Thursday, October 10th, 2013 - Girls' Dormitory: Shower Room
"We see how things turn out for the ones you truly love."
The last few minutes of Victoria's time with Max play over and over in her mind. The tearful confession. Her own unfair, hateful words. The rage and betrayal in those ice-blue eyes.
The (well-deserved) slap that followed.
The blow had come so hard she was honestly surprised she couldn't feel any loosened teeth on that side. Her left cheek still burned from the impact of it. She knew that if she touched it she would feel the sore, ugly bruise that had been welling up in the aftermath. Victoria can't bring herself to care.
The water hissing from the shower nozzle overhead is hot. Far too hot. Nearly scalding. The skin on the parts of her body taking the brunt of it (her arms, legs, and back mostly), have grown bright red from the heat. She can't bring herself to care about that either.
Victoria doesn't know how long she's been sitting here, with her bare ass planted on the porcelain floor of the shower stall. Maybe an hour? Maybe a little longer. It doesn't matter. The Victoria Chase of a couple hours ago, the one who did her utmost to ensure that her skin never touched the bacteria-riddled surfaces of the public bathrooms, would be aghast at the very thought of it. But the present Victoria can't… well, no need to sound like a broken record. It's not like the germs could make her feel any more disgusting than she already does, regardless.
She'd cried her eyes out upon making her way to the showers after initially fleeing Max's room. With her arms wrapped around her legs and her face buried in her knees, she'd cried and cried and the tears just wouldn't stop coming. It felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart, but instead of blood pouring from the wound it was an unending stream of pain. An endless well of grief that refilled as fast it emptied.
Eventually, when she couldn't take it anymore, she reached up to adjust the water temperature, turning the nozzle higher and higher until the burning sensation on her skin began to make her feel numb inside. The external pain distracting her from the inner.
And so she sat for a long while, just doing her best to not feel anything even while images of Max replayed endlessly in her mind. And it worked… right up until someone came in and turned on the sink, that is.
The freezing blast of water that resulted had shocked her out of her numbed state, and instantly she felt the hurt welling up from deep within her gut, moving through her chest and crawling up her throat all over again. It was all she could do to hold it back until she had the room to herself once more, but when she finally heard the sound of the door closing behind whoever it was, a loud, strangled sob finally escaped her lips. It was followed by more of the same in rapid succession, her shoulders quaking from the force of them until finally the near-scalding heat returned enough to quiet her at last.
That cycle repeated at least twice more while she huddled in her state of miserable desolation, plagued by feelings of guilt and grief and anger. But mostly she was plagued by a thought that made a singular through-line connecting the jumbled mass of images and emotions in her mind.
Max doesn't love her. She'd never loved her.
Of course Max doesn't love you.
How could she ever love someone like you?
You're a mediocre photographer with a pretty face and an ugly soul.
She probably got sick of having to kiss your ass all the time just to boost your fragile little ego.
Like Tay and Court. Bet they'd dump you too if they had to stomach fucking you on top of all their other "minion" duties.
The voice in Victoria's mind is her own, naturally. It's the voice of Victoria Chase at her most vicious, her most pointlessly cruel. The voice she only uses on others when she feels it necessary to wound them to their very core, when the only emotion she can feel for them in that moment, no matter how unfair or short-lived it may be, is pure, blinding hate.
The voice she'd just used on Max.
What most people on the receiving end of that hateful, vile side of Victoria don't realize is that the most frequent target of it is one person: herself.
She's never hated anyone more than herself, after all.
After years of intensive sessions, Victoria's therapist had started throwing around the term Histrionic Personality Disorder, which, of course, sounded kind of dramatic to her the first time she heard it. However, the lady has like five more PHDs than Victoria does, and anyone she knows would probably think "Victoria" and "kind of dramatic" was understating the situation, if anything. Plus, the list of characteristics she found on the disorder's Wikipedia entry read like it could have been the blurb on the dust jacket for Victoria Chase's future best-selling auto-biography, so really it's a diagnosis that she finds difficult to argue against.
