‘Well, if you won’t stay for me stay for Cory at least,’ Bianca says, with a huff.
Alexandra nods. ‘Of course. Cory.’
The boy in question pushes his way through the crowd at that moment, two punch glasses held in his hands. ‘You came! I’m really glad!’ He pushes the glasses towards the two girls, then glances at Daisy. ‘Oh. Sorry. I didn’t bring you one.’
‘That’s okay,’ Daisy says.
He turns back to Alexandra. ‘Do you like it so far?’
‘I do not believe I do, Cory, I apologise,’ Alexandra says. ‘Too much noise and commotion for me. I prefer balls with elegant dresses and polite conversation.’ She shakes her head. ‘This is anything but polite.’
‘Well, maybe you’ll like it more once you get some punch into you and dance.’ Cory grins at her. ‘And if you don’t, you can always go home; I won’t be offended.’ He gestures through the crowd at a table. ‘We’re all sitting there. Go on.’
Cory wanders off again as Daisy, Alexandra and Bianca push through the crowd, two of the girls holding giant red punch glasses in their hands. They take a seat around the round table and nod to Lewis and Scotty.
‘Not a bad party, eh?’ Scotty says.
‘It’s all right.’ Bianca shrugs. ‘Had better ones at St Mary’s.’
‘Were there naked pillow fights?’ Lewis says. ‘Tell me there were!’
‘No.’ Bianca glares at him. ‘We just knew how to throw a really good party. ‘Til Miss came along, of course.’
‘Course.’
They look around at the people dancing under the flashing lights. ‘So, does Cory know all these people?’ Bianca enquires.
‘Nah.’ Scotty shakes his head. ‘Some of ‘em are regular club goers. He decided to let them in to liven things up a little.’ He glances across at Alexandra as she goes to take a sip of the punch. ‘Careful! There’s alcohol in that.’
She takes a sip. ‘It tastes strange... what is this peculiar concoction?’
‘Swear she talks like a freak,’ Lewis says, downing his glass. ‘I want more punch. Get you a drink, Dais?’
Daisy nods. ‘Please.’ She gives him a smile.
‘Question is,’ Bianca says, as Lewis leaves, ‘can you trust him not to spike your punch?’
Alexandra licks her lips, all the punch gone from her glass. ‘It is as though my vision blurs,’ she says, looking alarmed. ‘Is this poison?’
‘Nah,’ Daisy says. ‘Just alcohol. Don’t drink too much, though, or you’ll have an awful hangover in the morning.’
‘Hangover?’ Alexandra says.
‘Head pain,’ Bianca informs her.
‘Oh, I see.’ She peers down into the glass. ‘Should I not drink this?’
‘It’s up to you.’ Bianca shrugs and downs her own. ‘I’m going to go get more.’ She stands up from the table and approaches the punch bar. She waits in the queue for a moment before she finally gets her chance to fill the glass from the bright blue ladle.
‘Hey.’
She looks round as Cory approaches and smiles. ‘Hey,’ she says. ‘Good party.’
‘Yeah, it’s not bad.’ He gives her a grin. ‘Woulda been lame if you and Alexandra hadn’t made it.’
‘We’re happy to be here,’ Bianca says, raising her glass and taking a long drink.
‘You don’t seem happy.’ He gives her a puzzled look. ‘What’s up?’
‘Nothing.’ She shakes her head. ‘Just some... stuff. Scotty’s fault. All Scotty’s fault.’ She chuckles. ‘Ah well.’ She glances up, catching movement out of the corner of her eye, in time to see Alexandra coming across. ‘Oh, look. Here comes your fairytale princess.’
‘My fairytale princess?’ Cory enquires. ‘She’s your fairytale princess. Not mine.’
‘Hardly, I’ve seen you two with each other.’ Bianca sighs, drains her glass and goes back for another ladle as Alexandra approaches.
‘I have declared this drink to be interesting and worthy of further exploration,’ Alexandra announces, holding out her glass towards Bianca. ‘Would you mind?’
‘Sure.’ Bianca dips the ladle into the punch and pours a large amount into Alexandra’s glass.
*
Everyone is dancing. Everyone except Bianca, Alexandra and Cory. Daisy and Lewis are dancing in the middle of the club, but every time Daisy turns around she casts the two girls at the table a look of utter distaste. Bianca is honestly considering going over there and cutting in and dancing with Daisy to save her from the slimy boy, but the looks Daisy is sending their way are almost too amusing.
