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Vanessa slammed her locker.
"Stupid combination," she mumbled.
Jacqueline bounded up to her in the junior hallway. She sometimes reminded Vanessa of Hunter a spaniel Leonard her brother owned. She trembled with excitement over anything and kept chattering leaving Vanessa wishing she had magic to turn her into a toad like the wishing well.
"Guess what is happening tonight," Jacqueline shrieked.
Vanessa rolled her eyes. She hated guesses but Jacqueline didn't care. She once told an introverted Vanessa that being quiet could make her get a mouth ulcer.
"What?"
"Paige is having a party!" Jacqueline said and whooped loudly causing a few students to look their way.
"So?" Vanessa whispered.
"So?" Jacqueline repeated, her eyebrows drawn together. Vanessa stared at her navy blue deep-set eyes which had widened in surprise. Jacqueline loved parties. She loves music, festivals, concerts and just anything noisy. She was scrappy, fearless and had a smart mouth, unlike Vanessa who was shy and quiet.
Vanessa was everyone’s favourite. At fourteen she was tall and had the perfect beauty of adolescence. People didn't love her just about the way she looked, with her red, wavy hair, her satin skin and hazel brown eyes. She was intelligent and smart. Even her teachers found her irresistible but intelligent. The boys drooled over her. She sat back and enjoyed as everyone worshipped her. She also thought that she had been born as one of the luckiest people on earth. She had a wonderful father and a mother who loved her. They adored her physical beauty but did everything in their power to educate her mind. Peter Alan her father who owned a restaurant taught her cooking, Mia her mother who was a school teacher in literature and Leonard her brother taught her sports. Having such a wonderful family Vanessa grew up happy, intelligent and independent.
Jacqueline stood staring at Vanessa who knew she couldn't keep up the stare. They used to compete with each other who could stare longer without blinking. Vanessa grabbed Jacqueline's arm and pulled her away.
"Are you coming?" Jacqueline asked.
"I don't know," Vanessa sighed.
Jacqueline halted abruptly and turned to Vanessa. She took her hand and squeezed it gently.
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