I Gotta Kill the Prom Queen

Ch 26. Blood Bath

Tiffani and Ronald pull up to the perfect spot beneath the old tree. Steam slowly builds on the windows as they kiss. My brain steams a bit too. That isn't part of the plan—Ronald is off script and that's a dangerous place to be. He's supposed to be kicking her out of the car by now. 

I wait while the moon rises on the opposite side of the cliff despite the bright orange sun in the distance. The car sits steamy and still and my anger ignites. It's brighter and hotter than the sun and I start to see spots.

I tell myself it's worth it. Even if the car starts rocking and I have to sit for an hour thinking of Ronald's lips on Tiffani. It's worth it to have it over. And I want to believe that. I want to think it's worth it - but there's so much that isn't fair. I've lost everything. Why should she get to have even a moment of joy before her end?

I run to the car and fling open the door. Inside Ronald sits staring out the windshield and I yank him out by the arm. My temper becomes hulk like as I shove him to the side and grab the red dressed figure sitting in the passenger seat and freeze in place when I see that it isn't Tiffani at all—- it's Mindy.

"Ronald. What the hell is going on?  Where's your date?"

The back door of the car opens and the robot girls rise from the floorboard and the realization that I've been tricked washes over me. It's a sea of fear and bitterness and rage and I grab Mindi by the hair and drag her to the tree and pull the rope causing the noosed pig to drop to head level in front of her wearing Tiffani's dress and a fake tiara. The tiara pops off and rolls to a stop at Mindi's feet. Damn. That would have been epic.

This was the moment I'd planned to stun her. While her brain spun to figure out the message of the pig I would have pushed her over the cliff. But Mindy will have to do. The robot girls can all go over and I'll hunt down Tiffani until I beat her bloody with my fists not stopping until she's just a stain of goop.

As I'm swinging at Tiffani I see her pull out a knife and before I can even rush her for it- she plunges it into the robot girls who never make a move to stop her before falling to the dirt.

Mindi snarls and makes a move to rush me but I'm ready for her. I move to the side quickly and as she passes in front of me with the knife extended I grab her hair and use my weight to drop her to the ground. My hands squeeze and claw at any prices of her flesh I can get as were covered with bits of dirt and blood raining down from the hanging pig. I snarl and spittle drips on her making her squeal giving me an edge to finally get the knife away from her.

"This wasn't your fight. You could have walked away Mindi. You and the girls could have moved on without Tiffani. You could have been queen."

She closes her eyes and tilts her head toward Ronald.

"There are a million Tiffani's don't you see that?  You either are one or you aren't. And we aren't. It's the way of the universe. The balance has to be there. Don't you see?  Every school has one. Because every school needs one. The Prom queen is is just a placeholder. A system to show you how life is going to be- and where you're gonna fall in the hierarchy."

Ronald steps in front of us with his hands raised up in surrender.

"It was never going to be you Aria. You just don't have enough leverage. Face it. Heart isn't enough to win. My dad- the farm, me. Tiffani wins. She holds the world."

I lunge at him with the knife not thinking of anything except the fact that he's writing me off. Without even thinking I push it upward and feel jut down into his shoulder. He takes a step back and he screams before falling to his knees. His eyes pool with tears and sadness and I look down at the bloody knife I'm holding as Mindi claps.