Candace
I will not just take this sitting down. I refuse to let Mark just dump me and do nothing about it. I definitely don't feel anything for him anymore, but Candace Arietta Marchal will not take this sitting down. In fact, I shall stand up. Mark really wasn't anything good for me, was he? After all, all he did with me was go to the mall, go makeup shopping, offer to do my nails, straighten and curl my hair, and that kind of thing. Nothing romantic, nothing couple-like.
WHY DID I EVEN STAY WITH HIM? If I'd known that he'd just dump me for a gay boy who was going to lead him to the devil, there's no way I would've stayed. Looking back, I now realize that I should've seen this earlier. The lack of chemistry, the makeup obsession, the denial of all mere possibility of a relationship- it could only lead to one thing. Actually, two things: rejection and heartbreak. The rejection has happened, but the heartbreak will not. He is NOT worth it, and I am stronger than this. I am NOT going to crumble over the end of a thankless one-sided juvenile crush. It's simply not worth the trouble, and I will soo not-
Oh there's my phone.
Backstabber by Ke$ha is playing. This ringtone can only mean one thing: Stella Reynolds is calling me. And the only reason Stella Reynolds would call me is if she's got a new boyfriend to brag about. Or designer shoes. They're all the same to me. And to her. Which is why we used to be best friends. Me and Stella were the besties with boots, boys and the body, up until we went into high school.
That's when she started getting the boys that I never had, and she went all up in my business whenever she got a new guy just because I was lonely the whole time. One day, she caught me in a bad mood. She started bragging about her new boyfriend, right after I was dumped by Kevin Dunsten. I wasn't even listening to her babble, when all of a sudden I hear her say his name. And I really didn't want to hear her talk shit about my ex. And I'm all, tell me you aren't shit-talking about ANOTHER one of my exes, and she's all, What? Are you not listening to ANYTHING I'm saying? And I'm like thinking, um hell no, I never do. But I obviously I didn't say that, and I'm like, no I just spaced. And she tells me this. SHE WAS DATING KEVIN DUNSTEN. BEHIND MY BACK. AND THAT IS WHY HE DUMPED ME. When she told me that, I totally couldn't take it anymore. I stopped talking to her, and we stopped shopping online for designer shoes every weekend.
I hadn't heard from her for a couple months, and it turned out she was in Italy with her model mother, Tristitia Van Derellis for Tristitia's 3rd wedding. This time it was to some mayor of some place, and of course, he was freakin' stinkin' rich. His name was Roberto Alivande. She came back during spring, and every couple days I'd receive a call from her about her new guy and/or her new designer shoes. With her new dad, she could afford just about anything, and he'd spend just about anything to keep her happy.
Unlike some parents and their children, Tristitia and Stella were very close. Tristitia would spoil Stella to death, and if her boyfriends wanted to stay with her, they had to be able to keep Stella happy first. This was probably Stella again, calling to let me know about her new purchases from Neiman Marcus online. I should answer the phone. Just to be nice.
I pressed talk and flatly said one word. "Hello."
"Oh My Gosh, Candace, you will never believe what just happened. D-D-DADDY JUST FROZE MY CREDIT CARD!" Stella sobbed, her sniffling making static-y noises through the phone.
I blinked. Why would she call to tell me that? Wasn't it usually about the Prada collection she bought at the last minute? The thousands Daddy' shelled out a month just for her sunglasses collection?
"Candace? Can you hear me? I know you're there, why aren't you saying anything?" Stella shrieked hysterically.
I contemplated being a bitch to her and just laughing at her patheticness and maybe recording this conversation. But it's been 3 years. It's just not worth it, like a lot of things weren't. Besides, if I was friends with Stella again, I could catch up on all the gossip I've missed in the past month in which I was dating Mark. Then I'll be back in.
"But I thought your daddy loved you? I thought you said that he said that his money was your money and when you were happy, he would be happy?" I asked with genuine curiosity.
"Oh Candace, haven't you heard? Momma collapsed during the Paris photoshoot. Th-th-they....they said they don't think sh-sh-she's g-going to m-mm-make it," She whimpered. "I'm nothing to him now..."
"What's he going to do with you?" I was definitely worried now.
"I DON'T KNOW!" She wailed. "He's cut off my Internet connections, my Blackberry, my iTouch, my black card, EVERYTHING! It's terrible! And I know I sound shallow because I've only talked about him cutting off my cash flow and taking away my electronics, but he's not even feeding me! Right now, I'm living on my secret stash of DeLafee and Richart truffles that Momma gave to me for my heartbreaking moments. AND NOW, SHE MIGHT JUST... die..." Stella resumed her weeping.
"How are you even calling me?" I wondered.
"Mum gave me an iPhone. The bills from this phone go to her bank account, the private one that she has that even Roberto doesn't have access to. The only other person with access to it is her manager."
"But...Of all the people in the world, why did you call me?" Why is she even telling me all this?
There was a long pause, then a sigh. "Candace, of all the friends I've ever had, you treated me the nicest. You've been the best. Then I stole your boyfriend. Well, to tell you the truth, I've called a lot of people before calling you. Mandy, Anabel, Kendall, just to name a few. You see, I only realized that you were the one I should call when I called Mandy, she laughed at me and Anabel hung up on me and Kendall was screwing my boyfriend of 4 months. From what I heard through the phone, that is. She really doesn't know how to hang up properly. My own boyfriend wasn't there for me. You always were, until I ruined it. Maybe if I proved that I'm not just a spoiled rich bitch, we could be friends again."
This so isn't what I expected when I picked up the phone.
"How am I supposed to help you if you're on house arrest?"
"Roberto lets me out for school and going to peoples' houses for projects to keep up appearances, what with Momma in the hospital and obviously not travelling around the world. He can't lie and say we're in Mauritius or something because he's not willing to leave Momma and the media has their eyes glued to Mum ever since the collapse. He wouldn't be able to get her past them. I'll be at school, and... I guess we continue from then."
Well, why not. Just save some backstabber from her half-dead mother's bad taste in men. But what else do I have to do with my life? Maybe my revenge could just be acting like it never hurt me, walking away and not looking back. Mark will be my past, and my future will be decided by me and me only. I've always found that to be a lame-ass revenge plan, though. Isn't that what everyone wants? A clean break-up. No stalkers, murderers, creepers, crazy certifiably insane persons, possessives, the whole list. Pretending it never hurt hurts no one but yourself, and no one will try to help you if you seem fine.
I bit my lip. "Alright."
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