The Beehive Book One

by Milena Clarke

  Evan unwraps the tin foil only to discover a small block of butter lying inside. Could Lara be for real? This surely had to be some sort of twisted joke.

  Evan continues to look at the butter with disgust a minute straight.

  “Do I have to?” She asks with a crushing honesty. Lara surely couldn’t be this demented.

  “Mmmhm.” Lara says rather unforgivably. “It’s either that, or…” She purses up her lips and squints her eyes ahead of Evan’s reaction.

  “OK! OK! Fine.” She says looking rather defeated.

  Evan slowly lifts up the piece of butter to her mouth and swallows it in one mouthful. She’d learned since she was a child that difficult things caused the most suffering when they were prolonged. A tear falls down her face causing Lara to spring into action.

  “Here.” Lara says as she pulls out a can of Diet Coke from her bag. “This will help it go down.”

  “Thanks…I guess.” Evan grabs the can of soda and starts drinking it with desperation.

  “Of course.” Lara replies. “It’s not like I wanted you to get sick. What kind of friend do you think I am?”

  Evan is dying to say what she secretly thinks of Lara but knows that she will have to keep it to herself for now.

  “You’re a real trooper, Evan.” Elena interjects the conversation by giving Evan a backhanded compliment. Evan, however, is too preoccupied trying to hide the sound of her burps to put Elena in her place.

  All of the sudden, a string of bright red hairs temporarily block the sun’s rays from reaching the girl’s blanket. It’s Aya Yuki. Lara puts her phone down and immediately looks up to see who’s disturbing her precious tan time.

  “Well, hello there.” Lara says with a contagious smile. “Come take a seat, right over there.” She points to a tiny spot by the blanket’s most crumpled corner that’s close to where Evan is sitting.

  Aya follows the instruction and places her bag pack down by her knees.

  “She’s about to barf.” Elena says while pointing at Evan. “If I were you, I’d get the hell away from her.”

  Aya looks at Evan and notices her pale complexion. She had been full of life in the restroom before. A sudden urge to help emerges from within her but something holds her back from doing it. She grabs her things and takes a spot on the blanket that’s right by Elena.

  “Smart girl.” Elena confides in Aya. “You’ll enjoy the view much better from here.” She cracks a laugh and closes her eyes in order to absorb the sun’s warmth in its entirety.

  “So Aya…” Lara says. “Before you get a chance to tell us more about you and your dad, we’ll introduce ourselves first.”

  “Sure.” Aya replies. She flicks a few strings of hairs that had been misplaced by the powerful early afternoon winds.

  “Bzzzzzzzz!” A phone alarm goes off and then another one and another one. Aya can’t help but wonder what is going on.

  “Oh!” Lara exclaims. “Looks like you’re right on time!”

  The girls take their phones out and proceed to snap a selfie at the same time. Moments after, Elena and Evan gather by Lara’s side of the blanket to take a group photo. Lara makes a signal instructing Aya to join them. She hesitates for a second before settling right next to Elena.

  “Say karma!” Lara shouts from the top of her lungs while exuding the most cheerful of smiles.

  “Karma!” say the girls in unison. They all pout their lips except for Aya who seems grumpy and distant from the others.

  The girls sit around Lara in order to check the photos. A consensus needs to be reached in order to choose the best one to be shared on social media.

  “Ooh! How goth!” Evan says while looking at Aya’s serious expression in the pictures. “I like it!”

  “It’s not bad, actually.” Lara remarks in a rare moment of agreement. “You’ll get better at it in no time.”

  Evan is about to make another comment but a huge burp impedes her to do so.

  “It’s official.” Elena confesses. “You’re now part of the most popular social group in a 500 mile radius!”

  Aya is about to respond when Evan cuts her chance to do so. “This is exciting!” She says while applying some raspberry chapstick on her moist lips. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a new member. It’s gonna cause quite the stir, I’m sure.”

  Aya opens her mouth in order to speak but Lara interrupts her without even noticing.

  “Just remember…” She says calmly. “We’re bonded for life. There’s no such thing as turning back to wherever you came from. No. From now on, you’ll be looking out for me and I will do the same for you.” She pauses and takes a sip from an Evian water bottle buried inside her bag. “We all know how toxic high school can be. And no one should go through it alone.”

  “You’re so right, Lara.” Evan says without missing a beat. She always had impeccable timing when it came to backing her friends up.

  “So right.” Elena adds while looking down at the vivid grass emerging from the edge of the blanket. Even though she was physically present, Elena’s mind would often wander in search of other realities.

  “I’m…” Aya says but Lara ruthlessly cuts her off again. A warm bubble of air escapes her mouth as she struggles to keep it closed. She never had any girl friends before, let alone belong to a clique. Was it normal for everyone to speak over each other like this?

  “Where were we?” Lara asks driving the attention to herself again. She looks at Elena and notices that she’s texting. “Elena!”

