43Strategically, I slouched my shoulders lower than usual, taking care that my blue hand-me-down jacket won't draw too much attention. I had earlier snuck into Lindsay's room to steal her foundation. I wasn't really sure whether that red slap mark would identify me, so, I patted my entire face with the powder. Fiona is strong! It's still there.
Oh, right, and discovered I was more ghostly then I ever wanted to be.
Still, I could always pretend that I've died and have come back to haunt Simone.
Hmm, I should contemplate that more often. It would be a very, very fun game to play. I can imagine myself now.
"Simone," I'll moan. "Simone!"
Then again, she'll probably take one look at me being ghostly and laugh. She'll probably say something like. "Ew, people wear that in their afterlife?" Then she'd cackle and I'd scoot away in fright.
Instead of saying, "I see dead people." Simone could probably say, "What? Dead people? I scare dead people!"
Then she'll scare everyone in the ten mile radius by screeching victoriously. I can imagine her going, "I scare dead people! Bow down to me!"
Yep, that's Simone.
Oops.
I sidetracked, again.
Oh, right, I averted Cameron's wrath this morning. Cameron had friends over today, so she didn't yell at me but she does love to impress. I even put on my cleanest maid's uniform with funny, white, frilly hat (which I usually hate). I served tea in a tray, without being asked. I curtsied before them, surprised them all, put on my best British accent and my aunt has a grin so big, her brain can't compare.
Either way, there I was peeking out from behind the statue that stood in front of my school. Colonel Richards was proudly on his horse and I was hiding behind the horse. It's a good thing the horse was so big.
Poke. Poke. Poke.
"Quit it!" I hissed. "Or else she'll find me."
"Or else who will find you?" a sneering voice asked.
SHOOT!
I turned around quickly. "Um, err, uh, that little girl, in 'The Ring', she'll find me!"
Shifting my eyes, I looked at her. "Are you her in disguise?"
Oscar award for me. She looked thoroughly disgusted and my voice sounded like it was about to crack in paranoia. Shaking, I waggled my finger at her.
"I know you won't be," I managed, giving her a hug. "You're my best friend."
Simone shuddered. "God, you're a freak."
I drew my hug back and looked slightly remorseful.
"You have no idea what happened last night because you weren't there." She glared at
me menacingly. "You owe me."
I nodded eagerly.
"What happened?" I asked, taking her books from her.
She obliged, filling in details I don't recall.
"Ian was so hot that night if he had told me he wanted me there and then, I wouldn't have cared."
She was ignoring the couple on the dining room table, wasn't she?
There was enough there and then.
Preoccupied? Yes, that's the word to describe it. Another couple would have been overkill. Oh, never mind the fact that a crowd would probably gather round and hoot.
"Then that bitch Fiona decided she wanted him too but in her face! There was this unknown girl there. Her outfit was tacky. I don't understand why Ian wanted to walk with her. She wasn't pretty, at all."
I refrained from rolling my eyes.
Similar to a brainless follower, I widened my eyes. "Who's Ian?"
"You. Haven't. Been. Paying. Attention. At. All."
She narrowed her eyes at me.
"I've been talking about him since the day I've met you," she continued.
Gosh, she looks scary.
"YOU!" someone suddenly hissed.
Wow. This one looks even scarier.
I squint.
Eyes are widening slowly.
Shuddering quite visibly, I flinch as Fiona fingers my cheek. She tilts her head and remarks, "You need better makeup."
I nod – like a slave – but I'll never truly admit that to her.
Oh, that reminds me, my happy dance is due. She didn't notice it was me. She didn't notice. She didn't notice. The bad makeup isn't mine and she didn't notice.
Ahem, my bad.
I suppose my happy dance isn't that pretty either.
"I need a favour Simone."
"What is it Fiona?"
"I want to know who that girl with Ian was. She seemed to know you," Fiona drawled. I think she's trying to sound British for Ian's sake. No seriously.
I quote. "I like girls with a foreign accent. I don't know why. But I do." This he has confessed last night.
Fiona eavesdropped! Cue mock gasp.
"She seemed a bit surprised to see you," Melody chirped from behind Fiona.
At least I know Fiona has brains to notice the things around her. Melody, is melodious, but I do not suppose she has the same observational skills Fiona has.
"Her outfit was tacky," the three soon-to-be rulers of the school stated.
I mean, Fiona, Melody and Gabrielle of course.
"Ooh," they said at the same time.
Simone seemed decent next to them. I wonder what the current three rulers would say about Fiona, Melody and Gabrielle. Now, what are their names? What are their names? Tory, Trish and Tasha I think.
No, they are not triplets. No, they do not look alike in any way. And in case you're wondering, they call themselves Triple T.
Ask them about it, and Tory will begin, "It stands for the fact that we're triple threat-"
"-with triple the looks," Trish will say.
"-and triple the cash," Tasha will end.
Then they'll do a hair flip and flash a megawatt smile at each other then glare down the poor fool who dared to question their obvious acronym.
All of this was thought out while Fiona, Melody and Gabrielle do a sort of secret handshake. I wonder what they will call themselves. FMG? FGM? MGF? MFG? GFM? GMF? It could stand for Flirty, Meddlesome Girls or something.
Forget it, they can think of that themselves.
Simone raised her eyebrow. She seems smart and normal next to them. Wow. What a difference comparison can make. "Okay…"
She sounded normal too!
Fiona held up her hand in front of Simone's face. "Shut up. No one cares what you think until you answer the question."
I refrained from rolling my eyes. I've been so occupied with avoiding her, I suppose I forgot about how she felt about Fiona. Maybe there's a softer side to her. A more human side maybe. Something that isn't a façade, something real, that is not hypocritical/
Ah, high school.
"Maddie!" her voice then screeches. "You're letting my books tilt."
I retract everything nice I've said about her.
"I have no idea who that girl was, is," she replied. "Don't ask me who she is. She's a bitch. That's all I know."
Fiona smiled, a tight, forced smile. "Listen, there's another party next week. It's a classic Lucas Johnston party. Ian's going again."
I let my thinking trail off from there. I didn't want to have anything to do with that suave, gentlemanly, chivalrous, smart, good looking – I'm not helping myself, am I? Point is I don't want to have anything to do with a guy which girls might (read: will) kill me for.
"Ian has been combing everywhere for her," my ears caught Melody saying.
"No he hasn't," Fiona hissed lowly.
Melody clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oops."
She's definitely not the one with the blood red nail. I think Fiona switches hench-demons. She has night ones and day ones. You know, just in case technicalities arise. I don't know what those technicalities could be, so…anyway.
Ian has been combing the school for me?
Me of all people.
Ugh, just when I decided to give up on him.
"Listen Fairfield," Fiona was saying pointedly to Simone. "Show up at that party this weekend. I have a plan to unmask our mystery girl.
Uh-oh!
Do you think Simone is smart enough to make the connection if I show up at mystery girl doesn't? Or vice versa?
What have I gotten myself into?
Ahh...FP is back up. Many thanks to nkstr, Emotionless Crystal, Classicaly Unrequited and I Broke A Pencil. I really appreciate your reviews! So come one people, REVIEW! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you find any errors please tell me so that I can change it as soon as possible.