Style Squad

Friday

On Hannah Crimson's yacht w/ Hannah, my new Bae! #newcouple #goals #miamiyacht #Hamian

Hamian. Hamian. That was their ship name?! Agh!

I couldn't help it. Tears just started streaming down my face. My friends immediately Skyped me on my MacBook, trying to comfort me.

15 minutes later, my doorbell rang. It rang again. And again. And again. Whoever was at the door really wanted to come in. By the way, this was on a Saturday. My parents work on Saturdays, so I was home alone. I dragged my feet down the stairs and looked through the peephole in my door. It was my friends!
     
They had brought ice cream, magazines, spa products, and our all-time favorite chick flick, Mean Girls. We spent the rest of that day giving each other makeovers, watching Netflix and the movie, and eating Ben and Jerry's right out of the pint. If that doesn't scream "true friendship", I really have no idea what does.

Anyways, Damian had just walked by, smiled at me, and said "The board looks great, Elisa!"

Oh.

Oh!

He knows my name!!!

"Earth to Elisa, come in, Elisa!" Lexi said, shaking my shoulder. I came back to reality in a snap. Ugh.

"Are you okay? You spaced out for a second there,"Vera asked. I blushed.

"Well... Damian walked by and said that the board looked great," I quietly responded, smiling at the ground. Sandra gasped and playfully nudged me. Before she could say something, Principal Princeton announced something over the intercom.

"The judging will now begin! Remember that you tried your best, students! The winners will be announced right after the judging has been completed. If you have forgotten, there will be three prizes awarded to the first, second, and third place winners. The third place prize is a trophy and 500 dollars. The second place prize is 1000 dollars and a scale model of your store/business. And, the most glamorous prize of them all, the first place winner will receive 4000 dollars, and will get to see their business become a reality! I've already purchased a unit in the Dolphin Mall where the winners will place their business and have it run by professionals! Thank you, Mr. Walter Crimson, for helping us sort this contest out! Good luck, students!"

Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh! The winners will get to open their business?! That's so much bigger than the prizes they've handed out in the past! We already wanted to win the contest, but now... now we really want to win!
      
And so does everyone else. Including Hannah. Knowing her, she'd stop at nothing to get this prize and show my friends and I that she's so much better than us.

***

"Okay, students! The judges are going to take a quick break, then move on to the other half of the room to judge the other projects!" Principal Princeton boomed over the intercom.

I sighed. "It's almost our turn."

"Wow! I can't believe it's almost my turn to steal the spotlight from all the other projects here!" Hannah comes out of nowhere with her posse, Laura Green, Mia Hernandez, and Kate Amerson. Seeing me eyeing her, she smirks and says, "I just can't believe that some people here think they're actually going to win! I mean, Daddy's the one who set up all of those prizes. And he's one of the judges. So, if the other judges think anyone's project is better than mine, he'll convince them otherwise!" She tosses her shiny curls over her shoulder and scoffs. Her posse giggles in reply.
      
Vera scoffs and tosses her hair over her shoulder, imitating Hannah. Sandra, Lexi, and I giggle very dramatically. Hannah and her group give us the evil eye. 
      
"Um, Vera, just what do you think you're doing?" Hannah growls.
      
"Well, it's obvious that I'm copying your snooty, obnoxious attitude!" Vera hisses, emphasizing her words even more than Hannah does.
      
Before Hannah can reply, she looks down the row of tables, smirks, looks back at me for a second, and calls, "Damian! Hi, Babe!"
     
The blood drains from my face as Damian comes over, wraps his arm around her slender waist, and gives her a peck on the cheek. Hannah looks at me, a sly smile on her perfect face.
     
"Ugh! You know what, Hannah?" Lexi snaps, fire in her eyes.

"Lexi, NO!" I hiss, pulling her back. She looks at me, surprised. I sigh.

"Don't let her know she's getting to us."

But Hannah already knew she was bothering me.

"So, Babe, I was just telling my squad how I'm going to blow the judges away with my business idea! It's called 'Hannah Star', and it's a performing group! Of course, you already knew that, since you're my boyfriend and I tell you everything," she taunts. I suddenly feel very dizzy.

"Elisa," Sandra says, linking my arm in hers to keep me from fainting. Vera takes my other arm, and Lexi attempts to stare Hannah down.

I know that this is a silly crush. But I really like Damian. It's strange that I start to feel icky by looking at him with Hannah. But that's how the universe works. In movies, books, and in real life. The perfect girl gets the perfect guy. The guy you have a crush on dates the girl who just so happens to be your mortal enemy.

But we're only in 7th grade. Who knows, maybe in the future "Hamian" will become just "Hannah" and just "Damian". We never know.
"
Aww! Elisa, are you okay? You look a little... faint!" Hannah exclaims, plastering on a (fake) concerned face. "Do you need some water, Hun?" Damian actually looks worried. Kate, Laura, and Mia giggle behind their back.

I swallow the lump in my throat. "No, I'm fine, it's just that—"

"Oh, good! Well, I need to get back to my project board. I'm next! Oh, I'm so gonna win this thing! See you later, Damian!" Hannah twirls her hair around her finger and winks at Damian. As soon as Damian starts to walk away, she stops him. And then, gives him a long, intense kiss... on the lips! Her posse swoons, Lexi rolls her eyes, Vera gasps, Sandra scoffs, and I keep my tears inside of me.