The Result

Before the Fact

Before the Fact, everything was fine. Elise Herman's life was the best it could be. She had a gaggle of girls who followed her around like she was God. She got good grades. She had a cute boyfriend. Her brother and sister weren't too annoying. And then all that was taken from her.

The Last Day Before the Fact.

"Hey, Lise!" Melody called from across the grounds. 

"Hey Mel." Elise replied. She was glued to her phone, Instant-Messaging her boyfriend, Clay.

The conversation went something like this:

Lise_Herman007: Hi Clay

Football_Clay: Sup babe

Lise_Herman007: Nothing much, just wondering if u wanted 2 hang out w/me after school? ;)

Football_Clay: Sorry babe i gotta watch the game 2nite!!!

Lise_Herman007: C'mon, cant you just on-demand it later?

Football_Clay: It's the SuperBowl, babe! I refuse to on-demand the SuperBowl when i could watch it at a fckng party @ aidan's house with food and best of all ALCOHOL! why dontcha come with me? I know football isnt your thing, but you'd b with me! And there's a room behind aidan's bar that nobody ever goes into... ;)

Lise_Herman007: No, i'll pass. Ttyl.

Football_Clay: Aw, c'mon babe. don't get mad. Think about it. Catcha later.

Elise sighed, frustrated.

"Is Clay blowing you off again?" Melody asked.

"Yeah. Whatever." Elise replied. "We'd better get to class."

Melody nodded and hooked her own arm around Elise's. The girls headed to class.

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After classes were over, Elise's group of girls met up with her outside the Main Doors to school. 

Elise's loyal group of followers consisted of Aixa and Ixchel Rodriguez, Dina Crow, Chrissy Dowler, Jessamyn Grant, Beatrix Luciano, Raquel Babinaux, and of course, Elise herself. Dina was the only one of the group not there at that moment. Elise figured she was sick.

Ixchel bounced up to Elise on sandal wedges that seemed too high to be comfortable. "LISE!!!" she quipped. "Aixa and I are hosting a slumber party!" Ixchel and Aixa lived in a huge mansion. Their family was from Spain, but they'd struck it rich in the USA. Ixchel and Aixa's native language was Spanish and they had accents. Ixchel tended to roll her 'r's. "And we thought you'd like to come!" Aixa finished.

Elise thought about it. "Sorry to disappoint, girls," she said. "My presence is needed elsewhere."

They all looked disappointed, but they got over it quickly. Raquel piped up, "All right, darling," she said. Raquel's entire family was French, and Raquel tended to call everyone darling or madmoiselle or madame. "Just remember that you're still welcome if you change your mind."

Elise nodded. "Thanks, girls." Her clique nodded and then proceeded to head to their cars and drive to Ixchel and Aixa's house.

And Elise got in her own car and headed to Clay's SuperBowl party.

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Elise rang the doorbell to Aidan's huge house. Aidan answered the door and looked at her in surprise. 

"What--what are you doing here?" he asked. "Clay said you weren't coming!"

Elise raised a perfectly plucked black eyebrow. "I changed my mind," she said. "Now let me in."

Aidan stepped aside and let Elise pass. "Where's Clay?" Elise asked him.

Aidan gulped. "Uh--" he stuttered. Elise glared at him. "In the back." he finished.

Elise felt confused. Then she realized the double meaning behind Aidan's words.

She stormed through the huge main room, where all the party guests were drinking beer out of red plastic cups and eating chips and watching the football game. She ran behind Aidan's mini-bar and into the back room.

Elise threw open the door.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" she screamed.

Dina Crow pulled her shirt back on. Clay struggled to wipe bright red lipstick off his face.

"DINA?! HOW COULD YOU?!?!" Elise screamed. "CLAY!!!"

Dina looked down, not meeting Elise's furious eyes. Clay stuttered, trying to find an answer to the situation. Finally Elise just turned and stormed off back outside to her car.

She IM'ed Aixa.

Lise_Herman007: Aixa?

AixaEspana: Yeah?

Lise_Herman007: I'm heading over 2 ur house. B there in a few.

AixaEspana: Kk gurl.

An IM came from Clay a few seconds later.

Football_Clay: Hey lise, please dont b mad! It was a stupid mistake. let's forgive and move past this.

Elise scoffed and quickly replied:

Lise_Herman007: Fuck off.

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When she got to Aixa's house, she spilled everything.