Perfect *Editing*

The Beginning Before The Beginning

Emma's voice was barely audible over the thumping bass that shook the floors and rattled the neighbor's windows. The girls had arrived at Grant Lodge's back-to-school party, an annual event that he had been hosting since his parents began traveling for work and thought he was old enough to stay home alone. The house was packed with teenagers, all dressed in their best party attire, and the air was thick with excitement and anticipation. The sound system was blasting out the latest hits, and the lights were flashing in sync with the beat, creating a dazzling display that made it impossible to stand still. Emma was clearly having a great time, and she couldn't help but shout out, "Isn't this fun!" as she danced along with the crowd, her hair flying in all directions. The night was just beginning, and it promised to be one that they would remember for a long time.

Chloe shouted, "Emma, it's getting late, and we have school tomorrow!" Emma rolled her eyes and jumped off the table she was dancing on.

Emma had just said something to Chloe, who was standing next to her, maybe cracking a joke or making a sarcastic comment. Emma crossed her arms over her chest, a gesture that indicated she was done talking and was ready to move on. She then gave Chloe a playful nudge with her shoulder before walking away towards the makeshift dance floor that had been set up in the living room. As she joined the crowd of people dancing and having fun, Chloe couldn't help but feel that Emma's words had dampened her mood a little. "Don't be a buzz kill," Emma had said, and even though she had said it with a smile, Chloe couldn't help but wonder if she had done something wrong.

Paisley leaned in closely to Chloe and whispered in her ear, her tone serious and concerned. Chloe felt her heart beating faster as she listened to her friend's words, knowing that Paisley wouldn't speak up unless she had a good reason. Chloe looked over at Emma, who was laughing loudly with some other girls, and she felt a pang of anxiety in her chest. Emma was their friend, but she could also be incredibly mean-spirited and manipulative. Chloe and Paisley didn't have the nerve to stand up to her, but they also didn't want to drop her as a friend. After all, Emma was the queen bee of the school, and being her friend had its perks. When Emma accepted you, the whole school accepted you. That meant that Chloe and Paisley got invited to every party, every boating adventure, and every hangout. They even got to sit at the popular table in the cafeteria, which was something that they had never even dreamed of before Emma came into their lives. But as Paisley continued to whisper in her ear, Chloe started to wonder if it was worth it. Was being friends with Emma really worth sacrificing their own values and self-respect?

Parker, who had always been the unapologetic, blunt one of the group, had finally voiced out what had been on her mind for months. "Why are we friends with her again?" she had asked, causing the other girls to exchange confused glances. Emma, who had always been the most popular girl in school, wasn't exactly Parker's number one fan. It was no secret that the two of them had never really gotten along. They were constantly at each other's throats, disagreeing on almost everything and trying to one-up each other in every way possible, be it in academics or extracurricular activities. It seemed like Parker had finally had enough of the constant competition and was now questioning why they even bothered to maintain a friendship with Emma.

"Isn't it obvious Parker?" Sophia quirked an eyebrow at her and looked at her sideways. If Parker didn't know any better, she thought Sophia was trying to become the next Emma Brooks.

"I know those reasons, but is there anything else keeping us from dropping her?" Parker had slung her arm around Chloe who wrapped her arm around her waist. Chloe and Parker were the closer two of the group, but it could be from their moms getting married after years of dating after they both divorced their husbands for each other.