Irène's POV
A few hours later
"Are you okay?" I ask Veronica when she slams the door of our dorm. I know she is mad at me because she hasn't talked to me since last Saturday.
"You know the answer," she mutters and I nod.
"I'm going to kill her," I spit.
"No, don't, it's my fault. I shouldn't have attacked her." She searches through the closet for some clothes.
"She provoked you."
"We aren't children."
"S0, what's going to happen?"
"I have a meeting with the principal tomorrow. They will decide how long to suspend me from classes, that also depends if Shanice takes the blame too. Then they might reconsider the decision but it's hard considering I had a bad reputation in high school, I was held at the police station a few weeks ago and also, Shanice would never assume part of the blame."
"She will definitely do that, or I will ruin her."
"Gosh, stop being so fake-tough, it's annoying."
I mentally laugh at her outburst and I think about it for a few seconds. Am I fake-tough?
Maybe I'm just insane.
They say awareness is everything.
"And I haven't forgotten what you did to Derek," she glances at me once and I get worried for one second. I know what she is talking about, but I have almost forgotten.
"Aw, your little boyfriend." I laugh and she looks at me annoyed. "He deserved it, I mean, the least he could do is talk to you."
"He did talk to me," she emphasizes on 'did' and I frown, waiting for her to continue.
"Long story, I found out he is out and I went to his old apartment and he was livid, he barely exchanged a word with me." My eyes widen in shock and I want to say something but she interrupts me right away.
"You promised you wouldn't do anything stupid and you did." Veronica takes off her top and replaces it with another clean one. "And don't even try to excuse yourself, he didn't deserve that. You have no right to decide that kind of stuff. Maybe you think that your 'power' makes you above everyone else but I know you are just a brat and spoiled kid."
Ouch.
"Is that what you think of me?" I say a bit hurt.
"Doesn't everyone think that?"
I pause for a few seconds. Normally I'd murder—maybe not so literally— anyone who would ever dare to talk to me this way, but I care about her. And I know what I did was a tiny bit shitty, so I'm going to let it slide.
"I forgive you," I say triumphantly
"What?" she scoffs.
"I forgive your outburst and I can understand that you don't see things the way I do, clearly, you need more time to understand."
She scoffs again and I laugh. Gosh, being a bitch is the best thing. It's actually funny.
"You are insane!" she yells at me while she walks to the door.
Ronnie storms out of the room and slams the door so rough the bed twitches a little. I lay back on it and just smile.
I know what I have to do next, I should make a list.
1. Threaten Shanice with death if she doesn't take the full blame.
I know Shanice, and she knows me. We barely talked three times. This seems easier to execute than have Veronica submit an appeal for her expulsion, which might happen if I don't 'sort it out' with Shanice.
2. Threaten Derek with prison and solitary confinement if he doesn't talk to Veronica nicely and happily.
Wow, I'm evil. I laugh harder as I lay my head back on the pillow. If anyone saw me right now, they would think I'm batshit crazy.
I think I'm overall a great friend.
I take out my makeup from the bag and I walk to the bathroom to enhance my beautiful features once again. I need to look good to ruin lives.
I smirk at my idiotic thoughts and I apply a bit of red lipstick, then I put on a bit of waterproof mascara.
I should find Shanice in her dorm since she recently moved to campus. I wouldn't do that, I'd rather live off-campus in an apartment but I had to see Veronica, plus it's more fun to annoy Nicole from the same room.
This reminds me that she should be back within minutes, normally I'd want to annoy her but right now I'm too bored to not slap her, so I should just refrain from seeing her annoying face.
Shanice's dorm isn't far away, just a few doors away.
I walk to her dorm—which I admit I had to ask where it is right after she hit Veronica—and I stop midway when I notice her outside of the room, leaning against the wall with her phone to her ear. She seems nonchalant, her curly hair slightly leans over her shoulder and her legs are so long you could probably make out she is five feet eleven inches in those tall boots.
I must give it to her, her style is impeccable. The perfect mixture of 'I don't care' but I also do, literally any color looks good on her warm brown skin.
I turn around and pretend to check the notes board to my right—luckily the wall isn't empty or I would look really suspicious—and I eavesdrop into her conversation even though I will have to base it mostly on her body language.
She sighs deeply and whisper-yells something inaudible into the phone, then there is a pause and she seems to calm down.
"That bitch came for me first," she yells once again but this time louder, then she looks around the hall and I quickly turn towards the board and I pretend to read something on it.
I feel her eyes on me for a few more seconds and I feel uncomfortable. Has she caught on?
She is for sure talking about Veronica, but to who? Dominic?
"I'm not going to do that, are you crazy?" She paces around and I move closer to the left of the board, as close as I can get, although there are still several feet between me and her.
"Get here and sort it out yourself, or shut up."
I chuckle and she turns to me but my expression goes serious.
She got an attitude, much like me.
A few minutes of silence pass—which feels like ages—and frankly my feet hurt. Now I regret those heels. I doubt I reach Shanice's height even with heels, well maybe if she didn't wear tall boots at all.
