Anyone who says you should just be yourself is putting on their own show.

Every decision, every answer, and every reaction could be giving a little of yourself away and depending on the audience, there was less I'd like to show off. Once you start peeling back my layers, only my bad parts might be left.

And no one wants to see that.

My phone dinged.

A text from Mona right before I could walk into school. For whatever reason, someone rudely replaced all my blood with cement without asking. Now my limbs were too heavy to push through to the other side.

Amazing I could even read the idiot proof sign: PUSH without forming at the mouth.

Common sense told me there were no masked men with knives behind this door. No active flowing lava spilling out into the halls. Killer bees weren't real... but dread still pricked my skin like the world's itchiest sweater.

Some days were harder than others.

"As a kid..." a deep voice rescued me from my mind prison, and I whipped around to find Loman staring at me. If you combined a sasquatch with a golden retriever and a sprinkle of the stereotypical football jock cliché, you'd have a steaming plate of Loman McMan. He had that usual glazed look over his big brown eyes.

Not an ounce of humor to his voice, Loman said something funny. Just not funny comedic. "I thought I could hear people's thoughts, but it turned out to just be my own thoughts."

I blinked. "What?"

Loman pointed to the door, hiking his bag up his shoulder. "You were checking to see if you had superpowers, right? To try to open the door?"

"Oh, uh..." I looked between us, and the door and the word PUSH is bold red letters. "No," I said when my phone buzzed.

Relief flooded the basement of my soul as Mona's name flashed across my screen again. A bit of my anxiety went flat, after getting shaken for too long. Pushing through the side door, I held it out for Loman as we entered the school. This would be the typical entrance for the students who drove here.

Naturally, Loman fell into step with me as I read:

MONA: [Hey Zoey! Just checking to see if you can still pick me up tomorrow?]

The light from the screen would have to be an adequate substitution for the sun. Mona Fabray had the power to peek through the storm clouds. She was a hillside covered in flowers with no people around. Only a calm breeze and silence. No one else could make me quiet.

Quickly, I texted back:

ZOEY: [Of course! I got you.]

MONA: [Thank you so much!!! A girl could get used to this]

My lips pinched to the side in a smile. Hovering towards the side of the hallway, I took root there and tried to think of a clever response. Something flirty. Not too much. This was the beginning phase of a relationship. Crushes could go two ways:

1. I get the super pretty girlfriend of my dreams.

2. Soul crushing rejection.

We weren't far enough in for me to know the outcome, so I had to play it smart.

Without asking him, Loman joined me by the wall and looked around as if to wait for me. I'd like to think when school was over, Loman still roamed the halls as if class was still going on. Just roaming. Not a care in the world. Not a thought outside his head other than circus music. He was an attractive guy without having to do much. Wish I could hold the same privileged.

Some—my aunt Leslie would say I just lacked effort.

That there was potential somewhere. I just needed a map to find it.

My hair was too short to resemble any style other than straight. I don't really know any aesthetic other than comfort. I just wanted to wear things that didn't hug so closely to my body. I wore a not tight shirt underneath an open button up and straight leg jeans that constantly needed to be adjust during the day. My sketchers were more reliable than any breathing thing on this planet.

Honestly, I wished I didn't have a body at all. I envisioned myself as nothing solid. To be maybe squared shaped or non-incorporeal like a cloud of mist. I only wanted my thoughts to be witnessed and everything else about me to not be perceived.

Suddenly, a particularly good reply struck me, and I nearly cracked my phone screen to type it up.

ZOEY: [I really don't mind and it's okay.]

ZOEY: [Feel free to get used to this.]

The silence between me and Loman got too loud. Awkwardness inspired conversation. "Um, how are you Loman?"

Brows scrunched, Loman said, "Confused."

"Why? What's going on?"

He nodded upward at the atrium at the end of this hall. Hanging off the wall, a huge pink banner hung over the cafeteria, hand painted and covered in doodled hearts:

THE VALENTINE SADIE HAWKINS DANCE

In smaller letters, I read:

Ladies' Choice

"Vintage," I said, and my phone buzzed. "What's confusing about it?"

Loman's brow furrowed deeper. "It's just... What if you're gay?"

My shoulders jumped, I snorted so hard. "What do you mean?"

