Mariah Kindley's Swarvoski-studded iPhone started to beep continuously on a Sunday morning. Mariah rolled over from where she was lying on her king-sized bed and grabbed the cellphone. A message from her boyfriend, Oscar, who was also Beverly Hills Middle School's most popular guy. And no duh, he dated the school alpha – Mariah.
hey sexy tonight at the wilshire. 6:30. i love you.
Mariah smiled to herself and blushed. It was Oscar's birthday. They had been officially going out for 3 months, since September. Everyone at school knew. They knew that they were together and they knew not to mess with Mariah because after all, she was the alpha. They also knew not to touch Oscar because, hell yeah, he was her property. Done.
Mariah crossed her room to her walk-in closet. Black satin Escada minidress? Yeah. Cream MaxMara rabbit fur blazer? Hell yes. Skinny true blue boot jeans? Jimmy Choo cream leather 4" boots? All in all okay. She got dressed and hurried with her makeup. Then she grabbed her iPhone and stepped out onto her balcony.
Her balcony consisted of a marble floor, a white leather sofa, a glass table and bar, and a small fridge. Mariah stood by the marble railing and looked down at the 3 acre backyard. Anza, her 16 year old sister, was swimming in the outdoor jacuzzi with her girlfriends. It was only 9:00. Mariah grabbed a Dr. Pepper out of the fridge and sat down on the sofa, thinking about her life and waiting for her iPhone to beep again.
"Mom, I'm scared," said 12 year old Lorri Spring. She sighed nervously as her mom unpacked another carton. The family of three had just moved into a small grimy apartment in the corner of Beverly Hills. They were there for the company her dad worked at. Lorri peered out her grimy window and bit her lip. How could her parents expect her to start school in the middle of the year?
"Aww, don't be that way," Mrs. Spring said. "You're such a lovely girl. I'm sure everyone at school will welcome you." With that, Mrs. Spring tossed the empty carton onto the floor. Lorri looked at the mess of cartons and boxes around her.
"Mom, why don't we use normal suitcases?" Lorri asked. On the way over to the apartment, she had seen people towing brown Louis Vuitton suitcases and sleek leather duffle bags. No one used old brown paper cartons and boxes.
"Because they're a waste of money." Mrs. Spring casually waved the subject away. "Why don't you take a walk around town? I'm sure you'll bump into some other seventh graders that you can make friends with." She gave Lorri a little push, and soon Lorri found herself standing on the front step of the apartment building.
"Well, it's just me and the world." Lorri walked down the bare street leading to downtown Beverly Hills.
10 minutes later, Lorri arrived at Rodeo Drive. As soon as she saw all the people rushing by in Jimmy Choos and the people driving by in Mercedes sport cars, she felt out of place. She was wearing plain old clothes, like the ones she wore in Michigan. White dirty tennis shoes, plain white socks, and a baby blue and white plaid baggy dress that went to her knees. A white cotton jacket wrapped up her shoulders, and a white knit scarf hung from her neck. A crowd of sixth graders stood near her, and although they were younger then her, they were much more sophisticated and stylish. They each carried a designer purse and were all wearing heels. Lorri looked like a pauper compared to these princesses. But then she saw someone who caught her eye – a girl dressed similar to her! She was dressed in a white sweater, blue capri jeans, long white socks, and crocs. Lorri smiled to herself and waved self-conciously at her. The girl waved back. She stepped forward.
"Hi!" Lorri smiled her birhgtest smile. "My name's Lorri. I'm new in town."
The other girl smiled too. "I'm Stephanie. Nice to meet you!"
There was an uncomfortable silence. Stephanie broke it. "Have you had lunch yet?" she asked. Lorri shook her head no. It was only 11:00 AM.
Stephanie smiled. "Want to go eat at the Diary Queen? We can get sandwiches and ice cream."
Lorri smiled at the offer and nodded. "I've only got about 10 dollars pocket money," she said wistfully.
"It's alright. That's enough for a burger and an ice cream cone," Stephanie reassured her.