"Fine, you idiot. I promise"
I turn to her a bit shocked, and she notices me for real this time. My heart starts racing and I feel stupid for a second. I don't usually get nervous, not even when I get caught. She hangs up the phone and comes towards me.
I don't move, I just stare at her until she is a few feet away from me.
"You, you are that bitch's friend," she spits and I hold back a chuckle.
"And you are that bitch. How much you and Veronica have in common, aw," I retort. Her uplifted brown eyes stare at me in amusement and I raise my eyebrows and smile.
"I caught you eavesdropping, is your life really that boring?"
"Do you want to make it more interesting?" I flirt and I instantly see her cheeks flush. So, something does work to make Shanice flutter.
"What do you want- whatever is your name?" her voice goes stone cold and she shoves away a curl that fell over her face. She looks quite beautiful, but she is a bitch.
A beautiful bitch-
I chuckle once again at my thought and she stares at me annoyed.
"Freak."
I quickly compose myself and I get closer to her face. She seems to be nervous so I will use that to my advantage.
"I'm already bored by your presence so let's make this quick. You either take the full blame for Veronica's or-"
"Shut up." She turns on her heel and leaves.
I scoff. Did she just tell me to shut up?
I know she cares about Derek a lot, and I will use that against her.
"Or I'll shove Derek back in prison, and maybe I can do the same with Dominic. Who knows? I mean you do, probably, we both know how much money makes people do whatever you want."
She turns towards me, still several feet away. I see the confusion and anger on her face but she doesn't want to show I hit a soft spot.
"I don't know, because I'm not a piece of shit, I don't use my parents to get me everything I want. I actually work for what I want."
"You just bored me again. Now, let's get to an agreement, most likely you will do as I say and nothing bad happens to your little friends." I smile as I walk closer to her again, and she takes a step backward.
"You are crazy. You fucking bitch-"
"Bla bla, I've been told this too many times today. Shanice Jennings, are you going to take the full blame? And please, be convincing."
"Psycho," she mutters under her breath and then sighs. "I've already come to an agreement, I'm going to take back the claim that she attacked me and I will say we both provoked each other and that we won't ever do it again-"
"Nah, I don't give a shit about 'your agreement', you are going to take the full blame."
"Are you stupid?! That- that is going to ruin me. I'll get expelled."
"Aw, you will figure it out, don't worry, Shan." I pat her on the shoulder and she quickly shoves it further from me.
"You know what... do whatever you want, Ren, you already fucked up our lives enough. Does anyone even want you here?"
I furrow my eyebrows for one second. Would she actually let Derek rot in prison again? Or is she playing games with me?
For one second I contemplate telling her a sincere and heartfelt answer, which might works better with her. "I am doing this for Veronica. And you know you've been provoking her, and for what? Was she the one who accused Derek? Was she the one who put him in jail? Did she point a gun at his head and forced him to take the blame? He is a grown-ass man, and you are a grown-ass woman. Maybe you should focus more on yourself." I am a few inches away from her face and she seems to be thinking about what I just told her. She doesn't break off the eye contact, and we just stare at each other for a few more seconds.
"I had to do it." She sighs and I feel her minty breath hit my lips.
"What?" I look at her confused. What is she even talking about?
"That's all I can say. I'm not going to take the full blame, Irène. You do whatever you want, I'm tired," she admits and I nod, which kind of throws her off guard.
And for the first time in my life, I don't want to win. I let it go.
"Fine. As long as you don't get her expelled. And if you do... I won't be as nice." I get closer to her, I feel her breath on my face, and I whisper. "Believe me, I've never been this sweet."
Her whole body goes rigid. And that's when I realize how fucking gay she is.
My gaydar usually works, but this time my mind was too fuzzy.
I look at her for a few more seconds, analyzing her features and she doesn't seem to move at all, I doubt she is even breathing this close to me. I must be pretty intimidating, or because I caught onto her little secret.
I've never really liked men, I fucked them because I had to. It was the best way to get them submissive and manipulate them.
I wink at her, and just turn on my heels and leave. I don't hear her moving at all, but I don't turn around to check.
I have this effect on people.
A few minutes later I'm back at my dorm's door, I don't want to see Nicole, especially not after seeing Shanice.
I didn't really get Shanice to do as I said, and I should be pretty disappointed. But weirdly, I'm content. Teasing her is way more fun.
I quietly enter the room and I scan it for a few seconds, to be prepared if Nicole is here.
Speaking of men... what is he doing on my bed?
"Finally. I waited too long," Derek talks as he leans against my bed and I look a bit too shocked.
Not only because he is here, but he is actually so changed physically. I haven't seen him in a year and something.
I am perhaps tired of talking, Shanice wasted all my energy—which I don't mind too much. But now I have something harder to deal with. Derek's fury because I kind of ruined his life even more.
Despite my low energy, I put on my best bitch face and smirk.
"They really let everyone out, huh?"