The Queen Bee of Bridgeton (19 page)

"Sasha, how do you know all this?"

"Don't worry about it.  Now, even though she's dating Poe, I know for a fact she's a lesbian or at least
bi
."

I sighed and shook my head. This was too much for me to handle. "Sasha, I don't want to have to spread rumors about people."

"It's not a rumor if it's true. And this is definitely true. In fact, I have video."

"What!"

"You heard me. I. Have. Video," she said emphasizing each word. "If she says anything at all to you just say three words: Lauren, Brooke, video.  Then walk away.  She will be so shocked she'll probably wet herself.  Leaving the
DeHaven
off of her name will be like an added kick in the stomach.  She hates that.  She refuses to be confused with Lauren Holloway, Lauren
Rovick
, Lauren Smith or Lauren
Widman
."

I couldn't believe my sister's words.  I couldn't believe my sister was privy to this kind of information.
How utterly scandalous and crude.

"Sasha, seriously, why do you know all this stuff? 
How
do you know this?"

"I said, don't worry about it," she said curtly.

But I couldn’t help worrying about it. There had to be a reason Sasha knew all of this. I thought back to what I overheard
Will
say earlier. Was it possible that Sasha was friends with these girls? I needed to know the truth.

“Sasha,” I said changing the tone of our rumor fest. “I overheard you and Will arguing today.”

She put down the flat iron and crossed her arms. She took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry you had to hear that.  I’m sorry I don’t like your boyfriend.”

I shook my head. “No, that’s not what I’m concerned about. I know you don’t like Will for me. I’m worried about something he said.”

Sasha raised her eyebrow waiting for me to continue.

“He said they were your friends.” She didn’t respond. “Are they really your friends, Sasha? Did you know anything about what they did to me?”

Sasha’s bottom lip started quivering. “How could you even ask me that?” she said as a tear spilled down her face. She turned away from me. Suddenly I felt guilty for even thinking it.

“Two years ago, during my first week of school,” Sasha began in a hushed voice, “they tried to befriend me.” She turned and leaned against the sink. “I thought they really liked me. I thought I found a place to belong.”

She stopped abruptly.

“What happened?” I asked.

Sasha closed her eyes tightly as if holding back more tears. Then in one swift movement, she whipped off her hair. I gasped.

“You’re wearing a wig?” I stood up and studied her hair or what was left of it. There were bald spots in between short unhealthy patches of hair.

She nodded while letting the tears flow. “They got close enough to me to fill my shampoo bottle with Nair. When I tried to wash my hair after gym class, it came out in clumps. It hasn’t grown back properly since.”

“Oh, Sasha,” I said hugging her and letting her cry on my shoulder. I wanted to ask her why she couldn’t smell the Nair before she used it. I mean that’s pretty strong stuff. But I didn’t want to make her feel any worse.

“I…never…told anyone,” she said between short shallow breaths as she tried to control her sobbing. “I just bought a wig and pretended it never happened. I’ve stayed away from them since.”

“Oh, Sasha, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Sasha took a deep breath. She placed her wig back on her head and then wiped away the last of her tears. “I got over it. I didn’t let them get to me and I rose to student body president. You can get through this too.  You just have to trust me."  She sat me back down in the chair and stared into my eyes.  "I know you think this is beneath you and petty, but really this is the only way to defeat them.  I can fix this, but you have to trust me, sweetie,
okay
?"

"Okay," I said reluctantly. 

Sasha hugged me and started working on my make-up. 

"Good, I’m glad we’re in agreement on this. Now,” she said changing her mood. She went from sad back to vindictive in the blink of an eye, “Lauren
DeHaven
is going to be your greatest opponent for prom queen since Poe is a shoe in for King.  So really watch your back for her."

***

I had to
admit,
when she was done I looked like a supermodel.  I could have been on the cover of any one of those fashion magazines I always passed up for dance magazines.  The tiny skirt Sasha made me wear really accentuated my long shapely dancer legs.  And the top was just short enough to reveal a hint of my rock solid abdomen.  Even Will was shocked by my transformation. 

"I mean
,
not to say you weren't beautiful before," he said after stumbling over his words for a few minutes. "I think you're gorgeous either way, but I can definitely deal with this for a night or two." 

When we got to the party, my nervous stomach almost made me puke again.  Sasha told me to just pretend like I played a character in a famous ballet. She said that if her plan worked, no one would even remember or care by the next weekend and then I could go back to normal. 

Will and I burst into the party like we owned the place.  We danced in the middle of the floor and groped each other for most of the night.  Out of the corner of my eye I could see Ashley fuming.  Then, when the right song came on, I took center stage, or center living room, and did my thing.  Everyone chanted my name again, but this time, I had planned it.  I even incorporated some ballet moves into my act and get some oh's and
ah's
when I went into my splits.

