Stolen Thoughts- 1 A/N: Hey... new story! So excited to write this, hope you guys found it interesting from the description! Well, here it is! Stolen Thoughts. Pic of Lena on the side, played by Emily Rudd! Chapter One Lena's POV "What am I going to do?" Megan screeches my my ear. "Calm down! Gosh, it's like a damn explosion in my ear from all your yelling!" I say irritably. Megan grins, her blonde, curly hair bouncing up and down on her shoulders with each stride she takes. She continues, ignoring my energy dampening mood. "I know, but anyway, Mr. Ives expects me to come up with something good, something that will really help with the town, and my idea is due tomorrow!" Megan says, a whine creeping into her high pitched voice. "Okay, so I'm not seeing the problem here." I say slowly and deliberately, not intending to provoke her. I know she's not a rabid animal, but one can never assume with being wrong. I'm not taking chances. Luck has seemed to be on the opposing side lately. Megan frowns, her pleading face gone. "I don't have any ideas!" She screams. I roll my eyes. Here ya go, the drama queen. I think for a second. "Megan, calm down!" I plead with her. "Anyways, today's the last week of school; why would you have homework at this time?" I ask her. "Because! Mr. Ives said he wanted everyone to work on the summer charity project that I give them. He said it was to help clean up the town and help nature." Megan complains. "Now give me an idea!" She shrieks again. "Well, why don't you have the grade go and volunteer at the dog shelter every Saturday?" I ask. "We could make some groups, and have one group go on one saturday, and another the next." I suggest. "Lena, that's not going to work-" Megan starts, but stops, her eyes lighting up. "Actually, I think that you, Lena Adler, are a genius!" She squeals. "You know, at first, I was like this isn't going to work because who's going to volunteer at a dog shelter on Saturday of all days, but then I thought, we could just make it half their grade!" Megan says. I stifle a laugh. "You know you can't make someone do something by blackmailing them." I say. Megan pouts. "I'm not," she protests. I raise an eyebrow and she widens her honey gold eyes that everyone falls in love with so quickly. "You're threatening half their grade. What do you call that?" I ask. Megan furrowed her brows. "School." She says. I sigh and look down at my feet. "Megan, you know I love you and all that, but you're blackmailing the whole grade including us if we don't go." I say. Megan pouts and lets out a whine. "Ugh, then how am I going to get the school to come?" She asks. I shrug, "Your dad's a really successful business man and now you're rich, like, George Clooney rich. What do you think you should do?" "I don't know!" Megan says. "Just tell me!" I hope you've figured out that Megan's not the sharpest crayon in the box. "You give them food in between breaks. You buy some food, or make some if you can. Everyone loves a good barbeque or some fried chicken, why don't you host a grill while they work? We can feed the dogs some of the scraps." I say, nodding slowly. Finally, Megan's face lights up with understanding and she hugs me, squeezing the air out of me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She cries. She waves at me, muttering a quick "bye" and takes off outside. I wonder why she was so nice to me then, and the remember that she's kisses up to me when she wants something. I seriously don't know why I let her run over me. ***************************************************************************************************************** Megan's POV I ponder whether this'll work or not, but shake myself slowly. My confidence returns in a flood; I'm smart, I'm beautiful, and I'm successful. I have no reason to be upset. Suddenly, Lena pulls up in her new car she got two months ago for her sixteenth birthday, and I climb in. She studies me closely, frowning when her gaze lands on my chest and legs. She frowns like always, but doesn't dare ask me about them. I had chosen a red satin halter top, a black and red plaid skirt, black fishnet tights, and simple red pumps. My hair was down in long blonde curls, and twisted into a small half pony. "Lena, I'm sixteen. Don't mother me since you're five months older than me." I scold her. "I didn't say anything." Lena says defensively. "Yeah, but you were thinking it." I say. "Sorry." She apologizes. "It's usually an outfit a lite warmer. What changed?" "Me. You know what they say, a change is good for everyone. Anyway, it's spring now. I though an update from the cold as shit winter would be good." I smile weakly. Lena's eyes sweep over me one more time in a scrutinizing once over, before settling comfortably on the road. Her wiry black hair fell in jagged jet black waves down her back, ending at the ombre tips. I'd convinced her to dye the tips of her hair an ombre color, knowing it would look bad, but I didn't want her to look better than me! In all truth, she looked wiry and dirty, but I sure as hell wouldn't say that to her face. She was kind of chubby, but I guess that was fine. I had been the one feeding her the fatty yogurt, telling her that it was fat and sugar free. I really didn't want her to be skinnier than me either. It was sunny and warm out, and Lena's pale skin stuck out like a beacon, especially since it contrasted with her bright, lightening blue eyes. She's decided to bum it with the skinny jeans, sneakers, and gap sweatshirt I had bought her. When she didn't put it on I had pretended I was hurt. I