Right now, she figures she's pinging items #2 and #3 on her personal HPD checklist pretty hard. Those being 'underdeveloped ability to cope with losses or failures' and 'experiencing symptoms of clinical depression when romantic or close personal relations end', respectively.
Oh shit, don't forget about #14:
'Tendency to believe that relationships are more intimate than they actually are'.
Maybe should've ran that one by Max a while back, huh?
Could've saved everyone some time.
Yeah, Victoria's inner voice can be a real heinous bitch sometimes.
Now, nothing on the HPD wiki page said anything about having a voice in your head telling you how worthless and disgusting you are all the time, but Victoria just figures the clinical term for that is 'her conscience'. Her very own Jiminy Vick-et just tellin' it like it is.
Anyway, you DO remember what Chloe Price was like, don't you?
Chloe Price was crude. Brash. Uncouth. And, as mentioned, a giant pain in Victoria's ass back when they were in school together. Mostly because Chloe simply could not help but call others out on their bullshit, and Victoria is exceptionally bad at handling criticism (#8 on the checklist, by the way) from those she considers 'beneath her'. Or from anyone, really.
But Chloe was also smart, and funny, and genuinely likable without needing to be fake. She also had the biggest heart of anyone Victoria knew. She was the kind of person that would go to any lengths to back-up a friend, even if those friends didn't appreciate it nearly as much as they should have. She would literally give a stranger the shirt off her back, and crack a joke about how she'd "been meaning to give nudism a try" in the process.
Oui. That's the kind of person Max fell in love with.
The kind of person that puts others' happiness before their own.
Do you think Chloe would have it in her to be so cruel to someone who just lost their best fucking friend in the whole world, just because her little feelings got hurt in the process?
…
No, she wouldn't.
Because, unlike you, Chloe Price was someone who was actually worthy of being loved.
She deserved to be loved.
Victoria finds she doesn't have it in her to argue with that logic. She just wishes it doesn't have to hurt so fucking much.
Of course it doesn't have to, Vic.
You know better than anyone that there's always a way out.
An "emergency exit", if you will.
Victoria tries not to think about the bottom drawer of her dresser, or what she has tucked out of sight in its back-left corner. Mostly because of how much it scares her that she can't really argue with that logic, either.
One last crying jag out of the way, Victoria heaves a shuddering sigh as she reaches up and back to turn the water off at last. The shower room has gotten busier over the last little while, so between issues with temperature from sink usage and water pressure from others showering, she really doesn't feel like she's getting anything else out of this. The End of the World party is tonight, after all, so if anything, it will only get worse. Better to make her escape now while there's a lull.
Besides, she probably couldn't stay in the shower all night anyway… eventually some nosy asshole would probably bust inside to make sure she hadn't slit her wrists or something similarly gauche, and that was NOT a conversation she wanted to be having with anyone right now.
She probably should be finding something to eat, since at this point she hasn't had anything but bottled water in, what, twenty-four hours or so?
She'd settle for a cigarette though. Or twelve.
What Victoria really needs, she supposes, is some sleep. She was already exhausted before finding out her girlfriend was both a.) not her girlfriend anymore and b.) a suspected killer. She seriously doubts she could sleep right now if she tried, though. As tired as she is, her skin is crawling and her nerves are jangling as though she has her finger stuck in an electric outlet. She'd probably need help of the pharmaceutical variety to manage it, which was certainly doable, but…
But if she was going that route, why not just say screw it and get fucked up instead, right? She told Nathan she was gonna skip the party tonight since she needed to stay in and help Max with her drama, but that sounds like a whooooole lot of not Victoria's fucking problem right now. And if numbness is what she's chasing, copious amounts of Vodka sounds like a pretty expedient way to get there.
Heh, "End of the World". Feels pretty fucking apropos, doesn't it?
Another plus is that Taylor and Courtney will surely be going and they always manage to find some way to cheer her up with their antics, even if only by a little. She'll take what she can get at this point.
