Taking Chances

Chapter One

"Hey, loser," I hear behind me.  

I turn to see my best friend Lizzie beside me.  "Hey," I say, shutting my locker.

"Sarah Conner is having a party this weekend, please tell me you'll come," she begs, her red hair bouncing as she jogs to catch up with me as I head to the parking lot.

I laugh.  "Since when do I go to parties?"  

"Please, just this once," she whines.

"No," I say, pulling my keys out of my purse.  

Lizzie opens the passenger side door as I slip into the driver's seat.

"You never do anything fun, you know that?"  

"Yeah, I know," I say as I begin to drive away from the school.

Lizzie is silent for a moment.  The music from the radio fills the silence.

"Please!"  Lizzie blurts.

"Oh my God," I say, rolling my eyes and chuckling.  "Why should I go?"

"Because I would like to see my best friend have some fun for once in her life," she says, turning the radio down.

"I have fun," I mutter.

"Reading doesn't count," she says.

"And why not?"

"Because it's academic. Parties are fun, parties are full of dancing and drinking and cute guys, all of which are fun."

"I can't go, anyway," I say.

"Why not?'

I open my mouth to speak but she beats me to the point.

"If you say you have to study it doesn't count as an actual excuse."

Well, crap.  "Fine."

From the corner of my eye, I see a small smile grow on her face.

"Fine, what?"  She asks.

"Fine I will go," I say, giving in.

"Yes!  I am so proud of you," Lizzie claps, turning the radio up again.  

I can't believe I actually agreed to go.