OooOOOooO

Not So Crash Hot

Chapter Three

Feminist Regan

OooOOOooO

"You can do it! Group hug in the showers tonight!" – Guy from The Longest Yard

"Girls are like phones. We love to be held, talked to, but if you press the wrong button you'll be disconnected!"

Orlando Towers was the local mall. It was massive, three floors of shops. The supermarkets and cheap shops were down the bottom, the really expensive clothe brands on the top with everything else in the middle.

Lexie, Scott and I walked into the shops, looking around.

"Where you wanna go first?" I asked.

"Camping shop," Lexie said at the same time Scott yelled, "Toy shop!"

"Camping shop."

"Toy shop."

"Camping shop."

"Toy shop."

"Camp—"

"Okay shut up already! We'll go to the toy shop cause majority rules." I interrupted. Lexie scowled at me.

"C'mon Lexie. We'll go to the camping shop after, and you can play on the pogo stick!" Lexie immediately brightened, and we headed off towards the toy store. There were three toyshops in the Towers, so we went to Toys 'r' Us, the biggest one. It was on the bottom level.

Once we were there, we headed straight for the back.

"Shotty the car!" I yelled, bolting over to where a small pink Barbie car stood.

"Aw, but you always get the car!" Scott whined, pouting.

"Well, you just have to be faster."

Lexie threw us two of those guns that shoot out foam balls, and grabbed a pogo stick for herself. She aimed at Scott and shot two balls at him.

"Hey! Get back here!" he yelled, as Lexie jumped off on her pogo stick. Scott grabbed a scooter and zoomed after her, weaving through the aisles.

I made a face and pushed after them, willing my legs to peddle faster. I caught up with Lexie first.

"Pow, pow, pow! Fast as lightening!" I wheeled the little car around; oblivious to the disapproving glares I was getting from the shoppers.

"You're dead Shanahan!"

"Try and get me Duffman! No one can get me! Which way am I going?" I swerved, Lexie's shots missing me. "Left, right, centre, I'm everywhere!"

I skidded around a corner and ran into a solid force. I looked up. Uh-oh…

A beefy security guard stood scowling before me.

I gulped and smiled innocently, "Would you like a go, Mister Security Guard?" I stepped out of the cart, before bolting out of the store, soon to be joined by Scott and Lexie. We ran into a furniture shop and collapsed on one of the four-seater couches, feet up on the ottoman.

We looked at each other before simultaneously bursting out laughing.

Once an angry salesman kicked us out of the furniture shop, we at last made our way over to the camping shop, pulling out our lists.

We walked over to the cutlery section, picking out different coloured bowls and eating utensils. We slowly made our way through the shop, before heading out with massive shopping bags in our hands, and stupid grins on our faces.

"Let's get ice cream!" Lexie suggested brightly, striding off towards the food court.

"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! I love ice cream! Ice cream for breakfast, ice cream for lunch, ice cream for—"

"Okay shut up Scott. You're killing it," I said with a smile.

"Yeah, well look over there!" I looked to where he was pointing, seeing nothing special. "You killed it! Haaa! And the crowd goes wild after Scott's great comeback!"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't even know how I can be friends with you! Holy Jesus Christ Mother Mary, hide me!"

I scampered behind a confused Scott. He looked around, bewildered for a moment, before seeing Logan and some other preppies standing in the food court area. He laughed.

And then he made the biggest mistake of his soon-to-be shortened life. He waved at Logan, yelling, "Hey Logan! What you doing here?"

I elbowed him in the back, causing him to stumble forward, and made a break for the closest shop, which happened to be a bookshop. I glanced over to where Logan, Scott and Lexie were talking and saw Scott pointing over to my bookshop. Oh, he is dead!

No no no no no no, he cannot be coming over here! I darted deeper into the bookshop and picked up a book, pretending to read it whilst I discreetly kept a lookout for the Bane of my Existence.

"Wow Reggie-Ray, I didn't know you into those type of books. You could just ask if you wanted to see it so bad," the Bane of my Existence smirked, raising his eyebrows at the book I held in my hands.

I peered at the book, realising with horror what I had picked up.

The Male Reproductive System, the title read.

I shoved it back onto the shelf in panic.

I shrugged naturally. "It's for a… school project. Health you know?" I'm a terrible liar did I mention that? I can never think of a good, plausible lie. Like right now for instance.

"I'm in your health class," he replied, holding back laughter.

