Lizzie reached over and turned on the radio in her car. She knew Antonio liked to listen to rock, so she turned it to the rock station. Dream Your Little Secret was playing. They arrived at the mall after several songs had played. Three Days Grace and When She Laid, Linkin Park, In The End, and Love Bites by Def Leppard. Lizzie liked this kind of music. It made her feel free and wild and didn't drown like the music her friends listened to, which until now, Lizzie had liked, but now she liked rock. They found a parking space, and while Lizzie started another cigarette, Antonio was finishing up his strawberry cigarillo. In the distance, a loud, ratty V8 dual exhaust engine was roaring to the parking lot. And then squealing around the corner came a nineteen sixty-six Mustang. It was a convertible with a black top folded down and body in baby blue paint. It was faded, and there were rust spots here and there on the car. And in the driver was Trisha with a lit cigarette in her mouth. She pulled up to a stop next to the slug bug, turned off the car, and whipped and kicked her heels up on the dashboard jamming out to AC/DC. Antonio took notice, and Lizzie looked over in disgust. Trisha had grown over the summer. Her chest was bigger. She was curvier. "How had that happened?" Lizzie thought. "Has she gone a little, stayed like that, and then grown even more?" Trisha was wearing a black tube top that was very low cut and a plaid punk mini skirt that came well above her thigh, black fishnet stockings and steel toe army boots that were black. Trisha looked up at the slug bug parked next to her and smirked. "Nice bug, Lizzie," she said sarcastically. Lizzie glared at her. "Nice bucket of bolts," Lizzie said, glaring at Trisha. "This isn't a bucket of bolts," Trisha said. "It's a sixty-six Mustang convertible, and she's one mean machine." "How'd you afford an old Mustang like that?" Lizzie said. "I got a job working for a company testing out a new wonder drug that's going to revolutionize the world. I started taking it, and it's working perfectly," Trisha said. "It's this new drug that helps women develop bigger tits and makes them curvier and skinnier. It's called Stellar. One dosage is all you need to make you more attractive and avoid expensive plastic surgery," Trisha said, smiling. "And I'll be in a commercial to show the results and everything, and there's a nice paycheck every week just for being a guinea pig for this new wonder drug and being in the commercial." "It could have killed her," Lizzie thought. "Damn, too bad it didn't," Lizzie thought angrily. "Anyway, I'm bikini shopping for my commercial," Trisha smiled. "And the best part is, my dad got a job working at your mom's stupid winery, working in the shipping and handling for eleven dollars an hour. So I'll see you at the pool party," Trisha said. "Nice seeing you again, Antonio," Trisha said. And she put her cigarette butt in the ashtray. She put up the convertible top of her Mustang. She got out and headed to the mall entrance. Lizzie was beyond pissed. Ever since Trisha and Lizzie stopped being friends, they've been trying to outdo each other. "How do you know Trisha?" Lizzie asked Antonio. "We are neighbors," Antonio said. "I helped her work on the Mustang," he said. Lizzie had a vision of Antonio with his shirt off in faded form-fitting work jeans covered in grease with his faded black work boots, with Trisha in black Daisy Duke shorts and that very low-cut black tube top she was wearing, also covered in grease, laughing with Antonio as they worked on the Mustang together. And then the vision became heated as Antonio picked up Trisha by the waist and sitting her on the front of the Mustang began to kiss her like he did me. Passionately, fondling her and getting all worked up. Her greasy hands fondling him. She punched the horn and it honked with the same low growl, anger coursing through her veins. It was as though Antonio could read her mind. He said, "We had a brief summer fling, but we wanted to cool off because she wanted sex and I wasn't ready. I'm waiting for the right moment and the right woman," he said, "but it was hard to deny her in those black short shorts and that top she was wearing." Lizzie looked over at Antonio. She felt the world spin. He was the perfect guy after all. Then she wondered about Scott and the same agonizing battle entered her head about popularity and her social life at Bridgedale High. Then she remembered why she came to the mall in the first place, to go shopping for a bikini for her mom's stupid pool party. Lizzie and Antonio got out of the slug bug and began walking towards the mall entrance in an awkward silence. Lizzie pondering the thoughts that entered her head. Tricia and Antonio had a summer fling. Tricia had a job in advertising making a lot of money. Her dad works for the winery now. Tricia and Antonio kissing on that rich Mustang of hers. They both work on cars and live in the same part of town. They have more in common than me and Antonio do. But I'm with Scott. Why do I care about Antonio and Tricia's summer fling?