"Alright then, let's go!" Lorri smiled as followed Stephanie down the street of busy people. She smiled to herself. Maybe Beverly Hills wouldn't be so bad, she thought cheerfully. She had a friend. She had her parents. She had the chance to go to a good school. Joyfully, she clutched her plastic Claire's wallet in one hand and Stephanie's hand in the other. She couldn't believe her luck.
Mariah was brushing on another layer of dark purple eyeshadow when her iPhone beeped again. This time, it was Lindsee.
Hey Mariah! whats up for lunch? text me back. lurvu.
Mariah tossed her well-tossed hair over her shoulder. She couldn't believe her friends wanted her to choose the place for lunch. Fine, fine. The Ritz Carlton, for all she cared. She texted Lindsee back.
the ritz. 4th floor buffet place. 11:30. bring cash this time, honey, cant expect me to pay all the time.
Mariah found her favorite MaxMara fur winter bag, and tossed in a few stacks of 100-dollar-bills. It was enough to last for a few days at the very least. Then she looked around for a wallet. A black Chanel wallet would have to do. After stuffing in a few credit cards and debit cards, she hit the door.
In all her glory.
Done. And done.
At the Ritz Carlton, Lindsee and Celine were already waiting. They looked great, as always, dressed head to toe in Dolce&Gabbana. D&G fur jackets, boots, and headbands. Mariah slid in through the front door just as Lindsee ordered the drinks.
"Hey!" Lindsee and Celine smiled at their friend.
"Hey." Mariah took off her fur blazer and left in on the back of her sofa-chair. Then Celine and Mariah went to get food while Lindsee called her parents. And as the three girls enjoyed their lunch in luxury, three other girls sat in the Diary Queen to intertwine their fates.
Kay, Stephanie, and Lorri.
"So there's ths popular mean girl who has 'custody' of the hottie Oscar?" Lorri furrowed her brow in confusion and licked her ice cream cone.
Kay and Stephanie nodded. Stephanie had introduced Lorri to Kay, who was one of her friends. Kay was mean, and pretty poor, but tried to make herself seem rich and amazing. She had a gigantic crush on Oscar. So did Stephanie.
Lorri nodded slowly. "What can I do to help you guys?" she asked.
Stephanie smiled slowly. "This morning, I crept up to her room while she was taking a bath. Her iPhone was lying on her bed, so I picked it up. I read her messages. There was a message from Oscar, asking her out. Tonight, at the Beverly Wilshire. All you have to do is go there, and throw this at her." Stephanie extended her hand. A gray, smooth, heavy stone lay on her palm.
Lorri looked at her in horror. "Won't that kill her?" she asked in disbelief. "Won't I get into humoungous trouble?" She nervously put down her ice cream spoon.
Kay shook her head. "The rock won't kill her. And we'll be with you, so that nothing bad will happen." She rolled her eyes, an obvious mimick of Mariah. "Why would we want to get you into trouble? We're your friends."
Mariah pushed past dress after dress after dress in her closet. Was there nothing she could find that she could wear? It was her night with Oscar. She tossed a huge selection of dresses, skirts, fur jackets, and winter camis onto the red satin sofa in the closet. Some winter Escada pieces, Chanel fur jackets, MaxMara minidresses, and Couture camis. She started sorting through the huge clump of expensive clothing. Finally, her choice was made.
A dark blue skintight strappy tank top, an Escada gray satin minidress with a low back and a scoop neck and long skimpy sleeves, black suede MaxMara 5" knee high boots and finally, not forgetting that it was winter, a Chanel short cream fur blazer, similar to the one she had worn through the day. She took a glance at herself in the mirror. Not enough flair. She put on a thick diamond bracelet and dangly diamond hoops. There. That was good. Smiling, she tapped her iPhone to life. There was a message from Oscar.
hoping you didnt forget about tonight. i love you.
That called for a major eye-roll.
Lorri bit her lip nervously as she stepped out of Kay's mom's Chevrolet and into the Beverly Wilshire. Stephanie and Kay stepped out behind her. Her hand went to the pocket of her garden dress. The stone. She was a bit nervous and a bit anxious. She hoped nothing bad would happen.
