Both girls dated occasionally. But Marina had never dated one boy for any length of time. She hadn’t yet met anyone she felt like saving all her evenings for, and the feeling had been mutual because as far as knew, she hadn’t broken any hearts.
Because she loved to read, she really didn’t mind spending time alone. Besides, she had Eleanor, who didn’t date much, either, and Sara and Amy. They wouldn’t be going to the prom, either. Maybe they’d all rent a film, and just have fun around Sara’s house.
Many people mistook the girls for sisters; they were tall, slender and good-looking. But Eleanor had lovely curly chestnut colored hair and green- brown eyes but a bit pale and far too shy and modest.
It was about to happen again. Stephanie Jones, tall and leopard-sleek, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders like black velvet, smiled with fake friendliness at Eleanor and asked with equally fake innocence, “Is that supposed to be a chignon on the back of your head, Eleanor? Funny how it doesn’t look anything like Natasha’s” She was holding a black velvet dress by its hanger.
Marina hated it that the “Pops” (her word for the popular girls) called her mother by her first name, but Natasha said it was good for business. The store was packed with loads of customers and everyone heard Stephanie’s cruel remark.
Eleanor turned scarlet and one hand flew to the back of her neck in embarrassment. Marina, in the process of removing a pale pink dress from the rack, hissed over her shoulder, “ Stephanie, let me just go check in back and see if there is a broom and a tall pointed black hat to go with that dress.”
Stephanie’s friend, Laura Bennet, who always said hi to Marina at school, laughed. And tall, blond Jenny, another Pops, scolded mildly, “Stephanie, don’t be
such a pain. Mind your manners." Eleanor went into the back room. When she returned to the sales floor, her sharp, angled face was grim, her attempt at a chignon gone. Her chestnut hair hung loosely, limply, around her shoulders in her customary style. Marina burned with anger maybe it wasn’t a perfect little bun, and maybe Eleanor was too young for a sophisticated hairstyle. But she tried. It was mean of Stephanie to make fun of Eleanor for trying. One more example (and there was so many) of the Perfectly Pretty People stepping on the Imperfect. Mean. Really mean.
The 6th form picnic was held the following Wednesday, a grey chilly day, threatening rain. Classes were suspended for those who had made it to the end of school without collecting more F’s than B’s. They drove up to the beautiful stretch of parkland called Peninsula Point. Aptly named, the park was located in the very centre of a long, narrow strip of land stretching toward the sea like a pointing finger. While the peninsula’s middle was lush and green. Distant conversations of the Pops and their boyfriends were kind of loud but I didn’t care as I assumed a conversation with the girls myself.
“Why don’t you just break up with her Michael?” “You know I can’t just dump her. We must keep this a secret who knows what she’ll do if she that her boyfriend and one of her best friends are going out with each other behind her back.” “ Ok but she has to find out sooner or later.” Probably better if she found out sooner, she thinks.
A girl with a yellow and blue GAP jumper is jogging along the sand on our school day off, I wonder if that's one of the girls, she looks so like...Nah, it couldn't’ t be, she would have waved at me by now, thinks Stephanie while she’s standing on the light house, on the cliff that has the beach down below it and the point behind it, it has been closed down as being dangerous but teenagers uses it to dare each other to go up there.
I have to go up there and tell Stephanie about Michael and me, if she won’t let me have him I’ll tell her how he was going to dump her at the prom and take me instead that should suit her but I hate climbing this old light house.
“Oh, its you, you scared me don’t ever do that it’s so freaky how you can just jump out of nowhere and scare me. Oh by the way have you found a date for the prom. Me and Michael are going together, Laura and her boyfriend David are going together and so are Louise and Luke since you broke up with your boyfriend, who are you taking?" She so doesn’t know what’s coming at her. “ By the way Stephanie I’m taking your ex-boyfriend Michael to the prom and Stephanie what’s his favourite colour because I want to change the dress that we brought together into a different one that Michael actually likes.” “What! Michael and me haven’t broken up and just to remind since you obviously forgot that he is taking me.” “I suggest you break up with him or else.” “Or else what!” “I just might have to push you over the railings.” “Aaaaaaagggggggggghhhhhhhhh! Help me please I’m falling please help you’re meant to be my best friend.”
Oh my god what should I do I can’t let anyone find out that I tried to kill Stephanie even though she did fall on her own I probably should run back to the class and pretend I don’t know what happened if they cry I’ll cry if they don’t then I won’t its as simple as that. You know once I pushed Stephanie over the railings it wasn’t that hard I fell so strong and I got such a headache because I keep hearing her screaming. That bitch suits her right she wouldn't let me have Michael. Any way this is perfect even though I killed her it would like she fell of the lighthouse and into the creek because of a loose board and the lighthouse has always been a death trap. Oh everything is going so smoothly it looks like I might have Michael for the prom afterwards. I just might get nominated for all the categories like class beauty and queen. All I have to do is getting rid of the rest of the competition like Marina, Laura and Louise.
To be continued.