Then a loud high-pitched voice screaming, "Lizzie, oh my God!" Lizzie looked just up to see her friend from cheerleading, Rebecca. Rebecca had bleached blonde highlighted hair, hazel eyes, perky double Cs and a small curvy waist and perfect skin free of blemish. "Rebecca," Lizzie said grinning. And then she ran forward to hug her. "How was your trip to Paris?" Lizzie asked her. "Amazing," Rebecca said. "Just look at my tan that I got in Europe." She said smiling with a mouthful of perfect white teeth. "So who's your friend?" Rebecca asked, putting on her seductive face, pouting her luscious lips and batting her eyelids. "God, she's so fake," Lizzie thought. "Look at the way her eyes look at Antonio Panelli like she wants to screw his brains out or something. God, what a slouch." "This is Antonio," Lizzie said. Antonio shook hands with Rebecca. "Nice to meet you," he said. "The pleasure is all mine, big boy," Rebecca said, laughing and flipping her hair with her hand. Lizzie had the sudden urge to punch Rebecca. "Who does she think she is?" Lizzie thought. Then another voice shouted, "Lizzie, Rebecca, OMG!" Bree came running up to the three of them. Her shiny blonde white hair like sunshine on her head flowing smoothly around her shoulders. Pale white, perfect blemish-free skin. Bree was also skinny and had a smaller waist than Rebecca, but had double Ds like Lizzie and was notorious for being a total airhead. Her light teal eyes looked at Antonio with a hungry expression in her eyes. "This is Antonio, Lizzie's friend," Rebecca said. "Antonio," Bree said every syllable of his name slowly and seductively. Her light teal eyes lighting up when she looked at him. "I'm Bree," she said, shaking his hand, eyeing him up and down, taking in every detail just like Rebecca did. "You're such an airheaded cow," Lizzie thought angrily as she watched Bree and Antonio exchange handshakes. Why did she care about her friends' horny looks when they eyed Antonio, Lizzie thought. Did she want to screw his brains out? The answer was yes. Lizzie felt a deep attraction for Antonio that went past his extremely handsome good looks and she feared that attraction. Why did she have these thoughts? She'd had thoughts of sexual nature before, but these thoughts were different. These thoughts were more vivid, more passionate, and yet she still cared for Scott and her social status at Bridgedale High. Why was she jealous of her friends and the way they eyed Antonio? The way he could easily talk to them. The way they could easily talk to him. The way she could talk to him. After all, she came to the mall with him, didn't she? But what about Scott? Would she have feelings for him like that? Would she ever have feelings like that for him? Or was Scott merely a tool to help boost her popularity status at Bridgedale High?
Rebecca and Bree said their goodbyes to Lizzie and Antonio and headed off in the other direction to do some back-to-school shopping for clothes. Lizzie had already done a lot of her back-to-school shopping. Lizzie bought all of her clothes at Club Chic. Club Chic was Todd's former fashion label and someone else was the owner of it. Todd's boyfriend who helped him start the fashion design and get a couple of clothing line stores across the coastline. Lizzie and Antonio started walking toward Club Chic. This particular store was the first one of the chain. "So your friends seem nice," Antonio said. Lizzie looked deep in thought. Antonio smiled. "I'm used to the attention I get from women," he said. "And the nasty jealous looks guys give me because of the attention." "I know how you feel," Lizzie said. "It's the same way with me and guys. They give me the same attention and the girls hate me for it." "Personally, I don't care about the publicity it comes with," Antonio said. "Same here," Lizzie said. Wow, Antonio and me have something in common, Lizzie thought.
Lizzie and Antonio were walking through the mall. Antonio meeting Lizzie's friends at the mall certainly wasn't expected. Lizzie and Antonio were walking through a bustling crowd of people, most of whom were doing back-to-school shopping. People stopped to stare at Antonio and Lizzie as they walked through the mall. "What a beautiful couple," an elderly woman said as she sat next to her elderly husband. Lizzie was blushing. Antonio looked uncomfortable. They arrived at Club Chic twenty minutes later after passing the food court. Adjacent to Penney's, a pet store filled with exotic birds, reptiles, fish, cats, dogs, weasels, gerbils, and hamsters. They passed a Hot Topic and a Spencer's. Groups of goths, scene emos, and punks cluttered these stores. They passed a Sears and a GameStop, finally coming to a Club Chic.
Club Chic was top-of-the-line fashion, the latest and the best. The newest styles were there, as well as Club Chic's exclusive line, which was the fashion line designed by Todd and his boyfriend, Cristobel. The money made from the Club Chic exclusive line was donated to help fight diseases and raise awareness of the hate of homosexuality in America and helping the needy and other various organizations to help out the needy. The idea was started by Todd and Cristobel, and after the death of Todd, Cristobel added the awareness to help stop the hate towards homosexuality and dedicated the fashion line to Todd and the greater good of humankind. Every item in the Club Chic exclusive line was handmade by Cristobel and Todd, and not just Cristobel, and a team of dedicated fashion designers. And every item was made by recycled materials, and the colors on the items were done with environmentally-friendly, non-toxic dyes. The store walls were painted in charcoal gray. The store was alive with loud rave music. The store fronts were littered with anatomically correct male and female mannequins dressed in swimwear and the latest fashion wares for the fall line.
