The Virginity Pact

2 - deal or no deal

Careful H, one thing about making a deal with the devil - he always comes to collect.

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I admit, after the other day I was nervous about coming back to school, though I apparently don't have to worry about Lydia's evil wrath.

From what I've seen and heard, she's a complete bitch. Being one of the prettiest, most intelligently cunning, and most opulent girls in school, she cleared--or bulldozed--the pathway to her thrown as Queen of Lockwood. But, while she may throw slick, witty comments towards whoever breathes her airspace too long, she only attacks those who have wronged her; like Bianca, who had apparently kissed her boyfriend Jake at an End-of-Summer pool party.

The past 4 days were not as eventful as the first; in a good way. The principal warned the entire class Monday that whoever had sabotaged the assembly would be met with severe consequences--but by Wednesday consequences were downgraded to be less severe if they stepped forward immediately.

Still, no one did.

I have a feeling Lydia is more than used to getting away with things. As for Bianca, I heard she didn't even come to school the rest of the week. I wouldn't have, either, if I were her.

I'll also admit that I was nervous about starting work, thinking I'd be seeing Holden frequently. But I haven't, thankfully. Not Tuesday, Wednesday, or today.

Holden, like Lydia, rubs me the wrong way, and I don't want to be around him. He may not be an Evil Preppy Princess like Lydia, but he's cocky and rude.

I sigh, stepping out of the hotel elevator and pulling the scrunchee from my hair. My fingers smell like bleach and I retie my bun as I walk down the hallway.

As if on cue, Holden comes around the corner in my direction. I groan dramatically in my head as his eyes land on me, the corners of his lips turning upwards.

I turn around ready to walk the other way, but he jogs up to me and grabs my wrist.

"Really?" He chuckles and I turn around to look at him with a disappointed sigh. He drops my wrist and his eyes roam over me darkly.

Like him, I am no longer dressed in my school uniform. Unlike him, I'm now wearing my work uniform: a traditional French maid outfit, no longer than finger-tip length, matching white tennis shoes, and painted red lips.

"Ah-hem," I clear my throat obnoxiously and Holden's lost eyes find their way back up to my face.

"So," he starts, "how was your first week at Lockwood?"

"The first day wasn't how I expected it to be," I answer truthfully, and he laughs lightly. "But, um, the rest of the week was fine. Minus the distasteful gossip."

It wasn't terrible things they were saying about me; nothing like Bianca, thank God. But by association with Lydia, Holden, and Elijah from the very first day, people took notice of me.

"She can't be that important if she didn't go to Serendipity with Lydia," and "She's not relevant. She's just Elijah's cousin, so they obviously have to tolerate her," are just two examples of what I had heard throughout the week.

Every Tuesday and Thursday lunch period, Lydia and company leave school for reservations at Serendipity, and Holden is just never around during lunch. I've been eating with Elijah and his soccer friends--yet to make any friends of my own.

Holden nods insinuating that he's heard it.

"It could be worse. And it will be, once they find out you work here as a maid."