Down With The Queen

Party Animals

The stench of alcohol and sweaty teenagers was so overwhelming and choking that for an instant Vi regretted going in for the party, but she knew that Jennifer would be attending the party if she already wasn’t in it. So far, she had made progress in getting some attention as heads turned and eyes followed her when she entered the room with Aaron- mostly boys trying to score one for the night. But there were only a few who noticed, and at a party like this, Vi knew it would take more than an entrance to get noticed; but she didn’t need to get noticed...at least not just yet. She needed a place where everyone would be sober enough to realize that there was a complete stranger amongst them...

“Do you want to get a drink?” Aaron asked, interrupting her thoughts. He felt like he was trying too hard to be nice, but at the same time he felt responsible for her since it was he who invited her.

“Oh no, I don’t drink. I’m in recovery,” Vi said soberly.

“Oh...my bad, I’m really sorry for...” Aaron apologized, lost for words until he saw the amusement in Vi’s eyes and realized that she was only playing him.

“You little scoundrel!” he shouted into her ears, trying to make sure he heard her over the booming speakers and the screams and whoops of the drunk dancers staggering like they were performing some sort of ritual dance. The DJ-Bobby Robertson, a curly haired boy who had an affinity* for big-boobed celebrities- was actively spinning hit songs on his turn tables and was doing a good job of keeping the crowd going; you were either dancing or bobbing your head to the rhythm.

Vi laughed it off, wishing she could stand there all night making jokes and laughing with Aaron, but she had to survey the land and study its peoples-well, she just had to look around to find out who was who, and there were quite a number of already drunk teenagers who she could pry out some information from.

“Hello Aaron,” came an extremely sweet voice from behind them. If it was possible to have a toothache from hearing so sweet a voice, Vi was certain she’d be writhing on the floor clutching her cheek in pain at that instant. She recognized the voice of the speaker before she turned, and her stomach clenched nervously. It was the first time she was seeing Jennifer up close since the incident, and she was feeling a bit flustered. Her therapist had told her that she might get a bit discomfited when next she encountered Jennifer, but nothing had prepared her for this. She didn’t plan to meet Jennifer just yet, and she felt her carefully laid out plans going with the wind.

Jennifer smiled ever so sweetly, and seemed to place a lot of focus on Aaron. Three other girls stood behind her, two of whom Vi recognized as Marissa and Pearl. Marissa hadn’t changed much, she still had her don’t-mess-with-me aura about her, and Pearl had graduated from stick-on tattoos to fake piercings. The other dark haired girl who was new to their clique looked nonchalant to their conversation, as if she’d rather be doing something else. She wore a fishnet tank under a ripped crop top which she paired with cargo pants and combat boots. They looked menacing enough, but Vi knew that if one looked closely enough, they would see the scratches that lay underneath the smooth surface and realize that they weren’t as perfect as they let everyone think. Just as she had her insecurities and fears, so did they. They were just better at hiding them than everyone else.

“Jennifer,” Aaron replied unenthusiastically when he turned to face her. He wondered what she wanted this time.

“Enjoying the party? I see you brought a guest,” she stated as her eyes moved to Vi. She gave Vi one of her widest smiles that Vi felt it looked like the smile was pasted onto her face. Vi shuddered to think of what her mad face looked like, but gave Jennifer a genuine soft smile instead; after all, there was no need to start a rivalry right now. To be honest, Vi didn’t think she had the energy for that right then.

“She’s a new friend of mine, and also none of your business Jennifer. Why don’t you go and look for Daniel? He’s been waiting for you for the past fifteen minutes,” Aaron tried to point out, desperate to get Jennifer off his back. She really was a pest and had turned into a desperado over the years trying to win him back to her side. He’d hashed out things with her civilly and gently when he’d ended things between them, but she had a hard time letting that sink in. a very hard time.

“Oh don’t be silly love! I just wanted to say hi to the new girl,” Jennifer said with the same pasty smile. “Hello new girl! You’re very welcome to one of the very many parties we shall be throwing in Knox.”

Mars pushed forward excitedly to meet Vi, almost knocking Jennifer into a very sweaty drunk dude. “Hey!” Jennifer cried, flailing her arms to maintain her balance before she crashed into him.

“Do you mind, Mars?” Jennifer asked with arms akimbo. She hadn’t stayed a minute and this...this girl was already drawing her friends to her like a supersized magnet.

Mars was too occupied with gushing over Vi’s outfit to notice Jennifer’s distress. “Oh. My. Gawd. That top is soo cuuutee!!” Mars squealed, and Vi was sure that if she looked close enough, she would see hearts in her eyes.

