?Dances of Change?

~{Chapter VIII}~

    September came and went.

    It was relatively boring, except that Taylor had a mechanic competition- one for building a small robot prototype that they had been working on for a month. She didn't get first place, which she never gets. It's weird, you know?

    How in school, she's the popular one, everyone's first choice to be friends with, the pretty twin. The one in first- the spotlight. And it's not that it bothers her- she happened to like it sometimes. Because it made her feel useful and like she has a purpose. She's always been the pretty one- no matter how she tries to show herself. It's always, 'She has such a pretty face. It's a shame she wants us to see more'.

    But, in Mechanics Club, the only reason the attention is on her is because she's 'the pretty, popular girl who likes to get her hands dirty and likes machines'. The outcast. It's something she never tells anyone about. Not even Tyler. And it bothers her so much.

    She never wins, no matter how well she does. The highest she's ever gotten was fourth place. Even if the ones ahead of her have way more errors and flaws, she still strays father form the spotlight. It's the complete opposite from school. It's like- she can only be known as the pretty one. Even if she desperately tries to be more, or when she says that she needs to study, all they see is the dumb, pretty twin who thinks mechanics is easy to do rather than wanting to challenge herself for fun.

    She only wins at being pretty. And even at that people still find ways to say she's doing too much, or she's flaunting herself around to make everyone else envious.

    She can't even be good at what everyone says she is.

    Eventually, they did start on the project instead of making excuses not to (and her heart did break when Logan had told them that he's already started on the layout of it by himself, because he's just so used to doing it by himself). So, this way it should be done before Christmas break.

    They also started doing weekly self-defense lessons, being taught by Mrs. And Mr. Banner because they found out about the whole Logan-Barron situation some how. And They wanted to show their support without making a big deal of it- by getting other reasons to do it rather than it being just for Logan.

    Oh! And Aidens birthday was coming up- do Taylor and Ben had practically forced the others to go to the mall for gifts, and than the store for supplies to bake a cake and cookies- because, according to Aiden, you can never just have one.

    They'd- and by they, she means Logan- bake the cookies the hour before the party, and they'd all make the cake during the sleepover and before presents.

    She has a whole plan she'll go over with the group before hand anyway.

    Taylor knows she'll have to fight tooth and nail with Tyler for him to even be respectful and not pick fights all day, but if Aiden instigates it she'll let it slide. Just won't let it get physical. And Ben will probably keep Aiden in control too, while Ashlyn and Logan either watch or do what they can't.

    She spent the whole week following up to the party just planning- what to wear, what movies to watch, how to do presents, etc, etc. Because she likes to be organized, and everything will feel overwhelming if she doesn't have a plan (Tyler says she weird, but he's weirder. So she doesn't give a fuck).

    So now she just has to hope it doesn't go up in flames.

—•—

    It went up in flames. As everything does.

    -Or, really, it slowly burned like a failing code.