“Anything new?”
I shake my head, reaching over the table and grabbing a white poster board. “Nothing besides brainstorming, I need the school to buzz with my name.”
I can practically hear the eyeroll in Courtney's tone when she replies, “You know you will get the crown, everyone talks about you, Stacey. Everyone. You’re the Queen Bee.”
Looking at the choices of color, I turn to face her— my green eyes clashing with her green. “So, be honest.” She swallows hard, looking at me as if I asked her for a part of her soul. “What color do you think screams prom queen?”
Courtney shrugs, pointing at a marker. “Gold.”
Perfect.
We chatter a bit, about her sex life mainly, and how she keepshooking up with Brad and how she wishes he would ask her out already. As much as I try to continue to work on my campaign, thoughts of the new girl fill my brain, ringing alarms throughout my body. I didn’t like her. I didn’t like how she looked at him. He’s mine. My hand tightens around the marker, and I don’t notice what I’m doing.
Not until the bell rings, signaling it’s time for lunch. Looking down at the poster, I frown. Golden strikes cut through my name. Finally, Courtney stops talking and busies herself with getting the table cleared up.
Shortly after, the cafeteria is filled with students and chatter. Everything is so loud, making my head pound. There is a lot that comes with popularity, and always being the center of attention is overwhelming. The eyes are always watching, always observing, always looking for cracks in the armor of beauty.
But by Friday, the entire school will know two things about me: One, I’m running for prom queen. And two , I won’t stop until I win.
The crown is everything. And I deserve everything.
Now all I need is a weekend to generate more hype. Keep my name in everyone’s mouth, nothing like a good old party. This weekend at my family’s lake house, we will host a ‘Winter Bash Smash.’ I still hate the name, it makes my eyes roll… But Sam, my twin, picked it out.
My friends laugh, Courtney, Whitney, and Lacey are all planning out their outfits for this weekend.
“What are you wearing?” I hear Whitney ask Lacey. “Black mini dress.”
Courtney replies this time, “You can’t wear black. It’s too expected.”
I look over at them for a brief moment, ripping my eyes from across the cafeteria. “Try blush or rose gold.” Of course, she will pick out the color I suggested, especially after the approval of everyone else. My gaze returns back to the new girl—Jessica, who’s sitting with the outcast and stoners. The one with blue hair, I forget her fucking name, is trying to talk to her, but the new girl looks bored. Picking at her fries like she’d rather be anywhere else.
Then, my eye catches something that causes it to twitch. Sam is watching her, not our table, not his supposed girlfriend, Lacey.But her. I take a sip of the diet soda Courtney got for me, hoping my idiot brother can feel my glare shooting daggers at him.
Not even our twin connection causes him to notice. Fury bubbles within me, and the worst part is containing it. I know that look. He only gets it when he’s about to make a terrible decision. I do not have the time for this right now, I have a crown to win.
“She’s pretty,” Whitney says softly, following my gaze.
I turn to her. “She’s… fine. I guess.”
“Different,” Lacey responds as she stabs her pasta salad with her plastic fork. “That’s what she is—different.” Her eyes dart between me and my brother. Something glints in her eyes, and I don’t know if it’s jealousy or curiosity. “I heard she transferred from a school in Detroit or something. Trouble follows people like that.”
“More trouble is exactly what this place needs.” Whitney giggles. “It’s been quite boring lately.”
I force a smile, but my jaw tightens. Just as Sam finally approaches us, and the tray in his hand drops down in front of me. Ignoring his girlfriend who sits only two spots down from me. “You’re inviting her, right?”
“Who?” Lacey and I ask in unison.
“Jessica.”
Lacey scoffs, while all I can do is stare at him. “To our party?”
He shrugs, trying to play it cool, as if it’s not a big deal. “She doesn’t know anyone yet. It’d be nice. Don’t you remember being new and alone, Stace?”
The way he looks at me has my insides twisting. He’s my mirror image—same eyes, same face. My other half. It’s hard to not bend to his will when he gives me that look.
“I’m not known for being nice.” I wet my lips, taking the straw between my lips, before rising to my feet.
An idea flits across my mind. Something absolutely wonderful in its simplicity.
