These Violent Delights

I. Have a little class, Cory.

Have you ever had a friend turn against you and everyone you know? Two months of 'Summer' could really change a person. Once best friends and now strangers, all just because she was away for a bit. This happened with Serena and Cory. It happens everywhere. And no, we're not talking about the cute guy you met on your Summer job at the zoo who turned out to be a complete freak, we're talking about that one friend you swore would be the bridesmaid at your wedding when you married Zac Efron. That kind of close.

Serena, Allison, Cory, and Victoria sat in the lavish and plushly decorated livingroom of the Lyons, in the small town of Rockview, California. The smallest town, where everyone knew everyone and the place was filled with lavish mansions transformed from old barns. This wasn't just any town, though. The flowers were brighter, the people were nicer, and the air was fresher. No one could explain it. Home for the rich, and maybe a few lucky second class people, it was a heaven you didn't want to leave, but I digress.

It was, maybe, a May of 2011, and the girls had their pretty little iPhones splayed out across the glass coffee table and a few circular stains of cherry vanilla soda on the glass. Cory was greedily unwrapping the wrapping of an ice cream bar. "Cory, have a little class." Serena said, sounding bitchier than she intended to. Cory's face fell as she fixed at her shirt, feeling a bit more constricted in Serena's now stretched out shirt than she already was. The girls laughed, except for Cory. She hated it when Serena made jokes at her expense. Seeing Cory's reaction, Allison lightly tapped Cory's fat shin with the toe of her six inch platform heels and giggled. "She's kidding, babes." Allison said, calming her laughter and shrugging before she leaned over to grab a strawberry from the plate next to the bouqet of lavish flowers.

"We should go to the beach!" Victoria suggested, hyper off the Pixiesticks she had just shoved down her throat. Serena thought for a moment, playing with her dirty blonde boho braid before slowly nodding. "Let's do it." She slowly said, before getting up to take off her 'I love dance' shirt, to only show off her abs and swimsuit. Allison and Victoria took off their normal attire to reveal perfect beach bodies, perfect tan, and basically, a perfect everything. Except for slighty overweight Cory Roberts, who was whipping a can of whip cream like some kind of crack addict about every day that ended in a y. Cory's face was as red as Serena's stretched cherry red tank top which seemed like a strict corset more than a shirt, now.

They all walked out the patio door, and the lavish beach was right before them. That's how it was in Rockview, the newly built houses had the ocean for their backyard and the old barn houses converted into a mansion were the ones with the nice pool and garden, again, I digress. The girls ran out-- well, with the exception of Cory. She just walked. The girls were dancing in the warm ocean water on a sunny day of the weekend, free from the chains of school. The year was good, they were as close as ever. They cheated on the tests as a team, and did everything together. It was the friendship everyone envied.

But then summer came, and that's when things got weird. Cory was no longer the loser, and now the group felt just a bit chubbier around her presence, which was oozing with perfection. The ugly duckling grew to be the best, and maybe even better than the best. That's when things got weird. There was such thing called greed that managed to consume all four of the girls, but not as much as it took over Cory. Zero, to selfish bitch. She was corrupt, and even Serena, the girl that pulled her out of oblivion from total loserdom was now questioning her best friend.

Now, it was the third of August, 2012, and the three girls were sitting out on the patio of Cory's house, this time. She looked perfect, a girl straight out of Vogue with her brunette hair that lacked a single flaw, no split ends, no damaged hair, yet it was curled every day. She had clothing that could only be bought at Paris, and everyone was jealous, yet everyone in this town looked like they walked out of a fashion catalog. Cory was busy on her phone, her legs lounged on the table. "What are you looking at?" Victoria asked, her eyebrows knitting together in irritation. "Why do you have to know? You're not as relevant in conversations as you think." Cory challenged, copying the same tone that Serena spoke to her from what seemed like a million years ago.

The once calming enviorment suddenly took a hostile turn, and the two were looking at each other like it was World War III. "Watch out, it's WW3. I have a feeling, this time it's to the death." Serena narrated loudly, bitchier than both of the two combined. Cory just seemingly rolled her eyes and made her way back inside. "Don't you just wanna burn her alive sometimes?" Victoria said bitterly, shaking her head in disgust. No one dared to agree, but they didn't disagree. Maybe it was the jealousy speaking, but Cory had become a real snob.

The girls looked at each other. Before, Cory used to be their main target. But the kind where it was a bunny versus a hunter, she was no danger at all. The kind of target you would make fun of for shits and giggles. Now, Cory was a target in the real threat kind of matter. Jealousy consumed them all, and in all honesty, if they had to, they'd bring each other down with their own pretty hands. It was a race to be the queen of Rockview High, the school that everyone attended. They fought to be feared. You couldn't make anyone love you, but you could make them fear you. They wanted to be the top dog, like how Serena was the queen. Now, to the public eye, Cory was the queen now.

Allison broke the wrapper to a grape fruit popsicle, tossing the wrapper in the chrome trash can next to her before slipping the popsicle in her mouth. "You guys are ridiculous." She spoke cooly, trying to pull the 'too cool' act. And you knew it too, because she was trying to win this silent bitch-off like it was nothing. Summer changed not only them, but their friendships as well. They all grew distant, and it was almost sick how close they acted in front of people.

A few minutes later, Cory stepped out with a smirk on her face and a newspaper in her hands. "Are we done here?" She muttered, taking a seat again. "Yes, yes we are." Serena said, interrupting Victoria-- who was left with her jaw dropped open in protest. Tossing the newspaper on the table, she signed in a mock pity tone, rolling those brown eyes again. "Another murder." She singsonged, almost happy it happened. Like she wanted it to happen. That's when the three girls knew something was wrong. Something far out of their hands.