A very eccentric man came over to see Lizzie and Antonio. He had long silver hair pulled into a ponytail and a pointed goatee below his lower lip. He was wearing tan slacks with a brown leather belt and a tucked in white tuxedo shirt with a purple shirt underneath and a pink tie and black leather dress shoes. He had watery blue eyes and walked with a walking stick with the head of a bronzed lion on top of a ruby red cane. "Liz, how are you?" It was Cristobel. His voice was deep with a slight feminine and Southern accent. Cristobel and Lizzie shook hands. Lizzie introduced Antonio to Cristobel. "Antonio, this is Cristobel, the owner of Club Chic," Lizzie said. Antonio and Cristobel shook hands. "Cristobel, do you have any bikinis in the Club Chic exclusive line?" Lizzie asked. "Yes, right this way," said Cristobel. Antonio and Lizzie followed Cristobel to the other side of the store to where there were shelves full of expensive and refined clothing. They came to a section full of men's and women's swimwear and stopped at the women's swimwear. Cristobel said, "Look around and see what you like." "I haven't had time to go shopping for a new swimsuit because I've been looking at, working at my mom's winery," Lizzie said as she looked through the swimsuits. Lizzie came upon one that she looked at. The bikini bottom was a very skimpy G-string. The bikini top was a very tiny sling bikini top with oval-shaped cups individually, each hanging side to side with shoulderless straps that started at the far sides of the cups and wrapped around under the arms and to the back, and it was a vivid hot pink. Lizzie's eyes widened. She pulled it off the rack and held it on the hanger and held it against her body. "That would look stunning on you," said Cristobel. Lizzie headed to the changing room to try the bikini on. She took off her shoes, then she took off her candy yellow low-cut tube top, and then she unbuckled her brown belt and took off her tight-fitting hip-hugging jeans. She then took off her socks. She was in her bra and thong now. Tossing her hair behind her, she undid the bra and tossed it onto the pile of clothes. She then bent forward as she took off her royal purple thong. She stopped to admire her nude body in the dressing room mirror. The only thing that had hair on her body was the top of her head. Everything else was as smooth as silk and removed any hair. Playboy model material, Lizzie thought as she ran her soft hands slowly down every curve of her body. She picked up the bikini bottom and pulled her right foot up through it and then her left, and then, and up onto her waist and tying it securely on. She then picked up the bikini top and covering her breasts w-with it, tied it around her. It barely covered her nipples, and as she looked at herself over in the dressing room mirror, she was stunned by how attractive she looked and how sexy she felt wearing the bikini. She stretched her arms over her head and looked to see if the top stayed in place, and it did. She turned around to stare at her butt in the dressing room mirror. Well-toned like the rest of her body, thanks to good genetics from her mom and dad and years of cheerleading. The vivid hot pink looked good on her. Lizzie loved the bikini, but she wanted a second opinion, so she stepped outside of the dressing room. "Antonio and Cristobel, what do you think?" Lizzie asked. Antonio had just got done reading a giant worded ad by the Club Chic exclusive, explaining the reasons for the fashion line and where the money went when clothing was purchased from the fashion line. "Feel good and look good wearing Club Chic Exclusive," the slogan said. Antonio turned and nearly broke his neck and his mouth fell open and his eyes fired up. With lust and admiration, Cristobal smiled. "You look fabulously sexy, Lizzie," he said. Lizzie smiled and began blushing. For once in her life, she didn't mind being stared at. She felt amazing. She looked amazing, too. She began strutting between Antonio and Cristobel like a runway model, seeing how the bikini felt when she walked. It was the perfect bikini, Lizzie thought. It was comfortable. It didn't ride her and chafe her body. It felt like she was wearing nothing and she could move freely and it felt amazing. The material for the swimsuits are made of a super durable and comfortable material. "All the swimwear and the Club Chic exclusive line are designed to hug your body's natural curves just like wearing a really comfortable pair of pajama bottoms," Cristobel said. A couple of other store shoppers took notice to Lizzie as well. Now several women were looking at the Club Chic exclusive swimsuits, seeing how gorgeous Lizzie looked in one and hearing about how they fit from Cristobal. "I'll take it," Lizzie said, and she walked back to the changing room. She undid the strings to the bikini top and bottom, taking them off. She was nude again. The cold air-conditioned store had made her nipples hard as she pulled her thong back on. And then as she was putting her bra back on, her hands brushed against her hardened nipples. Lizzie suddenly felt a tingling sensation all over her body. With electricity tingling all over, Lizzie stopped halfway through putting on her bra to collect her thoughts. Lizzie had never explored her body in a sexual way before. Lizzie had asked her mom when