The Masquerade Ball

THREE

Daniel Stone

I laughed to myself as I watched Casey and Leah run off to the bathroom, Casey with tears in her eyes and Leah looking furious. I smirked, knowing that my plan was the best one yet. It made her cry. It actually made the Casey Roberts cry! She acted so strong in front of everyone but I knocked down the brick wall that was hiding her weaknesses. I defeated her from within and then crushed her from the outside too for a bonus. It was brilliant!

I casually dug my hands in my pocket as I looked down the corridor with triumph. "Well that was easy..." I muttered. I turned and headed back into the lunch hall which was deadly quiet. The cheerleaders all had flirty smiles on their faces as they batted their eye lashes at me. I winked. Sarah strutted up to me with a big smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around my neck.

"That was amazing, baby!" Argh, I hated it when she called me that. No way was I a baby, and definitely not her baby. But instead of saying all this to her plastic face, I just grinned and pretended that her perfume wasn't doing serious damage to my nose. Girls these days. "She finally got what she deserved!"

"I know." Of course I knew. I made up the plan...I carried through the plan. I'm the one that is enemies with Casey. Not her. I knew Casey deserved every bit of what I did to her.

"Want to come round to mine tonight to...celebrate?" She asked me with puppy eyes which made her look like a fish. Seriously, her house? For sex? With her? I would rather lick cat shit.

"I'll call you," I replied, and walked past her. I grinned at people as I made my way back to my table. Some were laughing quietly, whispering, grinning at me and...glaring? No way. That can't be...Why were some people glaring at me? The plan was a success! Didn't they see it?

My grin slid from my face slowly. Arran, Ryan and Jay weren't even looking at me. They were looking at the table with shocked faces. What was up with that? I walked over to them, sat in my seat and smirked at them, thinking they would be happy that I made that little bitch cry.

"Did you see that? Best plan ever, eh?" I said leaning back against the wall behind my chair and putting my hands behind my head. None of them answered. "What's up with you guys?" I asked.

"Dude that was..." Arran started, then paused.

"Brilliant, I know," I said, chuckling as I thought about Casey's face.

"No, it wasn't," Ryan replied, finally looking at me...I mean...glaring at me?

"What do you mean?" I asked confused, "did you see what I just did? I made Casey Roberts cry! That has never happened!" I seriously didn't know what was up with them. What was their problem?

"Why did you have to bring her family situation into all this?" Jay spoke up. He was glaring at me. They all were. People around us were trying to hear what we were arguing about so we started to say everything in hushed angry whispers.

"It wasn't cool! Of course she would cry about that! I can't even imagine how she feels right now!" Arran replied angrily. "Seriously, why do you have to make her life even more of a living hell? She has no proper family! And then you just have to come along and make her feel worse about herself. You're such an idiot, Daniel!" Arran was full on yelling now. I had never heard him raise his voice at me before. Everyone in the canteen had suddenly gone quiet for a second time, and now their attention was fixed on us instead of Casey. Arran, Ryan and Jay all stood up to leave.

"You're lucky that you have people who care about you Daniel, but that doesn't mean that you can just show off and make people's lives hell."

They left. They literally left. Left me alone at our table. Alone. I was shocked. Stunned. What the hell just happened? Did they just take sides with Casey? Her?! People were staring at me. But I didn't care. Let them stare all they want.