text: SJ Some good Girls Good Girls Do Go Bad. 
   
   
    New Beginning  
   I jumped out of the car with extreme excitement; hauling my luggage out behind me. I stood there for a minute, taking in the warm, fresh, and Florida air. It had been a while since I'd been here and I couldn't believe I was finally back. The door to the car opened, and my mother got out and joined me at my side. She had that look on her face, that look that said, "Well, this is it. You're finally going." I could see it all over her. The whole ride here she was lecturing me about how to act and what to do. She was constantly telling me to "be careful" and "call mommy if you ever need anything." I knew she was just being a mother, but she was clearly over reacting a little. I was sure I was going to be fine. We walked towards the house. It was same as I remembered it, medium size and brick. That weird tree I hated so much was even sitting in front of it. It was if I hadn't been gone long at all. We reached the door and my mother rung the door bell that was built into the brick. We waited for not even five seconds, before the door swung open, revealing my dad's surprised face. He smiled. "Kate, you guys said you were coming tomorrow." he said. My mom shrugged. "Well, she insisted on surprising you." "Well I'm very much surprised." he laughed. "Come here, you." I sat down my luggage and jumped to hug him. I hadn't seen him in a year so it was nice to have that familiar feeling back again. His hugs were the same, warm and welcoming, and it was as if he hadn't seen me in a million years. He pulled back. "Why don't you come in?" He grabbed my luggage and headed inside the house.  My mother and I followed closely behind. I was really surprised to see that everything was exactly the way it was when we left. It was like he hadn't moved or changed anything. All of our family pictures were still hung up on the wall, the ones when we went on road trips and vacations. Even the pictures of him and mom were still there. I could tell he hadn't moved on. I glanced at my mother who was staring at my dad. I could tell she had wanted to talk to him about something, she had been saying that all weekend. She sighed. "Matt, could I talk with you in private please?" He looked confused. "Uh, yes. Of course." I let out a breath. "I'll be in my room." I walked upstairs and headed into my room. It was exactly how I left it. My old teddy bears on my shelves, my light blue quilted sheets on my bed, all of my trophies from soccer games. Being in my room made me feel like I was taking my old life back and I loved that feeling. There was nothing I wanted more but for all of us to be a family again, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I sat my luggage on my bed and then walked out of my room. I walked to the stairs and quietly sat on the first step. I could hear my mom and dad talking from the living room and it clearly didn't sound like it was going that well. "I just want to make sure my daughter's going to be safe here." I heard my mother say. She seemed to be upset, but I didn't know why. "You don't think I could take care of my own daughter? I am perfectly capable of that." my dad told her. There was a brief silence before the conversation continued. My mom said, "She's a teenage girl, Matt. I don't think for one second you'll be able to handle that." He let out a breath. "She's a good kid, Kate. She's smart and kind, just like you. There's no way I won't be able to handle this." She sighed. "Fine then. But you will be calling me and asking me for help, I just know it." I stood up from the step and walked down the rest of the stairs. I headed into the living room where my mother and father were. I cleared my throat as they turned around. "Is everything okay?" She smiled. "Of course." She walked over to me and took me in her arms, hugging me so tight that I could hardly breathe. I was really going to miss her but I knew that it was a good thing that I was going to live with my dad now. We needed this time to reconnect and get to know each other better. "I love you okay? Don't forget to call me whenever you need anything." she reminded me. I nodded. "I love you too and okay." She gave me one last hug before making her way to the front door. I couldn't believe she was leaving, just like that. I didn't know when was the next time I was going to see her but I knew that I would miss her everyday. The door closed shut. I walked to the window and watched as she got into her car and drove off. I let out a breath. "You okay?" I heard my dad say. I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." 
   
   
   