By the end of the night, I was the life of the party.  The underwear model rumor had taken flight and a few guys asked to take a picture with me. 

At some point, Will and I got separated.  He went off to talk with his buddies as I made rounds trying to show how supremely confident with my body I was.  Then, suddenly, someone pulled me into a bedroom.  Lips kissed me and hands touched me all over.  I could immediately tell it wasn't Will. I pushed him off and got a good look at an inebriated David Winthrop.  I didn't remember how far I had gone with him the night before, but apparently it was far enough for him to think he had an open invitation to my body.

"Get off me!" I yelled as I tried to fight him.

"You know you want me," he slurred.  In that moment, I couldn't think of one reason why I had been so infatuated with him.  What was I thinking?

"Maybe I wanted you in the past, but I have a boyfriend now," I said, stepping away from him and preparing to bolt out the door if he tried anything.

"So, that's it?" He seemed a little disappointed.  I wondered for a moment if he actually liked me.  Then I couldn't help but wonder if he was just drunk and horny or if he just thought I was Sasha again.

"I thought we made a connection last night," David said, sitting on the bed.  I almost went and sat next to him.  I got a quick flash of all those fantasies I used to have of him.  It would've been so easy to make one of them
come
true right there and then.   But something kept me from going over to him on the bed.  Something didn't feel right.  I didn't know whether I had suddenly become paranoid because of what happened the night before, but I felt the need to get out of that room, fast. So, that's what I did.  I didn't even say another word to David, I just ran out as he babbled something about it not being a good idea that I reject him.

"Do you know what I can do to you?" I heard him say. Good thing I left when I did.  Just as I walked out of the room, I saw Ashley dragging Will around the corner.  That little witch was trying to set me up again.  She wanted Will to catch me with David.  How could someone be so evil?  I ducked around the corner and watched with delight as her plan failed miserably.

"I swear I saw her come in here with him," she said after they had walked into the room.  Will just shook her loose and charged out of the door.  "Wait, Will, wait!" she called, scurrying after him.

When Ashley's attempt to turn Will against me failed, Brittany and Lauren
DeHaven
tried the intimidation approach.
  They forced me into an empty room and said, "You have no idea who you're playing with."  Lauren
DeHaven
shoved my shoulder like she wanted to fight and I had to hold in a laugh.  She was a good three inches shorter than me.  I could have leveled her with one swift arabesque to her chest.  She had no idea how many fights I had been in with much more formidable opponents in
Venton
Heights. 

"I suggest you never touch me again," I said calmly.

"Oh, yeah, well what are you
gonna
do?"

"I have three words for you.
Lauren, Brooke, video."
  I crossed my arms and glared at her.  Lauren
DeHaven's
eyes expanded and her jaw dropped.

"How
do you…where
did you…," she stuttered.

"What is she talking about, LD?" Brittany asked.  This must have been a piece of information even her closest friends didn't know about.  I still wondered how Sasha knew.

"Sasha!" she gasped as she turned around and stormed out of the room leaving a confused Brittany behind.

"Do you have anything to add, horse face?"  Brittany's mouth flew open in shock.  I
kinda
shocked myself at my own cruelty. Then she scampered off after Lauren
DeHaven
.

I was relieved when my 'show' ended and we could leave the party.  I'd had enough of the high school party scene.  Too bad it had taken the Bitch Brigade to make me realize it. Sasha was extremely pleased with how well her plan worked.  By Monday, no one pitied me or ridiculed the girl who had been duped by the Bitch Brigade.  Instead, guys were high-fiving Will in the hall and girls were asking me what it was like to work in Europe.  I actually gave them detailed accounts of photo shoots since I had done several for the dance festival I attended in Spain.  It wasn't the best image or reputation to have in high school, but it beat being portrayed as a weak pitiful victim who can't handle her alcohol.  The only drawback: yeah, possibly winning prom queen.

Already convinced that I'd win prom queen, Sasha wanted me to look the part. Originally, she had planned for me to wear the black and pink cocktail dress she wore last year, but at the last minute she decided against it. She thought someone might remember it. So that morning, she bought me a white empire-waist gown with red detailing. It looked almost like a wedding dress. By the time she finished putting my hair in an up do with cascading tendrils, I really did look like a queen.

Des rented a limousine for the night and somehow Sasha convinced him it would be more time efficient if the limousine picked up Sasha and me, then Will, then Des. Of course, the limo never came to
Venton
Heights. Sasha and I met the driver at the rental place and left from there.