She doesn't realize that she still hasn't moved from her perch in the middle of the nasty ass shower floor until she hears a quiet, timid knocking behind her through the wall separating her shower from the next. Despite the obvious care taken not to startle her, Victoria still only just manages not to piss herself.
Fuck!
…
Whoever you are just… just go away. Please?
Victoria is starting to think that maybe one thing is finally going her way on this total goddamn disaster of a day, when her hopes are dashed by a voice calling out from the other side of the wall.
"Um… is… is everything alright?"
Oh, you have GOT to be shitting me!
The disembodied voice carries that mixture of quiet timidity and sweet sincerity that is instantly, unmistakably identifiable as belonging to one Kate Beverly Marsh.
Victoria groans inwardly, leaning back to let her head thump on the porcelain behind her. Remember what she was saying about how the frankly enormous distance between her and "ok" was something she did NOT want to talk about with anyone right now? Well "Creepy Kate" Marsh was pretty fucking close to the front of that list. Probably top fucking five.
"… how did you know it was me?" she finally sighs, too exhausted to fight at the moment.
"I didn't. Not… not really. I just heard someone crying, and… and I thought, whoever it was, that maybe they could use a friend right now."
Victoria scoffs, and she's pretty sure Kate can hear her green eyes rolling right through the barrier.
"Oh, so that's what you are right now? My friend?"
The voice that seems to be floating just behind and a few feet above Victoria's head is so quiet now that she almost has to strain to hear it.
"I… can't tell you how much I'd like for that to be true."
Victoria desperately wants to tell her to Fuck off. Go away. Leave me alone. But the quavering sincerity of those words makes her eyes threaten to tear up again.
"I'm sorry… I'll leave you alone, if you want."
Victoria doesn't trust her own voice not to break, so she doesn't say anything at all.
After a short silence, she can hear the shuffling sound of clothing against porcelain, followed by the gentle squeak of someone lowering themselves to the floor behind her. The only thing separating the back of her head from Kate's is about a foot of porcelain and sheetrock.
They sit in silence for over a minute. Kate, to her credit, seems unwilling to break it before Victoria does.
"… she's gone." Her voice is breaking now.
"Who is…?" The confusion is evident in Kate's voice.
Victoria fights to keep the muscles of her jaw and throat under control. She will NOT cry again goddammit.
"… Max."
"Max… left school?"
"What? No… well, maybe? I don't fucking know okay!" The exasperation makes it easier for Victoria to keep her other emotions at bay, at least.
"What I mean is… we're not together anymore."
This seems to give Kate pause. "Victoria, I… I'm so sorry to hear that."
Another scoff. "Oh, whatever. It's obvious you hate her."
"I don't hate her… maybe I don't like her very much, but… I could tell how happy she made you." Kate's voice breaks a little at that. She seems to take a moment to compose herself before she continues. "I would never want to take that away from you."
Victoria rubs her eyes with the heels of her hands. "… it doesn't matter anyway. It wasn't real. Not like I wanted it to be."
Kate chews on that for a bit, before responding. "… were you in... l-love with her?"
"… Yes."
"And… and did you feel happy when you were together?"
Victoria definitely can't answer that without sobbing again, so she just nods wordlessly as though Kate can actually see her.
It doesn't seem to matter. "Then… it was real. It was real for you. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."
"… I guess you can say it's one sided. It's only ever been real for me."
For a moment Victoria feels like she's back in Kate's room talking about crushes from back home in those quiet days before classes started. Back when everything seemed so bright and full of possibilities. Before everything got so fucked up.
But now her breath is hitching in her throat and the tears are falling again, and she refuses, just fucking refuses to cry anymore, so she slams her fist down hard into the porcelain wall. The sound of it makes Kate jump on the other side. The tears are still coming, so she slams the wall again even harder this time. The sharp jolt of pain travelling from her hand up to her elbow does seem to help a little. Being pissed off helps more.
