"Whats going on?"
Erika scoffed when she saw the three people she just happened to hate with a passion sitting outside of the office of Headmaster Vanderbit; Chris Edwards, her brother, and her. Then there was Benny Costa, leaning next to the ornate wooden door of the office in the brightly-lit, smooth glossy hallway illuminated by expensive chandeliers.
"Apparently, someone told Headmaster Vanderbit that we have something to do with the hacking," Benny shrugged, looking unbearably tomboy-ish in a black long-sleeved Adidas jumpsuit, odd pure diamond skull jewelry and matching Nike roshes. "Jac is in there right now."
Erika nodded, turning to the three disgraces of the world. Damon was leaning back in one of the waiting arm chairs, eyes glued to his iPhone and Chris and Paisely sat beside each other in hushed whispers - Erika didn't like how close they seemed. "And what are you guys doing here? I mean, I know why she's here-"
"Because you're an evil, heartless person." Paisely cut her off boldly and Erika was again blindsided by this girl's sudden ball-growing attitude.
Despite only gracing the homepage of Huffington Post for four hours, Erika's scheme had made ripples through the school. Everyone finally saw the bubbly blonde party girl for what she was; a sluttier version of America's Sweetheart. However, it seemed Erika's merciless attack on Paisely's dignity - and her family - didn't faze the girl.
She liked the submissive Paisely better, she was much more fun to mess with. It was like playing Kanye West trying to ruin Taylor Swift's parade all the time - and Erika was Kanye West, well only figuratively. "Awwww, is someone finally sticking up for themselves? How sweet-"
"Shut the fuck up, Erika, God you're so annoying," Chris groaned and wrapped an arm around the doe-eyed blonde protectively. 'Oh so they're dating?' That discovery stirred something in Erika, something she didn't like.
"So we're back to bitchy Chris again?" She snapped. "Good, horny Chris was boring anyway."
One of the Senior Prefects; a freckled face loser that no one hardly ever paid attention to, came out of the Headmaster's office then, leaning on the door to give Jac room to come out. Erika was relieved to see that the girl wasn't crying. That meant the consequences might not be very serious.
Damon stood up immediately. "What did he say?"
"Nothing," Jac shrugged . "He knows I was present at the hacking but since I'm a Legacy, I'm untouchable." Legacies were important to Alabaster, they were the children of past succeeding students who often donated immensely. The Lexingtons had a huge hand in the making of the school gazebo.
"Uh, Erika, you're up next," The Prefect interjected nervously. "And he wants to see you too." He gestured to Paisely resting her head on Chris's shoulder - 'Ugh.'
The two girls both followed the senior into Headmaster Vanderbit's elegant, personal office; his own wooden oak table filled with pictures of his twin daughters and extravagant vacations he had taken, grass green arm chairs for Paisely and Erika to fidget nervously in and broad windows to the side of them to watch Alabaster students come and go through the quad for classes.
Erika observed Paisely looking as if she'd just had a Ornelia Edwards' nip slip in a Alice + Olivia ensemble; a white flowy tank top and high-waisted pink striped culottes pants. Her blonde hair was gorgeously straight down her back, her blue eyes gleaming with very little shame at all. In fact, she looked confident.
"Ahem, so I am sure you two girls know why you're here," Headmaster Vanderbit clasped his hands together on his desk, wearing a cashmere sweater - that not even Mattew would touch - and glasses that reminded Erika of an even dorkier Harry Potter. "You have been suspected of having something to do with the hacking on Huffington Post."
Paisely gulped.
"Now if you come forward, we can knock expulsion out of the options of punishment," He gave them each a leveled gaze that Erika was not the slightest bit scared of. All she had to do was put on her American Sweetheart voice and she would be a free woman - or manipulate the hell out of him. Either way, this was going to be a repeat of her escape at Barneys.
So snidely, Erika leaned forward, meeting the Headmaster's eyes with a smug smile. "And if we don't?"
"I will be expelling both of you," He shot back and both girls gasped. "Paisely for indecent exposure and you for withholding information. "
"I have no idea what you're talking about, sir," Erika spoke in her shrill, sweet tone, ignoring Paisely who was staring at her in disapproval. Fourtanetly, Headmaster had never been able to witness her sugar sweet alter ego which amplified the effect on him. "Honestly, sir, I think its a tragedy what happened to poor Paisely here."
