"See. I wasn't doing 'it' with him. He was just helping me!" I screamed in hysterics as my legs untangled from Sam's. Fucking albatross!
"Yes. It's really not as it seems. I was just helping her!" Sam said, when one of the brunettes throw me a dirty look and eyed Sam, like he was the only jar of Ben and Jerry's in the entire convenience store. So, girls do have a thing for assholes with dry humor? That could mean only one thing. I was in big trouble.
"How exactly did you two end up in the bed like that?" Sherry scowled.
"Well, I was going to get done with my stuff. But she asked for it! She was all over me, and the rest is history!" Sam said with a smirk.
"Fucking- That sounds hella inappropriate!" I retorted, but the judgement was done.
Six pairs of eye had issued me a verdict.
"I thought you were sensible, Barley!" Sherry said. The hate in her voice was apparent when she gritted her teeth. Oh fuck.
"Sherry, it's Marley.. with an 'M'!" Sam corrected her, and I saw her clench her jaw.
"Oh God! You bewitched him! A few minutes with her, and he is correcting her name!" Sherry whined.
Now of all the times, the jerk had to correct her!
The problem with my life is, I have no control on the timing. And this time, I had no idea on how to explain the group of glaring, Kardashian counterfeit girls that I wasn't hooking up with Sam-from-hell. Also, Sherry's boyfriend, and the biggest mouthy jerk I have met in this lifetime. The fact that my lipgloss was plastered right on his cheek, as bright as a day, mocking me in the eye, and Sam's reluctance to say 'something sensible' was driving me nuts.
"I swear he is making everything up! I don't even know his name!" I said. That's only half a life. I still don't know his last name. So it counts, right?
"Oh really? You don't know he's Sam?" Sherry challenged.
"I didn't know who he was. He spilled the mascara on the floor, and one thing led to another...Trust me, Sherry. I swear it on Photogram!" I said, hoping it does the trick. Of all the things I have known in the Twenty Four hours of knowing Sherry was her love for the social media app. This should mean something to her. Please, please. I don't want to start another year with names called behind my back. Please.
"You swear it on Timotheé Chalamet's followers?" She asked with a raised brow.
"I- I-swear on Timotheé Chalamet's followers!" I said, holding my breath. Come on God, you know I didn't hook up with this jerk. Don't you dare cut Timotheé's follow count. If you get the wrong picture too (that is).
"Girls, she is telling the truth!" Sherry said, letting out a sigh.
"Wait. What? You're gonna believe her?" Sam asked estranged. Oh. This fucker!
"Sam, we need to talk!" Sherry said, eyeing him suspiciously.
"What do you wanna talk about? You don't trust me? You trust that girl over your boyfriend!" Sam groaned.
What the fuck, dude? He was the one to talk! Just how manipulative of an asshole can a man be? Is Sam-from-hell an ideal for all those dirty dirty cheats out there? If not, they have surely missed on a masterpiece of manipulation.
"Shut up, Sam! No girl ever fake swears on her IBL!" Sherry said, and I looked at her wide eyed. What the fuck is an IBL?
"A what?" Sam whined, rubbing his nose stupidly.
"Imaginative boyfriend for life, dummy!" Sherry said, interrupting my thoughts.
"Timotheé Chalamet is not my imaginative boyfriend!" I retorted, feeling the heat stirring in my cheeks. Okay, maybe this one time I had a wild dream of kissing and making out with him till Gina slapped me awake with her Teddy. But, how could she know?
"Don't deny it, honey. We all have one!" Sherry said, shooting a smirk at Sam.
"Now, get the hell out!" She motioned at Sam.
"What? You're kicking me out? For what?" He asked, plopping on the bed.
"For lying. Defaming a potential HOE. And stealing my book!" Sherry stormed past us, grabbing Sam by his arm. Oh. My. God. She was no Barbie.
Sherry pulled him all the way out, and slammed the door right into his face, before falling flat on her tummy on the bed. Must be hard. Even I was having a hard time admitting that Sherry was an 'alpha', not one of those discreet eye candies. Whoa whoa! So many surprises for a day.
"Hey, you swear you didn't hook up with him?" Sherry muttered.
"I swear. He is an asshole!" I said, and all of the girls croaked into laughter. What the hell's going on?
"Congratulations!" A black haired, utterly lean, makeup garnished girl extended her arm towards me.
