Baby There's Already A Bitch In Town

Chapter Two: Queen Bitch Reigns

"Then that's not the right top. You need to turn heads. And we're talking at breakneck speeds here. Give 'em whiplash."

"Away from Melissa? Please."

With a brandish of a beautiful dark purple top, she turns back to her friend. "She doesn't always have to win. Eisa would agree, tell you to steal the show. See you on the playground."

"See you."

The next day, it's the first day of school for the year, summer officially over, and after reuniting at the front of the school, Emily gives Aria the low down as they sit at the back of English.

Eisa walks in, trailed by Hanna and Mona.

"Is that Hanna?"

"Yeah, she's the Old Eisa, where Eisa is the New Ali. And where they lead, Mona tends to follow, like a third musketeer. They're the 'It Girls' now."

"That's Mona?" Aria's voice full of disbelief.

"Can you believe it?"

"Wow. Talk about a makeover. For the both of them."

"Eisa was a big help to them both, teaching them how to be popular, healthy dieting methods, choosing their wardrobes, the whole shebang. They make you wanna scream 'wake up sheeple' right?"

While Hanna deigns to give a sassy finger wave hello, Eisa looks, squints, and sits at her desk, not giving them another thought.

"Woah, what's up with them?"

"We didn't just fall out of touch with you, Aria," Emily says like it's totally obvious. "We fell out of touch with each other."

Spencer enters next, giving her old friends a polite smile as she adjusts her book bag on her shoulder, crossing the room to her desk.

"They're not so close any more either. Or, well, they're as close as they were a year ago, which was not at all."

"So they're friendly, but they're not friends. Eisa hasn't changed at all! I mean, we always knew she was more Ali's friend, but..."

The bell rings, causing all of the students to come to attention at their desks, their new teacher writing his name on the board with his back to them. The only two not paying attention is Eisa and Aria. The latter opening her English binder and getting a pen out of her bag, the former texting her boyfriend. When their teacher does finally turn, he looks up and two words escape his mouth.

"Holy crap."

Everyone, even Eisa, looks back to realise he is staring in shock at Aria, who has yet to even look up. When she does, Aria's look of surprise communicates more than Eisa really cares to know. She assumes that, having bumped into each other, they engaged in a simple flirtation, because no two people look at each other like that without some mutual attraction. But given it serves her no purpose, Eisa no longer pays attention. The awkward moment is broken by the ringing of Aria's phone, which she answers with a quiet 'sorry'.

"Uh, I'm Mr Fitz, your new English teacher. One and only warning to everyone now, especially you two girls, phones away."

While Eisa puts her phone away with little fanfare, Aria takes a moment, staring at the text she'd gotten.

Maybe he fools around with students all of the time.

Lots of teachers do.

Just ask your dad.

- A

English, after their brief dramatic staredown between teacher and student, is relatively boring, as is the rest of the girls' school day. Eisa takes a jog after school, like she does most days, using it to keep her fitness up and help her sort through the events of the day. As usual, she jogs past the Hastings house, incidentally just as Spencer and her older sister Melissa appear to be getting into yet another of their typical arguments.

"I'm moving in for junior year Melissa. That was the deal that I made with Mom and Dad. I got the grades, I did the internship, I gave up my summer because I wanted this."

Melissa, in her usual snooty tone, comes back at Spencer's as if she's a child. "Well, you'll just have to wait."

"Why can't you just stay in my room."

"Hi Spencer... Melissa," Eisa's greetings are, by and large, ignored by the two sisters.

"We're a couple Spencer, we need our own space and Mom and Dad agree."

Immediately jumping to her old friend's defense, Eisa snips back at Melissa, feeling no shame given the two have always clashed.

"Did they also agree to have you dress like a Stepford divorcée because let me tell you, it's not a great look. Try fewer headbands, and something that at least resembles fashion."

Melissa's snotty retort is cut off by the appearance of a British man in a blue jumper.

"Is everything ok?"

"Besides the fact that you and Blair Waldorf here are taking Spencer's hard work for your own like you did a single thing to deserve it. Or like you even bothered to ask."

"Shut it, Eisa, this isn't your business. And Spencer. I'd hoped you'd be happy for me."

"Well, you know what they say about hope. Breeds eternal misery."

Eisa starts dragging Spencer to her own home next door before she can retreat to her room. As they both walk away, Eisa makes a final biting comment.

"I hope you have eternity together."

When the two girls are firmly behind Eisa's front door, Eisa immediately leads the way to the kitchen, beginning to make a pot of coffee as strong as she remembers Spencer liking it.

"You can stay here till you cool off. Or they're not invading your personal space."

"Thanks for that. I can never think of comments the way you can. Or, well, not as good as yours are. I'm surprised you didn't leave me to the wolves, we've never been friends."

Eisa shrugs a shoulder in a show faux humbleness. "It's a talent. She's being a bitch by the way. And so are your parents. If you did the work, and you redid that barn yourself, then you deserve to reap the reward," She completely skips over the 'friend' comment, because even she knows that was abnormally kind for her.

"Yeah, well, that's the way it's always been. Melissa gets whatever she wants, and I occasionally get her scraps."

"Maybe, it's time you make them give you your due. Take what's yours, rather than wait for it to come to you."

"Not all of us are you Eisa," Spencer pours a cup of coffee for herself, now that the pot is done. "Damn that is good coffee. Don't you have cheer practice after school?"

"No. I had tryouts yesterday, which was just a lot of crying girls. Practice is on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and you, our illustrious decathlon captain, have yet to tell us when the practice is for that."

"Right. That's on my to-do list. Which reminds me. I do have to go home, all my stuff is still there, and I still have to go to a stupid dinner for the two of them," Eisa smiles a kind, rare smile as she takes the now empty cup. "Thanks for the coffee. See you at school."

"See you."

Careful Bitch,

you start being too nice to your old friends,

I'll start to think you've moved on from me.

- A

Eisa's phone buzzed, causing her to pick it up and stare at the message in surprise.

"No way..."