Cory, meanwhile, is circulating, asking anyone who pauses for breath if they’re enjoying the party and if he can get them anything. So far, the answer seems to be a resounding yes to enjoyment and no to refreshments, so the circulating is going quickly enough.
‘I much prefer the music contained within your ‘iPod’,’ Alexandra announces, after a moment.
‘Oh?’ Bianca turns away from her observation of the dance floor and looks at her blonde companion. ‘Why’s that?’
Alexandra shrugs. ‘Your taste seems to be more... expansive. Whereas Cory appears to like only one...’
‘Genre?’
‘Yes. Genre.’ Alexandra looks back over the dance floor as the boy in question approaches.
‘I’m so done circulating,’ he announces, dropping down into his seat with a yawn. ‘Next time, someone else is hosting the party. Then I get to dance and make out too.’ He downs the rest of his punch and throws the empty glass at the nearest necking couple. ‘Get a room!’ he shouts. He peers down at Alexandra’s glass. ‘You’re out of drink. Want me to get you more?’
‘Are you trying to get her drunk, Cor?’ Bianca says.
‘I’m horrified you’d even suggest such a thing.’ Cory yawns and checks his watch. ‘When’s a good time to kick everyone out and announce you’re an old codger at the young age of sixteen? You know, with the whole ‘get off my lawn’ thing and everything?’
‘Anything before eleven and you’re in the ‘over-protective mum’ stage. Before two and you’re ‘daddy protecting his little girl’ and anything before four is just lame.’ Bianca shrugs. ‘So, I suggest doing the kicking around three. Or put sleeping bags down and invite everyone to sleep here overnight.’
‘No way.’ Cory shudders. ‘I’m bored of this party even now and it’s only...’ He checks his watch. ‘Midnight.’ He pauses, checks again. ‘Seriously? Midnight? I thought it’d be at least one.’ He groans and drops his forehead onto the table.
‘At least you’re not a mum anymore.’ Bianca tilts her glass towards him. ‘Kudos for that.’
Cory looks up at her, rolls his eyes and stands up, turning to Alexandra. ‘Care to make this evening so much less boring for me?’ he asks, extending a hand towards her.
She gives him a wide-eyed, confused stare. ‘I do not understand.’
‘Wanna dance?’ He gives her a big grin and she smiles shyly at him, getting to her feet. She wobbles for a moment, adjusting to standing while slightly inebriated, and accepts his hand.
‘I’d love to,’ she says, with a smile, letting him lead her out into the crowd.
*
‘Wanna dance?’ Bianca mocks, nose buried deep in yet another glass of punch. ‘Wanna hump on the dance floor? Wanna let me be your Prince Charming because at least I have the parts that make up a prince or at least I say I do?’
‘Someone’s bitter,’ Daisy mutters, from the chair opposite. ‘And I can tell you categorically that Cory definitely has prince-parts. I’ll just never get to see them.’
‘What? No. I’m not bitter. I’m annoyed. Slightly annoyed. A tiny bit annoyed. But not bitter. Are they kissing?’ She leans forward, staring out onto the dance floor at Cory and Alexandra, the two of them too close for Bianca’s comfort.
‘They’re not kissing, Bianca,’ Daisy says. ‘If they were, I would have left already.’
Bianca pauses, realisation dawning. ‘You
like Cory.’
Daisy gives her a wide-eyed look, mouthing like a goldfish for a moment before exclaiming, ‘I do not!’
‘You do so! It’s written all over your face!’
‘Oh yeah?’ Daisy slams her glass down. ‘Well the writing’s on your face too. You have a big crush on Miss Princess over there.’ She gestures across at Alexandra, who trips and giggles when Cory catches her.
‘Yeah, well, at least I’ll admit it.’ Bianca slumps backwards in her seat and glares daggers at Daisy. ‘What do you two see in him anyway? He’s a chauvinistic ass.’
‘No. No, he isn’t.’ Daisy shakes her head. ‘Lewis is a chauvinistic ass. Cory’s a wonderful, handsome gentleman who occasionally makes rubbishy jokes. He’s the type who would never hurt you and would be kind and...’ She breaks off, groans and leans forward, letting her head hit the table. ‘Oh, god, I’ve got it bad.’
‘Yeah, you do.’ Bianca sighs and stands up. ‘Screw it,’ she says. ‘Once I do this, go ask Cory to dance. Okay?’
