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Description
I smiled as I slammed my locker door and grabbed my book bag. Turning on my heel, I headed down the hallway of my school, trying to beat the crowd of teenagers who were getting ready to leave. My sandals made clicking noises as I quickly walked out the door, only to run into my best friend Sarah and her boyfriend Cody. “Oh, crap! Sorry Sarah!” I said, as I bent down to pick up the books she had dropped.

“Oh, don’t worry about it Angel. I can get them.” Sarah said bending down to help me. After collecting them all we stood up and she grinned at me. “So, are you excited?”

“Excited?” I asked, wondering what she was thinking about now. Knowing Sarah, it could be anything.

“Yeah, about your birthday next week!” She answered, her face glowing. Oh, so that was what she was thinking about. Sarah loved parties, and birthday parties were always her favorite kind.

“Kind of. It’s not like I’m doing anything for it, you know. Though it will be cool to be seventeen.” I grinned back at her horrified face.

“You’re…you’re not having a birthday party?!” She sounded frantic.

“I wasn’t planning on one.” I shrugged, pretending not to care. We did this every year. I would pretend to not want a birthday party, and Sarah would throw one for me. She loved planning it, and I equally loved not having a party to plan. Work wasn’t my favorite kind of thing, and planning a party to me was work.

“Well, now you are. I’m going to throw one for you. This Friday, on your actual birthday. And everyone is invited. It’s going to be great.” Sarah nodded, satisfied. She turned to Cody. “Help me spread the word about Angel’s party, please?” She gave him the puppy eyes and he nodded, smiling at her. He was usually quiet, but would do anything for Sarah. It was like one of those loves where they’re so happy it makes you want to vomit, but you can’t help but be glad they found each other. I sighed internally, and then nodded at Sarah.

“If I have too.” I teased her, rolling my eyes. She scoffed.

“Oh, you know you love my parties.” Sarah teased, and then checked her watch. “Oh, crap. I have to go. Studying, homework, planning your party and such to do.” She hugged me goodbye then waved, taking Cody by the hand and leading him out to the parking lot with her. “Catch you later, Angelica!” I stuck my tongue out at her, as she knew how much I hated that name. She pretended not to notice and walked off with Cody, headed towards her house. I groaned as I looked at the line of cars waiting to get out of the parking lot. No beating the hoards of anxious teenagers today.

I walked to my car where Rose stood, waiting for me. Rose and I carpooled, and today was my day to take us home.

“Oh, there you are!” Rose said, giving me a hug as I walked up. “Hey!” I smiled, hugging her back. “Sorry I’m late; I got caught up talking to Sarah and Cody. Well, Sarah mostly.” I laughed, rolling my eyes. She laughed too. Then we got in my car and I turned the key in the ignition. I backed my car out of the parking space, then lined up with all the other cars to leave the parking lot. Rose tampered with my radio so that some loud rock music blasted through the speakers. She started head banging, her blond hair flying everywhere. I joined her, my chocolate colored hair mixing with her’s. By the time the song ended, we were laughing hysterically.

Finally I was able to break out of the parking lot, instantly putting my foot down harder on the gas pedal, going about twenty miles over the speed limit. “You know, one day you’re going to get caught.” Rose teased and I chuckled.

“Maybe, but not today.” I grinned, making the car go even faster.

Rose pretended to be scared and held on to the seat while repeating, “I’m gonna die! I’m gonna die!” Laughing, I finally slowed the car down as we entered our neighborhood. It was nice living so close to the school, as it made paying for gas that much easier. We finally stopped laughing as I parked in front of her house. “Thanks for the ride, Angel. See ya Monday.” Rose said, hopping out of the car.

“No problem.” I nodded back at her.

“Oh, and I can’t wait for your birthday party.” She grinned, sticking her tongue out.

I faked exasperation. “Sarah got to you already?”

She nodded, smirking. “Yep. And you better have fun.”

I gave her a serious face. “I’ll try my hardest.”

She laughed, and then waved. “Drive safely!” She yelled as she walked to the front door of her house, laughing some more. I always had fun with her. I waved back, then sped to my house. Parking in the driveway, I turned the car off and walked to my front door, unlocking it and stepping inside. Grabbing a slice of cold pizza from the kitchen, I walked to my room and lay on the bed eating it. Grabbing the remote, I turned on the TV. And in that moment, everything changed.

