The Horror of Popularity

Chapter 4: When everything finally hits home

(At Veronica's Residence at 7:30 pm)

"We hope that you'll enjoy your stay with us," Veronica's mother said kindly as Trixie placed her stuff in the spacious guest room, "Veronica will definitely have some fun times with her best friend under the same roof," she continued but Trixie silently sat on the bed with her head bowed, "oh Trixie," she said comfortingly, "I know that we can't replace your parents," she admitted, "but please take comfort in the fact that no matter WHAT we'll take care of you as equally as we take care of our little girl Veronica," she said and gave Trixie a hug.

"Why do my parents hate me?" Trixie asked in a small voice on the verge of crying.

"They don't hate you," Veronica said from the doorway, "they just react differently in times of trouble I guess," she said frankly.

Veronica's mother quickly kissed Trixie on the cheek, smiled at her daughter Veronica and left the guest room.

"How do you know that they don't hate me?" Trixie asked her eyes filled with tears.

"The Tang's might've been formal but they always seemed a loving pair to me," Veronica recalled, "and do you know what they always seemed to love and cherish most?" she asked Trixie.

"Their bank accounts," Trixie muttered coldly pouting.

"You Trixie," Veronica said, "they have to change their minds," she continued, "no parent can truly abandon their child."

"What about Ian's Dad?" Trixie asked seriously.

"His Dad's a jerk," Veronica spat, "with the alternatives he gave Ian I don't see how he expected Ian to go home."

"That's because he didn't want him to go home," Trixie deduced, "he purposely made Ian's options so bad that moving out was his only good option," she stated.

"I don't think Ian has any good options," Veronica confessed, "can you imagine going home to a father like that after this horror is over?" she asked incredulously.

"I can't even imagine going home with my parents after what they've done," Trixie confessed, "I definitely wouldn't go back if Mr. Richton was my father."

"Neither would I," Veronica agreed, "he even disowned Britney and calling Lorna a witch definitely doesn't raise his humanity in my eyes," she declared, "it even makes me wonder if he's insane," she added frankly.

"Insanity for people like him is only an excuse," Trixie said stiffly, "he's pure evil," she snarled, "he wouldn't even believe his own son," she pointed out, "just because he couldn't give him the answer that he wanted."

"More like wouldn't," Veronica countered and Trixie looked at her curiously, "he could've lied to satisfy his father," she said and Trixie gasped.

"Ian wouldn't do something like that!" Trixie cried, "He knows that the truth is most important!"

"But it seems to me that his father wants most of all is a scapegoat," Veronica said calmly, "someone who they can use to claim that they started this crazy curse," she continued, "someone like Lorna," she concluded on a sad note.

"You don't think...?" Trixie started to ask but was too scared to voice her thoughts on the matter.

"That they'll make Lorna out to be some witch who set those dogs on Stuart?" Veronica finished for her, "Lorna definitely CAN NOT return to school before this whole thing is over," she said seriously, "and I believe that she knows it," she added.

"One down," Trixie muttered to herself.

"What?" Veronica asked hearing what Trixie muttered.

"Oh nothing!" Trixie cried blushing, "just being a worry wart."

(8:00 pm at Chad's Residence)

"It's so nice that you're sleeping over Tad," Chad's mother said happily as Tad helped her in the kitchen, "Chad will definitely be glad since you two have been such great friends for so long," she said, "plus you're so helpful while Chad's up there comforting that poor Ian Richton boy," she complimented and Tad blushed, "would you believe that boy's father actually came up to me today at work talking about exterminating you darling children," she said furiously and Tad's eyes widened like saucers, "oh yes," she confirmed, "I'm telling you here now because I think that poor boy would be inconsolable if he knew how adamant his father truly is against you darling children," she said shaking her head as Tad took another dish from her and dried it, "all the servants left last night," she said with a sigh, "but I wasn't born with riches so I can manage," she said simply as she handed Tad the last dish to dry, "why don't you go upstairs with Chad and Ian while I finish up here," she offered, "I insist," she said calmly but firmly when Tad got ready to protest.

"Okay," Tad conceded with a laugh and waved by to her as he left the kitchen and headed upstairs.

"You guys okay?" Tad asked as he stepped into Chad's large upstairs den.

"Shhhh," Chad told him and pointed to sleeping Ian on the sofa, "he just fell asleep a few minutes ago," he said, "and he was crying right up til then so it's best to just let him rest."

"I'm glad that my parents are supportive," Tad said with relief, "it's just that Mr. Richton is their manager at work and he's supposed to be over there now for dinner," he said with open distaste, "they immediately sent me over to your house so I could avoid being badgered by him."

"I'm grateful that my mom is so headstrong," Chad said, "she said she told off Mr. Richton when he even suggested that we knew who was responsible for what happened to the popular kids," he said proudly, "and my Dad definitely wouldn't believe that I'd harm anyone."

"I'm going to check what's on the tube," Tad said simply and started to flip through the channels as Chad just started to do his homework, "Chad come here," Tad whispered urgently and Chad looked up, "look who's on the screen."

Chester McBadbat was on the TV and being interviewed by an anchor Woman. He was covered up to his waist with a sheet and there was a lot of tubes etching out of his arms and his face was almost unrecognizable by how swollen and torn up it looked. There even a Parental Advisory on the screen warning parents not to let little children look at what was being shown now. Mr. McBadbat was sobbing beside his son's bed holding Chester's unmoving hand. Chester's eyes were opened and he was breathing. But his empty eyes and motionless body didn't point too much of any life at all.

TV Anchor Woman: Chester, what do you think should be done about the popular children who seem to be causing this?