Quickly, I checked my phone and Mona's text back:

MONA: [So, in art class we just finished our pottery section, and I painted a few mugs.]

ZOEY: [That's so cool. You realize you're magic, right? You have something in your brain, and you can just create it, and put it out into the universe]

ZOEY: [Do you have pictures?]

Loman shook his head. "I mean like... how do you go to the ladies' choice dance if you're gay? That's two guys... and what if you like a girl?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Who asks who if you're both girls? And what if you don't have a gender at all? Do you not get to go?"

I spoke to Loman as I texted Mona back. I was nothing if not a brilliant multitasker. A few more notifications blew up my phone and I realized I was too late to meet up with my friends. Jeez. Late to meet with my friends. Still needing to run to my locker. I also wanted to sneak over to the art room and see Mona before. Maybe take her to her first class. Too much to do and I was having a conversation of ethics with Loman over a school dance.

MONA: [It's funny you should ask]

MONA: [I actually was hoping you could stop by after school Friday and actually, take one home.]

ZOEY: [Really???? I got one]

MONA: [Of course! Whichever one you like! But! I bet I can guess which one you're going to choose.]

ZOEY: [Well, I'm a betting person. You're on. If you guess correctly, I owe you.]

MONA: [How about you owe me a movie and some popcorn.]

ZOEY: [Deal.]

Unable to help it, I grinned at my phone. This was going so well. My fingers were buzzing from the electricity jumping out of the screen. Nothing was better than a well-executed plan.

Thunder cracked.

The lights in the hallway flickered.

A curtain of black hair passed me, and my heart jumped up my throat. Daniella James breezed past me, and a chill ripped up my spine. She was neighbors with the creature from the black lagoon. The Boogieman used her as inspiration to frighten children.

The world is built on opposites. All going back to survival of the fittest. If there's something in this world living, breathing, and trying to live its life, something else existed to try to destroy it. Big things eat little things. Mouth breathers pulling water dwellers from the sea. Fire versus Water. Sweet or Sour. Zoey Summers and Daniella James.

So, with that logic if there is a love at first sight.

There must be a hate at first sight too.

I could close my eyes and I'm back at my freshman year track meet, the heat burning the backs of my eyelids. I recalled the way sweat trickled down my spine and pooled at the small of my back. Everything had finally slowed, the drumming in my leg muscles fading out in tempo.

Then, Daniella's hands slamming into my back, and I hit the ground. My knee split open with a nasty sting. So much more of my blood than I had ever seen in my life. I whipped around so fast, my neck cracked. And there in my waking nightmares, my eyes traveled from the two fists clenched at Daniella's side to the look of fire and brimstone in her eyes.

Daniella James looked like she wanted to take a bite out of me.

"Zoey?" Loman called my name and I'm back in the school hallway, standing in the middle of the sea of students and obstructing traffic. He cocked his head, bending slightly to meet my eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Uh. Yeah," I lied, my heart drumming inside my throat. Good morning Tasker. Better liar. "I was just thinking about your question. I think you're right. It's weird to have a Sadie Hawkins dance. It should just be a Valentine's Day dance."

He nodded and together, we walked towards the atrium. Barking from the corner, Penelope Harris was waving people down, "Come on people! The Sadie Hawkins dance is two weeks away! Get your tickets now and support the arts! Buy one get one half off!" She waved at Daniella passing by like a dark cloud.

All smiles, Penelope's big brown eyes sparkled behind her glasses. She wore the school's sweatshirt with a winking chipmunk in the certain. "Hey! Daniella, have you gotten your tickets?"

Daniella turned slowly like a snake noticing a small rodent. Her voice called upon the spiders hidden inside of the corners of the school to come out and join her entourage. "Penelope you're the only one selling tickets, so you'd know I haven't. If you think calling me out will make me buy a ticket, you're sorely mistaken."

A blush exploded from Penelope's face, the wreckage plain as day. She couldn't hide the horror in her eyes as she glanced around to see if anyone heard. Those big puppy dog eyes landed on me, hitting me like a pile of bricks and my body was moving on its own. Forcing my shoulders up and back, I stomped over.

"Penelope, ignore her. The scientists who made her on that fateful dark and stormy night forgot to program her with manners."