she was younger about touching oneself. But her mom said it was wrong and immoral. This was right around the time Bruce had died and hormones racing like wind in the trees. Lizzie put her bra, her thong, and her socks on. Without realizing it, she had put her thong on backwards. The sling of the rubbing against her as she put it on. She took it off. She took off the thong and turned it around and noticed that she was wet. Lizzie looked down and noticed that her vagina had opened up and was slightly wet and her nipples were still hard. What was going on? Lizzie thought. Lizzie put her thong on right and then her pants and bra on, buckled her belt, and finally her shirt and then her shoes. Lizzie exited the dressing room with the bikini hanging from a hanger and headed to the counter to buy it. Lizzie looked over and saw that every young woman in the store was looking at the swimsuit now that now Cristobel was answering questions left and right. Lizzie approached the counter and the cashier rung her up $200. "Holy crap. That's one expensive bikini," Lizzie thought, "but it's worth it, the price," she thought. Antonio made his way over to her and they were preparing to leave when Cristobel came over to him. "I would be delighted, Lizzie, if you modeled my fashion for a magazine," Cristobel said. "That way, the way you attracted shoppers to the Club Chic exclusive fashion line was spectacular. You're definitely a natural for it," Cristobel said. Lizzie smiled. "Yeah, definitely," she said. "When do you turn 18?" Cristobel asked. "October 24th," Lizzie said. "Perfect. That's when I planned on airing my fall fashion line." Cristobel said, "I would have you model now, but I'd rather wait until you're 18 just to play it safe," Cristobel said. But that meant Lizzie had a job lined up when she turned 18, meaning she could quit working at her mom's winery when she turned 18. "How's your mom doing," Cristobel asked Lizzie. "A bitch as always," Lizzie said candidly. "Well, I don't judge her," Cristobel said, "for hating gays. It isn't right, but everyone's entitled to an opinion. After all, who would someone gay like myself be to judge someone?" Lizzie said, "bye Cristobel," and she and Antonio headed out the shop door with a brand new vivid hot pink bikini and a club chic bag. The bag was a shiny black with the words club chic written in fancy letters and shiny silver.
"Where to next?" Antonio asked. Lizzie looked at him for a moment. "You hungry?" she said. "I was thinking we could stop for a bite to eat in the food court." "Sounds good to me," Antonio said. Lizzie and Antonio walked back to the food court. Lizzie was thinking of a few moments back in the dressing room when she was getting out of her bikini and back into her clothes. "Antonio," Lizzie said, "is it normal to play with yourself?" Antonio looked uncomfortable. "Yeah. At this age, it is, it is normal. Why do you ask?" Lizzie told Antonio about what had happened in the changing room in Club Chic. "Shouldn't you and your mother talk about this thing?" Antonio said. "No, my mother wouldn't talk to me about this kind of thing. She says it's wrong and immoral," Lizzie said. Antonio said, "Haven't you had sex?" "No, I've been waiting for the right moment," Lizzie said, "and the right man." Lizzie said, "Well, masturbation is perfectly normal for someone your age. I don't know how girls do it, but I do know how guys do it," Antonio said. "How do the guys do it?" Lizzie asked. Antonio sighed. And he told Lizzie how guys do it. "Have you done it before?" Lizzie asked Antonio. Antonio began to turn red. "Yes, I have done it before," Antonio said. "It feels really good," he said.
Lizzie was too busy with her hectic life to even try masturbation on herself. Too worried about popularity, homework, the right clothes, hanging out with the right people, going to the right parties, reading all the right magazines, helping her mom when she got too drunk to function or was too hungover to function, dealing with her mom's drunken snide remarks and attitude. Part of Lizzie feared having sex. She'd been to enough health ed classes in junior high and high school to know about diseases you could get and pregnancy. Lizzie was definitely not ready for a baby or getting a transmitted disease. Then she was told birth control and condoms could prevent all of that, but part of her feared that big change in her life. Lizzie didn't like change. She liked things to be routine, and yet she craved adventure in her life. Something to spice things up and make her hectic, boring life interesting. But part of her didn't want things to change. Her fear of change was due to the hectic life at home with three dads gone and hitting puberty at the early age of twelve, going on thirteen. The combination of the events caused a repressed fear of change in her life, and part of her feared sex. Dealing with her mom's rape was the contributing factor. Did it hurt? she wondered, and then get better, or would it always hurt? She wondered. Lizzie didn't bother going to her mother for these questions. Knowing her mother, Lizzie thought the minute she asked questions like that, her mother would assume that she was having sex and would want details. But the fact of the matter was Lizzie was still a virgin and unsure of her surroundings when it came to sex and boys.