Description
I smiled as I slammed my locker door and grabbed my book bag. Turning on my heel, I headed down the hallway of my school, trying to beat the crowd of teenagers who were getting ready to leave. My sandals made clicking noises as I quickly walked out the door, only to run into my best friend Sarah and her boyfriend Cody. “Oh, crap! Sorry Sarah!” I said, as I bent down to pick up the books she had dropped.

“Oh, don’t worry about it Angel. I can get them.” Sarah said bending down to help me. After collecting them all we stood up and she grinned at me. “So, are you excited?”

“Excited?” I asked, wondering what she was thinking about now. Knowing Sarah, it could be anything.

“Yeah, about your birthday next week!” She answered, her face glowing. Oh, so that was what she was thinking about. Sarah loved parties, and birthday parties were always her favorite kind.

“Kind of. It’s not like I’m doing anything for it, you know. Though it will be cool to be seventeen.” I grinned back at her horrified face.

“You’re…you’re not having a birthday party?!” She sounded frantic.

“I wasn’t planning on one.” I shrugged, pretending not to care. We did this every year. I would pretend to not want a birthday party, and Sarah would throw one for me. She loved planning it, and I equally loved not having a party to plan. Work wasn’t my favorite kind of thing, and planning a party to me was work.

“Well, now you are. I’m going to throw one for you. This Friday, on your actual birthday. And everyone is invited. It’s going to be great.” Sarah nodded, satisfied. She turned to Cody. “Help me spread the word about Angel’s party, please?” She gave him the puppy eyes and he nodded, smiling at her. He was usually quiet, but would do anything for Sarah. It was like one of those loves where they’re so happy it makes you want to vomit, but you can’t help but be glad they found each other. I sighed internally, and then nodded at Sarah.

“If I have too.” I teased her, rolling my eyes. She scoffed.

“Oh, you know you love my parties.” Sarah teased, and then checked her watch. “Oh, crap. I have to go. Studying, homework, planning your party and such to do.” She hugged me goodbye then waved, taking Cody by the hand and leading him out to the parking lot with her. “Catch you later, Angelica!” I stuck my tongue out at her, as she knew how much I hated that name. She pretended not to notice and walked off with Cody, headed towards her house. I groaned as I looked at the line of cars waiting to get out of the parking lot. No beating the hoards of anxious teenagers today.

I walked to my car where Rose stood, waiting for me. Rose and I carpooled, and today was my day to take us home.

“Oh, there you are!” Rose said, giving me a hug as I walked up. “Hey!” I smiled, hugging her back. “Sorry I’m late; I got caught up talking to Sarah and Cody. Well, Sarah mostly.” I laughed, rolling my eyes. She laughed too. Then we got in my car and I turned the key in the ignition. I backed my car out of the parking space, then lined up with all the other cars to leave the parking lot. Rose tampered with my radio so that some loud rock music blasted through the speakers. She started head banging, her blond hair flying everywhere. I joined her, my chocolate colored hair mixing with her’s. By the time the song ended, we were laughing hysterically.

Finally I was able to break out of the parking lot, instantly putting my foot down harder on the gas pedal, going about twenty miles over the speed limit. “You know, one day you’re going to get caught.” Rose teased and I chuckled.

“Maybe, but not today.” I grinned, making the car go even faster.

Rose pretended to be scared and held on to the seat while repeating, “I’m gonna die! I’m gonna die!” Laughing, I finally slowed the car down as we entered our neighborhood. It was nice living so close to the school, as it made paying for gas that much easier. We finally stopped laughing as I parked in front of her house. “Thanks for the ride, Angel. See ya Monday.” Rose said, hopping out of the car.

“No problem.” I nodded back at her.

“Oh, and I can’t wait for your birthday party.” She grinned, sticking her tongue out.

I faked exasperation. “Sarah got to you already?”

She nodded, smirking. “Yep. And you better have fun.”

I gave her a serious face. “I’ll try my hardest.”

She laughed, and then waved. “Drive safely!” She yelled as she walked to the front door of her house, laughing some more. I always had fun with her. I waved back, then sped to my house. Parking in the driveway, I turned the car off and walked to my front door, unlocking it and stepping inside. Grabbing a slice of cold pizza from the kitchen, I walked to my room and lay on the bed eating it. Grabbing the remote, I turned on the TV. And in that moment, everything changed.