METANOIA

Chapter 10

Meanwhile, Veronica stomped towards us, clapping her hands and laughing a self-satisfied, monstrous laugh. "Payback sucks, bitches! Payback sucks!" she repeated, clearly gloating.
"She's gone nuts," Sonia remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, she's just sore," I added, rolling my eyes.

Veronica flipped her hair and said, still laughing, "Well, Bee! I loved your photos, but sorry... I couldn't be your Prom date." Batting her eyelashes, she said, "But someone I know would love to."
She called out, "Jeremiah..." A lean, feeble figure, presumably the science freak, marched towards us, carrying a basket of cupcakes. He held it out to me, "Will you be my Prom date, Mahab Malik?" he asked, fidgeting, before running his tongue across his braces, which made me feel nauseated.

I forced a smile, trying not to gag at the sight of Jeremiah's braces. "Uh, thanks for asking, Jeremiah, but I already have a date." I said, trying to let him down easy.

"Say yes already to the poor guy, Bee!" Veronica exclaimed. "He's the only option left for you, because I know..." She came closer and whispered in my ear, "Nobody else in the entire school would want to put up with you, you crazy-crazy girl." She nudged me with her finger as she spoke.

By this time, almost everyone had risen from their seats and formed an involuntary circle around us, their intrigued faces revealing that they were thoroughly enjoying the fallout between Veronica and me. It was their last dose of entertainment at school before graduation.

"Poor Veronica," Sonia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I know you're having a mental breakdown, and your Botox-filled ass is a little sore now that Ethan's broken up with you. But darling, you don't have to put on a show like this." She spat venomously, her words echoing through the room.

"Rejection is a hard pill to swallow, but don't worry, Veronica, you'll get used to it," Janet said with a sly smile.

Veronica shot back, "Well, well, well... Janet, enjoy my hand-me-downs. You can have Ethan; I was getting bored with him anyway. And let's get real, unlike your poor friend Bee, my Botox-filled ass has a boyfriend who's a college senior – and actually, he's a frat president. So, while you're playing catch-up, I'm already leveling up."

Laughter and snickers erupted from the crowd as Veronica's sarcasm was met with a mix of amusement and embarrassment for Janet. Someone in the back shouted, "Long live the Queen... of Leftovers!" The crowd burst into laughter, and soon, the entire cafeteria was filled with the sound of mocking applause and cheers.

Veronica, pleased with the reaction, turned back to Janet with a smug smile and said, "I'm glad you're enjoying the attention, Janet. After all, it's not every day you get to be the center of attention.

She turned to the crowd and announced haughtily, "I am gonna be the prom Queen!"

All this time, I stood there listening to her nonsense, determined to give her a taste of her own medicine. I retorted, "Dream on, Botox Barbie! I assume you're skipping your meds, which is why you're making things up." "Who told you I don't have a date to prom?" I asked.

Veronica's face turned beet red with rage, her Botox-filled brow struggling to furrow in response. "Excuse me, you insignificant little insect?" she spat, her voice trembling. "I don't need meds to know that you're a pathetic prom-less wonder!

"Veronica, spare us the theatrics. I'm not like you, flaunting my personal life for attention.My boyfriend, a university graduate, is a far cry from your immature beau."

Sonia's eyes widened in confusion, but she quickly caught on and played along. "And not just any university, he's a Harvard graduate, which you can only dream of."
Janet chimed in, "Your college guy can't hold a candle to Bee's prince charming. And you won't even get a whiff of him."

"Ha! I don't even want a whiff of your imaginary Harvard grad boyfriend, Bee!" Veronica barked with her sinister laughter. "Bee, you're just a crazy little liar. Your Harvard boyfriend doesn't exist; you just made him up."
She gazed intently at me, her eyes narrowing. I took a step towards her, facing her eye to eye.
"He does exist, and you'll see him at the prom." Veronica snorted, her expression skeptical. "We'll see," she huffed, turning away with a dismissive flick of her hair.

I smiled confidently, "I'm not worried, Veronica. The truth will come out at the prom. And  when it does, you'll be the one looking crazy.

"We'll see." Veronica huffed, finishing her sentence.

"Veronica, listen!" I called out, and she stopped mid-stride. "I'll be present at prom with my guy, and I'll be crowned Prom Queen, I bet. And you'll be left to lick the dust off my feet."

Veronica spun around, her eyes blazing with fury. "You think you can steal the spotlight from me? I'm the one who's been planning this moment for years! I'll never let some nobody like you take my crown." She sneered, her voice dripping with venom.
"And as for your 'guy', I'll believe it when I see it. Until then, keep dreaming, Bee."

"And if you don't show up, I'll rub your nose in my feet in front of the whole school!" Veronica spat, her voice venomous, before storming off with a dramatic flourish.

I watched her go, a satisfied smile spreading across my face. "Oh, I'm shaking in my boots," I called out, teasing her further.

But deep down, I knew I had to make good on my promise. I had to show up to prom with my Harvard boyfriend, whom I had just made up on the spot. Winning that crown was no longer just about me; it was about proving Veronica wrong. Anything less would be a victory for her, and I couldn't let that happen. I felt a surge of determination and began to formulate a plan.

I turned to Sonia and Janet, my mind racing with ideas. "Girls, I need your help. We have a Harvard boyfriend to create, and a prom crown to win." They exchanged a mischievous glance, and I knew I had their support. Together, we began to hatch a plan to take down Veronica and make my fictional boyfriend a reality.