"Okay, so you're going to hide in the air vents of the dining room. It's going to be really tricky. Don't get caught, don't make a lot of noise, just quietly crawl to a vent and look around for Mariah and Oscar. There are air vents all over the ceiling, so just crawl to a place with a direct hit. Throw the rock, and quietly crawl out. Peopl are going to be shouting, but don't take any notice. Just get in and get out. Simple," explained Stephanie as they entered the beautiful hotel lobby. Lorri caught her breath and clutched her newly-bought random-brand pink purse to her stomach. Then she tried to smile.
"Yeah, I understand," she murmured as she bit her lip nervously.
"Okay. Here we go, it's on the 2nd floor." Stephanie stepped into the marble elevator and pulled Lorri in behind her. Kay held the door open and pushed 2. They arrived at the second floor and Stephanie pulled Lorri out. Lorri was astonished by what she saw. Gold and red thick carpets, elegant sofas in the wide hallway, the entire ceiling painted gold, with fancy sculptures everywhere.
"This way." Stephanie jerked on her arm and pulled her down a hall, through a foyer, and down another hall. A door marked "NO ENTRANCE" stood in front of them. Stephanie grinned and pushed the door open. Inside were light controls, electricity controls, and at the top of the room, there was an open vent. Lorri gasped. It was dark and filthy. Kay must have thought so, too, because she handed her a apron.
"Keep yourself clean, hunni, we don't want to scare the hotties." She said. Lorri slipped the apron on an Stephanie boosted her into the square hole.
"Aren't you guys coming too?" She asked.
"Nope. But we'll be right here." Stephanie promised. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small flashlight. "Here. Take this."
Lorri nodded and switched in on. A small beacon of yellow light shot out wearily. Lorri looked back at Stephanie and Kay, and then started her journey through the tunnel.
The tunnel was barely wide enough for her to crawl through. It was covered with dust, but Lorri made sure she didn't sneeze. There was a very long string of rope, one end tied to her flashlight, the other end in Stephanie's hands so that she wouldn't get lost.
Lorri heard some voices from below. She saw light, and realized an air vent opening was on one side of the tunnel. It was a small vent, but big enough to see a concierge and an old lady walk by. They didn't notice her. She held her breath. The tunned was awfully echoey and the walls were very thin. She silently crawled on, not knowing where she was going. It was only 6:00.
Mariah carefully applied another layer of eyeliner. Eyeliner was her signature, and she was careful not to smudge or muck it up. Just as she was spraying some golden shimmer powder over her legs, her iPhone beeped. Sighing, she picked it up and tapped messages. It was Oscar.
bring your swimsuit. were going to hit the hot tub.
Mariah gaped. Was her seriously thinking... she wiped the though out of her mind. Then she hurried downstairs to where the chauffeur was waiting with the Hummer.
At 6:25, Mariah got out of the Hummer. They were at the Wilshire. Immediately, she spotted Oscar, who was looking hot in his black pants, untucked gray shirt, and Gucci belt. He dashed over to Mariah, kissed her, and led her into the hotel.
Mariah felt a little scared, but excited too. Her black Louis Vuitton color monogram bikini was in her purse. She pulled off her MaxMara shades and stuffed them next to the bikini. Oscar led her to the outdoor jacuzzi and pool.
"Go change," Oscar smiled and headed into the men's bathroom. Mariah went into the womens' and changed into her tiny bikini. She checked herself out from every angle. Perky butt, medium sized round chest, very nice cleavage, legs with no extra fat, flat stomach. It was all good. She brushed on some quick waterproof mascara and eyeliner and then headed out.
When she stepped outside, she saw Madden and Nicky there.
"Nicky? Madden? Why are you here?" asked Mariah in an impatient tone.
"Madden asked me here. I didn't know you would be here.'' Nicky replied in an apologetic tone. She blushed. But Mariah just shrugged. Maybe this would be better. Besides, Oscar was already drooling over Mariah and she knew it would be fine.
She gingerly stepped into the jacuzzi, careful not to get her hair wet. If her hair got wet, she would look close to bald. Well, not really. Oscar splashed in besides her. He was wearing Gucci bathing trunks. His shaggy dirt blond hair looked great wet. Nicky got in beside her, and so did Madden. Soon, the four of them were splashing around, having a great time.
