Free Picturing Perfect by Melissa Brown, Lori Sabin Page A

and everybody knows movies and video games are much better on a bigger screen. My dad let me help him pick it out at Best Buy. Since then, it had become my favorite spot in the house.
    "No, I'm good," I said with a smirk. I crossed my arms in front of me in defiance. I was so tired of my stupid middle school younger sister always telling me what to do, as if she was in charge, as if I cared what she wanted.
    "I'm serious. We want to watch a movie."
    "Who's 'we?'" I asked.
    "Hadley's sleeping over. She'll be here in a few minutes."
    Haddie. I was hoping that Auden had no idea how I felt about her best friend. Ever since she had given me my favorite t-shirt, I couldn't get her out of my head. My friends had been pushing me to date a girl named Heather, but I wasn't interested. She was pretty and all, but she just didn't do it for me. And I didn't want to be one of those dick guys who dated girls just to get something from them. That just wasn't my style. My friends probably thought I was gay or something because I didn't really date a lot of girls that school year. But, I was hung up on a 13-year-old. How pathetic was that? I knew how she felt about me, but I was always afraid of doing anything to show her how I felt. Probably because Auden was always around.
    No matter what, Auden was always there. I never had a chance to talk to her without my sister breathing down our necks, annoying the hell out of me. Every once in a while, we'd share a laugh or a quick conversation about music or movies. But, usually it was over as quickly as it started, with Auden walking back into a room or putting down her cell phone and focusing her attention back our way.
    "Fine, you guys can watch down here," I said, acting more put out than I really felt. I was excited to see her again.
    "Don't do me any favors," Auden said, rolling her eyes. When I didn't move from the sofa, she glared at me.
    "What?" I asked, exasperated.
    "Aren't you going to go park your ass somewhere else?"
    "No, I told you that already."
    "Whitman!"
    "Don't call me that, you little shit!"
    "Why not? It's your name!" She always knew exactly how to push my buttons. She and Maya both. Stuck between two hormonal pain-in-the ass sisters. Life would've been so much better if I'd had a brother.
    "Shut up," I groaned, picking up the book I had to read for Lit class.
    "You're seriously not going to leave?"
    "Nope." I smiled wide, purposely trying to piss her off.
    "Fine, whatever. Don't bug us."
    "Wasn't planning on it," I said with a smirk.
    "Riiiight," Auden said, rolling her eyes, placing a DVD into the player.
    "Shouldn't you wait for Haddie?" I asked, regretting it right away.
    "What is your deal with her? Do you like her or something?" Before I was able to answer her, I heard the door to the basement open and footsteps starting down the stairs. I put my nose back in my book, knowing it was Haddie.
    "Hey guys," Haddie said, placing her duffle bag and backpack by the stairs. I waved silently from the couch, my eyes never leaving my book. I wasn't trying to be a dick, but I couldn't face her after what Auden had just said.
    "My mom let me buy that Molly Ringwald movie," Auden said, flipping her hair.
    "Really?" Haddie asked, "The one with Blaine?"
    "Pretty In Pink," Auden said with a snip.
    "I know what it's called. I just wanted to make sure," Haddie said, taking a seat on the couch. Auden sat between us and I wanted to groan.
    "She was in a lot of movies before she dropped off the face of the earth," I added.
    "True," Haddie smiled, "and I love her."
    "Why?" I asked her, placing my finger in my book, holding my place.
    "Because she was just a normal girl. She's not like all these gorgeous actresses who just pretend to be the average girl. She really was."
    Good point. I was kind of tired of the fake ugly duckling movies where you seriously put some makeup on a chick and she was magically transformed into a beauty queen. Molly was pretty, but not hot like the girls I was used to