“Thanks. I mean it’s not that great a top...” Vi said skeptically, looking down at the floral loose tank she wore. She hadn’t changed since the mall because she didn’t feel the need to try to over impress drunk teenagers, and she wasn’t also sure if she was going to get into the party until she met Aaron. Now she was glad she didn’t even try too hard.

“Yeah, I kind of dig the outfit,” the dark haired girl with violet streaks in her hair added in approval, and Vi could see why. Like herself, the girl had that rebel vibe that did not look like it belonged in Jennifer’s clique. Vi made a mental note to find some way to pick her brains.

“I’m Vi,” she said, officially introducing herself.

“I’m Jennifer Simon...you must have heard of me,” she said, coming up to Vi while shoving Mars away in order to reassert dominance. Vi looked at her blankly as if to say ‘That’s the least of my worries’.

“...this is Mars,” she nodded in Mars direction who was looking around fir Ty, “This is Pearl...” she gestured towards Pearl, the Asian girl who stood beside Mars, “...and this is Raven,” she pointed to the girl. Finally Vi could put a name to the girl who sort of mirrored her style, and she kind of preferred her to the others. Pearl on the other hand, was looking at her as though trying to remember something.

“You kinda look like someone I know...” she trailed off, squinting her eyes as though it would help her see better through the LED disco lights which blinked red, green and purple every five seconds. Vi felt sweat form at the top of her brow-if anyone recognized her at all, the jig would be up and all her plans would be entirely useless. She didn’t have a plan drawn up in case she was recognized, and therein lay her first mistake.

“Really? Because I don’t think I’ve met you before,” she fibbed.

“Did you go to the Rogue Fashion camp last summer?” Pearl inquired.

“No. I don’t even like fashion school.”

“Hmmm. I must have seen you somewhere. I never forget a face,” Pearl insisted.

“Sheesh Pearl. You didn’t even recognize your blind date at Joe’s,” Mars injected with a roll of her eyes.

Aaron, finally tired of watching the conversation said, “Yes, I’m sure Vi is happy to meet you now. We’ll just go get drinks,” he said, ushering Vi hurriedly away from them. Vi felt so relieved to be out of Pearl’s scrutiny, because it seemed like Pearl would have recognized her at that instant. But it made her worry to know that someone found her familiar. She wasn’t the same person who left Knox years ago, neither did she look the same as her appearance had altered considerably. And if Pearl was going to be a problem, she would have to deal with Pearl first.

“Punch or club soda?” Aaron asked when they got to the bar. The bartender was a hunk with closely cropped hair who looked like he was in the marines. He had a barely noticeable tattoo of an arrow on his wrist, and put up a flirty face when Vi and Aaron approached the bar.

“The lady can have whatever she likes. Anything at all, it’s on the house,” he said with a wink and gestured to the bar, subtly including himself in the equation and ignoring Aaron.

“I will have some soda, thank you,” Vi flashed her teeth at him, enjoying his company and theatrical antics to win her over. Aaron said nothing at this, but murmured that he wanted some Vodka. Without much attention, the bartender passed him some vodka and resumed his conversation with Vi, who was laughing hysterically. Aaron left them in a huff and went to look for some place quiet to sit. He pushed past a couple at the stairs who were making out as if they would die the next minute, and at the other end of the room he noticed Mars clinging on to some guy he assumed went to St. Luke’s while Pearl and Raven played beer pong with some shirtless jocks. Not so far off, Jennifer was grinding her whole being into Daniel’s who was looking terribly suffocated.

Happy that she was occupied, he fled up the stairs as quickly as he could to go sit on the roof. He’d grown expert skills at evading Jennifer ever since they broke up, and it had become something of a cat and mouse game between them ever since, where he was obviously the mouse being hunted. He’d made it to the roof without interruption, although wading through a sea of horny teenagers was no mean feat.

But no sooner had he sat down than he heard the familiar click-clack sound of Jennifer’s boots as she waddled on to the roof, trying not to slip to her possible death. Aaron groaned inwardly.

“What do you want Jennifer?”

“Don’t be so dramatic, I came here for some fresh air because Danny was suffocating me. Fancy meeting you here,” she said as she sat beside him, inching too close for comfort.

“He looked like he was the one in danger,” Aaron mumbled to himself, taking a sip of his vodka, wincing when the liquid burned his throat.

“What was that?”

“Nothing Jennifer. I was just leaving,” Aaron said, standing up.

“But you just got here!” Jennifer cried, trying to make him stay.

“And you know this because you’re stalking me. Quit it Jennifer, it has been over for years,” and with that Aaron left.

“It was never over,” she said quietly, refusing to give up. She was going to get him back, and she didn’t care what she had to do.