To add emphasis on this, she rested her hand on Paisely's thigh gently - and almost jolted back at the electricty she felt, the odd feeling she had got. It was similar to the kiss and she was apalled at how just one touch from Paisely and she could be so......entranced. She hadn't even felt that way losing her virginity.
Doing her best to ignore the feeling, Erika smiled at Paisely as if she were her bestest friend and the blonde girl returned her smile with a puzzled glance. "Paisely is my friend and I would never do something like that to her."
"Is this true, Paisely?" The Headmaster, obviously dazed by Erika's act, turned to Paisely. "Are you and Erika Felix friends?"
"Um, uh, well....." Paisely trailed off and Erika squeezed her hold on the girl's thigh, flashing her a candy sweet smile that had a slight touch of 'You're-going-to-wish-you-were-poor-if-you-cross-me' vibes.
The girl cringed under her gaze, turning helplessly back to the unknowing Headmaster, then back at Erika's fake, evil smile. "Um....."
Erika let go of her thigh, kicking the girl's exposed ankle with her anouk leather pump Jimmy Choo. Paisely yelped.
"Paisely, dear, is everything okay?" Erika asked kindly, smirking slightly.
She looked at her, a glare in her blue eyes, but otherwise a blank expression. Then she turned to the Headmaster with a sigh. "Yes, its true. We're friends. She would never do that to me."
'Way too easy,' Erika thought to herself proudly. 'Sometimes it feels like my life is a written book.'
"Well then, Erika, you're free to go," Headmaster Vanderbit said dismissively. "It looks like the only person responsible is Addie herself whom I have punished accordingly."
"What did you do to her?" Paisely asked timidly as Erika smoothed the hem of her black sleeveless knit casual Alexander McQueen dress and touseled her hair so that she was model-ready when she strutted out of that office.
"Addie Anderson has been expelled."
Paisely gasped, hands flying up to cover her mouth and Headmaster Vanderbit nodded sorrowfully. Erika wasn't surprised. The Andersons were tacky as hell and hardly had any relevancy. Therefore, the pink-haired stammering mess was expendable.
"Such a shame, sir," Erika mimicked the Headmaster's sadness although relieved that the girl had foolishly taken the fall for her.
All was well. She wasn't getting expelled, or suspended, and she was still the reigning queen of Alabaster Prep. All she needed to fix was Damon's position with their father and everything would be perfect - or so she thought.
At that moment, Paisely blurted out the most damning words of Erika's life, "I have proof Erika was apart of the hacking because she gave me polariod copies before the photos were put online."
'WHAT. ON. EARTH-'
"Do you have the pictures with you right now?" Headmaster Vanderbit asked, eyebrows raised as Erika's sweet act had really fooled him.
That was the beginning of the end. Paisley gingerly pulled out a pink manila folder filled with the very polariod pictures Erika had flaunted in her face back in the bathroom. She handed them to Headmaster Vanderbit who immediately looked them over.
"The date on these are weeks before the hacking," He said aloud, looking at every picture carefully - and quickly scanning over the naked ones of Paisely as if it were GAP. "Well, Erika, what do you have to say for yourself?"
Erika couldn't say anything. There was hard cold proof in the Headmaster's hands, Paisely looking at her with a innocent, victorious giggle.
Erika was suspended before she could even say, "I can explain."
Holding back tears, Erika pushed open the door out into the sleek glossy hallway, still managing a graceful strut as she ignored everyone's calls - and Headmaster Vanderbit's booming voice as he told everyone that they were off the hook and to get back to class.
She did not wait for Damon's worried voice, not even Jac and Benny's. There was only one place she felt like being in. One place that would make things go away - fot a little while.
Erika found herself in the girls' favorite bathroom, in one of the most sanitary stalls in all of Beverly Hills, barfing what little breakfast she'd had. Her father was going to kill her. First, she had ruined his reputation and now she had gotten herself suspended, an ugly mark on her perfect school record - 'and for what?'
She knew why she had pestered Paisely so much, because it was better than liking her. She'd rather hate the girl than admit her feelings. She'd rather be a bitch than an emotional sweetheart. She'd rather be Daddy's favorite than Daddy's problem child too.
Once she couldn't puke anymore, she simply collapsed on the floor of the stall, scowling for not bringing her Akris tote bag with her when she was called out of class.
