Piranhas in Pink: Piranhas in Pink Book One

by Nova Knightley

  Maisie said nothing at first. “You don’t have to do this.”

  “Do what?”

  “Make conversation that you really don’t want to have. I’m not naive. I get that I’m just a fill-in until you find someone better to hang out with. It’s only been three days. I’m sure by next week, you’ll find your tribe.”

  I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know what. Maisie wasn’t stupid. She would know that anything I said to spare her feelings was going to be a lie. I wanted to tell her why I really wanted to be a PIP, but since I couldn’t tell her the whole truth, it wouldn’t make any sense.

  We pulled up in front of the house. I reached to open the door. “Maisie, for what it’s worth, you are really cool and interesting. I mean that.” And I did.

  She gave me a small smile. “If it comes down to you and Bree making the PIPs, I hope you get it. I’m sorry. That’s not a compliment.”

  I nodded. “Well, I hope I get it too. See you.”

  “See you,” she said as I closed the door.

  I felt guilty as I walked up the short staircase that led to the porch. The PIPs had referred to Maisie as the Hot Mess Express and the reason Bree wasn’t more popular, but she didn’t deserve that at all.

  ***

  The following day, I opened my locker to find something uber shiny and super pink that didn’t belong there. It was a greeting card in the shape of a dress. I flipped it open.

  Dear Lennox,

  You have been invited to compete for a life-changing opportunity. A league of extraordinary young women aptly named Perfection in Pink is looking for a fifth member. We have deemed you a good fit for our group. You must complete a series of tasks to demonstrate your willingness to belong to our sisterhood. Remember, there is only one opening in our group, and other applicants are being considered. May the best woman win!

  (PS-Gifts, bribes, favors, or compensation of any kind will not be accepted)

  Eden Blackwood

  PIP Commander in Chief

  Their attempt to be professional, however ridiculous it sounded, was admirable. I slid the invite into my purse because I didn’t want others seeing it and making a big deal out of it. Did anyone else besides Bree and me get one? If she was my only competition, I stood a good chance, but if others were involved, who knew? I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath. It didn’t matter who else was in the running. That position belonged to me.

  ***

  After I grabbed my lunch, I scoured the cafeteria for a place to sit that wasn’t Maisie’s table. I was lucky that her back was to me, so she didn’t see me searching for a new place to sit. I found an empty spot at the center of a table of girls who looked okay and headed in that direction, but once again, Daniella stepped in my way, almost causing me to drop my tray. I had the overwhelming urge to “accidentally” ram my pizza slice into her pristine off-white sweater, but that would get me nowhere.

  She glared at me like I was toe fungus. “Hi. You get to sit with us today.” She said it like I had won the lottery. I took a quick look in that direction. Bree was already sitting there.

  Oh, goody, I wanted to shout, but I refrained. I smiled as widely as I could. “Great.”

  I glanced at Maisie again. Looking over her shoulder, she locked eyes with me then turned away. I felt bad, but I had to do what I had to do. Anyway, we weren’t friends. I hadn’t made any promises to eat with her every day. Bree was the one who was ditching her.

  I made my way to the other side of the table, next to Bree, who shifted uncomfortably as I settled down beside her.

  “Hi,” she mumbled.

  “What’s up?” I stared down at my tray. I suddenly remembered what they had said about not eating the school lunch. Bree didn’t have any food in front of her.

  The PIPs were silent for a few seconds, then each of them took a long swig of their Cherry Dr. Pepper at the same time. Creepy. I wondered if they practiced soda-sipping synchronization. My mouth watered because of the tantalizing slice of pizza calling my name. The pepperoni slices were begging to be devoured. I decided it would be totally stupid to starve myself, and I took a big bite.

  “So,” Eden said finally, “as you probably already know, the two of you are in the running to be the new PIP. We’ve searched the entire junior class high and low for suitable replacements, and we’ve decided to extend invitations to the two of you. You should be honored.”

  “Oh, I am.” Bree sounded way too eager.

  I popped a pepperoni into my mouth. “Yeah. Me too.”

