Add that to June's misery, the EPC's massive failure and Cathy Walker's sworn rule of making our lives a living hell, I was ready to die by a pizza stick. She made us pack chairs and sweep floors and run silly errands like what I was doing now, bringing an eye lash curler that seemed to be everywhere. Cathy just sat there with her gum-addicted slaves hovering around her perfect hair. She got two freshman girls to file her nails and they did all but danced. When she sent me down to the school basement to get her eye lash curler with a magnified tip, I dropped the boxes of old paper that were totally NOT event planning materials and glared at her.
" Really Cathy? I just got you that very same eyelash curler with a 'magnified lens' few minutes ago. And what on earth would your 'eyelash curler' be doing down in a basement? Ghost hunting? You know there's a thing called 'make-up kit' now. You should really look that up" Cathy snorted and held her nose up to give me a full witchy glare.
" And there's a thing called being rich Summer!" She hollered, flipping her hair to give me a one-sided smirk " In case you didn't know. Don't hate me cause I'm rich and my life is sooo fab!"
"That makes two of us" I growled back, dumping the box angrily
" I am so NOT doing this anymore" Cathy gave me a little cocky smile.
" Principal Wilbur's counting on you Summer. You don't want to disappoint him now do you?" She pouted, batting her heavily mascared eyes at me and making me glare even harder. How could someone so evil manage to act so sweet and demonic at the same time? I kicked a box out of my way.
" Then fuck him and fuck you. I'm not the event planner after all" With that I strode off to find Dawn, Shayna and Carlizza. Apparently, they seemed to be searching for an eyelash curler too. One with 'less magnified lens'. Dawn eyes screamed help. I leaned against a mountain of old boxes.
" I'm so NOT doing this"
" Tell me about it!" Carlizza said, throwing an old box aside. Shayna wiped her hands against the back of her jean dress and walked up to me. Dawn was already by my side. We plonked on a bench and heaved together.
" Our lives are positively miserable" Dawn said " I feel so miserable, I can't imagine the worst thing that could happen right now"
" I hate, hate, hate this!" I screamed, kicking a small box to the other side of the room. " I'm so mad I could... SCREAM!!!!!!!!!!!"
" Then scream" Shayna said. I did just that and surprisingly, I felt much more better.
" What do we do?" I asked in despair " June's mad at us, the whole school thinks we're freaks and Cathy's making our lives miserable. The fact that she's doing our job and probably doesn't know a thing about tying a bow not to talk of organizing a party is just what irks me the most!" I heaved " I wish this is all a dream and that I'll just wake up to find out that there are no more eyelash curlers missing and burgers are being used just for they were made for. It's all just so frustrating to see your life all ripped up and telling you that there's nothing you can do about it damn"
" I think we should change schools" Shayna said. I chuckled.
" Fat chance Shay. My mom wouldn't move me if I was being threatened by Frankenstein so think of something else" I said. Dawn huffed and puffed in anger.
" There's nothing I want to do more than to dip Cathy's head in a toilet bowl and ruin her dresses with nail polish" We laughed and Carlizza spoke up next.
" We could lock her up in a dumpster on Homecoming. There should be a gorge date in there somewhere right?" We laughed again and heaved at the same time. An idea began to bud and I got that weird tingly sensation burning through my skin. I turned to Carlizza.
" What if we didn't just lock Cathy in a dumpster? What if we locked her in and plan the event ourselves or rather ruin homecoming for her?" They stared at me for what seemed like ages till Shayna shrieked:
" That is a FANTASTIC idea!"
" Yeah" Dawn added " I do NOT hate that idea. We could make it more dramatic with lights and a table for two"
" And a banana peel dressed in a tux" Shayna said, throwing us into an uproarious laughter.
" We could play Justin Bieber though I like Taylor Swift. The heartbreak factor'd make a wonderful irony" We laughed again.
" But seriously guys are you in?" I asked.
" A chance to ruin Homecoming for Cathy? I'd take that in my sleep"
" Cool, cool guys. Now, let's get ready to make history!" I whooped. Just then Cathy whizzed by, chanting to anyone who cared that she was totally going to be voted Homecoming queen. that fueled our passion. I smirked and glanced at everyone.
" Who's ready to ruin someone's Homecoming, dress banana peels and decorate a dumpster?"
" Ai ai captain!!!" They cheered. We turned to leave and found Cathy standing right in our way with a huge glare on her pouty face. She smirked when she saw me and flounced her hair back.
" Oh Summer, Summer! I've looking all over for you guys!!"
" What do you want Cathy?" I groaned. She gave me a quirky smile and skipped up to me as gracefully as a ballet dancer.
" Principal Wilbur wants to see you right now"
" What did you do? Cry to him for help?" Dawn snapped. Cathy shot her and annoying smile and looked at me.
" Something like that" Suddenly she grabbed my hand and half dragged me down to his office. Believe me Cathy's easier to understand when she's being all mean and cocky but nice and cheery? That's worst than being stalked by a green mamba. Principal Wilbur didn't look so happy to see me. In fact, he looked like he was doing all within his power to keep from squishing me in his palm.
" Have a seat Scotts..." " Sir I..."
" Don't explain. I don't want to hear it" Ok say what now? " I expect you to help Cathy out, not try to ruin everything out of jealousy"
" What...?"