Daniella rolled her eyes, turning fully around and she only an incher shorter than me. She had long inky black hair and short baby bangs across her forehead. She wore a black turtleneck underneath a slightly lighter than black dark gray sweater vest with gray jeans and black boots. The only thing she was missing were her signature horns and a tail.

"Of course..." Daniella said, her voice a grating low mumble as if she didn't have enough practice talking to people. "Summers, do you have me tracked or something? You really can't go a day without opening that big mouth and making a scene."

It was never just talking with Daniella.

It was sparing and I had to stay alert the whole time or I'd get cut.

"Oh, I wouldn't talk about making a scene, James. Not when you're snapping at Penny for asking a simple question."

Penelope piped up. "It's fine! It's fine! Zoey, do you wanna buy a ticket?"

Smiling, I eyed Daniella before turning my full attention to the table. "I'd love to Penelope." Taking my wallet out, I said, "See? It's not that hard."

"How come it's ladies' choice?" Loman asked and all production halted, my hand frozen in my wallet. "What if you're gay? And don't wanna go with a girl?"

Daniella brightened, her smile cracking across her face like busted glass. "That is a very good question. Penelope, thoughts?"

Penelope sighed, slumping in her seat. "It's just because we're doing a cute 1950s theme."

"Why doesn't it say 1950s theme, then? Why is it a Sadie Hawkins?"

"We're just trying to do something fun, okay?"

I feigned a gasp before leaning towards Penelope, snapping my wallet shut. I whispered loudly and stared Daniella right into her black eyes as I said, "Penelope don't use words Summers here doesn't understand. You'll just make her angrier."

Shaking her head, Daniella huffed. "It's too early for this." She turned as if that would be the end, as if I would ever let her walk away snatching the last word. "Why don't you ever just mind your own business?"

"If a friend of mine is being publicly bullied, it becomes my business—"

The laugh that jumped out of Daniella could crack glass. It was a long hearty laugh and I could walk away. It was in my power to walk away, but I still chased after her towards her line of lockers. Well. My locker too.

Daniella said, "Oh, please! As if Penelope Harris is your bestie—" she made a voice to mock me, but she's dumb. I don't sound anything like that. Daniella turned to her locker and Loman fell in line between us, giving us room to berate each other. "She's just another zombie you've suckered into worshiping you."

"That's a strange way to just say someone likes me. Just because you don't have the capacity for friends, doesn't mean I have to put a limit on mine."

"I know you're not trying to say everybody is your friend because I know that's not true. You'd have to have a personality to have friends."

"Oh, look who's talking yeah with your super fun personality I'm sure even the boogeyman are just besties." This time I mocked her and got my desired eye role. Point for me.

But that was the frustrating part about sparing Daniella. My wounds were as fresh as hers. We were always on equal footing. No one was winning, which mean we just had to keep fighting. Only one girl was leaving this school alive.

"God," Daniella muttered, "being you must be so exhausting. I actually feel bad for you."

Point for her.

Standing in Daniella's presence was like watching a car speeding down the road, pointed at me. For the last three years, since I quit the track team, I've surrounded myself with brand new people. Everyone else disappeared with the exception of Daniella. Daniella was the only person around who knew the Zoey from three years ago. She was the only one who still saw me that way. Any moment, it felt like she was going pull down the curtain and reveal freak behind the real performance.

It was like I had to constantly prove that she was wrong about me.

I wasn't that girl anymore.

And I liked it that way.

Maybe I put some stuff in my locker a little too aggressively. Maybe I was imaging her face as I stuffed my Chemistry book into the back. My skin was prickling from the heat. The anxiety rattled around my bones like scattering marbles and made my hands shaky. Despite the front I put out, I hated confrontation. Maybe that was why Daniella always set me off because I knew it was going to be something.

"Excuse me," someone said, and I jumped, turning to find Mindy. I moved out of her way, so she could get her things from the locker beneath me.

"Oh, sorry," I said, feeling all kinds of mixed up. "Uh, what's up?"

Daniella's dark eyes slid over, knowingly. So pleased, she assumed I was proving some stupid point of hers. Ignoring her, I just focused on Mindy. Mindy was pocket size, freckled, and she looked so comfortable in her leggings, sweatshirt, and crocs. She was everything I wanted to be.

