Chapter 22: The other Prescott girl

"I still can't believe your sister is getting married so early! I mean, how long has she known this guy!" Mary Bass asked her best friend, Claire Prescott.

"I don't know," Claire replied, "I think it's at least a year, though. Besides, some people get married at like, age sixteen!"

"That's a minority," their friend Katie Bellingham chimed in, "more people get pregnant at that age, not married!"

The three girls were holding their own little party in Claire's room helping themselves to champagne...and some vodka. Naughty, naughty...

"So, isn't your sister's ex Charlie Livingston still the best man?" Mary asked Claire.

"Yeah and...I think he's kinda cute!"

The girls squealed in excitement. "Oh, my, God! Are you completely serious!" Katie asked, craving to know.

"He taught me how to swim! He has this amazing body, I swear!"

Katie and Mary exchanged glances. "You saw him naked! You loser, now you're making us jealous!" they joked.

Claire giggled. "No, I just saw him in his trunks, in the pool. And that was years ago. Most of the time all he does is hang out with Liz. It's all about Liz!"

Looks like a little someone may be a little jealous...

Katie made a face. "Sounds completely...stalkereque of him..."

"Aw, come on, poor guy's not over Elizabeth Prescott!"

Mary laughed. "Your sister is so lucky!"

"Not really," Claire muttered in denial. There was no way her two best friends were going to make her even more jealous of Liz than she already was. "She's in college with her fab boyfriend and to-be-husband and life may be this huge party for her now, but as soon as we finish senior year, it's gonna be the same for us!"

Mary frowned. "I don't think I want senior year to be over! It's been totally amazing so far, and...When we all go off to college, things will change!"

Claire and Katie realized this, and lamented the fact that they had ever longed to go off to college. "Oh my God, you're right..." Claire breathed.

"You're damned right that I'm right!" Mary exclaimed, "I'm going off to Princeton, Katie's going off to Harvard, and what about you, Claire?"

"Yale" she replied. "I guess it'll be easier to get in. My grandfather went to Yale; my dad went to Yale, and now my sister Liz is going to Yale."

"Yeah, and I heard that your dad donated like, half a million dollars to Yale!"

"Geez, rumors can be so undependable!" Claire murmured. "He only donated like, two thousand!"

"Whatever. I already got early acception letters from Princeton and Columbia."

"And I got one from Harvard!" Katie added.

"I wasn't sure where to apply to, really, so I applied really late!"

Claire had applied to other colleges before like Georgetown and Stanford, but with her still not sure of what Ivies to apply to, she had not applied to any Ivy League schools until the last minute. Had least she showed some responsibility in applying to back-up schools.

Suddenly, a tall blond boy with gorgeous highlights along with his sky-blue eyes wearing a Yale sweatshirt and sweatpants entered the room. "Hey guys!"

"Jacob Brachenbury!" they exclaimed all at once, ran up to him, and each embraced him.

"Hey, just came by to say hi, that's all. You've got a wedding to attend though, right?"

Suddenly, Claire had an idea. "Jakie, you can come!"

Jacob shook his head. "Naw, I wasn't invited."

That was Jacob, well-mannered yet partially bad-boy. He had the best looks, and was very fun to talk to. That's what they liked about Jake Brachenbury the most. Jacob had also been their friend since the first grade, due to the fact that their families were associated.

"Jakie, you sucker!" Mary teased.

"Claire invited us too! Do you think Liz Prescott would actually even bother to invite a bunch of high school girls like us!"

"It's different though," Jacob muttered.

It was different; the only reason why Mary and Katie were invited was because Claire had practically begged her sister to let her invite her two closest friends. Now she regretted not begging to also invite Jacob. Jacob, the boy she had a crush on since she had first laid eyes on him. And even back then, he had been this attractive.

"So, I better get going." Jacob said, and then stopped himself. "Hey by the way Claire, you going to Yale?"

Claire nodded.

"Cool" Jacob said with a grin, "So am I."

Claire didn't bother to tell him that she had not gotten the results yet. It didn't matter, she had a Yale-ish background, was in all AP's at her school, got the highest grades in her classes, ranked national in tennis and lacrosse, had been participating in charity events to promote the welfare since she was in the fifth grade, and aced the SAT's and the ACT's. If that wasn't what Yale wanted, then what would they want?