   New School, New Girl  
   It was the smell of blueberries that woke me up from my deep sleep. I opened my eyes, taking in the sunlight that filled the room. It was Monday, the day that I'd be going to a whole new school. I hadn't thought much about it but now the nerves were beginning to arrive. I jumped up from my bed and made my way downstairs. I could hear voices coming from the kitchen, voices that didn't just belong to my father. I walked into the kitchen and paused, seeing someone sitting at the table. He looked to be in his late thirties and had dark brown hair that hung a little bit over his eyes. The first thing I noticed was his badge and sheriff clothes. My dad smiled. "Good morning." "Morning." I said. "You remember Brent, right?" I nodded. "Yes, Sheriff Brent, I remember." Sheriff Brent smiled. "Nice to see you again, Peyton." "Thanks and you as well." I could see there were blueberry muffins sitting in a small basket on the table. The warm and delicious smell filled the air. My dad pulled off his apron and hung it up on the rack. He glanced at me. "What?" "Since when do you bake?" I wondered. "I've taken a few baking classes." he admitted. I laughed. "Wow." Sheriff Brent stood up from the table, grabbing his cup of coffee as well. He sighed. "Well, I've got to go. I'll see you later, Matt." He smiled and waved at me before disappearing out of the door. Although he seemed familiar enough, I didn't exactly remember him. All I could remember was that he and my father had always been good friends, even before he was the sheriff. Apparently they went to school together, right along with my mother. I didn't really know him but he seemed nice enough though. I looked over at the time on the clock and noticed it was 6:30. I only had thirty minutes to get ready for school. I was looking forward to going and meeting new people but at the same time I was a little nervous. It wasn't often that I was the new kid and today that was exactly what I was going to be. My dad took me to the new school. It was really big, much bigger than my last one and there seemed to be a lot of kids. I didn't often get intimidated but I sure was now. Just watching all of the kids walking into the school building, made my stomach turn. A thousand questions began to float in my mind. Will they like me? Will anyone talk to me? 
   
   It was like elementary all over again, except it was much easier back then. I was sure that everyone knew everyone here and I didn't know where I'd fit in. To them, I was just going to be the new kid. "Are you okay? You don't have to be nervous." My dad told me. I nodded. "I know but I can't help it." He laughed. "Trust me, you'll be fine. I know most of the kids that go to this school, they don't bite." I took a breath. I was hoping it wouldn't be that bad, that I'd make it through the day with no problem. I sighed and opened the door to the car. "I'll see you later." I said, giving my dad a hug. I jumped out of the car and headed into the school. It literally felt like a death walk with all of those eyes staring at me, and it didn't end there. I walked into the school and trailed down the hallway, looking for the principal's office. Everyone stared at me once they realized they didn't recognize me because I was new. I finally found the Principal's office and quickly ducked inside. A lady at the long, wooden desk, smiled as I walked up to her. She pulled out a small piece of paper from a vanilla colored folder and handed it to me. "Here's your class schedule dear and your locker number." she told me. I smiled. "Thank you." She nodded and carried on with what she was doing. I took a breath and exited out of the office. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about me or just wasn't really paying much attention, as I came out of the office. I walked down the hallway and stopped once I found my locker number. I pulled off my jacket and carefully placed it in my locker. I quickly closed it shut and preceded to my first class. The first bell rung and everyone began to quickly rush to their classes. I looked at my schedule to read my first class and found it quickly. It was English, a class I was really good at. I opened the door to the classroom and made my way to the back of the room. I took a seat at a small desk next to a girl with crooked glasses and brown hair. She smiled at me. "You're new, right?" I nodded. "Yep. I'm Peyton." She stuck her hand out and I quickly shook it. "Mel." She said. I smiled and turned my attention to the front of the class. The teacher, Mr. Aarons, was writing something on the board. He wrote: Read pages 119-121 in your English book. 
   
   After he was finished, he turned around to face the rest of the class and smiled when he saw me. "You're the new girl." he said. I shyly smiled as everyone focused their attention on me. Mr. Aarons grabbed a book from off of his desk and headed over to me. He sat the book on my desk. "You can have this one since you don't already have one." he told me. I nodded. "Thank you." He let out a smile and then walked back to the front of the room. "Okay everyone, get to work." I opened my English book to page 119 and began to read. It was everything I had read before at my old school but I didn't mind reading it again. English and every other school subject were pretty easy and interesting to me. Some teenagers wouldn't really care about doing work and reading about history but I actually really enjoyed it. There was just so much we didn't know about and a lot we had to learn. The door of the class room opened and in walked three girls laughing hysterically and very loudly. They took their seats, next to each other, in the front of the room. "Girls, you're late again. The next time it's going to be detention." Mr. Aarons warned. One of the girls laughed. "Whatever." she said. She had curly, golden locks that hung a little above her waist. She propped her legs up on her desk and sighed. The other two girls laughed. Mr. Aarons walked over and stood at the edge of her desk. "Lexi, remove your feet or I will remove them for you." Lexi laughed again and then sat up in her chair. "Is that a threat? Are you threatening me Mr. Aarons?" Muffled laughter came from the entire classroom as everyone stared at Lexi. One of the other girls, the one with short black hair, stood up from her chair and sat criss crossed on top of her desk. She smiled. "No way is he threatening you Lex, he wouldn't do that. Isn't that right Mr. A?" Mr. Aarons shot a scowl over to the girl and then focused his attention back at Lexi. Lexi sighed and then removed her feet. "Happy?" She sarcastedly said. "Detention this time, for the both of you." He glanced at the other girl as well and then made his way back in front of the classroom. "Finish your work." he said. The other girl jumped down from off of her desk and sat back down in her seat. She glanced at Lexi and laughed and then began to do her work. These girls were obviously a hand full and it seemed as if this was the way they always were. It was like everyone knew exactly what to expect from them. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, coming to this school. I shifted my attention back to my English book and finished reading. The bell rung and everyone quickly left out of the classroom. The three girls, sitting in the front of the classroom, definitely didn't hesitate leaving. It seemed as if school was the last place they wanted to be. 
   