"Why?! Why do you even fucking care, Kate? I'm nothing but a total fucking bitch to you, all the time!"
"You… you're not!" Kate says, uncharacteristically defiant. Then she sheepishly mumbles something like "… not all the time…"
There's another pause, and then the girl on the other side of the porcelain finally adds "besides, I… don't really care anymore what happens to me."
This causes a barking, incredulous laugh to erupt from Victoria's throat.
"Well that's not depressing at all. Jesus Christ, thanks for the fucking pep-talk Dr. Phil!" At least the tears have stopped now.
Kate seems to giggle a bit despite herself. "Yeah… I guess that wasn't my best, was it?" Victoria can hear the shy smile in her voice.
Victoria bites her lip as she wipes the remaining moisture from her nose and cheeks. "It… wasn't the worst."
She groans as she begins to stand, feeling the stiffness in her limbs from having sat in roughly the same position for more than an hour. Having mostly dripped dry at this point, she skips the towel and tosses on her silk bathrobe. As she pulls open the shower curtain and steps out, she speaks again to the neighboring one.
"I've got to go get ready but… thanks Katie."
She makes a move for the door but doesn't make it two full steps before Kate is on her feet and bolting through her own shower-curtain, pulling Victoria to a stop by grabbing one hand in both of hers.
"Victoria, wait I…"
Victoria opens her mouth to ask Kate what the hell she thinks she's doing, but the unadulterated, earnest pleading in the girl's big hazel eyes gives her pause.
"I… I… I know you don't believe me about… what happened before" she stammers. "But please, please don't go to that party tonight. Something bad is going to happen if you do… I can't explain how but, I just know it. I can feel it."
The intensity of her stare as the girl begs is… honestly a bit frightening. She sounds absolutely batshit, obviously, but Victoria absolutely believes that Kate believes what she's saying. She's gripping Victoria's hand so tightly her knuckles are white.
"Kate… let go of me."
But the girl is in a panic now. "Please, Victoria! I swear, I… won't bother you anymore. I'll even tell Principal Wells about the picture, if you want me to! Just please don't go. I'll…" her eyes seem to momentarily darken.
"... I'll do anything." Those last words come out in a low, husky rasp.
Victoria can feel something primal and hungry awaken deep inside of her at the look of Kate's eyes and the sound of her voice just then. The beast stretches, and gives a rumbling purr that seems to vibrate from the very core of her being.
Her eyes narrow, and she can tell from the tiny gasp that escapes those red lips that Kate can see the sudden want in her.
And she does want her. She wants nothing more than to push Kate back into that dirty shower stall and just tear into her. To take all the pain and grief and self-hatred and channel it into Kate. To use her up until there's nothing left.
Oooh, I'll take #10: 'Inappropriately seductive behavior' for $500, Alex!
Damn, girl. Your relationship with Max isn't even cold in the ground yet. Sure must have been 'true love', huh?
And Kate would let her. She can see it in the way her breath is quickening, the way those hazel eyes are glazing over with anticipation. Kate would let her do anything and everything she wanted, no matter how much it cost her. No matter how much it hurt her.
Of course she would. You know how isolated she's been lately. You've made sure of that, haven't you?
Remember Stella? The shit that went down with Nathan?
When was the last time you saw her hanging out with Alyssa?
She clearly has nothing to focus on but you.
But you love being the center of attention, don't you? Even if the only person you can get it from is mentally fucking ill.
Shut the fuck up. Victoria growls inwardly, her gaze drinking in every detail, every tiny little twitch of Kate's face.
Those dark bags under her eyes? All you.
Guess you're not the only one who isn't sleeping.
Haven't heard her playing violin either. Why might that be?
Kate bites her lip in that way that makes Victoria want to bite it for her. Her pale cheeks flush crimson, just like...
The last time you were alone in the shower room together, Oui.
You know Exhibitionist behavior is #6, right?