Scott had been her first boyfriend, and ever since then, she found it easy to accept his love for her. She remembered her first kiss with vivid detail. It was a fall afternoon, Saturday. Lizzie and Scott were fourteen and were taking a walk through the Bridgedale City Park. The sky was overcast and gray. The ground was covered in fallen leaves. They were holding hands in the cold afternoon of the fall weather, walking side by side, watching the leaves fall to the ground. They came on to an old wooden bridge that had faded and cracked white paint. They came to the middle of the old wooden bridge, and they looked down into the river, littered with beautiful fall-colored leaves. Two dark brown ducks were swimming by, quacking. "Oh, look, Scott," Lizzie said, pointing to the ducks. The duck couple swimming by under the bridge. "They are so adorable," Lizzie said. "Not as adorable as you," Scott said, looking into her eyes. "You're the most beautiful girl in the universe," Scott said. Lizzie looked into Scott's eyes. "You're beautiful, too. I mean, very handsome," she said, laughing at her mistake. Scott laughed too. His hands were warm in her warm hands. And it happened, looking into each other's eyes. Slowly leaning in, they began kissing. Their arms wrapped around each other's, swaying on the spot. His lips warm and soft against her warm and soft lips. The moment their lips touched, it began to rain. The rain pitter-pattered on the fall leaves in the river and hitting the bridge in the same pitter-patter. The smell of Scott, the smell of rain, the sound of rain, the sound of thunder and lightning. Lizzie hadn't expected her first kiss that day. She hadn't expected to want more kissing, the way it made her body feel to be embraced like that. She loved the tingly feeling of pleasure all over her body that came from a good kiss. She had a little difficulty getting used to the kissing in public, though. That Monday after the first kiss, Lizzie and Scott met up at the spot at the old school water fountain that was surrounded by trees that bloomed beautiful flowers in the spring. This water fountain was made of marble and concrete. It had the school's crest adorned with two little boys and two little girls leaning on it and a bulldog playing a pan pipe. One little girl was playing a lyre and one little boy was blowing on a coachman's bugle. The other little girl was playing a flute and the other little boy was playing a lute. All the statues were smiling and poised in musical whims. Back when the water fountain worked, water trickled out of the ends of the flute, bugle, and lute. The lyre had water trickle down from the two top side ends of it. All the water trickled into the base of the water fountain, which was two feet deep. But now the water fountain was aged and covered in moss and creeper vine. There was Scott sitting on the water fountain that Monday. Lizzie walked over to him and Scott got up. Lizzie walked over to Scott and they hugged. Then when their eyes met, Scott's eyes said, kiss me. Lizzie wanted to, but she was all too aware of the people staring at them as though they were a TV soap opera couple, deep in love. Two seconds passed and Lizzie thought, to hell with it, and kissed Scott full on the lips the way they had kissed in the park. The kiss was different, however. Scott began to fondle Lizzie, rubbing his hands all over her and using his tongue while he kissed her. And Lizzie returned with the same intensity. Lizzie felt her whole body heat up with the passion of the moment as her hands, which made their way down from his shoulders through to his arms, around his waist, onto his butt. Scott began kissing her neck and moving up to her earlobe, kissing it tenderly. Lizzie's body was on fire with passion now, burning with lust. As she felt Scott's hands make their way up her body, from her butt all the way around to her chest and back around to her shoulders and down to her waist. When they finally pulled away, they held hands as they walked to their lockers to get their things for their first period classes. People were staring while talk of Lizzie's and Scott's little suck face fest had spread around the school like wildfire. Lizzie's favorite time to kiss Scott was when she was done with cheerleading practice and Scott was done with football practice. And Scott would leave, would have Lizzie pinned up against the school lockers, her legs wrapped around his waist as he slid his hands up her cheerleader skirt and agreeing with Lizzie not to go underneath her thong, which was okay with Lizzie as she felt alive with Scott feeling her up, pushing her skirt above her waist with his wrist and letting go as he put his hands around her waist and shoulders and chest and behind her head and burying his face into her cleavage and neck. Lizzie liked the way his hands felt. And she didn't mind the jealous stares from girls and guys walking by either.