   
   
   "Them"  
   I grabbed my lunch tray and looked around for a table I could sit at. I found and empty one in the corner, by the window, and quickly took a seat. The cafeteria was really crowded. Kids were shouting, laughing, and even running around like crazy people. It was your typical high school. I picked up my burger and took a small bite out of it. I wasn't really hungry but I knew I should at least eat something. I noticed the same three girls from homeroom coming over to where I was sitting. Lexi was in the middle, with the other two at her side. I could tell she was their little ring leader. I sat up straight in my chair as they sat their trays down on the table and took their seats. Lexi smiled. "You're that new girl, Peyton Lewis." I let out a smile. "Yep, that's me." She exchanged looks with the two other girls and then focused her attention back on me. She leaned in closer. "So, where are you from?" she wondered. I sighed. "Here. I just moved back to stay with my dad." I told her. She nodded. "Interesting. This is Hailey." She said pointing to the girl with the short back hair. "And this is Maria." she pointed to the other girl, one with light brown hair. "Hey." I said. I smiled and then took another bite out of my burger. She cringed. "Do you know how many carbs is in that thing?" I was confused. "What?" She shook her head. "Never mind." Two guys with a tray full of food came over to the table and sat down. They seemed to know the girls well enough because one of them leaned over and gave Lexi a kiss. Lexi grinned. "You didn't call me back last night." The guy shrugged. "I was busy." "Busy doing what?" Lexi wondered. He shrugged again. "Doesn't matter." Lexi seemed annoyed. I just stared at all of them, not knowing what to say. It was weird really, listening to all of their drama. I didn't know whether I should stay or move to another table. This wasn't really my normal "scene." Hailey pulled out a piece of paper and sat it on the table. She grinned at everyone. "College party tonight! You guys wanna crash?" "Can't, I have choir rehearsal tonight." Maria said. Hailey glanced at Lexi. "What about you? Come on, don't leave me hanging here." She rolled her eyes. "Fine, but only if Lewis comes." Everyone turned to look at me. I was a little caught off guard but realized she was talking about me. I didn't really know what to say because I was never really invited to a party before. I sighed. "I don't know." "Oh come on, it's going to be really fun." Hailey said. I shrugged. "Okay, fine I'll go." "Yay." she jumped up and down, clapping her hands together. "You're going to right, Owen?" Lexi asked. Owen shook his head. "Sorry, me and Cam are going to the game." he said patting Cam's shoulder. Lexi rolled her eyes. "Whatever." The bell rung and every body began to clear out of the cafeteria. I stood up from my seat and every body at the table did the same. I walked to the trash and dumped my tray and then headed out of the lunch room. I was a little surprised to see Lexi, Hailey and Maria following closely behind me. It was weird, really. It was like they were actually really interested in being friends with me. They were all clearly popular and popular wasn't really my thing. So why would they want to be friends with somebody like me?  I decided not to really care what the reason was. As long as I was making friends, that's all that mattered. "Ride with us after school? " Lexi said. I nodded. "Okay." 
   
   
   