Victoria's jaw trembles as she wrestles with her rebellious thoughts. At the same time, she is transfixed by those searching hazel eyes. Nothing exists but the shape of Kate's mouth as it contorts to form a single word.
"Victoria..."
It's barely loud enough to be considered a whisper. It is somewhere between a sigh and a prayer.
Know what? Go for it. Whatever, right?
It's not like you destroy every goddamn thing you touch or anything.
So, go ahead. Fuck her until she feels just as broken and worthless as you are.
See if you can fuck her life up even more than you already have.
Victoria wrenches her hand away from Kate's grasp as she spins around to face the door, squeezing her stinging eyes closed. She can't look at her. She can't take seeing hurt or fear or desire on that pretty face of hers one second longer.
Because she's right. She has nothing to offer Kate, or Max, or anyone. Nothing but bringing them down to her level. And she can't think of anyone else who deserves that.
She just needs to slam the door shut and be done with it.
"Look, I needed to vent, and you were here, so... thanks. But we're not friends. Or anything else. So... fuck off. Go away. And please just leave me alone."
Victoria is thankful for the silence that follows. She honestly doesn't think her resolve could take Kate calling out to her just then, or worse, reaching for her. When she doesn't, Victoria takes a shaking step toward the door.
"You're going to be sorry someday."
Victoria freezes in place as a chill runs down her spine. A chill that is soon replaced by white, hot anger. That sounded an awful lot like a threat.
Ok so I guess there's about to be two Vortex Club members accused of murder on the same day. That's got to be a record or something.
Victoria rounds on Kate again, her fists clenched.
"The fuck did you just say?!" she growls menacingly. She'd like to see Kate try to run this time, being that she's between the smaller girl and the door.
But Kate doesn't step back or cower or try to flee. She simply stands her ground before her would-be assailant, her jaw clenched and her eyes determined. Resolute, like someone on a mission they aim to see through to the very end.
"I didn't say anything, Victoria."
Her voice takes on a bit of a drawl when she stands up for herself. It honestly kind of suits her.
Victoria doesn't see any sign of a lie in those hazel eyes, but... that was Kate's voice just now.
Wasn't it?
She doesn't know why those particular words in that particular order makes the bile rise in her throat, or her blood run cold. All she can conclude at this moment is that Kate's not the only one who seems to be losing her fucking mind.
"Whatever" Victoria finally spits, turning on her heel once more before storming through the door and back to her room. She can once again feel Kate's eyes on her the entire way there.
Girls' Dormitory: Room 221
Once safely inside, she makes a beeline for the phone she'd carelessly tossed on the bed earlier.
Fuck Max. Fuck Kate. Fuck everything. Victoria is on a mission of her own now, and phase one begins with drinking until she needs to get her stomach pumped.
She ignores the ever-growing slew of notifications as she taps out a group text to Taylor and Courtney.
Vic - Coming 2 party 2night
Need ur skillz big time
Be my room in 20 - 10/10 6:45 PM
Court - HELLS YES GIRLFRIEND! :D - 10/10 6:45 PM
Sweet T - Awesome! CYU then! 333
Max? - 10/10 6:46 PM
Vic - DONT EVEN
Talk later. Just b here. - 10/10 6:46 PM
Court - WHATEVS JUST PSYCHED PARTY WONT BE LAME NOW
GRABBIN MY SHIT GONNA HOOK YOU TF UP GRRL! - 10/10 6:46 PM
She tosses her phone back on the bed before attacking the closet with gusto, the challenge of choosing an outfit, which would be an all-day affair for her in anything resembling a sane world, helping to keep her mind occupied. About ten minutes into the process she thinks she's settled on a light pink top with black collar and trimmings, black skirt and stilettos, when she hears a knock at the door.
The hell? It's definitely not Taylor and Courtney because they know not to show up early. Or late for that matter. If anyone has learned through hard experience to arrive exactly when Victoria expects them, it's those two.