"Well, I'll catch up with ya later." Jacob said, then left the room.

Immediately, Mary and Katie both gave expectant glances at Claire. "Go!" they urged, "go after him, we all know that you practically love him!"

Claire laughed. Why not?

Claire followed after Jacob, and stopped him while he was walking out the front door. "Wow, you walk fast!" Claire said, out of breath.

Jacob chuckled. "Come on; come take a walk with me."

Claire agreed, and they were out the door. As they walked along the trail to Winnie Foster Jackson's grave, Jacob spoke up, hands in his pockets. "So, it's only like a few more months till college, huh?"

Claire nodded. "I'm really gonna miss everyone, Jakie."

"Are you gonna miss me!"

Oh, Claire wouldn't let that happen. Even if Jacob was going all the way to some college way far in the west, she would follow him there. Her dream was to marry Jacob, go to a good Ivy League school or school equal in standards to an Ivy, become a journalist, have kids, and live a good life. "I won't miss you Jake, because I'm going along to Yale with you!" she reminded him.

Jacob laughed. "Yeah, I forgot. But if that wasn't the case and we were both going to separate schools then—"

"Then I would absolutely miss you like hell, Jacob Brachenbury!" she exclaimed sincerely.

Jacob grinned. "Thanks. I guess I'll miss you too if that was the case."

I guess! He guesses that he would miss her? Claire felt utterly disappointed and full of despair.

"Oh, and by the way," Jacob started, "I tried to come over yesterday, but this guy with a Harley was at your house—"

Ah, so this was what this was all about! Claire giggled. "That was my sister Liz' ex-boyfriend, Jesse Tuck."

Jacob blushed. "Oh..."

Claire stopped Jacob, and stared straight into his eyes. "Jakie, you know we've been like, best pals since first grade, right?"

Jacob nodded.

"Well, can't we just be...well, can't we just try to be...together!"

Jacob smiled. "Claire, I like you only as a friend. I'm sorry, but...um..."

"Yes...?"

"I like someone else."

Claire felt the blood all go to her head. "Wh-what! WHO!"

"Uh..." Jacob hesitated. He shouldn't tell her...

"Tell me!"

Well, at least he tried not to! "H-her name is Joanne, and...well..."

Claire's eyes grew wide in shock. "Th-the new girl! That scholarship girl!"

"Y-yes."

Oh, boy, now poor Joanne was going to suffer the wrath of queen bee Claire Prescott, and it would be his entire fault. When you rejected the most fabulous girl in school for a nobody, things got ugly.

"Fuck!" Claire cursed.

"H-hey, come on, I like her because—"

"Because she's pretty, right?"
Joanne Koffel was indeed gorgeous! Instead of Claire's nut-brown hair with some darker forced highlights, she had blond hair with natural highlights. Instead of Claire's plain blue eyes, she had the most mysterious, the most dazzling light blue eyes. What also bothered Claire was that Joanne wore no make-up, and still looked prettier than Claire. It was so unfair...she had claimed Jacob first. She was the one who had been madly in love with him for the whole time she had known him. She had never loved any of her boyfriends, although being a good actress, she was able to lie and tell her boyfriends she loved them. It had always been Jacob, and today, when she had finally gathered the guts to tell him...

Fuck! Claire thought, angrily. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!

"I better go." she muttered bitterly. She had a wedding to attend, and after spring break, she would be getting back to school, the queen bee's lair; her nest. And because she had more power and more influence than this Joanne Koffel...oh, she would make poor little scholarship girl's life a living hellhole. When you were beautiful, rich, fabulous, smart, and popular, you'd expect your life to be a breeze. For Claire Prescott, that was not the case. No matter how perfect some people thought of her, she was really far from perfection. But at least she could take out all her anger on this 'Joanne' girl, poor, powerless Joanne who needed a fucking scholarship to get into their school. And even though Claire was well-spirited and fun to be around, getting on her bad side could release the inner savage cruelty in Claire. Wow, it was amazing how two girls from the same family could be so different!