Rise To Stardom

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

“Hold up. This bitch said what?” Aubrey yelled so loud, I had to pull the phone away from my ear or my eardrums would explode. I had been waiting all day to tell Aubrey all about the events that transpired last night.

Brooke had been treating me like her maid by accidentally spilling something and making me clean it up or asking me to do the dishes when she was leaning against the counter closest to the dishwasher.

Somehow, after last night, she felt entitled to belittle me and I was the sweet little Cinderella who went along with it. Kayla stuck up for me and even helped me clean up after her, but Brooke shrugged her off and flipped her hair in her face.

With all of my being, I hoped she would be eliminated after the first show. However, I dare say that out loud, that would only encourage her to think I did, in fact, think I was better than her.

“And that–”

“—bitch,” Aubrey said for me because my kind, innocent soul was too nice to say it myself.

“—had been making my life miserable all day. She bumped into me and spilled her smoothie all over her pajamas and the floor. She made me clean it up and throw her clothes into the washing machine.”

“Let me guess, you did it anyway?” There was a pause and with that, she knew what the answer was.

“Girl, you’re lucky that you have me. When I come over today, I’m gonna tell that bitch to eff off and to go to Hell where she belongs. Why do you let her treat you like that?”

I didn’t know how to answer. She was the one in the wrong here by accusing me of something I didn’t do and overreacting the way she was. I was just too nice to say or do anything. That had always been my flaw. “I don’t know.”

“Ems, you should never let someone walk all over you like that. You need to man up and grow a pair!”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll… I’ll try to ignore her.”

“Good girl. I’ll see you at four. I love you!”

“Love you too.” I hung up and sat the phone back down. I turned around and noticed Kayla waiting with a bottle of nail polish in her hand.

Unlike me, she actually had the energy to get out of her pajamas and wore her yellow butterfly-sleeved blouse with her white high-waisted skinny jeans. She even did her hair in a half-up ponytail and took the time to curl it.

“Good. You’re off the phone. Want me to do your nails?”

We trotted back to our room and laid on the floor on our stomachs, a paper towel underneath my hand as a precaution. The silence combined with the warmth of the heater added a ton of weight to my eyes.

Unfamiliar Environment Syndrome took over me last night. I was on high alert for burglars trying to break into the house and for ghosts haunting the halls all through the night.

A finger snapping stopped me from nodding off into a deep sleep.

“Emory! You didn't sleep so well last night, didn't you?” Kayla asked as if me nodding off multiple times wasn't enough of a sign.

“Don't you always have trouble sleeping in a new place?”

“As long as I’m exhausted, I can sleep through the night. I slept like a baby.” She shrugged and continued to paint my nails a maroon shade of red. “So, my birthday's coming up this weekend. I invited everyone in the house to go to a club to celebrate. You wanna come? You can bring Aubrey if you want.”