Stuck With The Four Hotties

“I need you to get something off-campus for me tonight. It’s for my costume.”

“Maybe you should’ve thought of that before you displayed such barbaric and despicable behavior?” Miranda quips, turning back to her tea and sipping it slowly. The metaphor in her actions isn’t lost on me. Sip that tea, Miranda, I think with a grin.

Creed notices my expression and turns to face me. I stare him down, curling my arm protectively around my journal, so he can’t see the words written in it. Bet he’d love that, to read it aloud to the academy the way he did with my essay.

“What’s so damn amusing to you?” he drawls, as insouciant and dismissive as always.

“You, waltzing around the school like you think you’re the prince. Maybe you are, but you’ll never be king.” My grin rachets up a notch, as wide and maniacal as the Cheshire Cat’s. “Tristan will always rule this school. At best, you’re second in command. At best. Then again, your grades are trash, and you don’t bother to apply yourself. At least Tristan can boast that much.”

If only I could describe the way his body stiffens up, like he’s suddenly carved of stone. Every wrinkle in his shirt, every crease in his slacks, it all looks chiseled from limestone. When he opens his mouth, Miranda lunges up from her chair and gets in his face.

“Don’t. Just don’t. Leave her alone, Creed. Mom’s already disgusted with you. And now, after the incident with the Bentley, so is Dad. Don’t dig yourself an even deeper hole.” Creed’s blue eyes go wide, but he manages to school his expression quickly, and his gaze narrows back to that heavy- lidded bedroom look that he enjoys so much.

He turns away from us and heads to the Idols’ table, sitting down and snapping his fingers for the waiter. That motion alone drives me nuts. These people might work here, but they’re not his personal freaking slaves.

“Fucking creep,” Zack murmurs, but really, he doesn’t have much room to talk, does he? And yet … when I look at him and he stares back, I can see in his eyes that he’s sorry. And not just because I punished him. No, he was sorry long before that.

I refocus on my journal, fully aware that Creed is watching me the entire time.

Good.

Let him watch.

Because what I have planned for him requires his cooperation. Bet he gives it freely and willingly.

“I look ridiculous,” Zack says with a laugh, examining his sea green dress, heels, and wig in the mirror. He’s such a big, bulky guy, I can’t exactly disagree. I clamp a hand over my mouth to stifle a chuckle, and he glances over his shoulder at me, batting his falsies in my direction. Laughter explodes from me anyway, and he grins. Usually, he’s as reserved as Tristan, all dark and brooding and probably evil underneath, but right now … he’s actually kind of cute. “Andrew’s the hot one. I’d bang him, if I were into, uh, what’s it called?”

“When two drag queens have sex? Is it kiki or kaikai?” Miranda taps her frosty pink lips with the tip of one finger. We even managed to squeeze getting our nails done in last night, so we’ve got matching acrylics. Since Zack is banned from leaving campus, he got a sort of shitty paint job from Miranda this morning. It only helps add to the hilarity of his look.

“Oh my god, Miranda,” Andrew says, fluffing his pale blue wig in the mirror. “Kiki is just a chat, a conversation. Kaikai is when two drag queens

… you know …”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Fuck?” Miranda replies, and we all groan. She’s so crass sometimes. “You watch more RuPaul’s Drag RaFe than anyone,” Jessie says, speaking

up for the first time, and twirling so that her frothy white tulle skirts spin around her. Miranda watches, her gaze softening as she takes in the brunette with an appreciative once-over. I hate to admit it, but Zack is looking at me in much the same way. “You know the terms better than Andrew does.”

“It’s true,” I say, still chuckling as I check my own hair in the mirror. My rose-gold hair is perfect, since I’ve been designated the yellow, lemon- flavored macaron. We’re all wearing necklaces made of real cookies, and our perfume is coordinated to our specific flavors. Actually, we make a pretty cute little group. “So … we do the whole school thing,” I start, referencing the academy sponsored party in the gym, “and then how do we get to the cemetery? I doubt sneaking the cars on campus is going to work.”

“We’ll have to walk,” Miranda says with a groan, sticking her tongue out at her heels which, by the way, cost almost a thousand bucks. I bought my own shoes this time at an outlet store for thirty-five big ones. These are by far the priciest shoes I’ve ever purchased for myself. Zack, Miranda, Andrew, and Jessie all offered to get me something else, but I refused.

Despite what Tristan, Zayd, and Creed think, I am not a charity case.

“I can always carry you, if your feet hurt too much from dancing,” Zack says, and the way he’s holding his face, the purr in his voice … it’d be sexy if he didn’t look so ridiculous in an ill-fitting dress with his massive muscular shoulders showing. Andrew actually looks sexy as hell. If I were into girls, I think I’d be into him the way he’s dressed now. Even Miranda whistled appreciatively when he came out of the bathroom for his big reveal. “Thanks, but I think I can manage walking,” I reply, forcing a smile and running my palms down the front of my glittery yellow gown. “Shall we?” I hold out my arm for Andrew, and he takes it. I notice Zack looking longingly at us, but technically, we’ve decided that Miranda and Jessie are a couple for

the night, and I’m going with Andrew.

Zack is … going stag. Good for him.

The Halloween party looks much the same as it did last year. Only the first-years seem actually excited to be here. Everyone else is simply making an appearance and waiting for the real event to start. Amongst the cheesy disco balls and streamers, it’s easy to spot the Idols at their table near the stage. They all stand out like sore thumbs, sucking the life from the room.