Ahhh. It's summer.

I sat at the desk and smiled as I begun to scribble the first few words upon a piece of looseleaf paper.

Dear Bethie, it read.
I'm doing grea--

My slow scrawlings were interrupted by a knock at the door. I sighed. "Come in!" I stuffed the started letter into a desk drawer in record time before the door opened and the visitor entered. Kirsten shuffled in, her sprained leg bothering her (A few days previous, Kirsten had injured her leg from a fall on the stairs. She had been hurrying upstairs to stop Kit from shoving all the Pixy Stix in her mouth that she could yet AGAIN, when the fall had occured).

"Kirsten! Whats up?" I sprung to my feet.

"Erm, yeah, you appear to have a visitor waiting downstai-" Kirsten's announcement trailed off as my friend Bridget walked through the threshold and smiled ear-to-ear.

Kirsten shook her head, "Well, I guess she's not downstairs anymore.."

I laughed.
"Take it easy, Kirsten." I said quickly before becoming entangled in a famous Bridget hug. Kirsten edged her way out of the room and back to the Kitchen. I focused my attention on Bridget. She was happy and healthy. Her honey-caramel layers framed a glowing face, tanned by the rays of the sun. I noticed that her eyes looked a whole lot like the color of a ripe blueberry in summertime.

"Did you get my text?" Bridget asked eagerly.

I hit my palm against my forehead. "Ah, no! I left it at Peter's this morning."

Bridget winked and nudged my shoulder. "At Peter's, eh? Eh?" She had a naughty look in her eyes.

"SHUT UP!" I slapped her shoulder playfully.

"Anyways" Bridget continued, "We want to go to the local water park. All of us. Y'know, the gang. So you better come with us, missy!" She laughed. "Peter, my man, Violet, Penny.." Bridget listed off a bunch of names that sounded familiar. "Let's go!"

"Uhh.." I glanced back at my desk. I felt the presence of the unfinished letter to Bethie, waiting in the righthand desk drawer for me to presume writing. But the water park was calling to me in the back of my mind. It was a hot, sticky day, I thought. The water park would cool me down. My bedside window was propped open with a painted rock. It was summer. I could go where I wanted. It wasn't as if I couldn't finish the letter when I got home, right?

I gave Bridget a smile. "Sure! Let's get going, Bridgie! Better not keep them waiting."

Bridget drew me into another hug. "Yaaaaay! I knew you would!"
I stuffed my striped bikini into the Aeropostale bag I was borrowing from Julia, along with my sunglasses, sunscreen, a few bucks, and my iPod.

As Bridget and I bustled out the door, I relaxed my tense shoulders and thought,

Ahhh. It's summer.

-Sonali

Freak Out

I gulped. Kirsten and I sat facing each other, yet feet apart. The living room was eerily quiet.

"So?" Kirsten barked, her lips set in a tight line.
"Annabeth did-- EVERYTHING. Everything a teenage girl is capable of, and even more!" I began speaking with a calm tone, but halfway through the sentence I started to yell.
"Hush." Kirsten narrowed her eyes. "How am I supposed to believe that? Explain."
I quickly stifled a laugh as I realized how much Kirsten sounded like a homework question from one of my school textbooks.
"Don't you dare laugh. I'm waiting." Kirsten continued, tapping her foot.
I took a deep breath, and then began.
"It kindof started when I joined public school. Annabeth was my friend. She was nice, and kind.. She was all of the stuff that you expect a best friend to be, y'know?" I told Kirsten, "But then the mean texts started coming. The blackmail. The hate. It really hurt. Annabeth was a bully. And there's this guy.." My voice faltered over the mention of Peter. How was I supposed to tell Kirsten? But I went on to tell Kirsten everything-- how Annabeth dated Peter, and he never really liked her. How Annabeth gave me the fake Valentine, how she "spilled" nail polish on my laptop, and also how she was about to beat up two of our sisters. Kirsten gazed at me, rapt. My hands shook. Once I had finished speaking, I stood up and marched silently to my bedroom. The kind, green walls of my bedroom had never looked so great. My Glee poster on the door was a sight for sore eyes. Walking across the room, I reached out to turn on my iPod Dock and the energy-filled beats of Freak Out by Avril Lavigne filled the air. I shuffled around the floor, trying to dance. "Freak out!" I yelled gleefully, waving my hands in the air.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
I flipped it open and smiled at the sight of a New Message from Peter.
"Incoming call :-)", the text read.
Almost as soon as I had finished reading, the phone rang. I picked it up and said hello. It was Peter. My heart started to beat ten times faster.

