by Isabelle Rae
Because no one knew the truth about her suspension, the guesses were getting pretty wild. Some of them were actually outrageous. I heard one girl spreading that Erika had a nervous breakdown, that she’d ate a whole jar of mayonnaise and then stripped naked and done a dance on the Principal’s desk. Another one was that she’d had a bad nose job and this was all just a conspiracy, that she hadn’t really been suspended at all, she was just waiting for the swelling to go down.
The other gossip that was going around the school hallways: My hottie boyfriend. The same one that had picked me up from school with a bunch of tulips. Everyone wanted to know every single detail about Sam. When word got out that he was a teacher’s brother – and not just any teacher, but the hottest one the school had ever had – people literally went crazy.
I was being hounded for information on Will; they wanted to know everything about him. Had I met his girlfriend, was he seeing Miss Teller, was he gay, has he come out to his parents yet, where did he live. The questions were endless and actually a little stalkerish. Will definitely had a lot of fan girls at school.
I had a great week, but it was only a matter of time before ‘she’ came back. I was dreading it. I had no idea what she would do or say. She was going to hate me even more now; I would definitely be back on her radar. I sensed a lot of things going wrong in my life again, just like it used to. Notes stuck on my back, my locker filled with mud, my books going missing. I had dealt with all of that from her before; I guessed I would have to deal with it again.
When that dreaded Monday morning came around, I stepped hesitantly into the school. Nick’s arm was firmly around my shoulder for support. He’d picked me up this morning instead of Will because he didn’t want me to walk into the school on my own on Erika’s first day back. I chewed on my lip as I scanned the immediate area, but I couldn’t see any commotion or anything. If she was here already then wouldn’t people be surrounding her, asking for details and explanations?
I looked at Nick. “Think maybe her rich parents were so embarrassed by her behaviour, that they sent her to a private boarding school somewhere really far away, to finish her senior year?” I asked, smiling at him hopefully.
He laughed and shook his head. “Since when have you been that lucky?”
I sighed and closed my eyes, letting him lead me along towards my locker. I put in my combination and opened it hesitantly, stepping back, expecting piles of manure to fall on my shoes. But there was nothing in there, nothing unusual in the slightest. Is she not coming in today? Maybe I’ve got the days mixed up, and she’s due back tomorrow instead? Maybe she’s sick?
I breathed a sigh of relief, but obviously I did it too soon.
Whispers erupted from all around me, people stopped what they were doing and looked up the hallway as about ten people were all walking down the hallway, firing questions one after the other to the girl in the centre of the group. I gulped as her eyes met mine. There was a hard, icy edge to her look that sent shivers down my spine. Wow, and she calls me the Ice Princess!
Her jaw tightened, and my heart dropped into my stomach. Her long legs made her almost glide down the hallway towards me. It was like a scene from a movie where the bad guy makes their entrance and everyone parts for them as they keep their eyes locked on their poor victim. Yep, that poor victim was me, and I was more than slightly intimidated by her entrance - maybe that was her intention, I wasn’t sure.
Oh God, please don’t let her accuse me of it in the middle of the hallway and start this all off again. Please don’t let there be any more trouble for Will. I can cope with anything that she can throw at me, as long as she doesn’t get him involved anymore.
She was ignoring everyone around her as they asked her where she’d been and if any of the rumours were true. I noticed with some satisfaction that her hair had definitely lost that beautiful shine that it used to have; it was now a dull blonde. I bit back a smile and wondered how much of the hair dye shampoo she had left before she would run out and her hair would return to its normal brilliance.
Nick stepped to my side and bent to whisper in my ear, I felt his breath tickle my cheek, but I didn’t hear what he said. It was like everything else faded into the background except for me and her. I couldn’t hear the commotion that was sure to be going on around me. All I could focus on was her evil face as she stared at me intently.
She stopped in front of me and I took the opportunity to speak before she did. “Hi there, Erika, where have you been? People were saying that you went on vacation,” I chirped, faking confidence. I looked her up and down obviously. “You don’t look very tanned; did it rain the whole time?”