  Elena immediately perks up as if she were awakened from a surreal dream. Her eyes, however, remain scarily vacant.

  “Introductions.” She whispers sounding like someone who’s about to pass out.

  “What? Speak up!” Lara demands with her usual pointed tone.

  “We were gonna introduce ourselves.” Elena replies back without a trace of emotion in her voice. She could be mistaken for a zombie in this instant.

  “So, what are you waiting for?!” Lara asks with a forceful expression that sends the curved arch of her eyebrows to a close collision with her forehead. She was rapidly running out of patience.

  For one fraction of a second Elena isn’t sure if she’s just seen a flame light up inside Lara’s icy blue eyes. However, when it came to her friend she knew it was far better to sweep things under the rug.

  “Ok. I guess I’ll go first.” Elena declares with confidence. She seems to have bounced back to life. “I’m Elena and even though nobody in this damn school believes it, my biological parents are Hispanic.”

  Lara and Evan break out in a riot of laughter. Aya, however, remains still and seems to be completely shocked by their insensitive reaction.

  “Will you guys just shut up?” Elena says with a tiredness in her voice. Nobody ever took her seriously and sometimes this created the emptiest of holes in her heart.

  “Ok, ok. We will.” Lara says while catching her breath in between giggles. “Go on, go on!” She makes a sweeping motion with her hand signaling her to continue with her introduction.

  “Anyways…” Elena says while recapitulating her thoughts. She was secretly hoping to gain Aya’s attention. There was something about her that she liked. She seemed fresh, she seemed different.

  “My parents are both from Peru and gave me away to a rich white couple who couldn't have kids of their own. They promised them I’d live a life of luxury and decadence in America hence why I’m here today!”

  “That’s…wild.” Aya says while struggling to find the right words to convey. She was surprised by Elena’s back story. She had seemed like your typical snooty white girl at first.

  “It’s all a fairytale. Don’t believe it.” Evan says while trying to sound like a confidant. “Get her to speak one word in Spanish, she won’t say zilch.”

  “That’s a mentira.” Elena says while tensing up her neck. They were being dismissive and she wanted to let her anger out on them.

  “Did you learn that while watching one of those
trashy soap opera shows?” Evan asks with the utmost disdain. She knew she had delivered a good punch line.

  Lara bursts out laughing says, “Who wants to learn Spanish anyways? It’s of no use unless you want to become a maid.” There’s no remorse in her voice, no signs of shame visible across her shiny face.

  Elena turns red. This was it. She’s about to storm off the field when a bunch of the senior jocks stop by the girls blanket. One of them, an excessively tall guy with blond hair and blue eyes, proceeds to check his phone.

  “It’s nice of you to adopt a minority.” He says while showing them the picture of their group photo taken moments ago. The rest of his teammates start cracking up. They seem rehearsed.

  “I’m Hispanic, asshole!” Elena retorts back. There was nothing holding her anger back now. She could let it out on these unsuspecting guys.

  “Oh yeah?” The jock says while trying to hold back his laughter. “Then why are your boobs so small, señorita?”

  “You’re such a moron!” Lara jumps in under the guise of defending her friend. However, a certain of look of contentment is clearly visible across her face. She had approved of the jock’s joke.

  The leader of the football players steps back and signals a motion for them to get going. Somehow, even the most popular guys in school didn’t want to get into Lara’s crosshairs.

  “Ugh.” Evan blurts out. “Those primates get on my last nerve.”

  “They are awful.” Aya says in convincing agreement. She turns around and looks at Elena with concern.

  Elena catches Aya’s tactful glimpse and says, “Hey, why don’t we go show the newbie around school?” She looks to Lara in hopes she will approve of her request.

  “Alright.” Lara says without much enthusiasm. “I’m actually kinda dying to see the new gym.”

  Lara gets up while Evan and Elena start folding the blanket. Meanwhile, Aya stares at them with a pitiful look on her face. They were enslaved and didn’t even realize it.

  Chapter 14

  Tourin’ Vista High

  Lara and the girls are making their way through the school’s main hallway. The hall is empty and the classroom doors are locked. The school would look like it’s closed for break to someone who doesn’t frequent its grounds.

  All of the sudden, a manly and tall figure emerges from one of the locked doors. He runs into the girls and flashes a genuine smile at them. He seems to have a happy-go-lucky attitude. This is Coach Harry.

  Coach Harry is one of Vista High’s most adored teachers. He’s a strong and hairy guy who wholeheartedly believes in the potential of his students. Especially of those who show the most signs of trouble.

  “Hey ladies, did you all have a good summer?” He greets them with a sweet smile plastered across his face. Even though Coach Harry was ripped, he was soft-spoken and carried himself with a candid humbleness.

  “One of the very best, Coach.” Lara says while taking personal responsibility for the question at hand. “I went to the Amalfi Coast, toured the Mediterranean Sea on a yacht, and partied with Tiffany Trump in Ibiza.”