"Hey!" Peter said. I could almost see him smiling in my mind.
"Whats up?" I answered cheerfully.
"Wait, but first-- What about Annabeth?" He questioned.
I paused for a minute.
Memories of Annabeth's tauntings whirled through my mind as quickly as microseconds. I breathed in and smiled.


"Annabeth is just great." I laughed, with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
Peter laughed back.
Everrrrrrything is just, great.

-Sonali

All Falls Down

Annabeth's house was deathly silent.
I sat in an olive green chair in the middle of the living room. The big clock on the wall slowly ticked -- honestly, it was starting to freak me out.
My cellphone started vibrating violently from my jeans pocket. I pulled it out and pressed "Ok". Suddenly, my ear was blasted off by the sound of Kirsten yelling in my ear. Not literally.
"SONALI BETH LYNNE MATTHEWS!" Kirsten's voice pounded from the cellphone reciever.
"Yeah?" I tried to stay calm. But truly, I was just trying not to cry.
"You PUNCHED Annabeth in the FACE?" Kirsten asked.
"Yeah.." I went quiet.
"SONALI BETH LYNNE MATTHEWS!" Kirsten repeated herself.
"You said that already." I sounded like a mouse.
"I DON'T CARE!!!"
At this point I had to hold the reciever away from my ear. I feared for my eardrums.
I took a deep breath. "Kirsten, it was her fault."
Kirsten paused. I waited in silence for her dreaded reply.
"...IT WAS HER FAULT?! You're coming home right now." Kirsten screamed.
My mouth dropped open in shock. Half of me was happy, and then another half of me was sad that I never got proper revenge on Annabeth.
Kirsten hung up.


She appeared at Annabeth's doorstep five minutes later.
"You have a lot to explain to me, missy." She yelled, dragging me by my hair out the door.

-Sonali

What?

"Why do you think that you have the god-damn right to wreck my laptop?!?" I screamed at Annabeth, chasing her around the room.
Annabeth stuck out her tongue. "Ever since you stole my boyfriend!"
"STOLE?!" I yelled. "Peter hated you!" I reached out my hand to smack her again but she leaped away before I could touch her.

"So, Sonny.. How's it going with Peter, anyway?" Annabeth put her hands on her hips and cocked her head.
I looked at her with disgust. How could she act so innocent? As if nothing had ever happened?
My hatred for Annabeth was spilling over the tops of my lungs, and I was afraid that it would take over my language very, very soon.
"Going JUST GREAT, thanks to your FRAUD Valentines Day card!" I yelled.
"Fraud?" Annabeth pouted. "No, it was NOT!"
I huffed. "SURE, ANNABETH, SURE!"
Annabeth started running again and laughed. "Silly little Sonali. You and Peter would never work. I'm just trying to merely help you!"

I stopped chasing Annabeth. I stood in the middle of her awful bedroom and narrowed my eyes.
"You asked for it, Annabeth!"
I sacked her in the face.

Surprisingly, Annabeth dropped to the floor and started wailing. Her hand flew to her face, where I had hit her only a moment ago.
I knelt beside her and covered my mouth in shock. What had I done? My guilty emotions were taking over my stomach, and I felt like I was gonna barf.
Annabeth's mother rushed into the room and quickly ushered Annabeth out the door, and to the hospital.
I sat down on Annabeth's bed and put my arm over my stomach in guilt.

I caught a glimpse of Annabeth shooting me a nasty look before she left the room, held in the arms of her mother.