" What were you thinking Summer? Why do you want to ruin the dance? I mean I wouldn't be doing this weren't it for the fund -raiser and..."
" Principal Wilbur I don't know what you're talking about"
" You ruined Cathy's prop stuff didn't you" He said, holding a battered box up in my face. I stared at him and then at Cathy in shock. What...a?
" I didn't do any..."
" Oh don't lie to me now. I asked you to work with Cathy and not to envy her sucess over your failure" I gasped, finding it SUPER hard to believe my ears. I glanced at Cathy who just sat there, smiling and looking as innocent as ever. Principal Wilbur just glared right at me and shook his head in disappointment.
" This is so disappointing Summer. How could you be so malicious? what has poor Cathy done to deserve all this?" A lot, I wanted to say but only if I'd done it. But I was too shocked to defend myself, I just gaped. Beside me Cathy sniffed and dabbed her eyes with a hanky.
" Oh sir it was horrible. She was all mad and crazy on me and while I tried to make her work with me, she just called me names and torn up my work" She moaned.
" No I did not. I'd never do..."
" Enough!" He barked " I'm so disappointed in you Miss Scott. This is obviously a terrible case of bullying and I'm sure you know how much that is frowned upon in this school."
" OMG sir don't tell me you believe this crap!" I hollered. Cathy's sniffs grew even louder and she dabbed the 'tears' off her face slowly.
" Summer I really wanted us to work together" She began in the smallest voice she had, blinking back the 'tears' " I really thought we could be friends but we can't if you keep hating me. I'm really sorry Summer. I didn't mean to report this. I just couldn't bear the bullying any longer" I gaped at her, horrified. The lying snake! It was such a terrible lie that it had me wanting to believe her!!!.
" Oh my God Cathy you're terrible. Literally terrible"
" Cathy's a good soul so don't you dare say such to her. She'd begging all day for a reduction in the punishment I'd planned to give you. You could have been on detention all week but Cathy's the reason why you're having only one day of detention on saturday" I gasped in horror.
" But Homecoming's on Saturday!" I shrieked. Principal Wilbur shrugged. " Then you'll just have to miss it" I shot out of my seat, mad and enraged.
" B... But I can't!! This is wrong, so, so wrong. I didn't even do anything wrong! You can't stop me from going to the Homecoming like very other person. This is so wrong..."
" One more word Scotts and you're on detention FORVER!!!" Principal Wilbur glared down at me " Leave my offce! Right now!!" I mumbled under my breath and stomped out as noisily as I could. Cathy followed quietly behind me, chortling and dabbing at her fake tears. Tears filled my eyes and I hurried off to class while Cathy hurried after me and cornered me right before I could run into my salvation. I glared at her and try to bristle my way out before I did anything stupid like cry in her face.
" Aww! Too sad!!" She pouted " Pretty baby's not making it to Homecoming after all then. Too bad. The losers need a population boost. guess they'll just be one more loser short" She chortled again while I wanted to shove a house down her throat.
" You've ruined my life psycho. Thanks for nothing. I have classes. can you spell that?"
" Cheeky are we? When did you learn that comeback? While you were being ripped off in Principal Wilbur's office?"
" Fuck off Cathy" I said, trying to move around her. She held her hands up in surrender.
" A hoi mattie! I mean no harm. Just watching out for the coolness of Heather-ville. Loser much?"
" Get out of the way Cathy! You've gotten it right? You have my job now and you've finally gotten me out of Homecoming too. Now leave me alone!" I screeched, running down to the loos. As soon as I got into a secured empty stall, I collasped on a toilet seat and cried. Dawn, Carlizza and Shayna found me going at it 30 minutes later and fussed all over me, patting me and asking
what was wrong. When I was finally able to mutter my detention, they cried in outrage. Dawn grabbed her bag and headed for the door.
" That's it!" She screamed " I'm going to shove Cathy down a pipe and no one should come looking for me. Or her" We struggled to hold her back and she grew calm enough to listen. Well, listen to nothing cause we all were too speechless to say anything. I was distraught.
" What do we do?" Carlizza moaned " You've just gotta be there Summer"
" Oh well it wouldn't work out anyway. I don't have a date to the dance"
" Then we'll hang out, all of us"
" What about Harry and Carlos and Elan" Carlizza looked away and dawn stared at the ground in shame. I stared at them, alarmed.
" What did you guys do?"
" We...Um...Kinda broke up with them" Shayna said, biting her lower lip.
" You what?" I shrieked, looking from one guilty face to another
" How could you? What the hell were you thinking?"
" It was all Diego ok!" Dawn shrieked " We didn't mean to and we feel bad. Terrible in fact"
" What, have you tried talking to them? Tried to explain or reason things out?"
" Harry doesn't want to see me"
" Neither does Elan"
" Or Carlos " They all said sadly. I reached out to pat them.
" Come on guys. You can't just give up yet. You have to make them understand"
" No can do" Dawn mumbled " Elan doesn't even want to see me. He hates me so much"
" But we can't give up" I said, feeling my confidence seep back in " This is what Cathy wants. To win. To make us feel like we can't do anything or fight back and we're going to prove her wrong"
" How?" Shayna asked. I smiled and held my waist, looking up in thought. " I have a plan"