KILLING ME SOFTLY 𖣔 EUPHORIA [FEZCO]

1.4

As the rest of the girls cleaned up the backyard and the patio, Priscilla helped Mrs. Howard clear out the living room. Lexi volunteered to put Cassie to bed, after her meltdown in the hot tub.

"Well, I could've predicted that," the mother shook her head, stuffing the empty cups into a trash bag. Priscilla stood above her on a wooden chair, tearing down the pink and purple streamers from the walls. "I keep telling her, stop mixing your lights with your darks. She just doesn't listen."

As Mrs. Howard continued to rant and entertain Priscilla with her hangover stories from the past, the girl slowly began to feel better. She never would've thought that a talkative forty year old woman would be the highlight of her night. Their conversation soon fell to silence as Lexi came down from her bedroom and entered the kitchen.

The girl leaned against the wall, her mood reflecting one of exhaustion and disgust, "She's finally asleep, she wanted to tell Maddy she's sorry again."

"Well, it's me she should be apologizing to," Mrs. Howard raised her hands up in amusement, "do you know how long it's going to take to disinfect that fucking hot tub?"

Mrs. Howard tied up the trash bag, tossing it with the others. The woman sighed, looking in between the two girls, "I'm going to bring all this crap out to the garage, I'll be back."

Priscilla turned back around, continuing to clean up the decorations and confetti. The girl grabbed a random pen off of the counter, walking around the room as she popped the cheap balloons.

"Do you want help?" Lexi offered, grabbing one of the unopened trash bags from the table.

As the girl began to shake it open eagerly, Priscilla was in no mood for her company. "Nope," was all she said. The last thing she had wanted from this shit show of a night, was alone time with Lexi.

"You sure? I feel like it'll be done a lot quicker with two people."

"I'm good."

The tension was extremely thick and one-sided. Lexi shuffled on the heels of her boots, watching as Priscilla paced back and forth throughout the room. The girl wouldn't even look at her as she passively popped each balloon.

"Can I ask you something?"

"I'd seriously prefer if you didn't," she popped another one, shoving the trash into a bag.

"I just want to know why you hate me so much, what did I do for you to genuinely not like me?" Lexi questioned, completely clueless about the impact her presence had recently made in Priscilla's life. But all Priscilla could do was laugh, not even knowing where to begin.

"What did I do to you?"

Priscilla dropped everything in her hands, spinning around to face the girl. Her head had been pounding all night and her heart was so heavy with anger, the sime question sent the girl into a rage.

"You really want to know?" Priscilla stepped over the message, coming face to face with Lexi, "Did you really think that I wouldn't find out about you and Fez?"

"What do you mean, me and Fezco? There's nothing going on between us, atleast that I know of," Lexi truthfully answered, her eyes never leaving Priscilla's.

"The texting, the hanging out at his house, the showing up at his job like you suddenly grew a pair of balls, what was all of that?"

"Wait," Lexi held up a finger, being careful not to piss Priscilla off even more than she already was, "are you two-"

"We've been," Priscilla spat in the girl's face, "we've been and you know that, there is no way that you couldn't have, Lexi. So, please, fucking spare me the clueless act because I'm getting sick of it."

"Look, the way he put it, it seemed like you two had called it quits. I didn't think I was doing anything wrong," Lexi further tried to explain, but anyway the girl could have put the truth, wouldn't have made Priscilla feel any better.

"God, you're such a righteous person then, huh? You didn't think you were doing anything wrong? Why even pursue him then? If you knew that we were together at a point, why him?"

Before Lexi could open her mouth to speak, Priscilla took it upon herself to answer for her, "You've had this weird obsession with my life since fucking elementary school! Rue is my best friend, she has to be yours too. I run for student council, and you just have to run. I join track, all of the sudden, Lexi Howard's a fucking Olympic athlete! I date Fezco, next thing you know you're in his phone. So, don't sit here and tell me it's all coincidence or treat me like I'm fucking crazy."

"I just can't decide if it's funny or pathetic how much you try to mimic my life. Because everything you do, everyone you force into your life, has already touched mine. Rue left you for me, I beat you at every single sport, every competition you come in second to me, I feel bad for you at this point. But you know what, because while you embarrass yourself, chasing after Fezco, he is still only sees me. He is still fucking me. He is still contacting me, he still wants me. You are nothing," With her sharp words, Priscilla's eyes turned completely dark.

Behind her blue colored stare, was a cold nothing. "Do you understand that?"

Lexi couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes. The girl quickly wiped them away, not wanting to give Priscilla any more satisfaction, but it was too late. Priscilla had succeeded in hurting the girl's feelings in every way possible. She couldn't do anything but to simply nod, still rubbing her bloodshot eyes.

Priscilla shook her head, realizing no matter how much she lashed out at this one person, the pain inside of her heart didn't fade. She didn't feel any better.

Priscilla pulled out her phone, the obnoxious vibrating snapping her out of her anger. The blonde left Lexi behind, slamming the fromt door behind her as she headed towards her car.

"Hello?" Priscilla answered.

"Uh, hi," a familiar voice said on the other line, "Priscilla?"

"Who is this?"

"Hi, uh, this is Elliot, I don't know if you remember me-" Priscilla took the phone from her ear, checking her phone screen, but putting it back.

"Look- I'm sorry to cut you off, but Elliot, I've had a fucking night so can we just get to why you're calling me from Rue's phone right now?"

"Um, okay, well we kind of need your help, Rue's in trouble right now."

"We?"

"Me!" Priscilla could hear Jules' voice chime in the background.

"What happened?" Priscilla leaned against her car, running a hand through her hair.

"We went out tonight and we were all fucked up but Rue did a little bit more than the rest of us, anyway-she kind of took off. We have no idea where she is right now."

"Have you called her mom?"

"A-Are you suggesting we should?"

"I can't fucking deal with this right now, okay? I have my own shit to worry about honestly, and being out at one in the morning chasing after Rue is just something I can't do right now so-"

"Wait, wait!"

"Look, just check her house. She always ends up back home."