Pranking The Prankster

Chapter 9

Song
Meghan Train or — I'm A Lady

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I pick listlessly at my food during Lunch, listening to Mona's monotonous chatter. She's sitting with me today, although she's trying not to look at Luke. He's looking away from her too, his eyes focused firmly on the ground. Let's just say they're still awkward with each other since our falling out.

"Will you two just quit it and talk to each other already?" I groan. Their eyes meet, but Luke looks away again with a stubborn look on his face. I roll my eyes. Then they narrow slightly as I watch Veronica strut towards us, scowling.

"Ew, Mona! Why are you sitting with them?" She sneers. "Come sit with us!"

"No thanks," Mona says coolly. "I'm perfectly fine over here."

Veronica looks surprised, then rearranges her face in a scowl. "Gross! Why would you want to sit with these losers?"

My blood boils. "Excuse me, Veronica?" I interject. "Could you please step back? Your perfume's suffocating us."

Veronica glares at me and suddenly turns on me. "Back off, Dawson. Don't think I haven't seen you making eyes at my Josh. Stay away from him, or I'll make you regret it."

"Oh, please. If you want Josh, he's all yours. I don't want him."

"As if! He's the only decent guy in our year. Everyone wants him. You're always sucking up to him, putting on that innocent nerd act but I can see right though you, Dawson. He could have had anyone he wanted, but he chose me. So just bog off, slag."

I grip my fork in my fist like a weapon, half raised towards her like a weapon. "You little—"

Luke stops me, prising the plastic utensil from my hand and tugging me down into my seat again. "Anna, don't. Just ignore her."

Victoria smirks. "Yeah, that's right. Listen to your little friend," She sneers. She turns to Mona, her eyes gleaming. "So what's it gonna be, Mona?" She gestures to a table far off where the whole cheerleading squad is seated. "Us, or them?"

Mona smiles. "Sorry, Veronica. I'd rather stick with these guys, thanks."

"Well," Veronica sniffs. "Look at you, all high and mighty! I'll put you in your place, you just wait and see. You'll wish you hadn't picked these . . . dorks over us."

"Better a dork than a floozy," I snark. "Just leave us alone or I'll pop your fake boobs with my fork."

Luke and Mona splutter with laughter. Veronica sniffs indignantly.

"Toffee-nosed twit," She says scathingly, throwing her thick blonde hair over her shoulder. She sashays over to Josh's table, plonking herself in his lap. He frowns at her, but she takes no notice and slams her lips onto his. I look away when I see a flicker of tongue. Who does this girl think she is, anyway? She's the slag, not me! I hate Veronica Reed, I really do.

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I let out a huge sigh of relief as I hurry out of the school. Detention was a pain. I had to sit there for two hours, listening to the scratching of pen against paper as Mrs. Martin corrected worksheets. Then she dismissed me rudely, apparently too busy to look at me. I went out gladly, relieved that it's over already. I hate hate hate Mondays.