Chapter 31 Makeover.
It’s Wednesday today, four days since Stephanie attended that party. When she eventually returned home, her parents were asleep and she tried her best not to wake them. The game of Truth or Dare continued at the party. Aspen came back but didn’t join them in the game. She had this gloomy look on her face. The game went on with stupid, crazy dares and embarrassing truths. The game ended when - was it Mia - dared Chris to kiss Ivy. Chris had simply stood and walked away with Cleo trailing him. After he left, others didn’t continue the game - they had lost interest.
On Sunday morning, her dad was kinda pissed that she was out that late but her mum calmed him down. Her mum on the other hand was happy, something about her beginning to behave like a normal high school teenager. Apparently, she wasn’t behaving like one before. Her father eventually let it slide after giving her a warning - if she stays out so late again, she would be grounded for the rest of her senior year.
The truth is that things have been a little different since the party. Stephanie can’t help herself. She has been acting a little distant from Chris because of his confession - if it could be called that. If he has noticed it, he hasn’t shown any sign that he has indeed noticed. She has been thinking about his answer. She can’t help but feel like he was talking about her. And the fact that he was staring at her when he answered unnerves her.
She thankfully hasn’t had any clash with anybody since the week started.
To be honest, Stephanie has been expecting a visit from Poison Ivy since she didn’t exactly obey her instructions on Saturday night at the party. It’s not that Ivy is some sort of boss to her that she has to obey her instructions. The correct sentence should be since she didn’t exactly heed Ivy’s warning of staying away from Luke, she has been expecting her since Monday. For the last two school days, nothing has happened. She barely saw Ivy’s face for those two days. Her face seems scarce now. And Steph’s happy about it.
But she still likes Luke and she isn’t exactly happy about that. It’s not that Luke is a bad boy or anything, it’s just that he has a girlfriend, not just any girlfriend - the mean bitch type of girlfriend that threatens other girls to stay away from her sweetheart. Even if the fact that Luke already has a girlfriend is ignored - if he doesn’t actually have a girlfriend - she doesn’t see herself being with someone like him. She just can’t picture herself with him because they are of different social statuses. They are on different levels of the social ladder. Her crush on him, to her - it’s to pass time because they can’t be together. To Steph, it’s just like having a crush on a celebrity. You’d love to get a chance to be with that celebrity, perhaps even daydream and fantasize about it but deep down, you know it’s something that can never happen in real life. It can only happen in your fantasies or your dreams - never in real life.
Stephanie is just one of those other girls that like Luke. She’s trying her best to drive those feelings away but they’re still there. She avoids lengthy conversations with him, avoids close contact with him, she’d probably avoid him altogether but that’s not possible seeing that her best friend is dating his best friend.
“I’ll see you later, Steph,” Brooke says as she shuts her locker to face Steph.
Steph doesn’t hear her though since she’s busy thinking.
“Stephanie!” Brooke snaps her finger to her face.
“Yeah…..”
“Are you okay? You zoned out."
“Sorry. I was just thinking,” Steph answers.
“About?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll see you later,” Steph says.
“Okay,” Brooke replies, looking at Steph and wondering why she doesn’t wanna tell her what she was thinking about.
They part ways seeing that they have different classes for first period. Brooke is excited for her first class because she shares it with her beloved boyfriend. It’s even surprising that it’s not every time he walks her to class. Some days, they act like they are attached at the hips, other days they don’t - but you barely see days like this.
Unlike Brooke, Stephanie isn’t excited about first period. She doesn’t have a boyfriend she shares it with. Instead, she has it with Christopher and his ex-girlfriend, Poison Ivy.
Steph doesn’t even get to class to see the aforementioned bitch because she gets blocked by her and her minion on the way.
Why? Why? Why couldn’t she wait until I get to class or till after class? Steph laments in her head.
“Hello Stephanie,” Ivy says in a falsetto voice laced with fake enthusiasm and accompanied by a fake smile.
Steph is taken aback. Poison Ivy doesn’t act nice to anyone let alone a girl she has warned to stay away from her beloved boyfriend.
“Uhm….hi,” Steph replies after some confusing seconds pass.
“We have first period together right?” Ivy asks.
To Steph, it’s kinda surprising that she noticed they have class together.
“Yeah…..”
“Can we talk to you for a minute?” Ivy says looking around. “In private.”
Aspen nods. “In the girls’ bathroom.”
Steph feels like if she agrees, she’d be walking into her end or something so she shakes her head in disagreement.
What can they possibly want to talk to her about? It’s not like they are friends or anything close to that. The only thing they can want to talk to her about is Luke. Steph remembers Ivy saying she doesn’t warn anyone more than once. And she doesn’t think Ivy counts Saturday night as staying away from Luke or not being anywhere near him. If she follows them into the girls’ bathroom, she’d be walking to her doom.
“Uhm….I have to get to class. We’ll talk later,” Steph mutters and tries to walk away.
They both stop her.
“Bathroom. Now,” Ivy says menacingly, her fake smile and enthusiasm gone.
Steph takes a deep breath and turns around.
“Go on, we’re right behind you,” Aspen urges her.
Steph begins to walk towards the girls’ bathroom, with Ivy and Aspen right behind her.
What are they planning? Steph mentally asks herself. She pulls her textbook closer to herself and hugs it. She sights some students rushing off to class and she wishes she can just join them.
She was quite relieved when she didn’t see Christopher come to walk her to class but right now, she’s wishing he did. If he did, she’s pretty sure she wouldn’t be on the way to the girls’ bathroom with these witches. But he always insists on them walking together to class whenever they have the first period together so what makes today different?
Maybe he’s running late, Steph assumes but her subconscious assumes something else entirely.