  “We wanted to ask you a couple of questions,” Kyla said. “First, Bree, what do you think makes you a better candidate than Lennox?”

  Bree glanced at me. I could tell she didn’t want to answer the question, but she didn’t have much of a choice. She was too nice, and if the Piranhas were as bad as everyone said they were, I didn’t know how she was possibly going to fit in.

  “Well, you’ve known me for two years longer than you’ve known her. She just showed up, and we don’t know much about her. She’s not even wearing pink. Why isn’t she wearing pink if she really wants to be a PIP?” Bree wore a pink tank top underneath her denim jacket.

  Seiko flipped her platinum locks over one shoulder. “That’s a good question. Why aren’t you wearing pink?”

  I looked down at my tray. “I don’t have anything pink. I’m sorry. Look, my mom’s been going through this huge thing with my dad about money. When she finally gets the child support check he owes her, if she does, she promised to take me shopping for some new clothes. They won’t be expensive, but I promise, they’ll be pink.” If Mom could have heard me, she would have choked me.

  Eden took my pizza-greasy hands into her soft clean ones. “Don’t you worry about that. If you make it in, we’ll hook you up. We are a lot of things, but we are not materialistic.” She shot both Bree and Seiko looks that made them wither.

  Eden continued. “Just for the record, although we always look amazing, we are not obsessed with superficial things. That’s not what’s most important. Bree, go on.”

  By then, Bree looked too terrified to speak. She folded her hands in front of her. “I think I’ll be a great fit. I love community service and helping others. I get good grades, and I will never embarrass you guys or smear the PIP name. I’m ready to be your sister.”

  I swallowed the urge to gag.

  “How about you, Lennox?” Dani asked. “Why do you think you would make a better PIP than Bree?”

  I didn’t even look at Bree as I gave the girls a quick rundown. “I don’t have any friends here, so I won’t have any problem giving the PIPs my time. Being a part of you would mean the world to me. I’ve known that since the first day when I accidentally bumped into you. It was a coincidence, but I also think it was fate.”

  “I was there too,” Bree muttered under her breath.

  I ignored her. “The past few years have been really hard for me and my mother. I’m looking to make a new start, to reinvent myself, and I think becoming a PIP would be the perfect way to do that. I’m loyal and hardworking, and I will do my best to follow the PIP commandments. Also, I love running, and I can’t wait to join the track team.” That last part was a bald-faced lie. Who am I kidding? It was all a lie except for the first part. Mom’s voice echoed in my head, telling me to use my dead sister to my advantage, but I wasn’t like her. I couldn’t do that to Piper. “That’s all.”

  The PIPs nodded approvingly, then Eden glanced at Seiko, who took that as her cue to talk.

  “Great,” she said, “but we all know that actions speak louder than words. You’re going to prove you really mean what you’ve said during your trial weekend. Bree, your trial will be this weekend, and Lennox, yours will be the next. You will be required to sign a nondisclosure agreement promising not to share our secret trial process with anyone. We take that very seriously.”

  I suppressed the urge to laugh. Dad had taught me all about NDAs. What are they going to do if I tell anyone their
secrets? Sue me?

  Seiko looked at Bree. “Your trial process begins tomorrow night and ends on Sunday evening. Clear your schedule. Tell your parents whatever you have to tell them to get out of the house, because it’s going to be one wild weekend.”

  Bree paled. I knew she was thinking about how she only had a day to mentally prepare. I still had over a week, but even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t care. What are they going to make us do? Run around the neighborhood in our underwear? Steal something from a store? Walk up to a stranger and kiss them? It was child’s play.

  Kyla brushed her hair back from her face. “Now, Lennox, if you’ll excuse us, we need to talk to Bree about the specifics of this weekend.”

  Relieved to be free of them, I grabbed my tray and left the table. I still had fifteen minutes left of lunch. Since I couldn’t go sit with Maisie, who was shooting eye daggers at me, I plopped down at the end of a random table to eat the rest of my lunch.