She warily cracks the door, and peeks her head out a bit when she doesn't immediately see anyone. No one down is hanging out in the halls either, though she does think she saw Dana's door closing just as she opened hers. It's hard to believe anyone on this floor would have enough of a death wish to prank her by knocking and running on today of all days, but...
A pleasant aroma draws her eyes to the floor in front of her door. Or, more importantly, the food tray lying there bearing a plate full of cookies, next to a mug filled with a steaming brown liquid. The scent of hot tea caresses her nostrils, which flare on their own accord to better take it in.
No. Nuh-uh. Noooope. No way.
It's obvious who the mystery cookies are from, given that they are cut into the shapes of cute little frolicking bunny rabbits. But she is way too pissed off to even think about eating right now, especially considering the fact that she JUST 'slammed the door shut to be done' with the idea of them being friends, there's no way she's going to take these. Anonymously or not. She wouldn't dream of giving Kate the satisfaction.
Regardless of how ravenous she just remembered she is.
...
Victoria crosses her arms and purses her lips in annoyance. She should toss the whole damn tray in the trash. Or dump the contents on Kate's doorstep, tea and all.
...
They do smell really good though. Her gurgling stomach seems to agree.
However, Victoria Maribeth Chase has an iron will, and when she sets her mind to something, she does it.
Period.
...
She eats every single one of the tasty little fuckers.
"... God, what a bitch." Courtney mutters while dabbing at Victoria's bruised cheek with concealer. She stands up straight to inspect her work, sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth in that way she does when she's concentrating especially hard on something, before diving back in for a few more swabs.
"What, was she auditioning for the Ultimate Fighting Championship or something?"
Victoria sighs through her nose while keeping her lips pursed, waiting for the girl to retract her hand before responding.
"I... don't really blame her."
"Really, Vic? Then who the fuck is to blame for this?" Courtney waves an annoyed hand at Victoria's face. "Mike Tyson? The troubled times we live in? Violent video games?"
Me.
She shrugs. "Nobody I guess. We both said some shitty things." Understatement of the year on her part of it, but she's trying to keep the discussion as neutral as possible. She knows they're too loyal to let her take the blame on herself.
And, much as she'd love to turn this into a 'gripe about my Ex' session with the girls, her conscience has been on an absolute tear this evening and she knows blaming Max would only make things worse.
Nothing more needs to be said aloud, however. They know exactly how Vic can be when she's stressed.
Taylor takes a break from flat ironing Victoria's hair to gently squeeze her shoulder, her doe-eyes filled with concern and compassion. Victoria looks away quickly. It's too fucking difficult to look at blue eyes right now.
She hasn't told them much about what went down today. Mostly high-level stuff. Max got herself into legal trouble. They had a fight after getting back to the dorms. They're broken up, almost certainly for good.
After taking a moment to compose herself she reaches up to brush the back of the other blonde's hand with her fingertips. Taylor has been unusually quiet, and she understands why.
"I know this must be awkward for you, Tay. Especially after the way she helped you with your Mom."
But Taylor shakes her head, grabbing Victoria by the chin so she can tilt her head up enough to look her in the eye again. "Hey, no way Vic. Max may have been there for me at the hospital that day, but you're my girl. It'll take a lot more than some crocodile tears and a ride in a shitty hatchback to change that."
She's not sure if it's the blue eyes or the sincerity in Taylor's drawl, but some tears do start flowing then. Victoria nods silently, compressing her lips in a thin line to keep them from quivering.
Courtney clicks her tongue disapprovingly and shakes her head. Tears, obviously, only serve to make the master artiste's job more difficult.
"Well whatever. She better not show her face around the Vortex Club after this. I never liked her anyway."
Every girl needs two kinds of friends when they're going through a break-up. Victoria is lucky enough to have both. Taylor is the friend whose shoulder you cry into. Courtney is the one who will cut a bitch if the situation calls for it.
