Band-Aid

Ice Queen

Precious Hallington wasn't arrogant.

She simply knew that she was gorgeous. Flawless. Irresistible. 

It was a simple fact, as those who have been in her presence have found out.

But, as it turns out, with great beauty comes great responsibility. And responsibility was definitely a pain in the butt. 

As the self-acclaimed queen of Lunar Bell High School, there was an unspoken law that things that belonged to Precious was never to be touched. So far, her authority was never challenged... and it wouldn't be, as far as the good students of Lunar Bell High would know.  

Precious popped her Trident gum then chewed fast and hard, dark eyebrows slanted in concentration. She glared back down at the mousy girl, then at the picture on her phone. It was out of focus and looked to have been taken halfway behind a wall but it was enough. A pretty blonde girl was clutching her books in one arm as she gestured with her other hand to a handsome black-haired boy in front of her. Although the shot only showed half the boy's face, Precious would have recognized that silver stud in his pierced ear anywhere. They were both grinning.

Precious was not. She ripped her eyes away from the shot and gritted out, "Take care of it," before marching away in her designer flats. 

Things can be misread and, gossip being this school's specialty, it was Precious's job to keep the rumors in check before things got out of control. She rounded the corner of the hallway and contemplated the situation - this was the second time that the new Blondie had decided to overstep her boundaries and it would not be overlooked.

Her reputation was not going to be tarnished by some wanna-be who decided to hit on her boyfriend.

With that self-reassurance, Precious strolled down the corridor and pushed the door open to the mess hall, the metal hinges squeaking with protest. She was welcomed with the typical madness and mayhem of the cafeteria full of teenagers.

It was actually quieter today (which said a lot) and she narrowed her hazel eyes as she passed a table full of students she didn't recognize. They were all hunched over their table eating their lunches and muttering amongst each other. While this was common at a table full of geeks, Precious could tell they weren't and their shifty eyes (not to mention unfashionable clothing) made her suspicious. Well, she'd keep a close-

"Ow!" Precious hissed out a long string of expletives as she gingerly held her hip. Some heads turned and Precious glowered at them until they whipped their heads back. Then she directed her glare at the perpetrator, a blue metallic table.

Since when was that table even there? And why was it blue? All other tables in the cafeteria was a shining silver. She scowled and continued to glare at it as if hoping it would admit where it had come from. When it didn't, she huffed and rubbed her right hip, stepping away and walking towards her table near the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Her hip throbbed with every step and by the time Precious got to her table, her teeth were cracking under the strain of gritting them. Her friends, sensing her sour mood, immediately scooted back in their chairs so that she could take her spot at the head of the table. 

Veronica and Amy were at her side in less than a second.

"Precious! What's the matter?"

"Yeah, you look like  someone squeezed a whole lime down your throat. Face all puckered up." Veronica tisked. "If you keep frowning like that, your forehead's gonna get all wrinkly."

Amy nodded, silently agreeing with the other black-haired girl. Precious, still peeved, glowered at them both. 

"No, no," Veronica sighed. Then she brought her hands up to Precious's face, two index fingers prodding her lips and forcing her to smile.