  Coach Harry couldn’t help but think Lara’s answer was a tad too gratuitous. “That sounds awesome. Don’t think I could afford to go on such a cool trip myself.” He says without losing his calm composure. After all, he was used to his student’s extravagant lives. It was part of the job.

  “Of course not.” Lara retorts back. “You’re a high school teacher.”

  Coach Harry was stunned. His students could act entitled at times but Lara took it to a whole other level.

  “What about the rest of you girls?” He says while trying to shrug off Lara’s intolerable comment. “Do anything exciting?”

  “I visited the newest…” Elena replies before Lara cuts her off. She would never let the others speak when they were with someone outside of the clique.

  “I think you’ve heard enough from us.” Lara confirms without checking in with the rest. “We might show up to class when you finally decide to teach pilates.” She takes a step forward and pauses. “See you around!”

  Elena, Evan, and Aya follow behind Lara’s footsteps and swiftly leave Coach Harry behind. He looks like a deer caught in headlights.

  “The coach seems nice.” Aya says while she and the rest of the girls continue to head down the long hallway. She had been wanting to make her voice be heard, and Coach Harry seemed like a sure bet.

  “He’s a complete sweetheart.” Evan co-signs without giving it much thought. “He got married to this gorgeous Indian goddess, a dance instructor, who had a freak accident and is now bound to a wheelchair. Coach Harry has never left her side. Even when she begged him to. I mean, he’s gotta have a heart of gold.”

  Evan’s speech on Coach Harry had left Aya disconcerted. How could she acquire so much information on a teacher’s private life?

  “He might have the heart of a saint…” Lara adds. “But he’s got the mind of a chimp!”

  “Stop it!” Evan shouts while trying to hold back a river of tears. She had always been fond of Coach Harry. Some would say she even had a crush on him, but Evan would never cop to it.

  “I always see him snuggling with his girlfriend during varsity games.“ Elena says. She felt coming to Coach Harry’s defense was the right thing to do. “They’re quite cute together.”

  “How sweet.” Aya says without pretensions. Coach Harry had a certain irresistible allure and she was glad to see the other girls had picked up on it too. Or at least, Elena and Evan did.

  “The whole thing is totally sad though.” Lara says. “I can’t understand why he would still be with her. She’s like half a person!”

  A deafening silence swallows up the rest of the girls as they walk past a dark room. The room’s door is locked and smoke seems to emanate from beneath it. Aya looks at the smoke and wonders if the school is about to catch on fire.

  “Oh, don’t worry.” Lara says. Part of her success was due to her astute perceptiveness. She could read people’s emotions without them even needing to say a word. “That’s where all the veepers hang out.”

  Aya is baffled by Lara’s explanation. What was a “veeper”? She had never met one at her last school.

  “Obviously.” Evan says while turning around to look at her. She had been the new girl not too long ago and had dreamed for this day to come. The day where she could be the mentor to a clueless inductee.

  The girls turn around a corner and keep marching around the school’s grounds. A teacher with curly hair and reading glasses sees Lara from afar and decides to run in the opposite direction. A look of fright consumes her eyes and her rigid posture seems to deflate with every step she takes.

  They keep strolling along and ultimately reach the school’s cafeteria. This was the place where each group, each clique gathered at some point or another during the day. The cafeteria was the place to be see and be seen. And everyone knew it.

  A group of girls can be seen hanging out by a state-of-the-art vending machine. They’re spread out on the floor while recording themselves with their phones. There’s no talking between them which seems bizarre.

  “Those are the YouTube girls.” Elena says to Aya. She points at them and makes a gesture that denotes sadness.

  “I pity them the most.” Evan says in a firm attempt to rearrest her superiority over them. She had been so close to becoming a YouTube girl. “They’ll never get their 15 minutes of fame.”

  “They reek of desperation.” Lara remarks. “Stay away from them.”

  Aya takes one more look at the so-called YouTube girls. Even though they are together, they seem to be completely alone. Each one of them glued to their phone’s screens. The scene was offsetting and disturbing.

  One of the YouTubers looks up from her phone and spots Lara. Her eyes open widely and she immediately runs to her side.

  “Hi Lara!” She says with a bubbly smile. “Loving this new headband you’re wearing!”

  The YouTube girl tries to draw Lara close
r to her camera. It’s clear that she wants to be seen with her on social media.

  “I’m not going to do any “collabs” with you.” Lara says while pushing her arms forward. “Understood?”

  The YouTube girl seems unfazed. “What’s that?” She asks pretending to not have heard her. “I never said anything about a collab!”

  Lara and the rest of the girls start to walk away rather hurriedly. They seem eager to leave the YouTubers behind.

  A scream can be heard in the background. “I’ll give you 20 bucks!” It’s the same girl. She seems to be shouting random numbers into the air. “50? Not even for 100?”

  Aya looks back at her with pity. She couldn’t understand why anybody would be so obsessed with Lara. She was mean and stand offish to everyone she met.