  Every so often, I would sneak a peek at the PIP table. The more the girls talked, the paler Bree looked. She wasn’t cut out for it. As long as she was my only competition, I had the PIP thing in the bag.

  6

  All Pink Everything

  After school, Mom forgot to pick me up again. I would have to figure out the bus schedule since I couldn’t depend on her remembering that I existed.

  Thirty minutes after school ended, I was still sitting on the stone ledge at the top of the staircase that led to the school building. I’d texted Mom. She said she was finishing up a Neiman’s run but that she’d be by as soon as she could.

  I was just about to start reading a novel I’d been assigned in English class when Owen “Obeezy” Bynes and Angie Kaufman tumbled out of the building, laughing their asses off about something.

  Owen winked when he saw me. “Yo, Lennox. Everything good? You look lost.”

  Angie nudged him with her elbow. “You look like you need a ride.”

  “I do.”

  She grabbed my hand and pulled me up as she and Owen jogged down the stairs. “Come on. We’re going to the boardwalk on the shore. There’s a stand there that sells the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the universe.”

  Although I’d had my fill of grilled cheese sandwiches, I followed them down the stairs. I texted Mom, telling her to forget the ride. She responded that she would see me at home. Angie and a grilled cheese sandwich beat a long awkward ride home with Mom anyway.

  I followed Angie to her car—a black classic Thunderbird with the hood down. Interestingly enough, it was parked in a spot for disabled drivers. A permit hung from her rearview mirror. Owen hopped into the back seat without using the door, so I slipped into the front.

  Angie started the engine. “Now don’t get all judgy on me. I have a disability permit because one of my legs is slightly shorter than the other, and I walk with a bit of a limp.”

  I hadn’t noticed that, but okay.

  “Anyway, there are four more spots left for disabled people. If five people suddenly need the spot, I won’t use it.”

  Owen reached between us to switch on the radio. He put it on a station playing eighties music and settled down.

  I set my backpack on my lap. “It’s cool. What year is this car?”

  Angie patted the steering wheel proudly. “Angela is a 1955. I got her for my sixteenth birthday.”

  I admired the dials on the car’s old-fashioned radio. “You named your car Angela?”

  “Sure. It’s my favorite name. Anyway, every day after school, I have to wait for Obeezy here to finish his duties in the newsroom, but if you’re willing to wait a little while, you can always catch a ride home with us.”

  I settled into my seat and relaxed. “Thanks. That’s nice of you.”

  The shore was about a half-hour drive from Bainbridge. Racing down the highway with the wind whipping my hair made me feel like I was flying. We listened to songs that reminded me of my father because eighties music was his favorite.

  The boardwalk was filled with souvenir shops and small food stands. I’d been a couple times over the summer when Mom forced me to tag along with her and Gary. On a weekday afternoon, the place was virtually empty. A few elderly couples strolled up and down the walkway while mothers juggled ice cream cones and bouncy children. Nestled into a corner was a tiny place called Cheeze, Pleeze. I hadn’t noticed it the other times I’d come.

  To my relief, they were no ordinary grilled cheese sandwiches. They had every type you could think of. A sign that hung over the kitchen area listed the different meats, cheeses, and vegetables you could choose from. Angie ordered one made with spinach-artichoke dip, while Owen had the sloppy joe. I kept it simple with American cheese and bacon.

  The three of us settled down at an umbrella-covered table to dig into our sandwiches. Angie was right—it was the best grilled cheese I had ever tasted. The bread was toasted just right—not too hard or too soft—the bacon was salty and crunchy, and the cheese was warm and gooey.

  “So, how’d you end up at Bainbridge?” Angie asked in between bites of her sandwich.

  I told them the sad story of my parents’ divorce, leaving out the reasons why they didn’t make it.

  Angie dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “Divorce sucks.”

  “How would you know?” Owen asked. “You’re on the winning side of the statistic.”

  She swallowed a bite of her sandwich. “Does one have to actually experience divorce to know that it sucks?”