The sun had already set, and the only source of light was what came from inside the hotel and the small, elegant lamps hanging on delicate golden chains, dangling from near the bathroom. Mariah sighed and pulled herself out of the jacuzzi. She had managed to keep her hair dry. Oscar followed her out, and put his wet arm around her shoulders. She smiled in a sexy, coy way and let him pull her into a deck chair. It was a pretty big deck chair. Oscar flopped down, and pulled Mariah onto his lap. Mariah could feel every moving muscle of his body under her. Her head leaned against the side of his, her legs crossed sideways next to his, and his arm went around her neck.
"You're light," laughed Oscar, giving her shoulder a poke.
"That's about the nicest thing you can say to any girl. By the way, happy birthday," Mariah replied, leaning into his face. He kissed her then. And while they enjoyed themselves out by the pool, someone was suffering.
Lorri stifled another cough and looked through the air vent opening. She saw a couple of people eating in the French restaurant. She sighed softly. Still no sign of Mariah or Oscar. Maybe Stephanie got it wrong? Lorri decided to head back. She yanked on the string and followed the string round and round.
"Where is she?" asked Kay, leaning against the wall in the small controls room. "It's nearly 10 o'clock."
Stephanie shrugged and folded her arms across her chest. She was too sleepy to answer Kay. Normally, she would have gone to sleep 2 hours ago. Was Lorri lost? Had she gotten discovered? Whatever.
"You know what? I think she's been discovered by someone," said Stephanie. Kay's eyes grew big.
"Really?" asked Kay in shock.
Stephanie nodded. "C'mon, let's get out of here now. We don't want to be caught the culprit! Besides, we have school tomorrow. Let's go."
Kay nodded and watched carefully as Stephanie opened the door. They stepped outside.
"Who's that?" a man's voice asked.
Frightened, Stephanie banged the door shut and huddled back into the corner of the controls room. Kay, however, couldn't help herself. She screamed.
"All right, kids, game's over. Get out." The man yanked the door open and gripped the girls by their arms. "Security's right over there. Start explaining what you were doing."
Stephanie could only stare wide-eyed at Kay. She couldn't believe what was happening. "We weren't doing anything..." she stammered.
The man smirked. "Yeah, right. We'll get you to the police headquarters in minutes. And after we do, you'll never see the end of it."
Lorri could see the controls room underneath her. Now all she needed was a way to get out.
"Stephanie? Kay? Are you guys over there?" Lorri called out timidly. No answer. She decided to jump. It was about 2 meters to the floor. One, two, three, jump! She landed on the cement floor and looked around. Her heart pounded. Where were her friends? She opened the door a crack. No one.
Ditched. Tricked. Used. Lorri sank to the floor in agony. She couldn't believe she had been so dumb as to believe in what Stephanie and Kay had told her. She picked herself up and walked calmly out of the room and out of the Beverly Wilshire to go home.
Mariah rolled over and looked at the clock. 7:00 AM. School would start at 8:30. Oscar lay next to her, still asleep, his arm on her chest. She tossed her hair back and got out of bed. Her clothes from yesterday were still on the sofa in the living room. She got dressed, and combed her hair and did her makeup. At 7:30, she left the suite while Oscar was still asleep, a note on the pillow.
see you at school.
That was all it said. It needn't say any more. She hurried to catch a cab, and then rode to Beverly Hills Middle School.
Nicky was leaning against her locker, talking to some guy with spiky hair when she arrive.
"Hey!" Nicky pushed the spiky dude aside and turned to Mariah. "Check on this. There's a new girl in this school from Michigan." Nicky said the word Michigan the way someone would say bullshit.
Mariah tossed her hair back and checked her makeup. "Lame. Our school is flooded with losers. Everyone here besides the A-Line group is part of the Loser group."
Nicky smiled. "Too true." She opened her locker and stuffed her Armani silver bag in. Mariah rolled her eyes for no reason and crossed the hall to where the spiky dude was standing.
"Hey," said Mariah, smiling in a mocking way.
"OH MY GOSH. MARIAH TALKED TO ME! I'M POPULAR!" He ran through the halls, yelling with laughter.