She sneered at me and didn’t bother answering my comment; she just flicked her hand in a dismissive gesture to the gaggle of girls hanging around begging for her attention. My mind dimly registered that they all left straight away. I knew they wouldn’t go far though; they’d be waiting to speak to her as soon as she’d finished wiping the floor with my face. She turned her head and looked to my left, her jaw tightening, her eye making the smallest little twitch and started to soften slightly, before I felt an arm slip around my shoulder and Erika’s eyes immediately blazed again.
“Just leave, Nick. I want to talk to her in private, we have unfinished business,” Erika ordered, looking at Nick who was standing next to me protectively.
He laughed. “You think I’m gonna walk away because you do that nasty little hand flick thing? Yeah okay, whatever you say, sweetheart,” he mocked, rolling his eyes. He turned to me. “Want to get out of here? There’s a bad smell lingering in this area.”
She made what sounded like a growl of frustration and gripped my arm. “I want to talk to you, now!” she hissed, her voice menacing and harsh.
I shook off her hold. My hand clenched into a fist as I desperately wanted to carry out that fantasy I’d once had where I smashed her face first into the lockers. I raised myself to my full height and pulled my shoulders back as I spoke, “You and I have nothing to say to each other.”
She snorted and looked at me with disbelief clear across her face. Judging by the shock that was clear on her features, she was obviously expecting me to apologise or beg and grovel for her forgiveness for getting her in trouble. She would be waiting a long time if that was what she was expecting from me.
She leant in closer to me; her lips pulling back in a menacing way, showing off her perfectly straight, pearly white teeth that I bet had cost her daddy a fortune. “Oh I think we have a lot to talk about. Now, shall we do this in private, or in the middle of the hallway?” she spat.
I gulped. The venom in her voice was truly scary, but if she laid one finger on me then I was giving as good as I got. I wracked my brain, trying to remember the lessons Nick had given me a couple of years ago, self-defence lessons and how to throw a decent punch. I didn’t want to do a Bella Swan and break a bone while I broke Erika’s face. Maybe I should have gotten Nick to give me a refresher course, ready for this moment.
I nodded back towards the bathrooms. If she was going to do this either way then I would rather it done in private. Maybe she didn’t care if she got into more trouble, maybe she just wanted to get the truth out there. Even just a rumour could ruin Will’s career, an accusation like that wouldn’t be easily forgotten.
“Bathrooms?” I suggested.
She nodded and turned on her four inch heel, strutting in there, tossing her hair over her shoulder with a flick of her head. I winced and looked at Nick for support. I was probably lucky that Amy wasn’t here because she would have probably thrown the first punch for sure; she had more of a fiery temper than mine.
Nick smiled reassuringly. “Want me to come?” he offered, looking like he actually wanted to.
I laughed. “You always did have a thing for the girls’ bathrooms,” I joked.
He laughed and nodded. “It’s a magical place.” He bent down and kissed my cheek, leaning in close to my ear. “Just tell her to go play with traffic and then as
k her how much trouble she got in for lying,” he whispered.
I smiled and pulled out of his arms. I couldn’t help but wish Will was here with me. I needed a hug from him, a smile, a touch of his hand, anything. He always had a calming presence around him that I could really use right about now. I took a deep breath and followed Erika into the girls’ bathroom.
When I got in there she immediately flicked the lock on the door so no one else could get in with us. I watched as she put her Gucci purse on the counter, moving it slightly until she was happy with it. She was probably worried about it getting damaged; it probably cost enough to refit the tired looking school restrooms.
“Well, have you got something to say to me?” she snapped, her eyes hard and accusing.
I raised one eyebrow. “Sure I have, but none of it is very tasteful,” I offered, shrugging, smiling at her sweetly. There was no way I was causing trouble. She’s goading me, trying to get me to hit her or something so she can go and report me. Stupid witch!