I shot him a hostile look. "Whatever. Oh, do I see Lexie beckoning to me? Yes I do! Laters Logan." I twiddled by fingers at him before stalking off. I glanced behind me and realised he was looking at something below my head. My ass.

I stalked towards him, and he slowly raised his eyes to me, hardly denying that he had just been looking at my hiny a second ago. I poked him in the middle of his chest. "Don't," poke, "look," poke, "down there," poke poke, "again! You're a sick perverted boy and I don't like you!"

He looked amused. "I know a way I can show you I'm not a boy," he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Ew! Get your head out of the gutter! You vile, dick—" A shrill voice interrupted me, and I felt my mood sink even lower.

"Loggie! I've been looking for you, like, everywhere! Oh, am I interrupting something?"

It was one of Tori's spiteful clones. Just what I need…

"Is she annoying Loggie? I'm sorry I was away for so long," she shrilled, walking up to Logan and trailing two fingers down his chest suggestively. I didn't fail to notice that she was standing right in front of me with her back turned.

Logan just gently pushed her to the side, ignoring her pout.

I walked straight up to him, until I was standing right in front of him, looking up slightly. "I thought I knew you better, that you wouldn't date one of them," I hissed, flicking my head towards the still pouting peroxide bimbo. "Obviously not, Loggie."

I expected him to come back with a sarcastic response, like 'why? You jealous Reggie-Ray?' but he said nothing, just stared at me with those beautiful, swirling grey eyes. How could I never notice how entrancing they are?

I spun around suddenly, livid at my traitorous thoughts. I was actually quite surprised that I had even cared enough to have standards for him. I stalked past Lexie and Scott. Scott opened his mouth to say something but Lexie elbowed him and followed me, dragging Scott by his elbow after me.

OooOOOooO

Lexie dropped me off in front of my house. My temper had cooled down marginally, so I went upstairs and turned my music up full ball. I lay on my bed, staring up at the roof, my mind blank.

I lay like that for a while before I saw my door open and James walk in. He said something that I couldn't hear, so I just stared at him vacantly. He rolled his eyes and walked over to my stereo, turning it off.

"Wanna come down and play soccer with me and some other guys? We got uneven numbers." I just shrugged, chucked on my converses, and headed downstairs.

James, Logan, Tyler were passing the ball to each other, and two other guys that hanged out with James. I completely ignored Logan, still angry with him.

James introduced us, "Regan, this is Josh and Sam, and vice versa." They both nodded at me. Sam looked like the typical surfer boy, with bleach blonde hair and light blue eyes, whilst Josh looked like the normal jock, big, brown and beefy. Ha ha, alliteration! My English teacher would be proud!

"Kay, it'll be me, Josh and Logan against Regan, Sam and Tyler," James said, and we both got on our own sides.

I heard Sam mutter, "Great, a girl on our team." I just shot him a dirty. I could whip his ass any day.

"Sup Regan? How you been doin?" Tyler asked me, nodding.

I couldn't be bothered snapping at him so I just answered, "Nothing much. After soccer some friends and me went shopping for camping gear." I avoided Logan's gaze. "You?"

"Nothing much."

Our little conversation over, Logan passed the ball to James, who dribbled it up towards me. I ran towards him, but he did this funny little manoeuvre with the ball, managing to get the ball around me.

I heard Sam groan behind me. "Do I have to do all the work?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, slowly getting pissed at this surfer dude. I ran after James, this time managing to get the ball off him. I spun around and passed to Tyler. I ran parallel with him, in case he needed any help, but he bypassed Josh easily, scoring a goal. I ran up to him and hi fived him.

"That's what I'm talking about!"

We took it back to the centre and Logan kicked off again, booting it too Sam, who fumbled with it, confused as to why Logan had kicked it to him. Logan sprinted up to him, stole the ball and shot a goal. The score was one all.

It was our turn to kick off and Tyler passed it to me. I dribbled it fast up the wing, until Logan came to intercept me. I feinted to the right and dribbled to the left, spinning in front of the ball, using my body to block him. I flew past him, and straight into Josh. I stopped the ball with my foot to see what he would do, but he kept coming towards me. I started towards him, planning to sidestep him, but he crashed into me, groping me on the way.

"What the fuck was that? You're even more perverted than Logan, and that's hard to beat! Don't fucking touch me ever again! You heard me?" I shouted at him, furious again.