"Lizzie, what do you want to eat?" Antonio said. Lizzie blinked. She was at the food court at the mall and lost in memories of Scott. Lizzie looked over at all the choices offered at the food court. Asian, Mexican, pizza, pretzels, coffee, all the usual food choices at malls were there. But Lizzie had a favorite place to eat at the mall. This little cafe in the mall served up frozen yogurt and ice cream and little entrees like mini bagel pizzas and also served a variety of drinks like water, sparkling water, and sparkling soda, fine gourmet coffee, energy drinks, and expensive prepared drinks that varied from smoothies to special coffee drinks. It was Java Palace. "How does the Java Palace sound?" Lizzie asked Antonio. "Never tried it, but sounds great." They walked into the Java Palace and stood in line. Lizzie wasn't feeling very hungry so when she approached the counter with Antonio, the workers staring in disbelief at the beauty and handsomeness of Lizzie and Antonio. Lizzie ordered a medium-sized peach frozen yogurt and a mini pizza bagel and a monster energy drink. Lizzie's favorite fruit of all time was peaches. They grew around in the area and the old school water fountain was surrounded with peach trees. Antonio ordered the same as Lizzie and got out her purse to pay for the meal. Antonio said, "I got this, Lizzie." He said as he pulled out $28.50 from his wallet and pocket. Lizzie was surprised. She'd never had a guy buy her a meal before and let alone go shopping with her. Scott would have rather spent the day watching football than go shopping with Lizzie and often they'd end up splitting the cost of the meal. "Thanks," Lizzie said to Antonio. "No problem," he said. They got their order and went to a table in the corner and sat down and began to eat. Lizzie sat in silence. "This is a good pizza bagel," Antonio said. "I've never had a frozen yogurt or a pizza bagel," Antonio said as he finished his pizza bagel and took a bite of his frozen yogurt. His face lit up. "This is good frozen yogurt," he said. "It's fun trying new things every now and again," Antonio said. Lizzie finished her pizza bagel and opened her monster and poured her monster energy drink into her frozen peach yogurt and stirred it around to make a float. She then took a drink. Antonio did the same and smiled. "Lizzie, you have good taste in food and drink," he said. "Thanks," Lizzie said, blushing. Lizzie and Antonio drank the rest of their monster energy drinks and got up from the table. Antonio picked up his frozen yogurt and the tray and took it to the trash disposal of the empty plates and empty cans and then turned back to Lizzie who came up behind him with her frozen yogurt in her hand. Antonio took a bite of his frozen yogurt and asked Lizzie, "what's next?"
They decided to go out and look around at the pet store. Antonio and Lizzie entered the pet store and looking around at all the store had to offer. They looked at all the fish, reptiles, frogs, spiders, gerbils, hamsters, cats, and towards the middle of the store sat on top of the perch was a rather grumpy looking scarlet macaw. Lizzie awed at the bird's colors. "I wonder why no one's bought him," she said. "That's one colorful bird," Antonio said, reading the info next to the parrot's large empty cage. "Wow, $2,200 for him. That's one pricey parrot," Antonio said. "Pricey parrot? Pricey parrot," the bird said with a squawk. "It talks too," Antonio said. "No shit, Sherlock," the bird said again. Antonio and Lizzie laughed. The bird made a laughing sound mocking them which made Antonio and Lizzie laugh even harder. "Fuck off, cocksuckers," the bird said. Antonio and Lizzie stopped laughing. "No wonder this bird's not very nice," Lizzie said. "Who could blame him? Trapped in the store all day, every day," Antonio said. "Eat pig shit," the bird said, and then the bird made a loud fart noise. "You're quite charming, aren't you," Antonio said. Antonio extended his arm to the macaw, and the macaw climbed onto Antonio's right arm and stood there as Antonio began to pet the macaw on the head gently. The macaw closed his eyes, enjoying the attention. Lizzie was amazed and so was the shop owner. "He's never that friendly with anyone," he said. "I'm barely allowed to touch him," the shop owner said in amazement.
Lizzie and Antonio exited the pet store a few minutes later. Lizzie was impressed by Antonio's way with animals. "I've always had a way with animals," Antonio said. Lizzie felt even more attracted to Antonio than ever before. But why, she asked herself. Why did I have these feelings for him when I was with Scott, she thought. Oh, Scott. The thought of Scott made Lizzie feel shame. I'm with Scott and here I am lusting after and falling in love with Antonio.