She frowned. “I can’t believe that you’ve gotten away with this! You’re the one doing something illegal, and I’m the one that gets suspended,” she ranted, throwing her hands up in exasperation. I briefly felt sorry for her, she was right, all she was doing was telling the truth, yet she got into trouble for it. But the guilt faded as she sneered at me and carried on talking. “What does a guy like that see in a girl like you anyway? I mean, look at you,” she hissed, raking her eyes down my body slowly, a distasteful scowl on her face. “You’re nothing special, but yet he still kissed you.”
I flinched under her scrutiny. Do I really look that bad that she has to look at me with that much hatred and disgust? I know I’m not the prettiest girl around, but I’m not that bad, surely. I was always happy with just being me, shouldn’t that be good enough? Will certainly seemed to think so.
“Why do you hate me so much?” I asked her, shaking my head in confusion. I had no idea what I’d ever done to make her dislike me like she did; she always just had a problem with me and Amy.
“Because you have everything!” she shouted, glowering at me.
I took a step back from the venom in her voice, she actually sounded scary when she shouted like that. I looked at her curiously, trying to work out her comment. I have everything? She’s the one with the rich daddy that gives her everything she asks for, designer clothes, the latest technology, horses, shiny cars – even though that must now smell like rancid meat. What could I possibly have, that she doesn’t have? She’s Erika Freaking Dennison. She lives like a princess.
“I… what?” I frowned; she must have lost the plot somehow.
She turned away from me, her shoulders slumping as she walked over to the sink and gripped the edge tightly. “You have everything, and you don’t even see it. I’ve always been jealous of you, you and stupid Amy Clarke! Ugh, you were always together all through school, every year you just got closer and closer, and all I got were fake friends that want to use me for a bit of popularity and my parents status. Your parents come to the school plays, they take an interest in you, they care about you, yet my family would rather throw money at me than spend one minute in my presence,” she muttered, so quietly that I had to strain to hear her.
Wait, she’s jealous of me? Me and Amy?
She laughed, but it held no humour. She grabbed a paper towel from the side and ran it under the faucet, wetting it before dabbing it under her eyes, checking her make-up. She fiddled with her purse, moving it again, closer to me for some reason, probably scared to get water on the expensive little thing.
She turned back to me and shook her head. Her smile looked a little… sad? “You two found each other on the first day of school. I remember sitting there in fifth grade just watching you two laughing at some private joke, while I always struggled to make good friends that didn’t stab me in the back or drop me at the sight of a cute boy.” She sniffed loudly and I just stood there like an idiot, not knowing what on earth to say. “The boys all flocked to you two, because of your ability to laugh and joke around. Then as they got older, they liked your stupid honey coloured hair and brown eyes. I hated that I never had anything like what you have. Then along came… Nick,” she said, her chin trembled when she said his name. I knew right then and there that I was right; she had a thing for him.
“You like Nick?” I asked weakly.
She snorted and shook her head a little too forcefully. “No way! As if! He’s just, ugh, he’s so frustrating and… no!” she stated, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.
I bit back a smile. To quote Queen Gertrude and Shakespeare: ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks’.
I nodded. “Just checking, I thought that was a little too out there. I mean, Nick’s not good enough to be with you, right? He’s just plain old Nick Golding, nothing special,” I lied, watching her reaction to me putting him down.
Her face scrunched up and she looked a little angry for a second at what I’d said. I had the strong feeling that she was going to disagree with me, but then the look was gone to be replaced by the famous Erika scowl. Her eyes flicked to her purse again as she spoke. “Whatever, I’m not here to talk about him,” she stated, waving her hand dismissively before tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I wanted to talk to you about how much freaking trouble I got in for telling the truth about your sordid little affair with Mr Hottie Teacher.”
A sudden thought hit me. Was she trying to trick me into admitting it or something? It wouldn’t surprise me if it turned out that the expensive purse that she keeps shifting around on the side, has a tape recorder in there or something.
The sneaky little…
I cocked my head to the side and smiled. Okay, two can play at that game! “Seriously? Why are you trying to get me and him in trouble? I don’t get what I’ve ever done to you to make you want to lie to the Principal and get Will in trouble too,” I replied, raising one eyebrow at her.
