HBIC: Head Barbie in Charge

26 - Face Reality

"YOU DID WHAT!" Vita smirked while shaking her head in disbelief. "I knew something was going on to have Maxwell checking for Ally. Dumb ass me for not figuring you to be behind it."

Any other time, Bunny would have been patting herself on the back for her deeds, but the guilt was eating her up inside. Doing away with Xavier should have made things easier, but her heart was still in two different places. Bunny watched the debate team from the back of the auditorium, bored to tears. Their secret hangout spot had been changing from month to month. "It's not like I was still into Xavier, so it wasn't that hard of a promise to make."

"So what now?"

Bunny dropped her head to one side, staring blankly at Vita. "What do you mean what now?"

"Come on, Bunny. I know you're not really gonna go through with this, taking that girl's man from her now that she's finally got him."

Bunny shrugged. "I might."

Noonie shook her head. "You mean to tell me you dumped Xavier to get with a dude you don't even want? You know Ally is gonna die when she figures all of this out."

Bunny couldn't stop thinking about what had happened between her and Max. She couldn't deny that what she felt when he had kissed her was unlike anything she had ever felt with Xavier. They had been cool for so long that Bunny had still been viewing at him as the pesky little boy that used to follow her around in the sixth grade. Now there was no denying it—Max was all grown up. "Noonie, you don't know about me? I can work my way out of anything."

"Yeah, whatever," said Vita. "So, why was this meeting so urgent—and what is this whole thing about a Barbie Ball?"

Bunny perked up. "That's exactly why I wanted to meet with you girls. I'm gonna reward you for all of your hard work."

Vita met her with a boisterous smile. "Bunny, you ain't have to do all that." She stuffed her meaty hand in Bunny's bag and sifted around.

Bunny slapped her on the arm. "Just what do you think you're doing, ragamuffin?"

Vita looked at the bag with one enlarged eye. "It's weed in that bag, right?"

"No, Vita. I didn't bring you any weed, and keep your voice down. The walls are reverbing." The last thing she wanted was the for the debate coach to kick them out. She spotted Ebony, Max's date from Winter Ball, a few rows ahead of them and wondered if they had seriously pursued a relationship. This feeling was so unnatural to her. She had gone from being unable to care less about Max's love life to growing intimidated by every girl he had shared time with.

"C'mon, Bunny, you know the only gift you can give me is to let me get my high on...unless you brought me a .44. I ain't violent like that, but a bitch could use some protection. It's rough out here."

Bunny looked at Vita with her eyes reduced to slits. The streets were rough because of her. "Vita, what kind of American citizen would I be by putting a gun in your hands? Your hands are weapons by themselves."

"Forget about that," Noonie whined. "What is our big surprise?"

Bunny eagerly clasped her hands together as they awaited her big news. "How would you girls feel about a makeover?"

The Gamines' faces turned from anticipation to confusion. "A makeover?" Vita crumpled her nose. "Fuck is that?"

Bunny laughed. "You know what a makeover is, silly. Getting your makeup and hair done and stuff. Here, let me show you." Bunny took her phone out and opened up her favorite social media app. As she scrolled through the timeline of wannabe models posting pictures in an array of attention-whoring poses, the girls' eyes opened wide with intrigue.