‘Do what?’ Daisy asks, looking up, but Bianca’s already surging off across the dance floor, brushing people aside as she walks until she’s standing next to Cory and Alexandra.
‘Mind if I cut in?’ she says, venom obvious in her tone.
‘Erm... I was kinda just telling Alexandra a story,’ Cory says. ‘Can’t you wait until the end of the song? Or, until you’re back home?’
‘No, no I can’t. She’s my fairytale princess, remember?’ She grabs Alexandra’s hand. ‘Come on, Alexandra.’
‘Bianca! If Alex wants to stay it’s her choice...’ Cory grabs Alexandra’s other hand as Bianca attempts to pull her away.
‘Look, she’s an innocent girl from another land. I’m not going to let you corrupt her!’ Bianca tugs on her arm. ‘And we really should get home.’
‘Bianca, you’re hurting me!’ Alexandra squeaks.
‘Sorry.’ Bianca lets go of her and the blonde takes a stumbling step backwards towards Cory. ‘You know what... just do what you want. But if you’d rather be dancing with Cory then maybe you should be living in his bedroom instead of mine.’ She turns away, stalking off across the dance floor, towards the nearest fire exit.
‘Bianca!’ Alexandra exclaims. She looks at Cory. ‘I’m sorry. I should...’ She gestures towards Bianca.
‘Of course.’ He smiles at her and lets go of her hand. ‘Go on.’
She runs off towards the fire exit too and Cory sighs, turning around. He catches sight of Daisy at that moment, the redheaded girl walking towards him from their table.
‘Wanna dance?’ she says, with a smile, once she gets up to him.
‘Nah.’ Cory shakes his head. ‘Done dancing for now.’ He drapes his arm around her shoulders. ‘Let’s just go drink until we’re comatose.’
*
‘Bianca!’
‘What?’ Bianca stops walking and turns around to face Alexandra. ‘What do you want from me?’
‘I left Cory to come to you. Is that not what you desired?’ Alexandra says.
‘No! I mean yes, but no... I just...’ She fists a hand in her dark hair and shakes her head. ‘What is it that you want from me, Alexandra? You and he... You’re so close. You like him more than me and that’s fine but don’t expect me to like it.’
‘He is, perhaps, my Prince Charming. Since you are not.’ Alexandra glances down at her feet. ‘I am meant to meet my Prince Charming in this world, after all, am I not?’
‘Says who?’ Bianca snaps. ‘Why does it have to be in this world? Hell, you’re, what, seventeen? Why do you need to meet your Prince Charming now anyway? Why can’t you just live your life? Party? Enjoy yourself?!’
‘Because I am Princess Alexandra. It has been foretold since before I was born that my Prince Charming would rescue me and take me back to the kingdom where we are to be wed.’
‘Great.’ Bianca turns around, walking down the pavement under the dull orange street lights ahead. ‘So go marry Cory then if that’s what you want. I’m sure he’ll make a great husband and give you lots of perky little princes and princesses.’
‘I do not understand your issue with Cory and I,’ Alexandra calls after her. ‘You say you are not my Prince Charming, why can no one else be either?’
‘I don’t know,’ Bianca mutters. She turns around and looks back at the blonde, who looks completely out of place, standing in a darkened alley in her pretty pink dress. ‘Look,’ she says. ‘Go back in. You know where I live... Come back when you’re ready.’ She tosses her key at the princess in front of her. ‘Just... try not to get caught.’
‘Okay...’ Alexandra looks down at the shiny silver key in her palm.
‘Okay then.’ Bianca walks away, ignoring the sound of the fire exit opening in the building behind her and Alexandra walking back inside.
Eleven
When Bianca opens her eyes the next morning, she doesn’t think she’s going to find Alexandra, asleep beside her, sharing her bed as always. She expects to begin to panic, to call Cory and to find out it’s all okay... that Alexandra is living with him now, her Prince Charming. Bianca inhales slowly, the breath calming her raw nerves, removes her face from her pillow and turns around.
‘Good morning,’ Alexandra says, cheerily, from beside her. Her shiny, wavy blonde hair is splayed out over the pillow around her head and she looks tired from the night before, but none the worse for wear.
‘Hey.’ Bianca cringes in the sunlight coming from her window, glad the pain from her headache hides her relief. ‘What time is it?’
‘Five forty-six,’ Alexandra says, smiling. ‘We shall have to rouse soon for school.’
