The Queen Bee of Bridgeton (27 page)

"What about you,
Emmaline
? Are you ready for this?" I asked, looking into the back seat.
Emmaline
nodded and stared out the window. I could tell she was nervous about what we were going to do.

This year, the senior slide show wouldn't be filled with warm fuzzy memories of middle school class trips or elementary school plays.  This year, the Bridgeton senior class was going to get an eyeful of what a few of their fellow classmates were really like.

The night of Sasha's confession, she not only left a void in my life where my sister and best friend used to be, she also left me a memory stick filled with everything David had ever captured on his hidden bedroom camera.  That spliced with Ashley's taped confession made for one compelling slide show. Of course, I wouldn't show the explicit parts.  The backstabbing, conniving conversations were enough.

In this video, Ashley, Brittany, Lauren, Sasha, Colbert, and David discussed plans on how to trap or attack nearly every student at Bridgeton.  The Fat Tuesday prank was just the tip of the iceberg. They individually or collectively sabotaged people's grades, relationships, even college applications.  They systematically made private information public or planted rumors and lies to gain control of whomever they wished. Sometimes their motives were clear, like in the case of Leila Baker; Sasha and Colbert wanted the presidency and vice-presidency. But, sometimes, they wreaked their havoc just for fun.

I didn't have any proof of what they did to
Emmaline
, but hopefully her personal testimony would be convincing enough.

When we arrived, the party was in full swing.  There was no alcohol due to the security measures taken by Headmaster Collins, but from the hugging and laughing going on, I could tell everyone was still having a good time; that was until they saw me. A hush fell over the crowd as I walked towards the makeshift DJ area that housed the music and the LCD projector.

"Why is she here?"

"What does she think she's doing?"

"She's a junior."

"She's a cheater." I heard them whispering.

I felt their stares piercing my flesh trying to break down my resolve. But I continued until I had my video loaded. I found a microphone that I assumed was supposed to be used for karaoke later and said, "Bridgeton seniors,
may
I have your attention please." At this point, everyone who wasn't already staring at me now was, including Ashley, Brittany, and Lauren who had scrambled to the front of the crowd. "I know I'm not your favorite person right now. I know you think I let you down. I just want to say, it's not what you think.  I've been deceived as have many of you. My own sister blinded me, she blinded us.  She has now been expelled as have Colbert Thornton and David Winthrop.  But there are still three here among us that have not faced the music.  If you think about the things that have been happening at this school and the three…
ladies
that always seem to come out on top, I think you'll figure out who they are.  But just in case you're not sure, I've prepared a little presentation." Lauren dashed towards me, but Will held her back.  Brittany clutched her stomach with one hand and covered her mouth with the other as if she wanted to puke.  Ashley was too shocked to move.

The video played for an agonizing four minutes.  They saw Ashley's drunken confession of the made up Spanish test scandal. They saw Lauren and Brittany laughing hysterically about breaking up Hayley and Michael over fake text messages from a made up girl.  They saw Lauren and Sasha plotting to edit teacher recommendations from the college counseling office so Jennie, Lewis, Rachel, Grady and Clark wouldn't get accepted to Princeton and Sasha would be the only one this year. They saw Sasha actually hack into the school's grading system and change Susie's and Min's grades so they wouldn't get into any college. They saw Colbert and Ashley make a bet to see how many boyfriends they could steal.

Then
Emmaline
took the microphone and explained her ordeal with them. She told everyone how they attacked her because she got the lead part in the school play over Brittany. They used David to lure her into a stairwell under the ruse of going over lines,
then
they stripped her, and vandalized her car. The next day she transferred giving Brittany the lead in the play.

When it was over, no one said a word. I heard sniffling and saw tears from girls who had been personally affected by the antics.  Guys who had been duped into cheating on their girlfriends or who were rejected from Princeton stood with their eyes wide and mouths agape.  Slowly, every eye turned away from the screen and toward the Bitch Brigade.

"We're sorry, we didn't mean to hurt anyone," Brittany said.

"That's not what it looked like," someone yelled.

"It was Sasha, it was all Sasha," Lauren said.

"Yeah, she made us do it!" Ashley added.  Someone threw a cup at the girls and more trash soon followed. 

As Ashley, Brittany and Lauren retreated to their car amidst boos and derogatory names, I yelled into the microphone, "Payback's a bitch, bitch!" 

Bridgeton cheered.

