"The fact that Wells picked me of all people-" Victoria huffed, studying her nail polish with a critical eye as she waited outside the main office.
"It's because of your standing with the Vortex club," Taylor explained as she shuffled a few pages in her hands. "Wells has to know that-"
"Did I ask? Why are you even here anyways, registration was two hours ago," Victoria said, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow at the other girl.
"Somebody's upset that they're missing their first photography class," Taylor rolled her eyes, "And anyway, I'm here because Jefferson sent me to the office to check over a few details on my registration forms. Something didn't match up apparently."
"Great, you're here already then. You can cover for me. Show the newbie around. I have my future to think about – and missing Jefferson's first class isn't a part of that future," Victoria started, as she turned to make her escape. But she was one second too late.
Just as she had taken two steps towards freedom, and her future, the door to the principal's office opened, and Principal Wells's voice beckoned, "Miss Chase?"
"Yes, Principal Wells?" Victoria turned around once more, a smile already frozen on her face.
"Were you going somewhere?" he asked as he gestured to the interior of his office, he tone carrying an admonishing undertone.
"No sir," Victoria said thinly through taut lips.
"If you'll just step inside my office then, I'll introduce you to Chloe Price," he said.
"Principal Wells," Taylor said, ignoring the daggers Victoria shot at her behind the principal's back. "Mr. Jefferson just asked me to get you to look at my registration forms? He said some details didn't line up."
"Oh, sure. This will only take a moment Miss Chase. Why don't you go on in and get acquainted? I will be in shortly," he nodded towards his office once more, and Victoria finally noticed a girl standing just out of sight, her back facing them. She looked like a delinquent, with a stained tank top and stringy short blonde hair.
"You're making me miss my favourite class newbie," Victoria stated icily as she rounded the desk and came face to face with Chloe Price.
"Well, that's new," Chloe drawled as she slowly took Victoria in with one sweeping glance from bottom to top.
Chloe's gaze unsettled Victoria slightly, but she shifted her weight and crossed her arms in front of her chest in an effort to hide it. "What?" she bit out.
"A Chase licking the boots of an authority figure," Chloe shrugged, an infuriating smirk crawling across her pretty face. "I always assumed it was the other way around, from what I hear about your family."
"You don't know anything about-" Victoria started indignantly.
Chloe snapped her fingers suddenly, and a loud bark of laughter accompanied her next words. "Wait, it's Jefferson, isn't it? Oh man, it totally is! Forget boots, Chase, you're probably just dying to lick-"
"Miss Price, Miss Chase," Principal Wells said, stepping into his office and shutting the door, "Thank you for waiting."
"Not a problem," Chloe grinned smugly, tipping herself forward onto her toes slightly as she tucked her arms behind herself.
I will rip that stupid smirk off your face, you low-life trash,Victoria glowered for the second that the principal had his back to her.
"Everything alright ladies?" Principal Wells asked when, once again, Victoria was too slow at hiding her reactions. And Chloe's ever-increasing impish smile wasn't helping matters either.
"Everything's fine," Victoria nodded stiffly.
"She's absolutely right sir," Chloe said, "If it's alright with you, I think Miss Chase can handle the tour from here."
Principal Wells appeared taken aback for a moment. "Well, if Miss Chase is alright with-"
"Oh, she absolutely is, aren't you Miss Chase?" Chloe said as she looped her arm through Victoria's and tugged her towards the door, sending her stumbling into Chloe's side.
"I swear I am going-"
"See, she already agreed she's going," Chloe smiled sweetly, pushing Victoria out the door and into the hallway, out of sight from Principal Wells.
As soon as they turned the corner, Victoria ripped her arm out of Chloe's grasp and rounded on her, insults and indignation already spewing from her lips before she even finished facing Chloe. "If you think for one fucking second that I'm going to be nice to you because you're new and I'm supposed to, then I've got news for your grungy ass-"
"Nice? You?" Chloe scoffed, folding her arms and tilting her head to the side, sizing Victoria up once again. "Doubt it. From what I know about you, Chase... well, let's say that I hear you're quite naughty."
Victoria found herself spluttering again. She was not about to be reduced to a stuttering, red-faced mess after a few choice words and looks from this low-life punk. She squared her shoulders, opened her mouth to fire back a retort. Came up empty. "Whatever," Victoria rolled her eyes as she turned and strode down the main hall, beckoning with a twitch of her fingers, "Let's just get this over with."
"Right down to business, huh?" came Chloe's voice from behind her, laden with innuendo. Victoria didn't have to turn around to know that she was smirking again. "I like that in a woman."
Victoria stopped in her tracks, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "I could report you," she hissed through thin lips and clenched teeth.
"But you wont," Chloe's voice murmured in her ear, her breath hot at the side of Victoria's neck. It was then that Victoria realized that Chloe knew exactly how to find an opening and exploit it.
"You don't think I won't march you right back to that office right now and-"
Chloe's hand grabbed Victoria's shoulder and pulled her around so that their faces were inches from each other. "You like having all that power, don't you?" Chloe challenged, and Victoria found herself looking up slightly into her crystal blue eyes. Found herself hating how easily Chloe was taking charge. And hating even more the fact that she didn't seem to exactly mind. "What if I took it away?"
