High Life

Chapter 3: After-Party Showdown

Chapter 3

"Yeah-h!" shouted Dylan. He gave me a huge bear hug, coming up from behind. I was enveloped into his warm suit for a moment; my cheeks burned.

I whispered harshly, "Dylan!" and he let go.

He grinned, and then said, "But that was awesome! The way you man handled those elves in scene twenty four? That was AMAZING!" He clapped me on the shoulder. Hard.

"Do me a favor," I yelled over the blasting music. "Get me a piña colada!"

He nodded and then walked over to the counter. He shouted something at the bartender, and he began to whip up my drink.

"Hey!" said Alex, coming up and giving me a high five. "Awesome! You're such a great actress, Rose! Santa's gonna put you on the naughty list after that movie." She grinned.

Kaitlin came up behind her, and smiled so wide, I think her cheekbones might've broke. "Hey, beautiful! Loved the movie, it was hilarious! By the way, did you see Samantha Windsor's dress!? It's so last season. But Christina Hansen's? The red ruby and sequins? It's to DIE for!" She squealed, and added, "I love yours too, Chelsea has wonderful taste!" Kaitlin the girly girl. How anticipatable.

"Don't look now, but I think the lights just got ten shades darker," Taylor said glumly, walking up to us, a margarita glass in one hand.

Mira came to my side. "What's going on?" she asked, looking concerned.

Elizabeth was making her way across the dance floor, and to our table. Her crystal chandelier earrings swayed as she model walked. She approached us flawlessly, not a wrinkle on her floor length dress.

I stood up. So did the others.

"Hi, Roselyn. Just wanted to congratulate ourselves on the fabulous movie! Wasn't it great? How about a drink to celebrate? My treat!" and she reached behind her and snatched a glass from the tray of a waiter passing by.

"Oh, someone's already getting me-"

"Here!" Dylan announced, bouncing over and setting the piña colada in my hand. He looked at Elizabeth. "You must be-"

"Elizabeth Brown, yes, glad you noticed!" She shook his hand. "Call me Ellie."
Ellie? I bit back Aa grin.

"Hi. Dylan," Dylan said, shaking the blonde hair out of his eyes.

She looked at me quizzically. "Is he-"

"No. Just a good friend," I answered quickly.

She frowned and stared at my wrist. "What's that?"

I looked at what she was
looking at. Oh. "That's, uh, my tattoo." It was done in Sharpie while we were having our hangout session earlier.

She smirked. "It's not real."

I smiled, trying to keep my cool, and shrugged. "Of course not. I'm not an idiot. Who knows? The fan girl inside might fade later on."

I so didn't mean that.

Elizabeth smirked again. I guess it was her trademark.

"Well, I'll just be on my way. Enjoy the rest of the after party! I hear Macklemore's performing. He loved the movie. He especially loved Carol!" - That was Elizabeth's character in the movie.

Yes, I'm sure they loved you, Ellie.

She peeked over my shoulder and saw Kaitlin scrolling on her phone, absentmindedly dipping a tortilla chip in wasabi sauce.

"Kait!" I cried out.

She stopped just as she was about to put it in her mouth. She glanced at it, then back at me. "Oops," she said timidly, turning red.

I saw Elizabeth sneer. "I see a little time off from the high life has put a hole in your social skills. Dusty little cobwebs up there? Brain having trouble functioning?" She batted her eyelashes.

That was the last straw. I stepped closer to her and grabbed a fistful of her silken dress collar.

"Listen, Ellie. I get it that you think you're way better than me." I paused, and pushed away Dylan and Mira as they tried to pry me away. Surprisingly, they stopped. "But you're not. You may think you're the better actress, but let's see what competition you have when I go on break."

Elizabeth's squirming stopped. Her eyes widened. "You're-"

"Yeah. Yeah, I am." I smirked, stealing her trademark. "And stay away from my friends. They've deserved their breaks, and I think it's time for mine. Let's see how long you have to act until you start getting offers from Spielberg, Columbus, and Adams."

Her eyes widened even wider, if that was possible. Her lips parted slightly, awestruck.

I laughed. "Tough luck. See you later. I'll tell everyone that you prefer to be called Ellie now."

I let go and stepped back. Wow that felt so good. I turned around back to Kaitlin and asked, "Are you alright?"

She nodded at me slowly, as if under a trance.

All of a sudden, I felt something cold and wet begin to trickle down the back of my dress. I glanced down and saw a light orange stain slowly seeping through the lacy fabric.

I whipped around, and saw the smug face of Elizabeth stride away, as she glanced over her shoulder. An empty margarita glass lay on the ground.

Mira gasped in horror, and so did Taylor and Kaitlin. Dylan and Alex, however, were a different story.

Their faces contorted in outrage, Dylan yelled, "That's so not cool! Lets see how a taste of your own medicine feels like!"

"Yeah!" Alex yelled. "She just ruined a perfectly expensive Dior gown!"

They began to run to the bar to load up on more drinks, but Taylor and I held them back.

"Guys, it's okay." They turned around and were about to scream at me to let go when they saw my tear streaked face. "Let her go."

They sat down at the table with a huff, and crossed their arms sullenly. I glanced up and saw Elizabeth at the other end of the room, laughing hard with her friends. She saw me looking and rubbed her fists mockingly in her eyes and pouted. I so badly wanted to smash her face in, then and there.

But I couldn't, and all the energy drained me. Elizabeth was right. She was the better actress. The best dressed. The best backstabber. She always found a way to ruin me in the end.
Palms pressed to my face, I ran. Past Elizabeth, past the bar, and out the green, wooden door. I ran out onto the sidewalk - and cried. Cried until my eyes were swollen, and red, and I was sniffling from the cold.

I sunk to the ground and huddled my knees together, sobbing quietly. I leaned against the staircase and looked up into the darkened sky. The city noises of the night filled my ears. Taxis honking. Trains rumbling. People partying. It was strange to think life was still going on when I was out here all alone.

But then the footsteps came.