What the hell?
"Mariah!" A boy's voice rang through the hallway. Oscar, no duh.
"Hey," Mariah said, shaking her hair back.
"Hey baby," Oscar approached Mariah and gave her a kiss on the lips. Mariah blushed and smiled.
Lorri hurried into the school building. She was so nervous. What if she made no friends? Stephanie and Kay certainly were not her friends anymore.
She paused at the water fountain. Just as she bent down to get a drink, she noticed the hottes, cutest, sexiest guy ever. Dirt blond hair, blue eyes, clear skin, wow! Lorri caught herself just as she wantd to gasp out loud. He was so cute! She approached him. She wanted a chance to talk to him, and she decided to ask him where her locker was. It wouldn't make her seem that obvious.
She smoothed out the pink-and-yellow blouse she was wearing and pulled up her white chinos. Her hair was messy so she retied the bun and brushed some stray strands out of her eyes.
"Hi! I'm new here, can you tell me where my locker is? The number is 25-10." Lorri blurted out.
The guy looked behind his shoulder. "Yeah, it's right over here." He tapped on a locker in front of him.
"Thanks." Lorri smiled. "What's your name?"
"Oscar." Then he smiled a smile that lit up her entire world – for a second. A glamorous girl wearing clothes that cost thousands came up behind him, and he leaned over and gave the girl a kiss. On the lips. The girl smiled and they walked off together, leaving Lorri behind them to pick up the broken pieces of her heart.
It was 8:30. Mariah rushed out of the bathroom where she had been changing her clothes and entered her Homeroom. Nicky had reserved a spot for her next to her and Lindsee. As the class started and the teacher started blabbing about some crazy shit over the weekend, Mariah took the oppurtunity to flip open her new Siemens Escada cellphone. Message from Oscar! Mariah grinned and opened it.
i love you. im sorry.
Mariah furrowed her brow just as the alarm in the classroom started to ring.
"Emergency, children, don't panic!" Mr. Rickster shouted over the noise of the screeching alarm and noisy kids.
Mariah glanced in panic at Lindsee and Celine and Nicky. Horror and confusion were written on their faces. Did this have something to do with... with Oscar's message? Suddenly, 3 armed policemen charged into the room.
"Freeze!" they exlaimed, pointing their firearms up. A few kids screamed, and Celine fell out of her chair onto her D&G pumps.
"Is their a Oscar Velato in here?" the policemen asked.
Mariah gasped and gripped Lindsee, who was digging her nails into her arm.
"No, he's next door." Mr. Rickster answered.
The policemen left the room and Mariah held her breath. Then she heard Oscar shout. She couldn't stand it so she ran out of the room, nearly ripping her black Sevens skinny jeans. Her red-hot strappy Choo pumps pounded on the tile floor. Lindsee jumped up and followed her. So did Nicky.
Oscar was right outside of the room, a cop holding each of his shoulders. His eyes were focused on the bottoms of his black cargo pants. Mariah gasped and put a hand over her mouth. Next to her, Lindsee's eyes windened and Nicky stared with genuine amazement and fright.
The 3 policemen started leading Oscar down the hall, to where a cop car waited outside the main entrance.
"No!" Mariah screamed.
Lindsee exlaimed, "Wait! Where are you taking him?"
One of the cops turned around. "Juvenile court. He's got his criminal record. Mostly from that pop of his." Then he turned around and shoved Oscar towards the entrance of the school.
But Oscar turned around. "Mariah, I'm sorry. I love you." He said those words in a genuinely apologetic tone. Then he stepped out of the school and into the gray day. The gray day that wiped away his innocence and his youth. Mariah ran after him, her best friends at her side.
"Oscar! Don't go!" Mariah screamed. She couldn't take any of this in. It was like a dream. The policement pushed him into the car.
"Mariah!" Oscar screamed as the door of the car slammed. The car drove off. Tears ran out of her eyes and dripped the floor. She glanced at Nicky. She was crying too. Lindsee reached over and gave her a hug. The three of them stood there, cold and shocked and crying.
