Page 29 of The Prom Queen Project
I tried to look intimidating, but I momentarily lost my footing and shuffled to the side like an idiot. The tallest of the bunch smirked at me.
“Look, Clarke, you’ve got balls, that’s for sure, but how about you leave the guy-talk to the guys, and sit there like the pretty little girl you are.”
I balled my hands into fists. Their laughter assaulted my ears as the three boys slapped each other on the back and rallied out of the kitchen.Why are boys such assholes?I let out an exasperated sigh as I slammed my phone onto the countertop, accidentally opening my messages and displaying Elliot’s name at the center of the screen.
“Abercrombie,” I muttered aloud. “Maybe he can tell me why his species sucks.”
I knew I was buzzed, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. For once, it was time to just…do. No thinking. Just doing. I reached for my phone, feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety, and dialed Elliot’s number, hoping he would pick up.
“Hello?” he answered, his voice sounding groggy on the other end of the line.
“Abercrombie! Hey! Why are males asshats?”
“What?”
“Males? Asshats? What aren’t you understanding?”
“Clarke, are you drunk?”
“Noooo,” I drawled. “Okay…maybe.”
“It’s almost eleven. Where the hell are you?”
“Mason’s party, which by the way isbeyoooondlame. There are way too many horny people here. Everyone just wants to have sex and shit, but I’mgooood. I’m Gouda. Like, I don’t need that, ya know? Well, not from them anyway…”
“Are you okay?”
“Never better.” I cleared my throat. “Anyways, boys are asshats, right? Like regardless of social status, you all kinda suck.”
“Did someone do something to you tonight?”
“Just boys being boys, am I right?”
“Uhhh…look, you sound pretty fucked up and the guys at this party seem lame. You should go home. Call your parents or something.”
“Why? Because you think I’m soooo irresponsible that I can’t take care of myself?” I scoffed. “Well, I amplentyresponsible. I have a ton of responsibilities and…stuff. Not just Prom Queen.” I swallowed my saliva, my mouth full of spit from talking so much. “So anyways, I can handle—ooop! Shit!”
I clambered to catch a large porcelain vase, clutching it in my hands seconds before the glass shattered on the floor, all while flinging my phone to the side. My breathing wavered as Icarefully set the vase back on the counter where it belonged and picked up my phone.
Where the hell did that thing even come from?
“Clarke? You alive over there?”
“I think?”
“That’s it.” I heard shuffling on the other end of the line. “I’m coming to get you.”
“W-what? No. I don’t need—”
“Be there in ten minutes.”
The line went dead.
You’d think the idea of some pseudo Prince Charming riding in on a white horse to save me would be flattering, but it wasn’t. Maybe it was just all the alcohol I had drank, but I was so done with everyone on the planet—Meredith, Mason, Kendra, Camryn, Ryan, those three dickheads who came into the kitchen, and even the white knight himself, Elliot. They all sucked. Fuck me for trying to have a fun night with my friends, I guess.Guess I’d just have to tough it out alone. Just me and my old pal—whatever the hell was in this cup.
I didn’t need some self-righteous guy swooping in to save me, and there was no way I would run crying to Meredith. I just needed to relax and maybe shut off my brain like everyone else seemed to be doing.
With another hefty sip of my drink, I waltzed back into the room of flashing lights. The alcohol wrapped around me like a warm haze, dissolving my anxieties.