He smirked and came towards me. "Why not? You're just playing hard to get."

By this time, everyone else seemed to realise that we weren't playing soccer, and James started towards me.

My eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that I dig guys who use steroids to boost their muscles cause they're too wimpy to build up their own? This is pure muscle and self defence baby."

And with that I stepped on his toe, kneed him, and palmed him in the nose. When I let go of him, he stumbled back, doubled over, one hand holding his crotch, the other holding his nose.

"Never fuck with me again," I hissed at him, ignoring the cacks of laughter that were coming from everyone.

"I salute you Feminist Regan!" Tyler yelled to the side of me. I just gave him the finger, smiling slightly. Damn straight! No man gonna get me down!

Later, I heard James yelling at Josh. So my brother was overprotective. At least it came in handy sometimes!

I smirked.

Feminist Regan. I like that.

OooOOOooO

"I'M BRINGING SEXY BACK, THEM OTHER BOYS DON'T KNOW HOW TO ACT! I THINK IT'S SPEICAL WHAT'S BEHIND YOUR BACK! SO TURN AROUND AND I'LL PICK UP THE SLACK!"

Tori's music blasted through the house, shaking me violently from sleep. What the hell?
"Tori! Turn that shit off! I'm trying to sleep!"

The music went down a little bit.

"DIRTY BABE! YOU SEE THESE SHACKLES BABY I'M YOUR SLAVE!"

"That's it Tori! You asked for it!"

I jumped out of bed and turned up my stereo full ball. Panic! At The Disco blared out.

"AND ISN'T THIS EXACTLY WHERE YOU WANT ME, I'M EXACTLY WHERE YOU WANT ME YOU KNOW! PLAYING FOR LOVE IN A LAP DANCE! AND PAYING IN NAIVETY!"

Logan burst into my room.

"Will you turn that crap off!"

"Oh, so you'll let Tori keep hers off? Oh hell no!" I yelled back, dancing around my room in my pj's.

Logan growled and tackled me to the ground. We rolled around, me kicking and hissing, him trying to hold me down. We at last stopped. He had my arms pinned down and was straddling me. We were both panting hard. I started laughing again, and when I next opened my eyes, his face was inches above mine. My eyes widened before the door slammed open again.

"Far out! Can't you turn that stupid—Oh? Am I interrupting something?" James stood in the doorway, yelling over the music. I immediately rolled away, my cheeks red.

"Whatever! Look!" I turned off my music, and realised that Tori had turned hers off too. "No more music. Now get out. I need to get dressed for work." They filed out, Logan not looking the least bit embarrassed.

I had an afternoon shift at Rumours, from one to five. It was already twelve, and it took twenty minutes to walk there. The uniform was a black skirt and black t-shirt. The skirt was one of the only ones I had. I'd owned it for two years, so it was a quite a few inches above me knee. I made a face at my reflection and tugged it lower. It didn't do much.

I grabbed a piece of bread to eat on the way and walked out the door, waving a quick goodbye to James. Logan wasn't with him, so I assumed he went home. At last.

OooOOOooO

"Regan, darling, I know it's a Sunday but you're working. Four kids are waiting to order in your area. Off you go!" Lexie's mum, Katrina, ushered me from the chair I was snoozing on, and I blearily blinked my eyes, trying to wake myself up. Stupid work. I yawned. Far out, how can I be so tired?

I trudged over to the table, flipping open my notebook, trying hard not to yawn. Maybe if I do it discreetly…

"Hey, waiter girl!" I looked up, annoyed. I have a name.

The site of Tyler, Logan, Adele and Victoria greeted me. I nearly groaned. Can this day get any worse? Why don't they ever leave me alone?

"Waiter girl's name is Regan. But don't let me stop you from ordering. What do you want?" I asked, thoroughly sick of my luck. Stupid luck.

"Logan and me," Adele shot a flirtatious look at Logan, who smirked. Big surprise there. "Want wedges. Yous?"

"We want… I'll have the chicken wrap and Ty wants the hamburger. Off you go waiter girl," Tori ordered.

It seems like Tyler and Logan are turning mute. Stupid Logan and Tori knew I worked at this stupid café. They probably came here on purpose! Stupid cool people.

I fumed, snapped shut my notebook and stalked off to place their orders. I can't get fired, must not do anything stupid.

"Please Marty, you can't make me go out there again! You can't!" The cook, Marty, pushed the wedges into my arms.

