Page 51 of Enemies to Prom Dates
“Maybe if you’d listened to what everyone wanted, this wouldn’t have happened,” Anne replied sweetly.
I turned in her direction, snarling. “You bitch. You did do it on purpose.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Anne said with an innocent expression. “It was an accident. I’m just suggesting another host might have been able to run things a little smoother. So sorry about the dress, Star.”
With that, Anne left. The rest of the girls who were still lined up in their fancy prom dresses carried on with the show as if nothing had happened. Chas stated that he was taking Star back to his house and we were to meet him there.
I couldn’t bear the idea of going on stage again to wrap up the show.
“It’s just boobs, Beth. She’ll get over it,” Heath said. “I’ll make sure I edit out of the video. It will be like it never happened.”
“It’s not that. It’s that someone deliberately hurt her to get to me.” I whirled on Fitz, who was always an easy target for my rage. “You should have let me quit when I wanted to!”
His jaw tightened. “I’m sorry. I was prepared to protect you. I didn’t think about Star. Everyone loves her.”
“Yes, everyone loves her. So much that they all stood up to take a video while her dress was down around her waist!”
“We need to finish the show. Then we can talk.”
“Wedo not need to do anything. I’m going to go after my sister. And this whole fucking school can crumble to the ground as far as I care.”
I left without looking back. My fury so pure I thought maybe I had it in me to punch Anne in her round face. The very thing I’d stopped Fitz from doing with Wick.
Was this how he’d felt?
Rage, because someone dared to hurt someone he cared about.
* * *
Fitz
“I’m going to destroy her,”I said, getting into my car.
“Who? Anne?” Heath asked, getting in the passenger seat. “You can blame her, but you know she didn’t do that on her own. Someone put her up to it.”
“Why? Why fucking humiliate Star?” I raged.
“You know why. Because hurting Star is the easiest way to hurt Beth. In fact, targeting Star is thebestway to hurt Beth. Her sister is way more vulnerable than she is, and everyone knows it.”
I hated that he made such sense. Why hadn’t I thought about that? Was Beth right? Should I have let her quit? But that would have meant admitting defeat.
Winning. Losing. Victory. Defeat.
It was high school, damn it. So why did it feel like war?
I leaned my head back against the seat rest.
“What is happening? Why is everything suddenly a battle? I feel like I have enemies everywhere. Actual enemies and now Beth might be one, too.”
“Does that upset you?” Heath asked.
I turned toward him. “What do you mean?”
“You told Beth to do the show, Beth’s sister got humiliated and now Beth is furious with you.”
“Thanks for the recap,” I muttered.
“I guess I’m asking why you care? It’s Beth Bennet. She’s not at all popular, a total academic nerd and she’s pretty on her best day, totally average on her worst. You’re not into her, are you?”
