Page 22 of The Prom Queen Project
So far, senior year had consisted of creating social media posts for Homecoming Queen and teaching Elliot how to spell onomatopoeia. And then mingling with a shit ton of jocks who shared one collective brain cell and telling Elliot that using a blue highlighter did not make him more manly. And then making crudely drawn posters of a tiara in art class and explaining to Elliot that the word oxymoron was not synonymous with an idiot who liked to shoot up oxycodone. Next on my never-ending list of housekeeping was the Homecoming game this evening, Mason’s party tonight, and the Homecoming dance tomorrow.
“You got this whole homecoming thing in the bag.” Kendra chuckled. “Pun intended.”
“I hope so.”
Meredith’s voice came out in a hushed yet condescending tone. “Yeah, you’re welcome for that. Where’s my thank you for, not only taking you under my wing when you moved here, but also for being on the Homecoming committee to help boost your chances of winning that stupid ass crown.”
My spine stiffened. I couldn’t tell whether I wanted to rip the dangly gold hoops out of my ears and ball up my fists or curl up in a dark corner of an empty room and blast Lana Del Ray.Nope. Actually, I did know. I was mad. Definitely mad.Welp, off come the hoops.
“Aw, are you jealous that your little boyfriend said he’d vote for me?” I chirped. “Don’t worry, I’m sure when I win Homecoming Queen and he wins Homecoming King and we’re up on that stage together, he’ll be thinking of you the whole time.”
From the corner of my eye, I watched as her confidence seemed to deflate as her shoulders slumped downward. An unabashed smirk made its way across my lips.
“Speaking of Mason.” Kendra frowned while letting out a deep sigh. “This party…do we really have to go? Like, who hosts a party right after a football game, anyway? I’m going to be tired as hell.”
“Okay, well I’m definitely not going to a party with Ryan Conners and a whole team of single-minded jocks alone.”
“Honestly, as long as they have alcohol, I’m in.” Meredith shrugged. “Plus, I’ll get to see Mason.”
“Great.” I bobbed my head in an animated fashion despite the fact that each nod felt like a betrayal of how I actually felt. “And socializing is the most important part of campaigning for Homecoming Queen, so it’ll be perfect.”
“Is socializing code for flirting?”
“No. it’s code for socializing.”
“Lame.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I didn’t help you become popular, so you could talk to boys about physics or whatever. Why aren’t you putting yourself out there? Go flirt. Let loose a little.”
“I have more important things to worry about.”
“Oh, please. What could be more important than your love life?”
Literally anything.
“Homecoming Queen, Meredith.”
Kendra’s eyes glazed over as she spoke in a monotone voice. “You guys have fun with that, but why do I have to go?”
“Oh, come on, Kendra,” Meredith groaned. “If you ever want to be known by your name instead of ‘that girl who follows Meredith and Clarke around,’ then you need to be more…interesting.”
“Are you serious right now?” Kendra asked as she stopped dead in her tracks, fire in her eyes.
I looked over Meredith, who didn’t look phased in the slightest as she stared at her nails with a bored expression.
Kendra huffed. “Ugh, whatever.”
Before she had the chance to respond, I felt a hand tap me on the shoulder. When I spun around, I was face to face with Elliot fucking Keller. My eyes narrowed.
For the last month, it took every ounce of willpower I had to resist hurling my leather-bound journal at him and bludgeoning him with it after he selfishly invaded my privacy by reading its contents. For all I knew, he could have concocted some sort of counterplan to my original plan in order to prevent me from winning Prom Queen. Okay, maybe that was a little bit far-fetched. But he clearly hated me, so anything was possible. It went without saying that there was definitely not much warmth during our tutoring sessions, but at least that meant minimal talking…until he decided at this very minute to ruin the whole nonverbal arrangement thing we had going on.
“Don’t look so happy to see me, Princess.”
“Princess?” Meredith repeated, her voice oozing with disgust. “Clarke, who’s this?”
“No one. I’ll see you guys later.”
Their skeptical glances and overly critical attitude did not escape me, but I was in no mood to explain my connection to some random misfit. I ushered them off, pushing them in the opposite direction as I hastily yanked Elliot’s arm, tugging him around the corner away from their prying eyes.
“Oh, what? You didn’t want to introduce me to your friends?”