Lizzie and Antonio exited the mall 30 minutes later and started walking towards the slug bug. They got in and buckled up. Lizzie lit up a cigarette. Antonio lit up a strawberry cigarillo. Lizzie started the slug bug and the engine sputtered to life, coughing up smoke. Lizzie noticed two people walking toward her car. Rebecca and Bree were looking at her car with smirks of delight. "Nice car, Lizzie," Rebecca said, laughing. Bree looked just as amused. "Where did you get that tricked out jalopy?" Bree said, laughing. At least I have a car, Lizzie thought nastily. "My mom got it for me," Lizzie said. And then she explained the story of how her slug bug came into her possession. "That is so like your mom," Rebecca said, laughing as she and Bree pulled out car keys from their purses. "Well, our parents bought us each our own car as a back-to-school present," Rebecca said. And she walked down the parking lot to a brand new crimson red Corvette convertible with a black top. Bree walked down and next to the Corvette was a brand new bubblegum pink Ferrari with a tan and creamy white colored convertible top. "Ciao, Liz," Rebecca said as she and Bree gunned their cars and zoomed away. The engines roared with a healthy sound. Tires squealing, they took off into the parking lot and into traffic, blaring their music as loud as possible with their electric convertible tops folding down and lighting cigarettes. They laughed loudly and drove off into traffic. Lizzie was fuming mad.
Lizzie drove home in complete silence. Lizzie was speechless. Her supposed friends were such snobs. Why did they care what kind of car Lizzie had? Or did she care what her friends thought? What could it conceivably matter what her friends thought about her car? Lizzie was jealous of the other cars. That much she could figure out. But they were jealous of her friendship with Antonio. So as far as Lizzie was concerned, they were even. But why did it matter who was friends with who and who had the best hair, figure, clothing, looks, and car? It didn't matter. But Lizzie learned a long time ago that girls were very competitive with each other over everything and the worst thing girls compete over are boys. Lizzie hated the fact that girls were like that. Why do we do it? Why can't we just get along? But that showed weakness, Lizzie thought. You had to be tough as nails inside and out to deal with being a young woman in high school.
Lizzie arrived home as the song How Can I Live by Ill Nino just got done playing on X Nation 108.6. "X Nation playing rock, metal, punk, grunge, alternative, and experimental only on X Nation," said the radio announcer. Lizzie set the station as her favorite station, so when she pressed one on the CD player, when the radio mode was activated, it would automatically turn to X Nation. Lizzie turned into her driveway as the slug bug backfired and coughed up smoke and sputtered to a stop in the driveway. Lizzie finished her cigarette, Antonio finished his cigarillo. Lizzie turned off the radio and the car. Then she grabbed her purse, shopping bag, and her frozen peach yogurt Monster float, and got out of the car. And Antonio grabbed his frozen peach yogurt Monster float and exited the car. They shut their doors, and Lizzie left the windows cracked to air out the smell of tobacco as she locked the doors. "We should go in and help your mom get ready for the party," Antonio said. They entered Lizzie's house, and they finished off their frozen peach yogurt Monster floats and, walking over to the kitchen, disposing of the empty cups into the garbage.
Lizzie saw her mom sitting on the sofa in the living room, and Lizzie and Antonio walked to her. Joanne had a martini in one hand, a lit cigarette in the other, looking quite relaxed. Her cocktail dress, with its thin straps, barely hung to her shoulders at the moment, keeping her covered up. Her cocktail dress had peacock feathers designed all over it, and the lower half of the dress was wrinkled in odd places. Next to Joanne was a large lime green penis-shaped vibrator that was vividly detailed and solid, and it was glistening. "Mom, oh my God. Were you masturbating?" Lizzie screamed. Joanne jumped up from the sofa. The vibrator hit the floor and began to vibrate as wetness began flinging off of it, off it. Joanne picked up the vibrator and turned it off. "Mom, you're such a hypocrite telling me that playing with myself is immoral," Lizzie said. "Don't talk to me that tone, young lady," Joanne shrieked as she slammed the rest of her martini down her throat and chewing the olive and swallowing it. Joanne adjusted her dress straps back on her shoulders and got up staggering. "You smell like cigarettes," Joanne said, glaring at Lizzie. "Do you know how bad smoking is for you?" Joanne said nastily. "Then what the fuck is that you're holding between your fucking fingers, you hypocrite?" Lizzie shouted. "You will watch your mouth, Joanne. You will watch your mouth," Joanne said. "And you better quit smoking, or you will be in so much trouble," Joanne said. "I'll quit smoking when you quit smoking, mother dearest," Lizzie said sarcastically. "I don't have to quit. I'm the adult in this house," Joanne shrieked. "And what a fine adult you turned out to be. Too drunk to function and too hungover to function and/or too stupid to make a sensible decision," Lizzie said. "I've had enough of your smart mouth," Joanne said as she walked over and slapped Lizzie across the right cheek with her right hand. Lizzie flipped out. Lizzie punched her mom in the left eye with her right fist, blackening it. Lizzie punched her mom in the stomach with her left fist, and then her