Page 51 of The Prom Queen Project
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“What kind of teenager goes to trivia night?”
I held up two thumbs and pointed them at myself. He howled while doubling over, clutching his abdomen. I chuckled slightly,a smile now permanently engraved on my face as I watched him cry out with amusement.
There was something about being taunted by Elliot that felt more playful than hostile. Maybe it was the way the words glazed off his tongue or the subtle twinkle in his eye. But whatever it was, it lacked malevolence. I had never known teasing like that before.
I attempted to glare at him in disapproval, but the upward turn of my lips gave away my contentment. When he finally came up for air, he wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead.
“So, you and your sister were close, huh?”
“Yeah. Uh…” I cleared my throat while looking down at my lap as I fidgeted with my fingers. “We were best friends.”
He offered a sad smile. “You must really miss her.”
“More than anything in the world.”
“Well, if she’s anything like you, then I’m sorry I never got to know her.”
“Thanks, Elliot.”
He paused, peering at me from the corner of his eye. “Unless she also liked to drunk dial her study partners, in which case I think I have my hands full with you.”
Just like that, we were back to the same banter our relationship had become accustomed to. After a few more rounds of fighting zombies and kicking undead ass, I left that night feeling something insatiable. Something I longed for. Something I had been craving since Jessie died.
A friend. Arealfriend.
When Friday finally rolled around, I wasn’t as nervous as I had been when Andrew first invited me to play with them. I even ranked higher than that sassy dipshit on some of the later rounds. And Dani, well, she was a powerhouse kicking all of our asses, time and time again. It was sometime after meeting them but before Friday night ended that I realized something. Behindtheir empty threats and pointed jabs, they weren’t trying to be mean; they were just being protective of their friend. Meredith and Kendra would never have my back like Andrew and Dani had Elliot’s.
Maybe I had been hanging out with the wrong group of people this whole time.
Twelve
“Camryn, you’re lagging behind! Make sure to keep up with the other girls,” I scolded as my eyes darted continuously from one cheerleader to the next. “Meredith, you need more power! I expect better from you.”
Her mouth moved as she mumbled something under her breath. I raised my hand to my ear, arching my eyebrow.
“Do you have something to say?”
During our last practice, Meredith tried to complain to Coach Smithson citing that I was being—and I quote—a bitch.That didn’t go over well, though, because soon a screaming match ensued between the two of them and Meredith ended up being the one who was reprimanded for swearing instead of me being condemned for literally doing my damn job.
In the end, Coach Smithson agreed with how I was leading the team, and Meredith left her office looking like a pouty toddler with her cheeks puffed out and face beet red.
“No.” She glared at me.
“Good.” I smirked. “Less talking, more practicing!”
It felt liberating to finally embrace the sassier and more confident side of my personality in place of being some kind of brainless minion because who the fuck should have to be polite and well-tempered when it came to dealing with assholes? If she wanted to play dirty, then I could too. And if Kendra wanted to ignore the fallout of our friendship, then I could live like she didn’t exist.
Ever since I had taken up the mantle of being Elliot’s girlfriend, Meredith had fully embraced the grunt work of being Mason’s glorified playboy bunny. Somehow her boobs got bigger and her dresses got shorter within the span of a few weeks. I never intended to push the only two friends I had ever known away, but they made it so easy.
One thing was for sure, though: I was still the Queen Bee.
As it had turned out, dating Elliot actually had its perks. Most saw it as charity work, seeking out a boy below my own standing, but simultaneously, they also viewed it as a noble conquest. Besides, no matter how much anyone disapproved, their objections would cease the moment they laid eyes on Elliot. After all, I called him Abercrombie for a reason.
“Great job, girls!” I clapped my hands. “That’s all for today.”
“That’s it?” Meredith purred, her voice rich with bitterness. “You’re not going to have us run laps around the entire city?”
