Beautifully Broken

08 | Larosse Nights

Chapter 8 :

Awh Friday afternoon at Shoreline. I've survived my first week of high school, well in 3 hours it'll be official.

This week wasn't totally horrible. I've managed to go this week without Jackson or Chase bothering me about the demon in New York. I've also got closer with Maia since I have lunch with her everyday.

Maia and I walk into the roaring cafeteria and immediately get into the salad line. If you don't go right away, the line gets so long it can curve into the language hall.

As we walk to our usual table near the center of the gold and white room crowded with students, I can't help but glance over the the 'Elites' table.

I finally understand what Maia means about the 'Elites' and Emily Asher's queen status. Its like every where they walk people walk in their steps and cherish the dirt left by their shoes.

Emily Asher is the queen. She has complete control over Kim Valentine, who supposedly is her best friend, and nearly all of Shoreline's population. Jane falls into their group but she's more sane than Emily. She doesn't feed off of innocent people's humility unlike Emily.

Chase is Shoreline's unknown king. Every girl obviously praises him and drools over everything he does, but he doesn't care, possibly doesn't even notice.

Unlike Chase's best friend, Austin Miller, loves the attention and the girls. He's a blonde and blue eyed version of Chase, except he's more attention seeking. I swear, every day he has a new girl on his lap at their table.

"Why does he do that?" I ask, turning my attention back toward Maia.

I don't need to clarify myself because Maia knows exactly what I'm thinking. She's staring at him too. "His reputation," she answers looking glumly at her chicken caesar salad.

I'm about to say something back when I begin to hear the clicking of faux leather heels clicking on the stone cold ground: Emily.

Maia's head peaks up as drama is about to unfold. "This outta be good."

I turn around in my seat and place my eyes on her slim figure look furious. I realize she's death glaring a girl, probably a sophomore or freshman.

The younger girl's knees are buckling beneath her frail figure. "I-I'm sorry."

"You know I don't like paparazzi!" Emily screeches and Kim rushes to her side, her red hair is blazing behind her.

I notice that Jane is chuckling and leaning closer to Chase. Like always, Chase doesn't seem to notice. In fact he seems to be having a heated conversation with Austin across from him.

"P-Paparazzi?" The girl stammers over her words and by now the whole cafeteria is staring at the three girls in the middle. "I just took a selfie with my friend," she begins to pull her phone out of the pocket of her jeans. "If you want you can see."

Kim snatches the phone from her hand and hands it to her ice queen. Emily seems to be scrolling through her pictures and giggling to herself silently. Then, she holds the girl's phone out for everyone to see.

I gasp at the image and look away quickly. Mean while Maia's features seem to be a mix of sorrow and anger.

"What is this?" Emily says in a mocking tone. I don't need to look at the girl to see her flushed face and eyes nearly in tears.