Bianca shakes her head. ‘Inset day,’ she says. ‘No school. We get the day off.’
‘No school today? Much like a weekend, yes?’ Alexandra says.
‘Yeah.’ Bianca yawns. ‘We just spend today doing our extra homework and try not to take too much advantage of a week day in which we don’t have to go to school.’
‘So... instead of rousing and proceeding to school, what shall we do?’ Alexandra enquires.
‘Well,’ Bianca says. ‘Those of us with hangovers are going back to sleep. It’s up to you what you do. Go see Cory if you want.’
It wasn’t meant to come out dripping with so much poison, but the words hurt her throat as she says them.
‘Sorry,’ Bianca mutters. ‘I didn’t mean it like that. Last night... I was drunk. I didn’t mean to be so mean.’
‘It is understandable,’ Alexandra says. ‘You have been my Prince Charming since you rescued me and now I am attempting to find my real prince. It is completely understandable that you would not appreciate this and find it... offensive.’
‘Eh.’ Bianca groans and rolls onto her back, pulling her arms out from under the duvet. ‘It doesn’t feel understandable,’ she says, fiddling with her nail polish. ‘It feels dumb. I feel dumb. I feel very, very dumb.’
Alexandra smiles softly at her, reaches across the duvet and places her dainty hand on top of Bianca’s. ‘If there is one thing you are not, Bianca Western, it would be lacking in intelligence.’
Bianca looks across at her. ‘You sure about that? ‘Cause I got a really low IQ score way back when. I couldn’t be arsed to actually do the silly test right.’
Alexandra keeps on smiling and Bianca sighs. ‘So, do we go back to sleep?’ she says, stifling a yawn.
‘Yes,’ Alexandra says, rolling over. She scoots closer to Bianca, pressing her front against the dark-haired girl’s side, head resting on her shoulder. ‘Let us sleep.’
*
The second time Bianca wakes up, she’s chest-to-chest with Alexandra, the two girls entwined in one another, curled up in bed.
She thinks she should probably be disturbed by this. Worried that she’s woken up wrapped around the girl she can’t be with but loves so damn much.
‘Oh, Bianca,’ she mutters to herself, ‘you really are stupid.’
‘Not stupid,’ Alexand
ra mumbles from where her mouth is pressed into Bianca’s shoulder, still very much asleep. ‘Very intelligent. Practically a genius.’
Bianca smiles and goes back to sleep.
*
‘Bianca, are you awake yet?’
Bianca shoots up in bed, ignoring the muffled squeal of Alexandra rolling off the bed next to her and hitting the floor with a thump. It only takes her a second to scramble back to her feet and then the blonde is running for the wardrobe and diving inside, pulling the door closed behind her.
‘Yeah, Mum.’ Bianca swings her legs off the bed. ‘I guess I am now.’
‘Oh, sorry.’ Julia pushes open the door and walks in, holding a laundry basket. She smiles at her daughter as she approaches the bed and places the basket down on the end of the mattress. ‘Party good?’
‘Eventful.’ Bianca sighs, rubbing her eyes. ‘But yeah, good. I don’t think I lost any friends. Although Scotty might be annoyed I didn’t say goodbye before I left.’
‘Why didn’t you say goodbye?’ Julia asks, pulling the clothes out one at a time and folding them into a pile.
‘I left in a rush...’ Bianca shrugs. ‘It’s nothing, Mum. Just some boy trouble.’
Julia raises an eyebrow at her teenage daughter. ‘You’re only fifteen,’ she snaps, ‘you’re too young to be worrying about boys!’
‘Sorry,’ Bianca mutters. Her eyes widen as she sees her mother turn towards the wardrobe to put the clothes away. ‘Mum! Don’t!’
Julia pauses. ‘Why not?’
‘Bomb zone. I wasn’t very delicate when I went through everything last night...’ She shakes her head. ‘I don’t want you to see it like that.’
‘Fine.’ Julia sighs as she moves to leave the room. ‘Just make sure you put your clothes away properly, okay? Don’t just throw them in there and say it’s done.’
Julia closes the door behind her and Bianca sighs, relieved. ‘You can come out now.’
Alexandra all but falls out of the wardrobe. ‘I believe the inside grows smaller each time I have the need to hide.’
‘Probably.’ Bianca shrugs and sighs, reaching for clothes. ‘Wanna go out? Or should I do homework?’
A Hole in the World Page 9