It was Victoria's turn to scoff. "I would like to see you try, punk trash."
Chloe pulled back, pulling her hand from Victoria's shoulder and stuffing it in her pocket, adjusting her beanie with her other hand. "You would like to see me try," Chloe barked out a laugh, "Are you even trying, Chase?"
"Excuse me?" Victoria asked, affronted, dusting the lingering feeling of Chloe's hand off of her shoulder before settling her hands on her hips and glaring into Chloe's piercing eyes.
"I'm having a hard time believing that you're really the Bitch Queen of Blackwell. If your cronies knew that I was walking all over you right now-"
"Whatever you want, Price, you aren't going to get. Not from me," Victoria snapped, her upper lip curling slightly as she pulled herself up to her full height and lifted her chin slightly. Then cursed inwardly once she realized that even when Chloe was slouching, she still had just that much more height on her.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Chloe said lightly, "Were you under the impression that I wanted something? That maybe you thought I wanted... you? Man, you really are that self-absorbed, aren't you?"
Victoria froze, narrowing her eyes slightly. "This concludes our tour, Price. You're welcome to direct any other questions you probably have to Principal Wells at anytime. If you'll excuse me, I have more important people to be around."
"I'm wounded, Chase," Chloe mocked, her voice deep and dramatic.
"Take it up with my lawyer," Victoria shot over her shoulder, before pausing a moment and turning minutely and crossing an arm over her chest while raising a finger in the air, "Oh wait. You probably couldn't afford to."
At that, Chloe's confident smirk faltered, and truly dangerous anger flickered across her expression. "There's she is," Chloe growled, "I'm honoured the Bitch Queen decided to make an appearance after all."
"Oh, you're whining now? Because you thought, what? That you could win?" Victoria snapped back, stuffing her guilt down some place dark to fester into further bitterness. "You'll never measure up, Price. Not to anyone. And especially not to me."
"You think you're hot shit, Victoria," Chloe replied scathingly, "But I see right through you. You might have looks, and power, and more money than half of this school, but it doesn't mean shit. It's just walls and smoke. And I would know," she finished bitterly.
"Oh boohoo, your poor little sob story isn't going to win you any favours," Victoria said airily, a smirk playing around the corners of her lips. "Now, I really do have more important things to do than show your freak ass around-"
"Fine, whatever Victoria," Chloe hissed, shoving her hands deeper into her pockets, "Find someone else's life to ruin then. It's all you're capable of, after all."
"You don't even know me," Victoria said.
Chloe laughed bitterly again, "I know enough. We're not all that different, you know. Aside from the fact that I actually have a heart."
"Under all that punk trash and, oh, what did you say? Walls and smoke?"
"You don't get to try figuring me out, Chase. Not now. You had your chance," Chloe warned thinly, "And if you had any sort of conscience, you'd regret not caring about something other than yourself for once."
"You're just making baseless accusations now – you still don't know anything. Not about this school, not about my family, not about me," Victoria said in a dangerous tone.
"Isn't that what you do?" Chloe fired back easily. Too easily. "How does the bitter taste of your own medicine feel? Can't stand that someone can finally match up to you? Get used to it sister, because, for as long as I'm here, your life is gonna be hell."
Chloe finally turned away, leaving Victoria gaping in the middle of the hall and staring after Chloe's taut, wired back.
"Boy," Taylor's voice snickered from off to the left as she exited the principal's office with a folder in hand. "She really let you have it good, didn't she V?"
"Taylor, shut up," Victoria bit out, turning stiffly to face her.
"All I'm saying," she put her hands up defensively, shooting a look over Victoria's shoulder where Chloe had disappeared around the corner, "Is that I see some insane hate-sex in you two's future."
Victoria flared bright red, and stalked down the hall towards Jefferson's class, trying to lie by convincing herself that she hadn't thought about it the first moment that Chloe got in her face and took Victoria's power from her and wielded it for herself.
"Deny it all you want, Miss Chase," Taylor singsonged behind her as the neared the classroom, "But you know you've got it bad for-"
"Shut the fuck up, bitch," Victoria snarled, and refused to let Taylor see her blush and tried to ignore her own reaction to the title. "I do not want some low-life punk trash dominating me in bed."
"Dominating?!" Taylor squealed, and immediately Victoria wanted to kick herself. She settled instead for yanking on a fistful of Taylor's hair instead. "Ow, fuck, okay, lay off Victoria!"
"Not a word about any of this, Taylor," Victoria threatened, releasing her.
Taylor put up her hands placatingly, "Sure, sure. Not a word. Though," she smirked as she rubbed her scalp, "Chloe might want to know about this hair pulling kink you've got-"
"Jesus!" Victoria gave up, throwing her hands from her hips and stalking into class, glaring daggers at anyone who gave her a second glance. But, unlike Chloe, each and every one of them cowered before her towering rage. Chloe was right, Victoria grumbled in her mind as she stomped to the back of the class, I really have met my match.