-Sonali

The Beginning Of The End pt. 2

Annabeth dragged my hand up the stairs, and I turned my head back to shoot Kirsten one last pleading look before Annabeth threw me into her room.
I heard the door shut behind us. Annabeth was still gripping onto my hand, and therefore plunked me down on her bed. I looked around at her bedroom. A Glee poster of Finn Hudson hung on the ceiling above her lime green bed. The walls were a shade of off-white. A vanity table stood in front of one of the two windows. The vanity was covered in celebrity designer perfumes and MAC makeup. Annabeth plopped down on the gold-leather bar stool in front of the vanity table and begun to apply foundation on her already-flawless skin.

I crossed my hands over my chest. I awkwardly positioned myself criss-cross-applesauce on Annabeth's bed and pouted.
"So, Sonny.. What do you want to do?" Annabeth's overly large smile appeared in front of my face.
"I don't know." My voice was flat.
"I know!" Annabeth clasped her hands together and looked at me proudly. "I can give you a makeover!"
"I don't think so, Annabeth." I squinted my eyes at her.
"Puh-leeaaaase, Sonali?! I'll give you a mani-pedi, too!" Annabeth widened her glossy hazel eyes at me.
"Fine." I agreed resistantly. I didn't want to get on Annabeth's bad side just yet.

Annabeth grabbed me by the hand yet again, but this time she sat me down on the special gold-leather stool. I didn't feel comfortable being so close to Annabeth, but I continued to plaster a fake smile on my face.
"So... what color?" Annabeth smirked.
I tried my absolute hardest not to roll my eyes. "Uh, how about olive green?" My response came back in a monotone.
"Sure thing! What a pretty color." Annabeth plucked the bottle of olive green nail polish from her enormous display and unscrewed the cap.
I took a deep breath.
Just as Annabeth was about to begin painting my pinky fingernail with the polish, she drew back.
"What?" I barked.
"Uh.. can you find me a design on the internet to paint on your nails?" Annabeth said sheepishly.
The question sounded odd to me. But whatever. I couldn't care about what she put on my nails any less. Why not find a design?
"Sure..?" I retorted.
Annabeth grinned. Her teeth seemed to sparkle. "I'll go grab your laptop!"
Annabeth placed the bottle of nail polish on the vanity table and went to retrieve my laptop. My eyes widened in terror as a deadly daydream of Annabeth getting her hands all over my laptop flashed before my eyes. I tried my ABSOLUTE hardest to keep back a wail from escaping my throat.
Annabeth set the laptop down and searched online for a celebrity-inspired nail design.
I sat back on the vanity stool and sighed.
Annabeth let out a girly squeal that sounded a bit like a chipmunk. "Eeep, that's it! The design we should use!"
She pointed to a picture of zebra stripes over olive green polish on Lady GaGa's nails.
I nodded. "Sure."
Annabeth leaned towards my nails with the bottle of nail polish that I desired.
She brushed the paint over my nails with ease. Just as she was going to cover my thumbnail with the olive green gunk, the bottle tipped out of her hands and splashed ALL OVER MY LAPTOP!
I stood up in horror and watched as the nail polish leaked over my keyboard and screen. It sunk between my keys and stuck them together. It covered my speakers.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed.

"Ooops." Annabeth faked a frown.

I reached my hand out and slapped her in the face.

-Sonali

The Beginning Of The End pt. 1

Do you even REMEMBER me? Yeah, sorry about that. Annabeth sort of sabotaged my own laptop (not Grace's, MINE!), and we had to have it sent to the computer guy.. Do you remember how I was supposed to camp out at Annabeth's house for a week or so? Yeah, that happened. That's how my laptop got sabotaged.

So I'll just start from the beginning, just like all horror stories begin.

