The Worst

2. Mackenna

"Chloe, Willa, are you guys almost ready?" I call up the stairs. I'm itching to get to this party, I hate being stuck in that miserable old house with nothing to do but accomadate to Chloe's every command. "I told Penelope we'd be there by nine!"

"I'm coming!" Willa comes rushing down the stairs in nothing more than a white maxi dress. When she notices how formally I'm dressed she looks exasperated. "Please tell me this isn't supposed to be a ballgown event?" She says desperately, partly knowing the answer already.

I shake my head. "Oh, no, of course not. It's cocktail." I correct, and she lets out a long sigh. "Everyone will be wearing black or blue, and the daring ones, maybe red. No white."

"What do I do?" She asks frantically. I knew she didn't like to stand out.

"Oh, don't worry. Everyone will think you're making a statement and maybe you'll start a trend. You're Christoff DeLawrence's step-daughter, you're not supposed to blend in." I say as nicely as possible. In reality, I knew she would be openly judged and speculated all night long.

She gave me a smile of relief. "Okay, alright. Making a statement, got it."

Chloe flowed gracefully down the stairs in her sparkling black cocktail dress. Immediately, she noticed Willa's dress. "Good God, Willa. What are you wearing?"

Willa jutts her chin up. "I'm making a statement." She glanced over at me and winked.

Chloe lets out a laugh and gives Willa a passing look. "Whatever."

The limo ride to the party is silent except for the quiet hum of classical music and Chloe talking about who she's hoping would show - and who she hoped would not. Willa fidgets with her dress the entire time and I just watch the senery go by, almost falling asleep to the hypnotic hum of violins and pianos.

When we pull up to the Jepson's mansion, though, my drowsiness fades away and is replaced with excitement. Chloe waits for Jay, our driver, to open her door, then steps out, greeted by a few flashes of lights from desperate paparazzi. I step out next, again with the lights, then hook arms with Chloe as we make our way to the front of the line. I check behind me to make sure Willa is still following and note how closely behind us she is walking. It's obvious she's never been to an event like this.

Angry line-waiters shout at us, and it's not like I haven't heard it before, but that doesn't make it any less hurtful. Still, the bouncer easily lets us in.

I love these parties, everyone is so sophisticated and polite and interesting. Chloe spots a few girls I recognized as the girls from her sorority and heads over to them, leaving me with Willa. She was smiling from ear to ear, taking it all in. Her smile was contagious, I couldn't help smiling myself.

"Hey, Mackenna!" My old friend, and Dad's finance guy, Matthew calls. I return his wave and steer Willa through the crowd, towards him.

"Matty, how have you been?" I pull him in for a hug. "I haven't seen you around lately."

"Oh, well, you know. I've been here and there. I was actually in Mexico, for a while there." He informs me. "So, uh, who's this lovely lady?" He asks, refering to Willa.

Chloe chose that moment to come back, and introduced Willa for me. "Oh, this is our step-sister, Willa. Yeah, didn't you know Dad got married? Well, the wife's got a daughter, this is her. She's odd, but... She sort of has potential to be a normal, semi-attractive and social person if she would actually come out of her room more than once a week and changed the way she dressed and acted and talked and presented her face."

Willa's face turns beet red, and I feel sorry for her. She isn't ugly or odd, but I wouldn't defend her against Chloe. She might start on all of my flaws next, and I don't want to be as embarassed as Willa most likely is right now.

"I'm sorry?" Matthew says, astonished by Chloe's words.

Chloe waves him off. "Oh, nothing. I was just explaining how adorably weird and pathetic my step-sister is. But, you know, there has to be the bad eggs to make the good eggs look better, right?"

With a sudden surge of bravery, I say, "I don't think that's a real saying, Chloe... Maybe you got the words mixed up?" I turn to Matthew and Willa. "I think what Chloe was trying to say was that-"

"No," Chloe said, fuming. "I meant what I said. Are you questioning my knowledge of literature, Mackenna? Because last time I checked, you weren't exactly the type to be the one giving corrections. No, Mackenna, I mean what I say, always. Willa is ugly, weak, pathetic and strange, and you are beautiful, skinny, sexy and.... sweet, but just about the dumbest girl I've ever met. Don't take that the wrong way. Willa, I think you know what way you were supposed to take that."

Willa's face reddens even more, and she hikes up her dress and ran out the front door as fast as her feet would take her. We watch as Matthew chases after, to both of our suprise.

Chloe makes a discusted sound, takes a sip of her wine and says, "Ugh, she is so dramatic! Don't you agree, Kenz?"

It took all of the willpower I could muster to say, "Yeah. Who does she think she is? And ugh, the only statement she made with that dress was, 'I want attention!'"

Chloe laughs as if it's the funniest thing she's ever heard. I feel discusting.

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a/n: the guys are coming into play next chapter(:

Mackenna on the side ->