  Owen frowned like he was thinking hard about an answer. “I guess not.” He focused his steely-eyed gaze on me. “Not to change the subject, but let’s change the subject. You and Vanderpool are officially in the running to become Piranhas, I hear.”

  “Yeah. I was surprised, but I’m down for it.”

  Angie watched me with one raised eyebrow. “Poor kid. She doesn’t know any better. OB, tell her the deal.”

  He sighed. “I tried to tell her this morning, but she insists they’re harmless.” He turned to me. “Let me give you a quick rundown of the Bainbridge Social Hierarchy. At the bottom of the chain are the crayfish—the losers or the bottom feeders. Next are the goldfish. They’re cute, and people like them enough. They kind of blend in. After the goldfish come the salmon. They’re almost at the top of the food chain. The smaller fish admire them from a distance. Last but not least are the piranha, the fish that eat every damn thing. They’re not just a group of hot, popular girls. They’re a coven, and once you become a part of them, they’ll want to rule every aspect of your life.”

  I thought back to the PIP Commandments and figured Owen was probably right, but it was something I had to do.

  Angie frowned. “I don’t get it. I mean, I understand Bree. She’s a try-hard who’s been drooling over them since the beginning of freshman year, but you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders and can think for yourself. Why the hell would you want to join that clique with its fifty million rules? Shit like that’s for lemmings.”

  Though I agreed one hundred percent, it was hard to explain. I wanted to spill my heart out to someone and tell them the real reasons I had to join the PIPs, but they would never understand.

  I shrugged. “I honestly don’t see what’s so bad about them.”

  Owen balled up his sandwich wrapper and pulled out his phone. “For one, you need to figure out what they want from you. They only let people into the group if you have something that benefits them. Take Kyla, for example—social justice warrior who wants to save the planet from everything, except for when the PIPs are terrorizing people. Do you know who her father is?”

  I shook my head.

  Angie took a sip of her bottled water and almost choked. “Pastor Don Scott. He runs one of the biggest megachurches in the country, the Everson Faith Center.”

  His name sounded familiar. “Yeah, I remember seeing his church off the interstate. That big golden dome.”

  Angie took her hair out of its ponytail and ran her fingers through it. “Yeah
. That gold-plated monstrosity is so ridiculous. You know how many starving people they could have fed with the money it took to build that damn dome? Anyway, her family is filthy rich. That’s why Kyla’s a Piranha. That’s also why there’s so many news reports about Pastor Scott and what he’s doing with the church’s money.”

  Owen typed something into his phone. “It’s unbelievable. The guy has not one jet, but a fleet of jets. Rolls Royces and Lamborghinis. Even with everything he has already, every time he has a birthday, the congregation buys him another car he doesn’t need. You should see their house.”

  “Do they live in Roosevelt Park?”

  Owen and Angie burst out laughing.

  “No way,” Angie said. “They had a house custom made. It’s the only house on their block. Anyway, that family lives better than celebrities on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. He could feed entire countries, but he’d rather live like some Arabian prince. Anyway, anything the Piranhas need, Kyla can get it. The others have money, too, but the Scotts’ money is much more.”

  Interesting. If they all have money, was Eden telling the truth when she said they weren’t materialistic? Money seemed like a requirement to be one of them.

  Owen put his phone down. “It’s not all about money, though. Power can get you in, too, like Daniella Torres. You’d think a genius like that would have been smart enough to steer clear. Her dad’s the superintendent of schools, so any favors or extras Bainbridge needs, Daniella can get them. Extra money for an amazing school dance, new football equipment, an extravagant drama production—whatever people want, if they have something to trade, Dani can get it.”

  All that information made me wonder what the girls thought I could offer them. “What about Seiko?”

  Angie looked out at the crashing waves. “You mean Psycho? That girl’s the craziest of them all. You would never think somebody that dumb would be the product of two doctors. Her dad’s a pediatrician in the children’s wing of Everson General, and her mother’s a heart surgeon. I think their smart genes canceled each other out, and they got Seiko.” She nudged Owen. “Imagine having only one kid, and Seiko was it.”