   Glamorous  
   School was finally over and I was thankful that I made it through my first day with no problem. It wasn't so bad, in fact it was better than I thought it would be. I headed outside into the school parking lot and waited for Lexi And Hailey. While I waited, I pulled out my cell and called my dad. "Hey." he answered. "Hey, dad. I just wanted to let you know that you don't need to pick me up, I have a ride." I told him. "Okay, well I'll see you at home then." I hung up just as I saw Lexi and Hailey walking out of the school. They walked to what seemed to be Lexi's car, and I followed. Hailey jumped in the front next to Lexi and I got into the back. "Where are we going?" I wondered. "Shopping." Hailey said. "We have to find hot new clothes for the party tonight." We went shopping at a small mall store called Glamorous, apparently it was where Lexi and Hailey got all of their clothes. I didn't have any money but Lexi was nice enough to cover me. The clothes we got wasn't really my style but according to Lexi, if we wanted to fit in with college kids we had to look hot. After we went shopping, we stopped at my house, and Lexi and Hailey came in with me. My dad was sitting in the living room reading the sports section of a newspaper. "Hey dad." I said, walking into the living room. "Hey, pal. Who are these lovely people?" Lexi bounced over to him, flipping her hair behind her. "I'm Alexis." she grinned, holding out her hand. I couldn't believe she was actually trying to flirt with my dad. He shook her hand and she giggled. "Hey Mr. Lewis. I'm Hailey." Hailey introduced. I rolled my eyes at Lexi, who was still grinning at my father like a crazy person. I grabbed her hand and pulled her upstairs, before she made a bigger fool of herself. We sat the bags on my bed, once we were in my room. I pulled out the outfit that I was supposed to wear and held it up to me. "That's going to look so hot on you." Lexi told me. I let out breath. "You think so?" "Absolutely. You should try it on." she said. I pulled off my clothes and pulled on the pink mini skirt and the lacey white top. I walked over to the mirror and stared at myself. I looked different, but different in a good way. I wasn't used to showing much skin but I liked it. "You look hot." Hailey complimented. "Thanks." I smiled to myself. No one ever really complimented me on my looks before, except mom and dad, but that doesn't necessarily count. It was nice to look like I was actually in highschool for once and not like a twelve year old. "Okay, now we definetely need to fix her hair and makeup." Lexi said to Hailey. I glanced at my hair, then frowned. "What's wrong with my hair?" Lexi shrugged. "Nothing bad, it's just that you don't really notice it in that messy bun. You should let it down." She walked over and pulled out the scrunchy from my hair, causing my hair to fall. She grabbed a brush that was on my dresser and brushed my hair until it was untangled. Hailey pulled out what looked to be a makeup kit from her bag and walked over to me. "I'm going to be a makeup artist someday." she said, opening the kit. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing." She turned me away from the mirror and begin piling a bunch of powder on my face. Next to her, Lexi was preparing her own hair, even though it already looked great to me. She then, pulled out her outfit and changed into it. She was wearing skinny white pants and a cute pink halter top that showed off her arms and her belly ring. I envied how pretty she was. Sure, I was pretty but not like Lexi and Hailey. We quickly finished getting ready, fixing our makeup, hair and clothes, before we could go to the party. Once we were finished, we all stood in front of the mirror, making sure we looked completely perfect. "We look so hot." Hailey declared. I sighed. "You sure we don't look like sluts?" "Relax, Lewis. This isn't looking like sluts, this is just looking mature." Lexi said, grinning at her appearance. We grabbed our bags and headed back down stairs, where my dad was still sitting in the living room. Lexi pushed past us and rushed right over to him. "Hey, Mr. Lewis?" She called. "How do we look?" He glanced at us, and I immediantly saw the disapprovement on his face. "Where are you guys going looking like that?" Lexi smiled. "Oh, we're going to a col.." "Lexi's house." I interrupted. "She's having a small get together." There was no way I was telling him we we're going to a college party. That would have been a suicide mission. "A party?" he repeated. I nodded. "Can I talk to you in the kitchen, Peyton?" I walked passed Lexi and followed my dad into the kitchen. "What's going on?" he wondered. "We're just going to a party." I told him. He nodded. "Okay, but you know how I feel about parties. And what about your mom, if she saw the way you are dressed, she'd kill me." "Relax dad, it's just a small party. Mom let me go to them all the time." He didn't seem too convinced and I didn't blame him. Mom was always telling him how he was never really good at the 'laying down the law' part, and she was right. It was a good thing I was actually a good, respectful kid. "Don't you trust me, dad? I won't do anything bad." I stated. He let out a breath. "Okay, you can go, but you need to be home by ten." "Thanks dad." I jumped to give him a hug and then skipped back into the living room, where Lexi and Hailey were waiting. 
   
   
   
   Wild and Wilder  
   We arrived at the party and it was crazier than I thought it would be. I was starting to have second thoughts about the whole thing. Clearly Lexi and Hailey were used to because they walked up to a group of guys and started flirting. I hung back, trying not to look too uncomfortable. The last thing I wanted was to look as if I didn't fit in. I walked over to the punch table and poured some punch in a cup. I noticed a guy with dark brown hair and gorgeous eyes staring at me. I was about to turn away and pretend not to notice but it was too late. He was walking right towards me. I folded my arms and stared into the crowd. "Hey, I've never seen you at any of the parties." He said. "This is my first one." I told him. He smiled. "What's your name?" "Peyton." 
   
   
   Publication Date: February 21st 2013 https://www.bookrix.com/-jacelyn