The Clichés

Chapter Thirteen

For Mason's birthday, the Clichés hang out at Fedora Lounge after hosting many Crownston students in Mason's father's mansion. It was a fancy looking place, with brown paneled walls and tan marble floors. Soft yellow lighting gave a warm glow to the whole room. Currently, Mason, Dylan, and her were all sitting on a beige couch that was pushed up against the wall. They're all drinking and laughing, except Vanessa, who's preparing to launch into what Mason now calls a motivational speech. She adjusts and turns to Mason. "You know what I'm going to say," she says.

"The party," Mason says, swishing the drink in his mouth.

"I know you have the money, but it was still too expensive. Perhaps next time—"

"It will be hotter next time!" Mason has stood up now, holding up his cup to the sky. "These Crownston kids who ride their Dad's cheap jeeps have to know I'm still above them."

"But you've learned your lesson flaunting your wealth."

"Gather your strength, Vanessa. I'm safe this time. At least I'm not spending on ladies, so no one is thinking I'm a big fool."

"Which you are, anyways," Dylan says.

"Please face your girlfriend, Vanessa." 

“What? I’m not his girlfriend-” she blurts out a little too quickly.

The boys look up from what they’re doing with amused expressions. Vanessa blushes, realizing what Mason meant in retrospect. 

Chase interrupts the awkward silence and says, "You should get yourself one too, you know?"

"You, face your boyfriend Lucas." 

Lucas’s head snaps up, eyes wide. He stays silent, though nobody notices except Chase. 

Vanessa goes to speak, but something makes her stop. Everyone turns in her direction. It's Mia sashaying to them, her long legs striding across the grass, her hands stylishly flailing in the air. Today she's wearing thick false eyelashes that form a shade over her eyes.. The way she’s walking reminds Vanessa of a bratz doll, for some reason unknown to her.

“Hey Mia, those lashes are sick, where’d you get them?” She asked, eager to know. Mia didn’t even look at her. Vanessa sank into her seat, puffing her cheeks out and trying to ignore the fact that her question being ignored made her want to sink into the ground. Dylan rested a hand on her shoulder for comfort, which did make her feel better, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to be thinking about this for the next week. 

  Mia doesn't say hello to any of them. She struts up to Lucas and winds her legs with his and begins to move her palms over his belly. "I'm as horny as hell," she whispers in his ears, licking his earlobes. "Let's go do something hot!"

"Gross." Vanessa says, crinkling her nose, walking away. If she wanted to watch two people fuck, she’d watch porn. 

"At least you have Dylan!" Mia calls out.

"We're not even dating!" She called back. Vanessa turns away, a blush blooming across her face. 

"And if we were," Dylan asks Mia as he leaned back on his forearms, "what would you do about it?"

"I don't know, pop champagne for you guys?"

Lucas is trying to wriggle free without hurting her, but each attempt is met with ferocious resistance. Mia is almost strangling him now, her arms tight around his neck, her legs intertwined with his. The sight made Vanessa's stomach drop to her feet. Her eyes immediately went to Chase. As she thought, he was staring at Lucas and Mia, his knuckles clenched so tightly they were white. Chase must have sensed her looking, because he looked right at her and caught her look of sympathy. He sighed and unclenched his fists.

When Mia leans in to kiss Lucas, he shoves her off and she lands on the lawn, brushing her leg against a blade of grass. Vanessa quickly grabbed Chase's arm and lightly tugged it once, to get him to stand up next to her before he charged Mia. Chase obliged, jaw clenched. 

"I didn't want you!" Lucas says. "You just walked into my life. I'm sorry if I hurt you but I'm one to take things slow."

"Oh really? Do you take things slow with all the girls you fuck? You think I don't know what you bad boys do?"

"I don't know…"

"You don't know what? I'm a special bitch or what?"

"Tell her she has the wrong idea about you," Vanessa says to Lucas. "Tell her you're not a bad guy."

Lucas looks to Mia, then to the ground. He is almost shaking now. All of his friends can tell he’s about to have a panic attack, but before any of them can go over to comfort him, Lucas speaks.

"No," he says and goes over to help Mia up. Vanessa sighs and rests a hand on Chase's shoulder. 

"C'mon Chase, let's go," she says, making direct eye contact with Lucas, who had been watching the whole thing. Chase nods and turns to walk away with her. Dylan and Mason shortly follow.

Vanessa turns and walks down the road with Chase and the guys where Old Martha is waiting patiently for her.

*

It happens as she's walking to her car after class one day. She hears a familiar voice from behind the dumpsters. She's always been a curious person, so naturally, she goes to check it out. That's when she sees it. Mia and Lucas, making out. She almost gags. She also has the urge to laugh. This is the second time she's found them by the dumpsters. Was this their spot? Fitting, because their whole relationship reeks of abuse.  

"Uh, hey," she called to Lucas.  He broke the kiss and peeked around her head, as she had him pinned to the wall.

"Oh. Hey, Van,"

"You left your sweatshirt in my car, can you come get it? I don't wanna touch it, it reeks."

"Oh shit, I've been looking for that everywhere, let me go grab that real quick," he says, saying the latter part to Mia. He pushes away from the wall to leave, but Mia pushes him back against it a little too hard.

"No, it's okay baby, let me go."

"Okay, that was pretty unnecessary and aggressive. If you wanted to go instead, you could've just said that instead of manhandling him."

"Sorry, was I talking to you?" Mia spat.

"Well I know for damn sure you weren't talking to him like that, not with me standing right here."

"Excuse me bitch, I can talk to him however I want, I'm his girlfriend!"

Vanessa stood there wide eyed. She looked at Lucas, worry filling her gut. He just sat there, staring at the ground.

I hope this isn't what I think it is…