her. "Are you giving up on the soccer team captain for the childhood friend?"

"Marco's not off the menu. I'll go out with Blake then Marco will get jealous and want to be with me. We'll be together in time for the homecoming dance." Cara decided to keep her hair loose, pushing it over her right shoulder. "I mean, like okay Blake is cute, not gonna lie. It'll be fun to test that out, but Marco has the better connections and stuff. He's going to take over his father's Architecture firm one day and he has family that is Berkley Alumni. Blake has no future plans. His family is a mess, his father's business failed, he lost all that money and got a divorce."

"Okay greedy. Future or not, when you're done, I want him to be my boyfriend. I'm not like you. . . I don't mind keeping broken toys." Kristy blew a bubble and popped it.

I couldn't stand to listen anymore. I turned on my feet quietly and tried to head back towards the cafeteria. Blake's plan wouldn't work, he was about to be used by Cara. What if she was right? What if Blake somehow fell back under Cara's spell and actually fell in love with her only to be hurt by her again? Even if Blake had hurt me, and even if all he wanted was revenge one thing was crystal clear. Cara Perez had to be stopped.

"Kitty?" I knew the voice right away.

Marco was just ahead of me, his hand kind of waved at me a bit unsure. I guess he was playing it safe around me since the incident at my house. Just making eye contact with him made me feel self-conscious, but I had to face my fears if I ever planned to rise up. I had to be as bold and unwavering as Cara was. I lifted my hand and waved back.

"Hey Marco, sorry we haven't talked much," I apologized.

"No worries. I heard about you and Blake, sorry things didn't work out." He stood much closer to me now. Anyone who might have seen us could misread our relationship. He seemed as relaxed being close to me as he did with Cara in the past.

My chest still felt heavy with any mention of Blake, I couldn't even figure out why just hearing his name affected me so badly.

"Don't be. It's last weeks news."

Marco smiled warmly. "Can I tell you a secret?" Marco's expression was infectious, it made me smile too and nodded like a child waiting for a bedtime story.

"Don't be shocked, but you were my first crush. When we were little. Do you remember that day years ago where you tripped and I helped you? Yeah, well, I was following you because I liked you." Marco seemed completely open. Was I in a parallel universe? I felt like I was having some weird outer body experience.

I was his first crush.

Me! Ignored little Katherine "Kitty" Summers was the captain of the soccer teams first crush.

I bit my lower lip, so many questions were swimming inside my head. "Why did you never say anything to me?"

"I dunno." Marco shook. "I guess we grew up and we had different friends—"

I knew that wasn't the truth, even if Marco didn't know it. The truth was that Marco no longer had a crush when I didn't grow up to be "pretty" like Cara had. The other girl grew into swans and I stayed a duck. I knew within me so strongly that the only reason he was telling me about his feelings was because I turned pretty over the past several months.

"So Lacey's having a party this weekend, and I know Blake and Cara are going to be there and it might be weird, but I was invited and I kinda don't want to go alone. Do you want to go with me?"

This was a crowded event, in a crowded place, a boy and a girl going to the same event, together.

"Go with you? Like a date?" I might have sounded stupid, it was obvious he was asking for a date, but I just couldn't believe it.

Marco seemed amused by me. I was hoping that he found it cute and wasn't noticing how silly I felt. "Yeah, like a date. Not just a hang out thing, but a date-date."

I wanted to be excited about Marco's invitation and I was. But I couldn't help thinking that with me being at the party I could warn Blake of Cara's intentions. I managed to become pretty, but now I needed to become popular.

"Sure."

In Pleasant County it is a well known fact that the best parties are Lacey's parties. Out of all the families in the county, Lacey Peters' family was the wealthiest. They had the largest pool, the house with the best view and it was a given that even if Lacey did nothing with her life, she was set—for life.

Both Lacey's parents though were so busy with work, charity balls and conferences that they neglected their one and only child. Their way to make up for a lack of involvement in her life was to allow her to have big birthday parties, complete with dancers, musical performers and a party planner. It was an extremely exclusive party and for once, I was invited.

You would expect Lacey to be the Queen Bee of Pleasant Country High, but she wasn't. It wasn't that Lacey was ugly-she looked like teen model with pouty pink lips-it was more that Lacey just lacked whatever that sparkle was Cara had. Cara intimidated Lacey, and ever since every high school boy Lacey pursued ended up chasing Cara, she switched to only dating college boys. That action sealed her fate as being merely a Princess, and not a Queen.

If Lacey Peters with all her family's wealth, long model legs and large swimming pool couldn't top Cara, I wondered how I would accomplish it. I knew I had to try my best to become someone capable of taking the throne from her.

"You owe me for this." Suzy sat at her computer desk, holding a bowl with a few purple and orange popsicles she was working her way through.

"I'll repay the favor, I promise."

I spread across Suzy's bed a series of teen magazines, everything listing the best dresses worn by the cutest celebrities and how to make your teeth whiter before a date. I had told my mother that I was staying at Suzy's house that night so I'd have an alibi to sneak off to the party. I hated lying to my mother, I never would have done something like this in the past, but I knew I had to stop Cara and this was the only way.

"I'm surprised you're not making a bigger deal of out getting a date with Marco after five years lusting after him. You are totally focused on Cara and Blake."