The next day, at Bridgeton's graduation, students hugged me and offered their apologies for ever doubting my innocence. They also told me horror stories of mysterious events that happened over the years that they now pointed to the Bitch Brigade. I felt so loved and appreciated.  It was the most comfortable I'd ever felt at Bridgeton. I could sit in the audience and enjoy my boyfriend's graduation without feeling out of place or targeted by Ashley, Brittany, and Lauren.

At this point, I was thinking things couldn't get any better. But they did.

"Thanks for coming today, babe." Will said as we walked through
Venton
Heights hand in hand. He looked completely out of place with his sun-bleached hair, crisp white shirt, and baggy khakis, but if he was the slightest bit uncomfortable, he didn't show it. He smiled as he took his mortar board off and playfully placed it on my head. Either he didn't notice the extreme poverty I lived in or he didn't care. I felt so foolish for ever hiding it from him.

"Of course I came.  I wouldn't have missed your graduation." I kissed Will's hand. When we reached the front steps of my apartment building, Will stopped and planted a kiss on my lips so powerful it nearly lifted me off my feet. I didn't want it to end. Then I thought about something. It didn't have to end. "Do you want to come upstairs? No one's home," I breathed when he let me up for air. My body tingled with the thought that in a matter of moments, we could be physically showing our love for one another. Will's eyes widened as he nodded speechlessly.

Bubbling with excitement and anticipation, we raced each other up the stairs. Will
kissed
the back of my neck while unzipping my green summer dress as I fumbled with the lock.  At last the door opened, but our dream of an afternoon of love making closed.

"Mom!"
I yelped as soon as I stepped through the door.  I discreetly zipped my dress up while Will greeted my mother.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Garrison," Will
said
, extending his hand and smiling nervously. My mother stared at his hand then raised her left eyebrow. Will's smile waned as my mother continued to disregard his hand. A nervous twitch developed in my stomach.  What if she didn't like him? What if she treated him like Julia had treated me?

"After all I've heard about you, young man, you better put that hand away and give me a hug."  My mother stood on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around Will's neck.  I could see the relief wash over his face as he returned the embrace. "Thank you for everything you've done for my daughter."

"What are you doing home, Mom? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Yeah, but shouldn't you be in a dance class?"

"I went to see
Will
graduate.  I was going to try to catch a four o'clock pas de
deux
class or something." 

My mother looked at her watch and said, "It's 3:15." She looked at me, then at Will, then back to me. "I doubt if you would've been done in time."

"Mom!"
I whined. Will
turned
completely red.  How mortifying!

"Anyway," she said, smiling as she walked to the kitchen table. "The truth is
,
I wanted to talk to you." Her face turned serious as she sat down and gestured for me to join her.

"Do you want me to come back later or something?"Will
started
inching his way toward the door.

 "No, you can hear this too." My mom bit her bottom lip as if deep in thought. I could tell she was searching for the right words. "Sonya, I want to apologize to you for not being a better mother."

"Mom, you don't have to apologize. You've had to work. I know –”

My mother held up her hand, cutting me off.

"Working is no excuse for not knowing my own daughters. I should've made time for you. Maybe I'm to blame for the way Sasha turned out."

"Mom, she fooled all of us."

Will crossed his arms as if to say Sasha never fooled him.

"In any case, I want to be a better mother. I want to get to know you. I want us to be close.”

I got up from the table and wrapped my arms around her.

"So that means you're going to have to call me at least once a week while you're in Rome.”

"Rome? Mom, didn't I tell you I got rejected from
DiRisio
?"

"Really?
Then why would they send you this?" With a gleeful smirk she handed me a business sized envelope.

I think I might have passed out if Will hadn't stepped up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders.  He gently massaged the tension away as I stared in disbelief at the envelope that contained my future.

"Well, read it already!" My mother yelled after I held the envelope with trembling hands for thirty seconds without making the slightest attempt to open it.

"I can't."

"Well, if you won't, I will." She snatched the envelope from me.

"No, I can do it." I grabbed it back, took in a deep breath, and opened it.

We are pleased to inform you…
 

I screamed, Will screamed, my mother screamed.  I started crying uncontrollable tears of relief and elation as Will gathered me in his arms.

"I'm going to Rome, I'm going to Rome," I chanted on the verge of hyperventilating. I looked over at my mother who was crying as well.  I handed the letter to Will as my mother and I hugged and danced around the apartment.

"Oh my God," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"You didn't read the rest of the letter."