The Chronicles of Regina Ch 1-5

Chapter 1

"I bet you fifty dollars you don’t have the balls to ask Damian out to that concert," Josh challenged me in the cafeteria, his arm draped around Bri.
"You’re right, I don’t have balls."
The jocks surrounding us broke out in laughter. One look from Josh and they all became silent.
"And anyway you make fifty dollars in one day. I want three hundred dollars. Paid in full."
All I had to do was smile. I knew he would give in, they always do. It’s an art form that I’d been practicing my whole life. And it wasn’t like me to back down from a challenge.
I glanced over my shoulder to the table Damian sat at. It was the one closest to the main doors; the "nerd" table; lowest rung in the high school social ladder. He seemed like a slightly grown up version of the third grade boy I first met. He was slouched over the table reading a book, his dark greasy hair hanging in front of his eyes. Every few seconds he had to reach up to push his glasses back into place. There were other clones around him, but one stood out. He kind of reminded me of this singer I saw once in a club downtown…
I looked back into Josh’s eyes. He was mockingly smiling at me. I would prove him wrong.
The rest of the afternoon I spent planning. I was one of those girls who took an hour at night just to pick out the perfect outfit for the day ahead. I had to think of every word that came out of my mouth, or else I would think of myself as and idiot.
I decided to go over Brianna’s that night. We spent the whole night in front of the TV watching Friends reruns and having a Diet Pepsi binge.
"This whole thing is stupid, Josh can be just an idiot sometimes," Brianna seemed really upset about the whole thing. Yet again, it did go against all of our cheerleaders’ secret ethics. It was almost treason to go out with someone of his social status and especially for a bet.
"I’ve come up with a plan. I’ll give him a whole new look. Like in that movie….She’s All That…" my voice drowned out. The party I was at the night before was having an effect on me.
"Whatever." Her eyes glazed over while watching Jennifer Aniston, leaving nothing there but two blank orbs.
I went home and walked the three flights of stairs to my room, and passed out on my bed (but not before washing my face, of course).
I woke up late the next morning and had a slight panic attack while throwing on clothes that I had forgotten to put out the night before. I couldn’t find my lucky panties: it was a sparkly baby pink thong that had a little star on the back. I was so upset that I half-hazardly put on my makeup and ran out the door without eating anything.
I guess I was driving too fast, because a cop pulled me over. He wasn’t even cute. But I got away without a ticket, thanks to my talent…
I was late for first period yet again. I don’t think Madam Jeanette likes me very much. She must be jealous because I’m so good looking.
Fourth period finally came. Damian sat across the room from me, so I didn’t get to talk to him until the last four minutes of math. I became so nervous sitting staring at the chalkboard. I hated walking up to strange guys like him, it was a little unknown fact though.
I walked up to him, making sure my mini swayed with each step.
"Hey, um, do you know what time this period ends?" I must of sounded like an idiot. I didn’t know what else to ask. It must be because of the missing thong.
"Uhh…it ends…um…uh…I think…" It hit me that the task would be really easy so I decided to play along.
"Ok, thanks, I’ll go ask someone else," I smiled and slowly turned around.
"10:29, math ends at 10:29!" he stuttered, I found it really cute that I had complete power over him. But then again, I was used to it.
"Thanks, what’s your name again?"
"My name’s Em…I mean Damian." Something inside of me popped. Em…emo…Emo Boy!
"I’m Regi.."
"Regina, I know." He looked away quickly after that.
"Well I’ll see you again tomorrow, Damian."

Chapter 2
So the other night I was taking a walk. I reached 7th Avenue when I heard something.
From what I saw behind a tree, there were four boys. Two of them were from our school’s football team, and had a rumor going around that they were gay. They were huddled under an oak and I watched as I saw two other skinny boys running over yelling at them.
It sounded something like, "Halt, my name is Emo Boy, and gay lovers are illegal in this town!"
I thought Emo Boy was just some made up piece of crap who’s story had been circulating through our school for the past two years. But what I saw was very real.
The jocks yelled something at the emos, which made Emo Boy himself runaway and jump into the passenger side of a nearby gray van.
The other seemingly transvestite of a guy managed to arm lock both of the football players and throw them into the back of the same van with superhuman strength. He must use steroids…
I had a couple mighty good fantasies of that night after that.
Chapter 3
It took me exactly five hours and twenty-nine seconds to find Damian’s phone number. Nobody I asked knew it. Barely anyone knew him, now that I think about it. Finally Bri got the number from her friend Amber who’s brother is Pete who knows Jessica who used to date Hip Top. Connections.
I finally decided to call him at 11. It was kind of late, and my parents had a "thing" about calling people after 8 at night. So I ran up to my room on the third floor, jumped on my bed, and called him.
"Hello?" He sounded scared, like he didn’t get many phone calls and wasn’t even sure how to handle a cell.
"Hey, um…it’s Regina," Damn that ruined my plan. My mouth always got the best of me. I needed to come up with an excuse for calling…"Sorry I'm calling so late. I forgot what the math homework was and she's gonna kill me if I don't hand it in again." At least what I said was half true.
"Oh," he sounded really disappointed. And emo. Disappointed and emo. He was a disappointed and emo boy. I guess that’s why he was called Emo Boy…
I had to cut straight to business, "Ok, so that's not the reason I'm calling. You see, there's gonna be a concert Friday, My Chemical Romance'll be playing, and I wanted to know if you want to come with me..."
The dead silence made me feel unsure of myself for yet another time in my life.
Finally in a little cute voice he said, "Sure."
"Great, I’ll see you tomorrow." I hung up quickly as to leave him wanting. I was so proud of myself. I stretched out and tried to kick the sky with my foot. No man could stand against me.
I was feeling so cocky I decided to ring up Josh.
"Hey baby," he said quickly. I hate caller id.
"Don’t ‘hey baby’ me! Just because I dumped you three months ago does not mean you have to jump my best friend’s bones, tell me to do a simple, idiotic bet, and then ‘hey baby’ me when I call you up to tell you my accomplishments."
"Well, well, well look who hasn’t taken her Midol."
I sat up abruptly from my pillow oasis, "Cut the crap, I finished the bet and now you owe me three hundred dollars."
"You couldn’t of, the concert’s in three days," he said coolly.
"I asked him, you never told me I actually had to bring the loser!" I kind of resented saying that, since about three years before I was in almost the same position as Damian.
"What did you think, you were just going to ask him but then leave him standing? You’re a moron."
‘Fine, I’ll bring him. But I’m upping the stakes. Now I want five hundred dollars."
I hung up before he could say anything. I was making easy money. I’m never going to need a job.