Mariah couldn't stand it anymore. She broke free from Lindsee and Nicky and ran. She ran out of the school and through the gates. It had started the rain. Mariah couldn't take the pain. She kicked off her heels and darted down the street. Lindsee and Nicky ran after her, shouting for her to stop. She didn't.
Mariah ran all the way back home. She thundered up the stairs, into her suite, and into her bathroom. She locked the door and leaned against the wall, tears pouring out of hey eyes. Why her? Why her? Out of all the people in the world, why her? She sobbed and hugged Peanut, Anza's kitty. She felt so alone.
Oscar had always loved Mariah, ever since he started attending Beverly Hills Middle School in 4th grade. Mariah had secretly liked him, too, but she forced herself to remain only friends with him. She was scared. She was scared of getting hurt by him. She didn't want to end up broken-hearted like many of her friends.
But when she realized the stability of Oscar and his love, she realized that she could get together with him– and she would be able to control their relationship.
Nothing could have prepared her for this, though. Seriously. She saw her boyfriend get dragged out of his classroom and into a police car with her own eyes. It was just too much.
Mariah leaned out of her bathroom window and into the gray clouds. "I thought I could love you," she whispered into the stillness of the world. "I thought I could."
Two weeks later, Mariah flipped open her Escada phone and called Lorri. She couldn't believe that she, the school's highest A-liner, was calling this freak. But seriously, what else could she do? Ask George Bush to free all the juvenile court residents? She was calling Lorri to confirm her about the plan. Lorri was needed because she knew where the juvenile camp was.
"Hello? Lorri speaking," Lorri said when she answered the phone.
"It's Mariah. Are you ready?" she asked promptly.
"I think so," she replied uncertainly.
"Well, you'd better not gimme any shit cause it's not going to work. Tell me the truth. If you're going to freak out then back out now." Mariah tossed her hair back and paced around her balcony.
"I'm ready. Truly." Lorri bit her nails.
Mariah snapped her phone shut. Immediately, it ran again. Nicky.
"Yeah?" Mariah asked matter-of-factly.
"Hey. I need to know the time you're picking me and Lorri up at," Nicky requested.
"Who said I was picking you guys up? We're going to meet at the Beverly Center," Mariah said with disgust.
"Oh, right. Okay. I'll see you later."
Mariah sighed and leaned against the marble railing. Would this actually work? It was risky... very risky. If she was caught, that would be the end to her. But, well, for Oscar, she could so ANYTHING.
It was 9:30 pm. She picked up her L.A.M.B tiger shoulder bag and swung it over her shoulder and slipped on her Chanel lepoard skin pumps. Her brown leather Prada oversized tote was sitting by the door. Mariah had previously packed it with 3 cans of Dr. Pepper, 2 bottles of Fiji water, a pack of assorted sushi, 2 boxes of shrimp cocktail, and a pack of beef jerky. She groaned and tossed the heavy bag onto her shoulder and left the Kindley mansion, wondering whether she would ever return.
Mariah hadn't walked further then half a mile in her life, since cars and chauffeurs had been invented before she could even crawl. But now, she was put to a test. 6 blocks.
Finally, Mariah arrived at the Beverly Center. Her feet were sore and her legs were aching. Lorri was sitting on a bench and Nicky was standing around her, kicking her purple pumps around.
"Hey!" Nicky gave Mariah a small wave as she approached them.
Lorri bit her lip and stood up, straigtening her dark blue chinos and yellow shirt.
Come on, shouldn't we go now?" Lorri asked, tugging at her shirt.
Marah nodded. "We have to 'borrow' one of those golf carts," she said, pointing at the row of white golf carts lined up by the grass. They were white with lockable windows and doors, with three rows of faux leather seats. Nicky nodded and they walked over to the line.
"How do you work these things?" asked Lorri.
"Insert the money and drive the cart away," replied Nicky, rolling her eyes.
"Okay." Mariah pulled out some $20 bills and stuffed three into the slot. A key dropped out from under the slot, and Mariah picked it up and started up one of the carts.
"I'll drive for an hour, then you can go." Mariah said to Nicky, tossing her Prada tote into the middle row. After slipping into the drivers' seat. Nicky slid into the seat next to her, closing the plastic door after her. Lorri jumped in next to Mariah's bag, nearly causing the cart to tip over.
