The Winter Ball
Cordelia stood on the top of her step ladder and pinned the streamers into place. The pep squad were getting the gym ready for the Winter Ball and by now it had been transformed into a winter wonderland, festooned with white and blue paper ribbons and balloons. Silver glitter had been spread all across the floor.
It was just a silly little dance really, only for the underclassman - to make up for the fact they didn't go to homecoming. But it came with a crowning ceremony - some girl was gonna be the queen of the ball - and that title came with a trophy. And Cordelia was determined to win it. She liked trophies. And titles. And little plastic crowns. Symbols, all of them, of being someone - markers that she was there, and she was important. More important than everyone else.
She stepped down from her ladder and looked around. The place looked good. The janitor had helped them dangle icicles, made from shiny silver paper, from the ceiling and some of the other girls on the squad were attaching cut out snowflakes to the walls. Plus they'd hired a mirror-ball. And a smoke machine. It was all gonna be epic.
School had let out about an hour ago. The pep squad had been allowed to skip final period to start getting the gym ready. The dance was tomorrow night - Saturday … there was nothing left for her to do.
One by one, the girls finished up and cleared away the ladders, staplers, pins and scotch tape and then left, calling their goodbyes. Cordelia left with Aphrodesia. 'Do you have a new dress?' her friend asked.
'Of course! Daddy didn't want me to get one, he said I had plenty. I was like "dad, why do you hate me?" he crumbled in the end. He always does.'
'Who do you think will be crowned Queen?' Aphrodesia asked. Cordelia only smiled.
...
She watched the crowning ceremony, seething. The spots of light from the mirror-ball swirling around only made her angrier. And the smoke machine was making her choke. She had on the cutest dress of all the girls there. Her hair was en point, her make up was fierce and her nails were fashionably vamp and ... nothing.
That girl - up there - getting her crown, she wasn't even on the pep squad. She hadn't done any of the decorating and hard work, or getting flyers printed that Cordy had done. But she was a sophomore - and a cheerleader. And that was more currency than Cordelia had apparently. Apparently.
She folded her arms and glowered. Well - if that was how it was gonna be, then Sunnydale was about to get a bellyful of just how in your face Cordelia Chase could be. She was getting on the cheerleading squad. And she was gonna campaign for every crown there was going longer and harder than any other girl in the school. The whole building would be plastered with pictures of Cordelia's face, looking sensual yet sensitive, every time there was a dance coming up in the next six month period.
She was not gonna lose again.
Next year - that Queen of the Winter ball trophy would be hers.