Taylor scoffs at her brunette friend and gives her a playful shove on the shoulder. "Oh yeah right, you lyin' skank! I seem to remember all it taking was her asking for fashion advice to turn you around. And I quote..." she puts her hand on her stomach like she's about to sing the star-spangled banner, before belting out:
"HEY GIRLFRIEND. LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU WANT TO COME BY MY ROOM AND I'LL GIVE YOU A FASHION MAKEO-" Taylor is cut off when one of Victoria's red pillows hits her full in the face, causing her to descend into a fit of giggles as she hurls it back at Courtney.
"HEY! That pillow costs more than both your outfits combined!" Victoria grumbles, her eyebrows narrowed in irritation. Taylor makes a pouty face at her while Courtney just rolls her eyes.
"Look... all I'm saying is, I just can't believe how ungrateful that little selfie-ho is, breaking up with you like that after what you did. I mean, I'm straight, but after you rode in on your white horse and busted me out of prison? I'd eat you out every night for a damn year."
Taylor looks away quickly, though not before Victoria can see a spot of color forming on her cheeks. Obviously that hit a bit too close to home. They'd both agreed to keep the little fling they'd shared the summer before Junior year from Courtney, since it could fuck up their group dynamic and neither one of them were interested in pursuing it further.
Victoria sighs again. "It... wasn't like that, Court. I'd have done it for you or Tay too, and you know I wouldn't have asked for anything in return."
"Yeah and I also know you wouldn't have to ask for me to give your Lezzy-ass a fingerbanging of a lifetime after literally saving mine!" Courtney returns with a saucy little smirk, before adding "Or whatever you're into, IDK. Scissoring? Strap-ons?"
Victoria just gives the brunette an exasperated look, but it doesn't seem to slow her down.
"Actually now that I mention it that last one does sound kind of fun, you... got any of those lying around?"
"Court!" Victoria groans, giving an exaggerated eyeroll of her own for added effect. It's obvious by now that the girl is trying to get a laugh out of her, but she's determined not to give her the satisfaction for a joke that juvenile.
"Ooooh I know!" Taylor chimes in. "We can go check with Jules and see if Zach ever managed to talk her into giving pegging a try!"
Victoria closes her eyes and rubs her temples. "God not you too, Tay."
The pair continue to banter back and forth for a while, until Courtney finally gives her cosmetics work one last look-over before nodding approvingly. "I think we're doooone!" she croons, before turning the mirror for Victoria to see. After giving the work her own exacting appraisal, the short-haired blonde finally gives a short nod.
"You're a miracle worker, C."
"Don't I know it!" she beams with pride, absently rubbing at a smudge that had made its way to Victoria's neck. Then Courtney's eyes narrow suspiciously.
"Seriously though... I just can't believe the gaul-field on that girl."
Victoria's jaw drops open. "I know you did NOT just pun at me!"
Her green eyes bug out as she fights to control the muscles in her throat as a laugh attempts to bubble its way up.
NO. There is no way am I gonna break over a shitty fucking pun!
But Taylor gives Victoria a side-eyed grin before swooping in for the coup-de-grace. "Oh. My. Gawd. Really, Court? That was just Caul-ful."
Look, it wasn't even that funny, ok? It was more the ridiculousness of the situation that got her in the end.
And it wasn't really a laugh that managed to escape Victoria after that. More of an... amused rush of air. But that turned into a snort, which became a snicker. And before the blonde knows it she finds herself doubled over on her stool, peals of laughter ringing from her mouth as she pulls the offending punsters into tight side-hugs.
The girls' resulting squeals reside somewhere between horrified and delighted as Victoria rubs tears and fresh make-up onto their faces and hair with her cheeks. This will make them quite a bit later than they originally planned, but none of them care. Parties wait for Victoria Maribeth Chase, not the other way around.
Victoria reaches around her friends' heads to wipe at her eyes, before giving them each a big, wet smack on the cheek for good measure. Fuck whatever Bitch-toria has to say from her little hiding spot in the back of her mind. These are her friends. She would do anything for them and she knows they would do the same.
She resolves right then to never call them "minions" again.
"I love you guys."