"Lorri, watch it, you freak!" Mariah murmured, tossing her hair back and exchanging a glance with Nicky.
The golf cart started up and Mariah fumbled with the lights. Then they pulled out from the Beverly Center and drove down a small, narrow road and into the countryside.
"Do you actually had any idea where the hell we are?" asked Mariah, wiping a sweat-drenched palm on her black skinny Sevens. "Do I make a right turn here or a left?"
Nicky pulled out her silver slide cellphone and turned on the GPS.
"We're on 7th. Make a right turn, and then go straight for a while. We're arriving in the 'peopleless' area."
Mariah sighed and parked the car. "Nicky, you drive. I'm done for now." She swapped places with Nicky, and peered back at Lorri, who was staring at the flat, dark land around them. It was very dark, and the golf cart didn't have the best headlights. No better then a couple of flashlights.
"Hey, can we roll up the windows? I'm cold," Lorri said, shivering and wrapping her knitted white scarf around her shoulders.
"Uh-huh." Mariah rolled up her window and Nicky and Lorri did the same. It was quite cold. An icy breeze was blowing across the flat landscape, rocking the golf cart ever so slightly. Lorri sighed and leaned against the door of the cart, making sure it was securely locked. She wished she was back in Michigan, sitting on the carpet by the fireplace, reading. She didn't want to be here, with two rich bitches, driving an unsteady golf cart in the middle of nowhere at midnight. If it weren't for Oscar, she wouldn't be doing this.
"Should we stop? We're shaking really badly," Nicky asked Mariah, a scared look on her face.
"I think we should," Lorri suggested as her stomache did a cartwheel.
"Yeah, I guess," replied Mariah, as she tried to turn on the small light inside the cart. It flickered on. It lit up the whole cart. She breathed out a sigh of confusion mixed with boredom and leaned back into the fake leather seat.
"We're going to have to drive about 1200 miles to go," Nicky said, sighing.
"Well, this cart goes at around 30 miles per hour. It's going to take us around 40 hours to get to the juvenile camp area," Lorri calculated.
"Yeah, ehh, did you guys bring food?" asked Mariah, tossing her hair back.
"I brought equipment to get into the camp," Nicky answered.
"Crackers," Lorri said, looking at her hands.
"Ha, I guess it's just me and me," Mariah murmured, shifting her legs under her.
Lorri opened her pink bag and took out a book she had gotten from the library about juvenile camps. Mariah and Nicky sat in silence, staring at the blowng wind outside of the cart. Lorri flipped through the pages until she felt drowsy.
"Will you guys mind if I go to sleep now?" asked Lorri, putting her book back into the bag.
"Go ahead," Mariah replied, and Nicky gave her a tiny smile.
Lorri shivered again. The temperature was dropping. She pulled on a sweatshirt over her shirt and folded up her scarf for a pillow. Then she stretched out on the seat and placed her bag on the floor. Within moments, she had fallen asleep.
"You wantta take a nap too?" asked Nicky.
Mariah shook her head, although she felt a bit sleepy too. But before she knew it, she had fallen asleep too, leaving Nicky by herself to guard the cart.
When Mariah woke up, Nicky was asleep in the 3rd row but Lorri was awake. It was 3:30 am.
"When did you get up?" murmured Mariah, turning around to face Lorri.
"About three. Nicky fell asleep about 10 minutes ago."
Mariah nodded and rubbed her eyes gently. Then she pulled out her Chanel compact and re-applied some makeup.
"Lorri, gimme my Prada," Mariah requested.
Lorri reached over and handed her the bag. Mariah fished through it and pulled out a Dr. Pepper. She handed Lorri a bottle of Fiji water.
"Thanks," Lorri said gratefully. She gulped down half the bottle in a second. Mariah rolled her eyes and sipped her Dr. Pepper.
"I think the wind has stopped. Should we start moving again now? asked Lorri, capping the bottle of water.
"Yeah. Huh." Mariah moved over to the drivers seat and turned on the ignition. She slipped her soda into the cupholder and turned on the headlights.
