"Does my hair look okay?" Meghan asked.
"Perfect-every strand in place," Karen replied.
"Are my clothes okay?"
"You look wonderful-don't worry about it-he'll fall for you either way," Karen said as Justin approached them.
"Ready to go, Meghan?" Justin asked.
She nodded. "Yeah-I'll see you later, Karen."
Meghan and Justin walked out to the parking lot and climbed into his car.
"Nice car," Meghan commented.
"Thanks. My dad bought it for me for my sixteenth birthday," Justin said, starting the car.
"So um, where are we going?" Meghan asked.
"Route 66. I hope you like that place."
"Are you kidding me? I love that place-especially when drinks aren't being knocked on me..."
"When do you go there? I've never seen you there."
"I used to go for lunch but I decided coming back to school looking like a movie theater floor wasn't my thing...so now I just go on Friday or Saturday nights when there's no on there," Meghan said.
"Who does that to you-spill drinks and dump food on you?" Justin asked.
"Shane Burgess, Brenda Yates, but Jon and Melissa seem to like doing things to me the most," Meghan said with a bitter smile.
"But-*why?*"
"I have no idea. I've done nothing to them It's been this way all through junior high and all the way through high school. Senior year and they're still making my life hell," Meghan said as Justin pulled into the parking lot of Route 66.
"I'm gonna have a little talk with them-"
"Don't bother. They won't listen," Meghan said as Justin opened the door for her. "Thanks."
"But-"
"Can we not talk about this anymore?" Meghan said.
"Yeah of course. So what do you want?"
"Um, a salad with ranch dressing and fries."
"Okay." Justin went up to order.
"Hey Justin," the girl at the counter said.
"Hey Helen. Can I have a salad with ranch, fries, a hamburger, a chocolate smoothie and two Mountain Dews?" Justin said.
"Of course you can hon. Are you here with Meg?" Helen asked as she rang up Justin's order.
"Yeah...I'm sorry I wasn't with her sooner."
"Oh, she's a sweetheart, Justin. You boys don't know what you're missing out on. She's always here by herself, writing away."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I don't understand why she's not out every night at a party or with a boy...she's a gorgeous girl and she's smart-"
"She's beautiful and sweet and funny. Why didn't I see her before?" Justin asked.
"That'll be eight fifty. Sometimes the best thing is right in front of you the whole time and you never realize it," Helen said. "Make the best of this year-you'll never find another girl like her."
Justin glanced back at Meghan as Brenda and Jon breezed in and brushed Meghan aside.
"Hey, watch it!" Meghan exclaimed.
"Oh, sorry-didn't realize you took up room," Brenda said.
Helen shook her head. "Kids are so rude these days."
"Here you go, Megs," Justin said as they sat down at a table.
Meghan stared at Justin. "What'd you just call me?"
"Megs-why? Is there something wrong with that?" Justin asked, poking his straw into his cup.
"No that's fine...it's just no one ever calls me Megs," Meghan said.
Justin smiled. "Well, then-that's my name for you-don't let anyone else call you Megs, okay?"
Meghan nodded. "Okay. So um, how did you find out my name?"
"Well, I've seen you around before, but I was too chicken to talk to you, and over summer I was flipping through my yearbook and your picture caught my eye," Justin explained.
"Why?"
"Cuz you had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen in my life," Justin said simply. "And I guess I just thought about you and your smile all summer...and wondered why I didn't notice you before."
"Well, I 'm warning you right now I'm not loud or flashy-"
"I can tell. That's why I like you. I'm sick and tired of being seen only for basketball. I'm tired of all the cheerleading ditzy bimbo giggly girls...they were fun for awhile, but I need something more...someone I can actually have a conversation with...someone who can look past my basketball skills and just know *me,*" Justin said.
"Whoa...think you've come to the right person, Justin?" Meghan asked.
Justin looked into her green eyes. "I'm positive."
"I-"
"I'm sorry. I'm too intense huh? Am I making you uncomfortable?"
Meghan shook her head. "No, no, not at all...I love that. I can tell you're different than all the other guys. There's something about you..."
"Is it my hair?" Justin asked with a grin.
Meghan laughed. "That could be it but...it's something else-"
Melissa casually sauntered by and spilled red punch on the sleeve of Meghan's mesh shirt.
"No!" Meghan exclaimed.
"Sorry, Meggy," Melissa said sweetly.
"Hey Timberlake! What's up with you and Freaky Chick here?" Jon asked with a gleeful laugh.
Justin glared at Jon and Melissa. "Why don't you two get a *life?* Are you okay, Megs?"
Meghan nodded as she unbuttoned the shirt. "Yeah."
"Is that gonna come out?"
"Probably not," Meghan replied, shrugging the shirt off, leaving her in her white tank top. "That's exactly why I don't come here for lunch anymore."
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