mean, I buy all of the clothes for her and she doesn't wear them. That's a serious ego drainer. I tear my eyes away as the car speeds away, and wait. When we finally get to school, I'm bombarded with hello's and try my best to answer everyone. Lena hides behind me and everyone ignores her. We exchange goodbye's and I head quickly to my next class without Lena. I'm in Chemistry, and she's in Honors English. I wait for everyone to come in before going up to the teacher's desk. "Hey, um, I have my charity idea." I said to Mr. Ives in a low voice. I planned on telling him that it was Lena's idea, but he interrupted me. "Hello students, Megan has something to tell you all." He says, and I stare nervously at the floor. I straigten up and raise my chin defiantly. "Um, hi." I start, mentally banging myself on the head. Idiot, my mind whispers. Screw you, I shoot back. "Um, I have an idea for charity. I was thinking that we could split into pre- made groups and have a group go volunteer at a defferent chairty each week." I say. "How does this work?" Earl asks after raising his hand. Of course he would ask questions since he's the nerdiest kid ever. "Um, well, there would be three groups; one for each class. Each main group would split into five branches. Branch 1 in Group 1, Branch 2 in Group 1, Branch 3 in Group 1, Branch 4 in Group 1, and Branch 5 in Group1. Branch 1 in Group 1 would volunteer at the Dog Center this Saturday, Branch 2 in Group 1 would make military packages this Saturday, Branch 3 in Group 1 would volunteer at the recycling company this Saturday, and so on. When the next weeks comes round, all of the groups would switch. Group 2 would be volunteering at the Dog Center that Saturay, Group 3 would be making military packages that Saturday, and Group 4 would be volunteering at the recycling company that Saturday." I explain. In the corner of my eye, I spot Neil leaning forward. My heart flutteres when I notice the most popular boy's sudden interest in this project. I hurriedly continue. "There'll be a barbeque at each center for the first Saturday, and some fried chicken on the second Saturday if that interests any of you." I say. A few whoops and hollers echo through out the room. Neil raises his hand and I point a tan shaky finger his direction. "Who came up with this idea? Did you? I think they're a genius." Neil says. "I'm in." He said. I smile ecstaticly. If he joins, everyone would. I smile and he repeats himself again. "Did you come up with this idea?" Neil persists. I hesistate. I love all this attention, and Lena was gracious. She'd forgive me, I decide. Anyway, if she didn't I would find another girl to take her place. I couldn't come up with ideas on my own. "Yes," I say. At the end of the school day I stare incredulously at my supposed best friend as all of the students file neatly out of the school doors and am met by guilty eyes. The empty hallway seems to stretch into a never ending hallway of betrayal, and something inside of me snaps. "You did what?" I ask- no, growl at Megan. "Lena, I'm sorry! It's just that, you know, Neil wanted to join, and then I said it was my idea in the spur of the moment, and I knew everyone would join if he did, and if he found out that I liedthenhewouldn'twanttojoinandthennoonewouldwanttojoinand-" Megan's words became more and more jumbled, and her voice became incredibly high pitched. "Megan, just stop." I say. "I can't handle this." I start walking away, but Megan follows me. She grabs my wrist and I yank it away from her. Megan turns red and stomps after me. "Lena, wait up!" Megan yells when I walk away. I stop and wait for her to catch up. When she reaches me, I turn around. "What?" I ask. "You can't seriously be mad at me!" Megan says condescendingly. I narrow my eyes at her. "I can't be mad at you? I seriously can't be mad at you Megan? I have every right to be mad at you! I gave you an idea, you said that you would tell the class that it was my idea; you lied to me, and then you took my idea just to get Neil Portman's attention! What kind of idiot do you take me to be?" I ask her. Megan gasps indignantly. "I did it for my assignment! Did you really want me- your best friend- to be in detention until summer? I thought friends were supposed to help friends." Megan spits at me. I shake my head. "Don't turn the damn spotlight toward me, this is about you. My friend," The word tastes bitter on my tongue, "took credit for my work. I don't call that helping! Yes, friends are supposed to help each other out, and that's what I did!" I say. "Exactly, so that's why you should be fine with this! You gave me help! If you were willing enough to do that knowing that it would count towards my credit, then you should be fine with this!" Megan huffs and crosses her arms. I let out a shaky laugh. "Oh my gosh. You can't even admit that you did something wrong! Fine. I'll give you today to tell Mr. Ives or anyone in this grade that this was my idea. If you don't, then I will, and you'll be in one shitload of trouble." I say. Megan sputters and her face turns red again. "Like anyone would believe you! You're a mere nobody in this community. I actually mean something to this world." Megan sneers at me. Her words are bucket of cold water being splashed on my face. I stand still, stunned by the brutality of her words. Tears from in my eyes, and Megan is red from the energy drainage. She turns around, just as stunned as I am that those words passed through her lips. She hunches over and walks away from me. A tear slips from my eyes and I walk the other way.