"Wow, Nicky that dumbass didn't even think of turning the headlights on to high," murmured Mariah sarcastically. She stepped onto the gas and headed forward. They weren't really on a paved road anymore. it was just flat dirt, but Nicky's GPS led the way.
The stars twinkled above the girls as they drove around in the middle of nowhere. Lorri brushed her poo-colored hair thourougly with her fingers to pass time. Mariah took occasional sips of Dr. Pepper to keep her awake. And when Nicky finally woke up, she moved back to the front of the cart to talk to Mariah.
"Sorry for falling asleep," Nicky said as she tied a silk Louis Vuitton scarf around her neck.
"Yeah." Mariah nodded and brushed her hair out of her face and continued down the road that seemed to never end.
"So this is the place?" Nicky leaned forward and stared at the small cabins and track in front of her. A few dirty white tents, a big wood lodge, and a running track. That was all.
Mariah felt a lump in her throat. She was stiff from sitting in the tiny golf cart for two days.
"Yeah. Lets get out." Mariah pulled the keys out of the head and tossed them into her purse.
"Aren't you guys surprised that there are no electrical fences, no barbed wires?" asked Lorri, rolling out her scarf. "Well, of course, it is nighttime, so they might be hard to see."
Mariah didn't answer. She squinted through the glass window and sighed. "We aren't getting that far by just looking. We have to get off." With that, she opened the door of the golf cart and stepped out. It wasn't very cold, but it was very dark, and there were no lights of any sort.
Nicky stepped out behind Mariah, her pumps digging into the dirt. Lorri climbed out last.
"So, let's go check out the whole camp first," decided Mariah. Nicky nodded and they made their way across the dirt. There were 6 cabins in all, surrounded by the running track.
Lorri kicked the small pebbles on the track and made a huge racket.
"Guess what, Lorri. If you want us to be living shit, go ahead and lure the counselors out," Nicky muttered. Lorri lowered her head in embarassment.
"I heard something.. over there!" Mariah half-whispered-half-screamed. They ducked behind a wooden post.
"Shh.. they're going to catch us!" someone whispered. It wasn't Mariah or Lorri or Nicky. But it was the voice of a girl their age.
"Baby, don't sweat it," murmured another voice. Oscar!
"Did you guys hear that?!" Nicky exclaimed, ramming into Mariah. "That was Oscar!"
Mariah's head was spinning. Oscar with another girl? No way! Mariah couldn't stand it. She jumped up and ran towards the voices. They were coming from behind the lodge. She felt Nicky come up behind her. Lorri remained behind the post, shivering with fear.
Mariah gathered up her courage and stepped behind the lodge. As soon as she did, she wished she hadn't. Oscar was there. Making out with another girl. A girl with curly brown hair and mountain-range curves, wearing a tank top and a miniskirt. Oscar's arms were around her and her hands were up his shirt.
"Oscar.." Mariah whispered. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Oscar looked up. As soon as he did, he pushed the girl away from him and gasped.
"Mariah? What are you doing here?" Oscar's voice trembled as he wiped his mouth.
"I WAS coming to rescue you. But what's this?" Mariah demanded. She arched an eyebrow at the girl.
"Um.. it's nothing.." Oscar lied, looking at the girl. "This is my friend, Ashley."
Ashley tossed her huge mass of hair and looked smugly at Oscar. "And this is my boyfriend, Oscar."
Mariah played it cool. She cocked her head, rolled her eyes (as if she didn't really give a shit) and pursed her lips.
"You really messed with the wrong girl, Oscar. I'm going to make your life hell. Hey, are you forgetting who I am?" Mariah smiled thinly.
"No! Mariah, stop it. Don't." Oscar pleaded.
"Ehh, fat chance, Love. Gotta go." Mariah smiled. "Muah." She blew a fake kiss and rolled her eyes and joined Nicky where they found Lorri and headed back to the golf cart. She could hear Oscar and Ashley yelling at each other after they pulled out of the camp area. Ha. For all she cared, Oscar could go fuck that bitch Ashley and she wouldn't care. But she wasn't the type of girl to let a guy treat her like shit and not do anything about it. She would show Oscar that she wasn't the type of girl he wanted to mess with.