I furiously threw different articles of clothing into a canvas bag. I couldn't believe that Kirsten was making me do this! I had waited in dread until Friday night, the night that I would be dropped off at .. *insert shudder here* Annabeth's house. Annabeth is nothing but a little devil!
I eased my laptop into my canvas bag along with the final pieces of clothing. Finally, I placed a shampoo, conditioner, pen, and my iPod. If I was going to go to Annabeth's house, I might as well listen to Avril Lavigne whilst doing it.
"Son-AL-i! Let's GO!" Kirsten called impatiently up the stairs.
"I'm coming, Kirsten." I blurted back in a deadly monotone.
I slowly stepped down the stairs, making sure to pause on every single step. Of course, I was only doing this to piss Kirsten off.
Kirsten scrunched her eyes shut and counted on her fingers. This was her new way to calm herself down. She learned it from her yoga instructor. Peachy, ain't it?
"Sonali Beth Lynne, get down here this minute. Or else I am extending your visit to Annabeth's."
My eyes narrowed, and I quickly hurried down the stairs. No way was I gonna stay any more than a week at Annabeth's.
Kirsten and I piled into the car. Sadly, none of my sisters came to say goodbye. I think that they all secretly hate me. I don't blame them. I'm a bit of a grouch these days. All because of Annabeth!
I shut my eyes and quickly sent a prayer to God asking if wherever Bethie is.. Would she please come and save me?
Kirsten patted my shoulder, and my eyes flew open. We were parked in the majestic driveway of Annabeth's house. Great. Just great.
"Get out." Kirsten ordered. I quickly followed her demand. With Kirsten's hand on my back, I shuffled up the driveway to the front door. Kirsten crisply rang the doorbell and we waited together in suspense.
A tall, fake-looking blond woman with familiar eyes opened the door. I quickly decided that she was Annabeth's mom.
"Oh, Kirsten and Sonagin!" Annabeth's mother claimed in a slightly nasal voice.
I squinted my eyes and muttered, "It's Sonali."
Kirsten grinned from ear to ear. "Good morning! Uh, I've just come to drop off Sonali."
I sent Kirsten a secret death glare with my angry eyes.
"Ohhhh, Son-uh-li!" Annabeth's mom said incorrectly. "I thought your name was Sonagin. Silly me!"
"Hah..ha." I laughed in a dead voice.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind Annabeth's mother.
"Oh, SONALI'S HERE!" A girl that I knew all too well pushed her mother aside to welcome me in. "We're going to have so much fun!" The girl clasped her hands together and smiled.
I didn't even bother to smile, and then made my way into Annabeth's home for the next week.

-Sonali

All Chrissa's Fault

I crossed my legs on the couch and bit away at my nails as the rest of the house skipped around cheerily.
Well, maybe not "skipping". Maybe they were just.. well, walking. Walking very, very cheerily. Still. Same thing.
I narrowed my eyes despisingly as Chrissa hurried up to me.
"Sonnnnyyyyyyyyy, watch Glee with me!!" She whined.
"No!" I snapped.
Chrissa's smile faltered. "What's wrong, Sonny?.." She whimpered, and neared closer to shove me into a bearhug.
A frown pulled at the corners of my mouth. "Stop it, Chrissa." I pushed her away.
Chrissa's eyes watered.
Oh crap, I thought. Here come the waterworks.
Chrissa paused a moment. 3, 2, 1.. Boom. The tears started to stream freely down her face.
"You're NO fun, Sonny!" She cried loudly (too loudly, if I must say).
Kirsten rushed down the stairs to where Chrissa and I had been standing. She held up her skirt from the stairs as to not trip and said, "What is going on here!"
I opened my mouth to speak but Chrissa beat me to it.
"Sonny's being a bully. She's pushing and shoving and being grumpy." Chrissa folded her arms across her chest and slumped in her spot.
Kirsten then closed her eyes and sighed.
She turned to me.
"Sonny, is this true?" She breathed.
"No, it's--" I tried to defend myself.
"YES!" Chrissa interrupted.
I shot Chrissa a death glare. Sometimes she was R-E-A-L-L-Y annoying.
Kirsten huffed. "Sonali, I don't understand whats gotten into you. You're not the same. You're a complete grump ALL the time."
I winced. Deep down, I knew it was true.

"Quite frankly, it's enough.", Kirsten continued. "I think you need a vacation."

I raised my eyebrows and suddenly felt my heart jerk around in my chest. Was she going to send me to Bethie's?! That would make me SO much better!
Kirsten put a hand on my shoulder. "Sonny, I'm sending you to Annabeth's for a few days. Maybe being around a rolemodel will help you out." Kirsten smiled, as if she was doing me a favor.
ANNABETH'S?! I nearly ripped my hair out, then and there. It was going to be HELL! And it was all Chrissa's fault.

-Sonali