Midnight Memories

s i x t e e n

"Now here is a riddle to guess if you can, who is the monster and who is the man?" - The Hunchback of Notre Dame

"Eleanor." I said through gritted teeth. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at Florida State?"

Eleanor flipped her glossy hair over her shoulder, taking a step closer to me. "Relax, babe. I'm only visiting. After all, I do have a life to get back too."

I glared at her. "Doing what? Keg stands and hooking up with frat boys? Sounds like a great life."

She narrowed her eyes. "Unlike you, I still have all my friends. No, Louis and I may not be "boyfriend" and "girlfriend", but I have more of a relationship with him than you do."

"Whatever, Eleanor" I scoffed. "The high school hierarchy only still exists in your head. I'm dating a Vanderbilt now. I don't need a homecoming king."

"A Vanderbilt?" She looked confused. "Like in Gossip Girl?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, El. As in the billionaire shipping legends, the youngest of whom happens to be standing over there, waiting to take me home."

Eleanor's gaze flickered over to Derrick, who was waiting for me by the exit. "No way." She blurted.

"Yes way." I said smugly. "So you see here El, you may have been homecoming queen and top of the food chain in your stupid sorority, but in the real world, i'll always have more money, a better boyfriend, and way better of a personality than you could even hope for."

For a second, Eleanor seemed speechless. Her lipstick covered mouth opened, then closed, then opened again.

"You honestly think that you're better than me? This, coming from the girl who messed with two boys' minds while simultaneously hooking up with both of them? The girl who had a boy take a bullet for her after she stupidly put both their lives risk? The girl who has singlehandedly pushed away every single person who has ever loved her? You know what Stella? You may have a closet full of designer clothes and a billionaire boyfriend, but you will never ever, ever be better than anyone."

I was so shocked, I didn't even know how to reply. Because for the first time in all our years of knowing one another, I actually agreed with everything she had said.

"I..." I opened my mouth, but she cut me off.

"No, Stella, don't even try to defend yourself. I don't need to try to ruin your life anymore, you do a pretty good job of that yourself."

With that she turned around and waltzed away, leaving me to head back towards Derrick with my tail between my legs.

"Can we get out of here?" I asked.

"Yeah, of course. But who was that you were talking too?" Derrick inquired.

"Oh, just somebody that I knew in high school. I mumbled.

Grasping Derrick's hand in mine, we walked towards the exit to the club and back into the cool October night. I kept a tight grip on him until I was safely nestled into the luxurious leather of the backseat of the limo.

"I'll take that drink now." I said, shivering slightly. Eleanor's words had chilled me to the core.

"Okay," Derrick nodded. "What do you want?"

"I'll have a whiskey, on the rocks." I demanded. I had never drank before, but i'd heard my dad order one on numerous occasions.

"Are you sure? That's a little much for a beginner." Derrick raised an eyebrow.

"I'm positive." I nodded. How bad could it be?

Derrick filled a glass with ice and a disgusting looking brown liquid, which he handed to me. "Bottoms up."