right caught her nose, and then her left caught her other eye. Then Lizzie shoved her mom to the ground as her right knee caught her mom in the left side of her rib cage. As Lizzie pivoted on the spot, spinning left foot into the left side of her face and jumped up using the base of her right foot, kicked her mom on the right side of her face. Her mom rolled over on the floor, the martini glass on the ground. Lizzie walked over to her mom and took the cigarette from between her fingers and then stomped on her mom's hand with each foot as she took a drag off of the cigarette and exhaled in her mom's face, smirking. Lizzie's mom in recent years had developed a slight temper with drinking, and took it out on Lizzie. But Lizzie was done taking shit from her for doing nothing to deserve Joanne's bitter, drunken temper. Lizzie blinked. Had that just happened? She just kicked the crap out of her mother? Lizzie looked over and saw her mom on the floor. Her eyes were black and her nose bleeding. Joanne got up from the floor groaning in pain. "Lizzie, what happened?" Her mom said. Joanne didn't remember what happened. "Wow," thought Lizzie. Lizzie helped her mom to her feet and sat her on the couch. "You were really drunk and you had a nasty fall," Lizzie said. Joanne pulled out a golden bejeweled makeup mirror. It was a ten-year marriage anniversary gift from Bruce. The lid on top was engraved in fancy writing with the words, "Joanne Victoria Jones, my twinkling diamond in the sky. I'll always love you forever. Bruce Jones." Joanne opened the makeup mirror and groaned. "Oh my God, I'm a mess." And she began to cry. Her makeup began to smear. At the same time, Lizzie pulled out her smartphone and began to film her mother's emotional breakdown. "What am I going to do about my face?" She said, crying, and blood and snot began to dribble down her nose, and tears smeared eye makeup, making Joanne look like a sad, snot-nosed clown. "I have put too much time into this fucking party, and I look like a train wreck," Joanne said. She buried her hands in her face and cried. Lizzie turned the smartphone camera to her own face, smirking, said, "My so-called thinks-she's-perfect mother." She then turned the camera back to her mother, and Joanne was sobbing too loud to even notice Lizzie had her smartphone out. "The guests are supposed to arrive at two o'clock, and the party's not even ready," Joanne sobbed. Lizzie pressed stop on her smartphone video recorder and hit the save button, and then turning off the video record mode, and then the main menu showed up. She then puts the phone in her pocket. "Mom, let's get you fixed up for the party and get the decorations up," Lizzie said. "Antonio, could you get the party decorations up while I get my mom ready for the party?" Lizzie said. Antonio looked disturbed and concerned at the same time. "Certainly," Antonio said. "It's one o'clock. We have still have time, so let's get to work," Lizzie said. Joanne headed upstairs to take a shower, and after her quick shower, while applying a fresh blonde dye to her hair, Joanne got out of the shower, and after drying her hair, put it in curls, while Lizzie applied skin tone to cover up the black eyes and then applied blue, teal, and light green eye makeup, and then smoothing wrinkle remover cream all over her cheeks and jawline and neck. And then Lizzie applied some dark red lipstick and finished it off with a touch of bright pink blush and smoothing skin tone powder. Joanne took out her bright pink curls in her hair and let her hair fall down to her shoulders, all fluffed up and slightly curled. Joanne put on a blue push-up bra and got into her cocktail dress and then topped it off with a jasmine-scented perfume. Joanne then put deodorant on and brushed her teeth. After Joanne spits into the sink and washed it down, she stopped to admire herself in the mirror. As she put on blue underwear, Joanne stood up looking at herself and she, and she looked ten years younger than she really was. Joanne walked over and sat on her bed and put on some light brown leggings, and on her feet put on a pair of teal-colored heels that had straps for holding them in to her feet, and high arched feet, and long and skinny heels. Joanne stood up to admire herself in the mirror and smiled. "This will do nicely," Joanne said, and then she turned to Lizzie and gave her a hug and thanked her for her help. Lizzie felt very awkward about the hug. Lizzie couldn't remember the last time Joanne hugged her, let alone thanked her for helping her.
Lizzie suddenly felt a surge of anger course through her. Her mother's ups and downs when it came to drinking and being sober. The anger, the resentment, the sadness, the bitterness. Lizzie hated dealing with it, and now the gratitude and the hug from her mom was just another thing to add to the emotional rollercoaster that was Joanne's alcoholic life.
Joanne and Lizzie headed downstairs to see if the decorations were up and ready to go, along with party food and chilled champagne, a bucket and a variety of other alcoholic drinks, glasses, and several bottles of the winery's very best and most finest and expensive wine. And there was decorations outside all around the pool area, which was the size of a, half a football field. Over by the glass pool tables were ashtrays and candles, and the entire pool house, which was the size of a small two-bedroom house, was decorated in streamers and balloons. Lizzie looked at her watch, and it was two o'clock in the afternoon, and the doorbell rang a loud and extravagant chime. Joanne thanked Antonio for helping finish the decorations and went over to answer the door.