Chapter 4

By the next day, everyone in all of Martin Luther High School had heard that I had asked Damian to the My Chemical Romance concert. During my normal strut down the main hallway in the morning, people stared at me. But not just the normal that-bitch-is-way-prettier-and-more-popular-than-me-and-I-hate-her-and-think-she-should-just-die staring. It was full fledged what-the-hell staring. I didn’t care. They were still just jealous.
I went and opened up my locker. Just as I was checking my hair in the magnetic mirror on the door, someone grabbed my waist and hissed in my ear, "Hello sexy."
"Josh," I turned around and faked a smile right before grabbing my notebook and slamming the locker door.
"You know you look really hot when you’re mad."
"Get your freakish hands off my Abercrombie skirt and stop cheating on your girlfriend. I told her you were a sleaze."
I turned and started walking down the hall as fast as my high heels would let me. Click click click. Right turn here. Down hallway. Left. More hallway. Eventually I found Bri.
"Dump him! Just dump the moron!"
"But…I love him…" she was so sheepish, not like the Brianna I knew who screamed her lungs out during cheerleading practice or telling jerks at the movie theater to "piss off".
"You know perfectly well that he’s a cheating creep! What’s wrong with you?"
What seemed like a million eyes looked on me. I could feel their paths stinging.
"You know what, screw you! I know you deserve better."
I turned and walked the other way. All this abandoning was not good for my feet.
Drowning myself in self misery and guilt, I continued the rest of my day without muttering another word to her. Instead of facing her and her jackass of a boyfriend I sat with Damian at lunch. Although the monstrous looks and whisperings of the rest of the student body, I managed to keep smiling and pretending to listen to king of the anti-bisexuals.
I should of sat at the other side of the table. Josh was in direct view of me and kept shooting glances at me and licking his lips. I wanted to scream.
Another odd thing I saw…Hip Top was missing. I was really looking forward to asking him about the whole club coincidence.
After eighth period I decided to ask Damian if he need a ride. I never really noticed how I drove before. While driving the right direction to his house, I put in the My Chemical Romance cd and tried to base a conversation off of it so I didn’t have to think about Bri.
"So, the concert’s tomorrow night."
He was drooling. And staring at my rack. Why do guys think they can get away with that? Sitting there and staring is much more obvious to girls than you think it is.
"Yea. Are you going to give me a ride there or should I pick you up?" He quickly glanced up.
But then I noticed his face changing colors. He got paler and paler by the moment.
"Oh, don’t worry about that, I’ll pick you up at…the concert starts at seven…so at six," I couldn’t help starting to stare at his face. I almost crashed into another car. "Are you okay? You look kind of pale."
"I’m great," He was so faking that smile. I thought about teaching him the basics of acting.
The next couple of minutes we were in silence except for the screaming of Gerard Way.
"Check into the hotel Bella Muerte…"
All of a sudden a ghastly scream forced its way out of Damian, "Pull over!"
And then he threw up.
In my Mercedes Benz.

Chapter 5

It is a proven fact that teachers are addicted to laser pointers. Students are no longer allowed to carry them, but teachers go around waving them at boards. It’s supposedly to prove their point but I think it’s to wave in our face that they are excused from rules that we have to follow.
It is also a proven fact that cheerleaders are shallow. I didn’t think anything of the accepting the bet. I wasn’t thinking about consequences or the fact that Damian a.k.a. Emo Boy was a real person. It’s kind of like when you remember perfectly the beginning of a movie, but you can’t remember the outcome. I was thinking too much about the beginning of Cruel Intentions and not that Sebastian actually dies in the end. (Sorry for the spoiler).
Therefore I was a shallow cheerleader. After Damian threw up in my car I was completely and totally repulsed. Instead of taking ten minutes to get to his house, I made it in three.
When I got home I threw the keys at the housekeeper and screamed at her to get the car cleaned. I trudged my feet up the three flights of stairs and dragged my way to my bathroom while I pulled off my stilettos. After it was my turn praying to the porcelain god I dropped myself on my oversized bed. Don’t think I was some bulimic, I was just disgusted. My feet were red and I was rolling around in my comforter like a skitzo. I was known for getting really worked up over nothing. The only thing that calmed me down was remembering the bet.
I had always secretly been on the verge of insanity. My parents had forced me to visit several psychiatrists. After I had refused to talk to any of them they had labeled me "untreatable" and just put me on antidepressants to please my folks. It was those pills and my overwhelming sense of competitiveness that helped me.
So after watching a movie and having yet another diet Coke binge I finally calmed down and turned my cell phone back on after previously shutting it down to prevent the infinite number of calls I received each afternoon. Instantly I was flooded with people ringing my number to tell me about their problems and who’s party was worth going to tonight and why they broke up with what’s-his-name. Everyone except for Brianna.