I blushed. Suzy was right. I kept forgetting that I actually had a date, my very first date. Why wasn't I more excited? Why wasn't I giddy with joy?

With Suzy's help I twisted my hair into a wild-looking-sexy-side-braid. I made sure my eyeliner gave me those perfect points and put on lip stain. With my auburn hair I decided to wear an above-the-knee, sleeveless emerald green dress, just so it'd make the green in my eyes more apparent. Yes, the dress showed my collarbone, a part of my body I had never really shown unless I was swimming. After I finished all the little details I stood before my best friend to get her final seal of approval.

"How do I look?"

Suzy hugged her rabbit shaped pillow against her chest and gave me a thumbs up. "Like you are going to walk the red carpet. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

My phone buzzed and I didn't even need to check it. I knew it was Marco, he was here to pick me up. I gave Suzy a final hug and thanked her for being an amazing friend.

I had to go down the back stairs of Suzy's house. Luckily, Suzy's parents had a tradition of watching Netflix shows every evening after her father would get in from work. Somewhere, halfway between a good crime show and a sugar crash, they'd doze off with their hands still in the candied popcorn bowl. It made it too easy for me to slip out unnoticed.

I had instructed Marco by text to park at the house next door, just so the headlights wouldn't wake the Petersons. I felt like I was playing a stealth game as I made my way from the backyard, to the front and then across the sidewalk to slide into Marco's passenger seat. I had just successfully executed my second act of rebellion.

The music inside was soft and the cool AC felt good on my skin. I turned to look at Marco who hadn't said anything since I closed the door. He looked great, I was convinced that he could even make a potato sack look fashionable. But his eyes were not staring at my face, they were staring at my dress. God, he was looking at me like I wasn't wearing anything at all. I hugged myself; nervously and stupidly could only utter a, "Hi."

"Wow," he breathed that word. "You look—just, wow."

It was a simple word, but it felt like the world to me. It was the best compliment I'd ever been given in my entire life. Suddenly, the AC didn't feel cool enough. My skin felt so very hot. I reached out to try and turn the knob up and my fingers touched Marco's. It seemed we both had the same idea.

"Sorry, you go ahead," I bashfully spoke.

"Oh no, it's okay! You can turn it up, if you are hot, I mean, if you feel hot." Marco stumbled over his words. I internally sighed. He was so freaking cute.

He turned the gear into drive, and we were off to the first big social event I'd ever been to. I felt like I was a girl in a James Bond movie. I was suddenly an elite member to this exclusive club. I had VIP access to a world few would ever know or experience.

We mostly listened to music on the ride. Marco tried to talk about his interests with me, mostly consisting of soccer, funny times with his guy friends, youtube videos and playing FIFA. I smiled, because I enjoyed having this kind of moment with Marco, but I had nothing to share. I was a girl who enjoyed video games, comics, singing, foreign dramas and baking. None of my interests fit into any of his interests.

"If I could be a pro soccer player I would, but everyone knows I'm just going to end up an architect, like my dad," Marco spoke while watching the road. He was either a careful driver or he wanted the trip to go slowly so he had more alone time with me.

"If you like sports then you should just do sports. I wish I had something I was passionate about like that."

Marco smiled, I could tell he felt a little proud from what I said. "Thank you. I wished reality worked like that, but our generation doesn't get the benefit of following their dreams. Dreams don't make money."

I felt a little sad for Marco. I had no idea what I wanted for my future, but at least I had the freedom to choose. Marco since the time he was born was probably always told he'd inherit his father's business. He never had the luxury to guess or wonder or to even dream about what his future would be like. His destiny was clear with no surprises.

We pulled up to Lacey Peters house. Wow, I'd heard stories about Lacey's home, but I'd never seen it in person. It was easily a million-dollar-maybe even more-style home. Large, well manicured lawns fully lit. The security, iron-rod gate and the driveway leading up to the front door. Plenty of large windows and undoubtedly spacious rooms hidden inside. Where I had to cut my grass at my house, I could tell that Lacey's family probably had a gardener and a maid.

It was dark outside, but Lacey's house was lit up like Christmas, and the view overlooked all of the glowing lights below in Pleasant County. Several cars were all rowed up and even a valet was waving with yellow glow sticks where we should park.

There must have been two hundred or more teens crowding around or into the front door. So many faces I didn't even recognize; they definitely weren't from our county.

For my birthdays my mother would order a cake from the grocery store with my name spelled out in green colored gel icing. Suzy and a few of my cousins would be there and we'd just have cake, ice cream and watch a movie on the TV. I'd get gift cards and be allowed a shopping spree with them. To me that's what a birthday party was.

This was not a birthday party. This was like a celebrities after-party.

How would I ever find Blake? How would I be able to outshine Cara at something like this?

A warm hand touched my shoulder.

"Is Kitty Summers ready for her party debut?" Marco asked me.

Oh, that's right.

I was not the same girl anymore. I wasn't the quiet girl who let the waves of life just carry me out to sea. I had said I wouldn't be that 80%, I would be a person who took life like a bull by the horns and conquered it.

There were two forms of ammunition I had: I was with one of the most desirable boys in the county and I had on an amazing dress. . .

Fierce and fiery, I'd gone from kitten to wild cat and it was my time to shine.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

I am Kitty, hear me roar.