Mindy said, "I'm whatever. Trying to figure out if I can make my D on Mr. Briggs' test look like a B or if I should just let my mother kill me. Not sure which ones easier."

Daniella snapped her locker shut.

"Mr. Briggs graded the tests?"

"Unfortunately."

I shut my locker as Daniella was slowly backing up. Taking a few steps back, Loman looked between us with a question mark obscuring his face. Daniella and I locked eyes but said nothing. Our feet just turned for the hallway and we both started walking. Fast walking. My pace quickened. Then, hers did too.

"Watch out," someone said, and I quickly dodged out of the way. I hadn't realized that my eyes were transfixed on Daniella. When I looked up, she was ahead of me. With a curse, I gripped my textbooks and gave up all decorum, diving forward. I ran.

Even though I play soccer now and I love soccer... there was nothing like running. When I was on the field, fighting for my life and the ball, my favorite part was to run for it. Running made my heartbeat faster. It caused an electric excitement to dance through me liker both hands were inside a wall socket.

"You're so dumb!" Daniella called, but she started running too.

I was thrown back to freshman year.

Relay running with Daniella James.

Daniella handing the baton off to me without even looking at her.

Just knowing she'd be there.

And she was there beside me now, running through the halls, bouncing back and forth to avoid the other students, jumping over other feet, and I didn't have to look over. Because I knew she'd be there. Pushing forward, I used the rest of my energy for the rest of the day to break forward and reach the finish line, slapping my hand on Mr. Brigg's door first. Stumbling forward, I dropped my hands on my knees and tried to catch my breath. My lungs were screaming, my throat ripped up more than a grater to cheese.

"I win—" I gasped. "I won."

"Hello girls," Mr. Briggs said, a tired sigh on his breath.

"We weren't racing," Daniella said, trying to catch her breath too. She grumbled obscenities and laid down on the floor. I snorted before I could keep it down.

Mr. Briggs shuffled papers on his desk. "I assume you came for the test results."

"Yes!" Daniella and I both called out, struggling back to our full height. Mr. Briggs sighed and handed out our tests and I had to scream.

"YES! A 100! How do you like that?" I clenched my fists, punching the air. I tried to shove it in Daniella's face, but her lips were curled like the Cheshire Cat and my bubble was popped.

"How do you like a 105?" She showed me.

"105?!" I ripped the test from her hand, staring at the number and waiting for it to change. It didn't.

She laughed manically. "Looks like you forgot the extra credit."

Flipping it back around, I saw the extra credit in the back, and I even knew the answer. She grabbed her test back, fanning herself with it. I had been so obsessed with finishing the test before Daniella, I must've forgot to check.

Almost giggling, Daniella put her test away and took out her phone that was buzzing. I just looked over my test over and over, shaking my head. Details I was bad with. I had to get better. This happened because I'm still not good enough.

"Hey, Mona," Daniella said.

My head snapped up. My eyes were so wide they were threatening to pop out of my head. Daniella James smiled. She knew how smile in a not totally serial killer way. My stomach detached and crashed onto the floor with my toes. I hung off every single one of Daniella's words. "Yeah, I can meet you there—"

"You know Mona?"

Daniella's brow quirked. "She's my lab partner."

"Cool," I said but nothing was cool at all.

Turning away from me, Daniella said, "Yeah, I did see the banner. Ladies' Choice? What a joke..." Daniella laughed, and thunder rumbled. "I know. I know..."

It was killing me I didn't know what they were talking about, didn't know who was making who laugh, and didn't like Daniella discussing the dance with Mona one bit. I needed to hasten my plan and ask Mona Fabray out before I lost her.

And what better way to ask someone out than with a dance?

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Just as I said, if you missed it, I have reworked the first chapter! I wanted it to be a little more exciting/faster AND I wanted Daniella to come in sooner! I hope you like it :) Now, I'm just going to edit the first (first) chapter to become chapter two. 

Please let me know what you think of the new characters! Right off a gut feeling, who's your fav? Do you agree with Loman? Is Ladies Choice a weird concept? Do you think Zoey and Daniella have a past?? And do you agree with Daniella? Do you feel bad for Zoey? Lol.

If you like this book, please check out my others!