"Erika, are you in here?"
Recognizing the voice, Erika crawled upright, reaching to close the stall door but it was too late. Paisely Mont Vernon had discovered her. Even worse, she had discovered her in the worst state she could possibly be in.
"I give up!" Erika sat back against the wall, exasperated, yet didn't dare let a salty tear spill over. "You win. And your prize? The shittiest guy in the whole school. Congrats!" She exclaimed, realizing she must sound like some crazy homeless woman.
"Win? What are you talking about?" Paisely said softly, looking from her to the toilet filled with barf."Erika, I was never playing a game."
"Then you really are a dumb blonde," She spat. "Everyone knows that around here, you're just a player in a game. And Beverly Hills? Well thats just the game board." In the high society of Beverly Hills, every little move you made was just a flimsy strategy in a neverending game of who was going to make it and who was going to drown in every dark aspect money had to offer.
Matthew Felix had taught her this repeatedly and after being let out into the crazy, cut-throat world of luxurious high school, Erika knew it to be true. She had been the one to make it but now? Well now she was drowning.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Paisely shook her head, outstretching a hand. "Come on, lets get you cleaned up."
Erika observed the gesture with disdain - but realized she didn't want to be alone in her self-pity. So she took the girl's hand and let her pull her up. Then Erika moved past her to one of the dressing room-like mirrors, making sure she looked presentable before using one of the school's at-every-sink mouthwash.
Paisely flushed the toilet in the used stall, cringing. "Were you....were you throwing up?"
"Yes, Paisely, I was throwing up." Erika rolled her eyes, wiping her hands with one of the sink tissue vendors. "Give me your mascara, I have to do a touch up."
Paisely, still staring at the girl in awe, handed her a 589 dollar H.Couture mascara bottle. "Erika why do you do that? You're already so skinny-"
"Why are you even here?" Erika snapped, turning away from the mirror to look at her. "I ruined your life. Thanks to me, everyone knows what your boobs look like and your Dad's jail time is public knowledge. You should be getting back at me." Thats what she would do if she was in Paisely's position.
Paisely seemed to be contemplating her words, a pink-painted hand rubbing her chin as if she had a beard and then she shrugged. "Because I'm not like you, Erika. I'm not.....I'm not evil."
"Newsflash, remember where you live. You have to be-"
"No, you don't," Paisely exclaimed loudly, snatching the mascara bottle out of Erika's hands and slipping it back in her Gucci handbag. Then before Erika could even protest, she pulled her into a hug. A hug. Paisely was hugging her - and Erika wasn't sure what to do. "Stop being evil, please!"
Stunned, Erika stood limp in the girl's arms, feeling so foreign in the embrace. This was not what she had expected when Paisely had discovered her. She had expected all out war or a pathetic apology. Not a hug.
"Please, just stop! This isn't you!"
"Paisely...are you crying?"
Paisely pulled away from her, her blue doe-eyes gleaming with tears.
'What the hell?' Erika took a step back, bumping into the sink behind her. She had way too many people crying in front of her. It was almost nauseating and just down right uncomfortable. She'd take a stroll through the slums over playing the pitying friend any day.
"Its just so sad," Paisely sniffled, wiping tears away. "You're really sad to watch."
"Ohhhhhh-kaaaayyy," Erika managed. "Um, I'm going to class now-"
"I'm saying this because I love you, Erika."
Silence fell over the two girls and Erika gasped. She gasped because one, Paisely, out of all people, just said she loved her and two, no one had ever said those three words to her before - and it felt weird.
It felt weird yet....right and before Erika even knew what she was doing, she had leaned towards the girl, their faces so close that she could smell a bubblegum mint that Paisely had taken earlier. Then she found her eys drifting up to Paisely's blue ones - and she kissed her.
Just a peck because Paisely took a step back. "What are you doing?"
Erika froze, hands slowly raising up to touch her lips. She had no idea what had come over her. "I-I-I don't know." She stammered, sounding vaguely like Addie.
Then before Paisely could ridicule her - or worse before someone walked in on them - Erika fled the bathroom.
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A/N:
So theres officially only two chapters left! What are your thoughts on Erika? Do you think Paisely even likes her in that way?
Thank you to all the loyal readers! Its awesome to have people who follow the story!