Chester: I think (he rasped) that what we need to do is find out who's responsible. Whether it be the popular kids or otherwise, this curse needs to be stopped before others suffer.

TV Anchor Woman: Speaking about suffering. Your 24hrs of complications and so fort are over but you look worse for wear. Tell me exactly what is your condition right now?

Chester: It's bordering stable and critical. The prairie dogs somehow damaged my spine when they attacked me so besides my horrible looks right now I'm permanently paralyzed from the neck down and I have no feeling there either. Also during the operation several freaky things happened to cause something to go wrong and now.....

Chester stops unable to say it.

Mr. McBadbat: He's now blind too thanks to those monsters! All he did was throw a pie! He didn't deserve this!

Mr. McBadbat continued sobbing and Chester started to cry softly as well.

TV Anchor Woman: There you have it viewers. Chester's Life has been ruined thanks to those cursed popular children!

Scene Moves to the newsroom and the TV Anchor Man takes over.

TV Anchor Man: In further news four fatalities at the Prep school where it's been conformed the cursed popular children attend. One of them being toddler 3yr old Abigail Hillman an advanced child in Nursery School. It seems that this innocent baby got into an argument with a popular child who grabbed away her doll. Abigail called the girl a 'poo-headed meanie' and stormed off to stand by the fridge which held the baby food. Somehow the Fridge fell even though it has a special magnet underneath it that can only be turned off by the Principal before it can move at all. Also dead is Stuart who was torn apart by dogs and in this case it's claimed that Ribbon Twirler Lorna Red might be responsible. Two others; twins Jessica and Jonathan Blake, were in an argument with Trixie Tang in the science Lab around 9:30am and at 4:00pm this evening an unbreakable glass aquarium holding the deadly King Electric Eel suddenly broke and the eel slithered past the students in front of it and attacked Jessica who was at the very back. Her brother Jonathan tried to help but got shocked as well and both died a five minutes after.

Their dead bodies can't be shown on television because the way they look now with their once beautiful skins electrified and burnt is not suitable to be shown. So horrific. What will be done to stop the Popular kids menace at this school? Can it spread? Will all popular kids in Dimmsdale become infected by this curse?

Tad turned off the television and turned to Chad. Jessica and Jonathan Blake were the mayor's godchildren.

"He's going to be out for blood now," Chad said solemnly, "the mayor's going to make our lives a living hell in retribution for this."

(Meanwhile at Kiva's Home)

"Crikey!" Mr. Love the butler cried as Kiva signed to him the events that happened earlier today, "that's horrible!

"Kiva!" Mrs. Reika Zeng her adoptive mother called, "please come to the kitchen?"

Kiva waved bye to the butler and hurried to the kitchen. But when she reached she stopped. Standing beside her mother was the School Principal and Mr. Crocker.

"They only want to ask you a few questions dear," Mrs. Zeng said sweetly, "Sheila the door!" she cried suddenly and the Australian Maid quickly locked the only entrance and exit to the kitchen before Kiva could make a run for it, "now we're going to ask you a few questions about Lorna," she told Kiva who quickly started to shake her head and step back away from her adoptive mother, "don't be afraid Kiva we know that you didn't do anything," she soothed as she took a step nearer to her daughter.

Kiva looked around panicked. Just then the kitchen door opened and in stepped her social worker.

Oh great! Now I'm really in for it! (Kiva's thoughts)

"What's going on here?" the social worker asked suspiciously with a thick Japanese accent.

"We're simply interrogating this girl," Mr. Crocker told the social worker.

"And why wasn't I informed?" the social worker demanded, "I can have her sent back to China immediately, I'm her representative and supposed to be informed on all of her activities 'til she completes High School," she said.

"But...." The Principal started to say.

"NO INTERROGATION!" the social worker shrieked, "Come Kiva," she instructed, "you'll spend the night at my house," she said and Kiva hurried towards her looking very happy indeed.

But suddenly there was a gunshot. Both Social worker and Kiva turned in the direction where it was shot.

"I will not have my adoptive child reek havoc on the children here," Mrs. Zeng said seriously, "either she answers this interrogation properly or the next bullet will be lodged in her head!"

(Meanwhile at Britney's residence)

"Did you find out anything about...?" Mr. Horace Jace asked his daughter seriously.

"No father," Britney responded formally, "but I do know one thing."

"What's that?" Mrs. Beatrice Jace asked simply.

"That this curse started with Elmer a.k.a. Boil Kid," Britney told them, "and he had played a trick on Trixie Tang that same day," she said with a laugh, "she told me in private when we met in the bathroom the very same day after she got soaked."

"Do they suspect...?" Mrs. Nadia Richton started to ask.

"Of course not!" Britney cried with a shrill laugh, "I'm so delicate to them remember?" she said, "only Lorna might've eventually figured it out but she wont be leaving her house with being accused of being a witch and all," she stated, "no they don't suspect that I'm not on their side at all".

"My husband told me you gave a marvelous performance with you pretending to be mad at him and all," Mrs. Richton said delightfully, "not even my son could tell and he's usually a great judge of character."

"Your son's mind turns to mush when he's near me Aunt Nadia," Britney said bluntly, "he better watch himself since incest is a sin," he said as she twirled a strand of red hair, "he's more infatuated than anyone should be with their own cousin," she stated with open distaste.

"I've noticed," Mrs. Jace said coldly, "but we can use it to our advantage," she added.

"Long as they don't sleep with each other," Mrs. Richton muttered and her voice hinted that she wasn't amused.

"Not likely!" Britney cried, "I have my eye on very different target," she said and a mischievous glint came to her green eyes.

Done.

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