Maybe he’s the one doing the avoiding this time around since you’ve been acting so distant and awkward around him. Maybe he has gotten tired of you since things seem to be going back to the way it was when he first started talking to you - No, trying to talk to you.
Stephanie wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case. It’s even surprising that he’s still here after all the hard times she has been giving him. But can you blame her? He has never noticed her then boom! They kiss at a party during a stupid game and then he suddenly wants to be friends with her.
She still believes he has an ulterior motive but he has never for once mentioned their kiss.
Steph walks into the bathroom first and Ivy and Aspen follow. Stephanie just stands awkwardly while Ivy proceeds to the front of the mirror. Aspen checks if the stalls are empty.
“We’re alone,” Aspen announces.
“Great,” Ivy smirks and turns around to face Steph. “You know, I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this since Saturday but that bitch, that best friend of yours is always with you. It’s like you guys are attached at the hip or something,” Ivy pauses with a disgusted look on her face.
If Brooke and I are attached at the hip, then you too are practically glued to each other, Steph muses.
“But she isn’t here now and I’ve got my chance,” Ivy ends her speech.
Even though Steph is kinda scared and has no idea what Ivy has planned, that doesn’t stop her from asking.
“Wait. Are you scared of Brooke?” She raises a mocking brow.
“Puh-lease! I’m not scared of her,” Ivy flips her a bird.
“Sure, whatever makes you sleep at night,” Steph mumbles under her breath.
“What was that?”
“Nothing. So why am I here?” Steph asks, a puzzled look on her face.
“I warned you,” Ivy begins to circle Steph like a predator closing in on its prey. “To stay away from Luke but as the rebel you are, you decided to ignore them.”
Exactly what Steph thought this would be about. She looks at Aspen to see her smirking.
“There’s something you need to know about me.”
“What?” Steph swallows the lump in her throat.
“I don’t warn someone more than once,” Ivy says to her face.
“You should know what this means,” Aspen speaks.
Steph narrows her eyes. “What if I don’t?”
“You should,” Ivy says calmly - too calmly for Steph’s liking as she inspects her nails. “What did I tell you the day I warned you?”
Warned? More like threatened, Steph thinks before answering, “To stay away from Luke or you’ll make my life miserable.”
”Exactly.” Ivy deadpans.
“Look, I don’t have time for all this. I need to get to class, I’m already late.” Steph says and tries to walk away.
“You’re not going anywhere until I say so.” Ivy bellows.
“Uh huh,” Aspen agrees and moves closer.
“We’re talking about making your life hell and you’re worried about being late to class?” Ivy says through gritted teeth.
“She’s a nerd,” Aspen informs Ivy.
“Yes I’m a nerd and I’m proud of it. I’m not like you birdbrains that might not know what the periodic table is,” Steph retorts.
Okay, did she just say that? Did she just reply poison Ivy like that? She was initially scared of Ivy making her life miserable but right now, she doesn’t give a damn. Why was she even scared at first? Ivy is a girl like her.
“I can see you’re mentoring under that bitch of yours,” Ivy says menacingly.
“And I can see that you’re still the same bitch everyone hates.”
“Everybody loves me,” Ivy scoffs.
Steph snickers. “Sure.”
Steph ignores Ivy’s glare. “And if I may ask, how do you intend to make my life hell?”
Ivy smirks as if she has been waiting to be asked that question. “You don’t need to know. Just watch and you’ll see……”
“Yada yada yada,” Steph cuts her off, rolling her eyes. "Let me guess, you'll
make my nonexistent boyfriend dump me and then end my nonexistent social life?” Steph gives her an incredulous look.
“Brooke was right. You’re insecure. You know you aren’t good enough for Luke that’s why you get scared when you see him with another girl even if it's just a friend,” Steph states.
“Luke is lucky to have me,” Ivy growls.
“I don’t think he is,” Steph shakes her head. “I think he’s only with you ‘cause he doesn’t know the real you since you’re so good at acting. If he does, he’d run far far away from you.”
“You’re provoking me,” Ivy says through gritted teeth.
I haven’t made you mad yet? Steph muses as she imagines steam coming out of Ivy’s ears.
“I’m only saying the truth. You know what they say,” Steph shrugs. “The truth is bitter.”
Even though Ivy knows there’s truth in what Steph’s saying, she’d never admit it. Aspen knows too but she can’t possibly say it to Ivy’s face. Aspen still believes that Ivy cheating on a guy as hot as Chris was stupid. If she has someone like Chris as a boyfriend, she’d never let go. If not that Ivy said she isn’t allowed to date any guy she dated, she’d probably be after Chris and not Jason.
Steph sees the scowl on Ivy’s face and takes a deep breath.
“I’d love to continue this heart-to-heart conversation,” Steph lifts her fingers in inverted commas, “but I don’t have any more time to spare. So if you’d excuse me, I’d be leaving now.”
She turns around and heads for the exit as a grin appears on her face.
To think that she was actually scared to walk in here with them, expecting something crazy to happen. Well, something crazy that she’d never forget did happen - she stood up to poison Ivy. She finally did it and nothing bad happened. Ivy didn’t chop off her head or slap her.
But just as Steph reaches out to open the door, a hand latches on to hers and roughly turns her around, making the textbook in her other hand fall to the ground.
“Hey, let me go,” she squirms, trying to pry Ivy’s hand off her which only causes Ivy to smirk.
“Why don’t we give you a little makeover before you leave,” Ivy says with a wicked grin on her face.
“I agree,” Aspen says as she grips Steph’s second hand.
“No, leave me alone.” But they do not listen to her.
Okay, I spoke too soon, Steph decides.