"No! Have you no mercy! Pity? Prithee pity?" I gave him my saddest face, but nothing seemed to work.

"I don't have the time today. Just take a deep breath, and get the hell out of my kitchen," he told me, smiling gruffly. Yeah, he loved me.

I dragged myself out of the kitchen, and walked over to my doom. They were all talking. I figured that Logan was with Adele, whilst Tyler was with Tori. Gross, and I thought Tyler was okay.

As I was nearing, I saw Logan's eyes flicker my way, then back to Adele. The walk to the table seemed endless. Probably because I was dawdling.

Just as I was nearing, Logan pulled Adele into a deep kiss. I nearly threw up. What the hell? This is a friggin' public place! I don't want to throw up today thank you!

I finally got to the table and slammed the wedges down in front of the pair playing tonsil hockey.

"Your wedges. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't slobber in each others mouths in a public place." I turned on my heel and stalked off.

I heard Adele's voice drift from behind me. "It's okay baby, she's just jealous. I mean, who wouldn't be of me?"

I heard Logan grunt.

Far out she was vain! Don't do anything stupid Regan…

I grabbed the wrap and hamburger, balancing them both precariously on my arms and set off to the table.

"Here's the last of your or—" I screeched as a dainty high-heeled foot stuck out and tripped me over. Just like in Cinderella Story, the plates went flying out of my hands to smash onto the ground in front of me. I went sprawling and landed on my stomach. I heard Tori and Adele burst out in giggles, and imagined that Logan and Tyler were both smirking. I slowly stood up. And, to their utter confusion, a slow smile spread over my face. It wasn't a nice one; it was a nasty one.

Don't do anything stupid, don't do anything stupid—

Go to hell stupid voice.

"Oh, you're funny," I said, still smiling. The smiles faded from Tori and Adele's faces. I didn't dare look at Tyler and Logan. "That was pure comedy. Seriously. I, unfortunately, don't have your talent, but I think this does the trick."

I picked the squished wrap and hamburger off the floor and mushed it against both their stunned faces.

"Would you like drinks with that?" I said pleasantly, before ripping my apron off and stalking towards the door, ignoring everyone's wide-eyed stares.

Katrina ran up to me. "Regan you're fired! This is the last straw! Your behaviour lately—"

I turned around and poked a finger in her face. "You can't fire me, cause I quit!" And with that, I took my shredded dignity and strode out the door.

OooOOOooO

I lay on my bed with my music turned up full ball. Again. Suddenly James's face filled my vision.

"You got a call!" he yelled over the music. I turned my music down and grabbed the phone off him. Turning my back to him, I answered the phone.

"What?"

"Look Regan, just listen to me before you hang up—" Logan started.

"Oh hell no! I've taken a shit load from you today! Actually, all week! You got me fired!"

"Regan, I'm sorry! I didn't laugh at all and neither did Ty. We left right after you! Can't you just accept my apology?"

"Accept it? Actions speak louder than words, Loggie, and at the moment you are not in my good books for one main reason: you're going out with that selfish, vain creature. Oh, and you're and arrogant jerk. Goodbye."

"That's two reasons! And—" I cut him off as I hung up the phone. I lay on the bed, and a stray thought came to the front of my mind. He called me Regan. And I… liked it.

The phone rang again. I picked it up, expecting it to be Logan.

"Look, just go the fuck away! I don't give a shit about—"

"Um, you do realize its Lexie?" came a timid voice. I cut myself off.

"Oh, sorry Duffman. I though you were Logan."

"So what was that all about?"

"Meh, its nothing. I'll tell you tomorrow at school. That is if your mum doesn't tell you," I muttered resentfully.

"Whatever back freckle. We have camp tomorrow."

"Oh yeah! Well—"

"I knew you'd forget! That's what I'm calling about. Have you even started packing?"

"Um…" To tell the truth, I hadn't even thought about it. "Of course I didn't forget about it! I've almost finished packing." I ran around the room, snatching up clothes and camping gear. "Yep! Cutlery, tick, shirts, tick, shorts, tick, swimmers, tick—"

"You haven't started have you?" This girl knew me to well.

"No," I uttered guiltily.

"Well get to it! Gotta be at school at seven tomorrow, so you need to get up early! Early night for you!"

The rest of my evening was spent packing for Survivor, and talking to Lexie.

When at last I fell down on my bed, I was exhausted. Today was so long!