"For what?" I asked, wide eyed. Who won a lottery? Who's getting a new job? Is it graduation already? Why the fucking congrats?
"You made it!" A blonde haired in black shorts walked passed the crowd.
"Made in where?" Oh God. Don't tell me I am going to die. Are they...Going to kill me? Did I break an order? Was this even legal? My breath hitched. Fuck, where's my inhaler. I reached for it in my pockets. And when I couldn't feel the can. My anxiety kicked harder.
"Welcome to the HOE Club!" Sherry announced loud, and I thought I choked on my own spit.
"Fuck. I need to catch my breath!" I complained.
"Wow. I didn't know we were that big of a thing. Wowzerss girls!" The blonde hair girl chirped.
No. You aren't. I am dying. And if I don't get the inhaler, these gals would never figure out. The issue was...how do I tell them.
I rummaged through the drawers in the side cabinet. Not paying heed to the stares. The murmurs. And the complaints.
"Here!" I grabbed the can, pulled it on my lips and pumped it.
"Whoa! I mean sorry. I mean. Ugh. Forget it." Sherry said, as she took the picture in.
"Nod twice if you want to talk more. Once if you want us to leave!" She said.
"I am just breathless. Not dumb!" I said, and one of them croaked into laughter. Unfortunately, all the other girls stared so hard at her that she had to stop.
"What the hell's going on?" I asked, once I could breathe easy.
"You passed the first circle of the cult! The trust circle. Now three more till you finally become one of us!" Sherry said, and I looked at her wide eyed. So I appeared for a test that I didn't even prepared for. How?
"Come again?" I said, hoping she would talk sense.
"We, are the HOEs. And I, Sherry Wilkins, the newly elected President for this month, introduce you to the HOE cult." She said, her eyes beaming with joy.
Really? They call themselves HOE? As in WHORE?
"HOE?" I repeat the words aloud.
"His. Only. Enemy." Sherry said.
"Who's only enemy?" I asked.
"H-I-S!" The green eyes chick who was laughing it off earlier chimed.
"His, who? Sam?" I asked, and they all broke into fits of laughter. Annoying school girls!
"That part comes later. We have a step by step routine to follow! And you passed the step one!" Sherry giggled, placing her arm around my shoulder.
"But- I-"
"No but-s. Every year we look for potential HOE-s that would enrich our community. So glad I found you!" She said, looking as proud as a mom who was done with her day's chore.
"See, whether you join in, or not would be decided on your conduct. We have other tests for that. The first one only comes as a surprise!" Sherry said.
"Okay." I said.
"And you did pretty well. The last time they tested me, I nearly kissed Sam, and almost flunked it till I passed out due to his cologne. I am allergic. By the way, I am Mia." The green eyed gal said breathlessly. How do you talk like that without feeling your lungs getting crushed?
"So...Sam is a part of all this?" I asked, and they eyed each other.
"Sam's our litmus paper. Always around for testing." The black haired girl walks forward.
"I am Stacy. I founded the HOE-s. So nice to meet you!" She said, shaking my hand.
"Thank. I guess." I said, taking it awkwardly.
"Girls, I am still out here. We have a party to attend!" Sam yelled from the outside.
"That's the cue, I guess!" Sherry chirped.
"All HOE-s fall in line!" Sherry announced.
"Mia"
"Amy"
"Stacy"
"Jane"
"Ruby"
"Barley"
She sing-song-ed. What's this? A musical?
"Uh! It's Marley!" I corrected her, as I saw the girls hurdle up in a circle.
"Remember the code:
Tits up, jeans tight, and leave no girl behind!" Sherry yelled.
Oh. My. God. What did I get myself into?
"Who are we?" Stacy said aloud.
"The HOES!" They said, and scattered out of the room. What. The. Sweet. Fudge.
"You knew this?" I looked questioningly at Sam as everyone walked out, and he was still stalling behind.
"I can explain!" He said, looking scared for his life.
Seems like I didn't take the surprise well.
"Really?" I said, walking closer to him as he dashed.
My nostrils flared. Chasing. Running. After Sam, as the HOE-s paraded the hallway.
"Go easy on him." Stacy hooted from behind.
"Yeah." I shrugged.
I am gonna kill him!
"Sam!" I yelled, following him closely.