She frowned. “I wasn’t lying and we both know it!”
I shook my head and sighed. “Look, I’d love nothing more than to break that expensive looking nose job for you for making up these ridiculous lies about me and a teacher. Erika, this is sick,” I said, playing along.
I hope she does have a damn tape recorder in there to catch all of this stuff, if she’s thinking I’m going to slip up then she has another thing coming. There was no way I was letting the love of my life get into trouble because some snooty little rich girl was jealous that I had great friends while she just had minions. If she weren’t such a bitch in the first place then she would have normal friends. Heck, if she had wanted to sit with us in fifth grade, then Amy and I would have let her, all she had to do was show a little interest. I think we’d once asked her to come to lunch with us, and she told us that she’d rather pick fleas off of the class rabbit than be seen dead with two losers like us.
“Sick? SICK? You’re freaking sick for dating a teacher!” she shouted.
I laughed at her. She was getting frustrated that this little plan wasn’t working I could see it in her eyes. “I’m not dating a freaking teacher. I’m dating his little brother! Haven’t you heard that this week? Oh wait, of course you wouldn’t have heard that, you were suspended for making up vicious lies!” I countered, smirking at her.
She stepped towards me, her face like thunder. “Bitch,” she spat. Her eyes were wild, like a crazed animal or something and actually a little scary.
I stood my ground though, there was no way I was letting her intimidate me, if she wanted to hit me then I was giving back as good as I got, that was for sure. “If you touch me then I’m ripping out that dull blonde hair of yours,” I stated. Her eyes flashed as a hand instantly flew to her hair, smoothing it down. “By the way, did you dye it while you were away? If so, then I’m not too sure the colour works for you,” I teased, trying not to laugh.
She stepped closer to me, her face inches from mine. “You’ll get yours, Ice Princess. You’d better watch your back because I�
�ll get even with you for getting me suspended, I swear,” she growled.
She turned and stalked back to her purse that she’d left on the side. I pulled out my cell phone from my pocket, praying that my bluff would work. “Erika, I hope you know that I just recoded that whole conversation. If one thing happens to me, my friends, or even my boyfriend’s brother, then I’m taking that threat that you just made, to the Principal. I don’t think he’d be too happy to hear that you’re continuing your malicious campaign against me,” I lied. “He’s already told me that if you give me any problems when you come back then I was to go to him straight away.”
Oh crud, please don’t ask me to play the recording, please don’t ask me to play the recording! Poker face, Chloe. You can do it, don’t back down!
Her mouth dropped open in shock as she looked at the phone in my hand. I gulped, praying that she would believe me. She looked to be weighing her options, thinking it though, I could see frustration and anger clear across her face, she looked like she wanted to rip my head off and flush it down the toilet or something.
“You little-” she started, but I cut her off with a wave of my hand.
“Now, now, watch your language. Don’t want to get you cussing on tape too, do we?” I teased as I pushed the phone back into my pocket. I smiled at her smugly. This is awesome; she’s totally fallen for it. I stepped closer to her. “I’m serious. If you start trying to get me in trouble again, start picking on me like you used to, or even start hounding Will or my friends, then I’m taking that threat to the Principal. Then you can say bye-bye to your education at this school,” I stated, using her words that she’d once said to me.
Her mouth snapped shut, her shoulders stiffened as she glowered at me. “I hate you,” she growled.
I nodded. “I know, but you should try not to play the victim all the time, Erika, it’s not good for you. You know, if you tried a little harder to be nice to people, your life would change. If you go through life hating people, then they’re going to hate you back. Try sharing a little compassion once in a while, you’d be surprised how far it gets you.” I meant it; I wasn’t teasing her or anything. She made her life into what it was; she was the one that forced all of the nice people out of her life by picking on them and being a spiteful jealous bitch. If she was nicer to people then she could have nice friends, instead of the users that followed her around at the moment.