don't worry about Lila--I'm sure she'll understand."
Elizabeth pushed Suzanne away. "There's nothing wrong with me! You're the one who--"
Her protests were swallowed by the buzz of the crowd that had gathered around them. Elizabeth was shaking with anger, but Suzanne's cool seemed to remain intact. It was at that moment that Elizabeth realized she was dealing with no ordinary liar. Suzanne was a monster. Her beauty was all on the surface. Underneath she was pure poison.
Elizabeth waited for some of the noise to die down. "Mr. Collins was right about you. He knew from the beginning how evil you were."
At the reminder of Roger Collins, the corner of Suzanne's mouth turned up in a tiny, almost imperceptible sneer. But Elizabeth didn't miss it. A spark of hope flared inside her. Maybe I can crack her angelic veneer after all, she thought.
"No wonder he wouldn't look twice at you," she added for good measure, mimicking a tone she'd heard Jessica use on numerous occasions.
At that moment Winston jostled his way through the crowd, holding a cup of punch. He extended it toward Suzanne, a foolish grin pasted across his face.
"I thought you might be getting thirsty," he gushed. Literally tripping over his own feet, he
lurched forward, spilling the entire contents of the cup down the front of Suzanne's beautiful white dress. Instantly he was full of tortured contriteness. "Oh, wow, I'm really sorry, Suzy! Gee, I hope your dress isn't ruined! I don't know how I could have been so clumsy!"
Suzanne stood frozen for a long, speechless moment, as if she didn't quite believe what had happened. Then she looked down at the huge reddish stain seeping into the expensive fabric. This was clearly the last straw in an evening that wasn't turning out at all the way she'd planned. The color drained from her face. The same ugliness Elizabeth had glimpsed earlier that evening flashed to the surface once again.
"You idiot!" Suzanne shrieked. "Look what you've done!"
"Gosh, Suzy, I really feel awful about it. Here, let me help you." Winston made a clumsy attempt at mopping up the front of Suzanne's dress with a crumpled handkerchief he'd fished from his pocket.
Suzanne shoved him away. "Get off me, you dumb clod! You're only making it worse! Can't you just leave me alone? You've been following me around like some kind of big, stupid dog ever since I met you."
Suddenly she realized everyone Was staring at her. Abruptly she stopped screaming. Her
sweet, smiling mask shifted back into place. She even attempted a weak laugh, as if the whole thing had been a joke, as if she hadn't really meant all those cruel things she'd said to Winston. But it was too late. The suspicious looks that had been directed at Elizabeth a minute ago were now on her.
"Never mind, Winston," she simpered. "It was just a silly accident. I'm sorry I blew up at you; I was getting tired of this dress anyway, so you probably did me a favor." Turning to Aaron, she cooed, "Would you mind taking me home so I can change? I must look an absolute disaster."
Aaron gave her a calculating look and said coolly, "I don't know, Suzanne. I think it suits you just fine the way it is."
He started to walk away, and Suzanne screeched, "How dare you treat me this way! I was only doing you a favor by going out with you in the first place."
Aaron didn't look back. He just kept on walking. Suzanne cast frantically about for a replacement, but they were all walking away, some of them looking over their shoulders in disgust. All her admirers. This couldn't be happening! Not to her!
Her face crumpled, and she began to cry in shrill, noisy gasps. They were the first real tears she had shed in a long time.
***
"I should probably thank you, Win," Elizabeth said when she'd caught up with him at the refreshment table.
"Thank me? What for?" Winston looked up from a plate piled high with food.
"That was the best-timed accident I'd ever seen. You really saved me."
"Yeah, I know. I heard you talking
Elizabeth pushed Suzanne away. "There's nothing wrong with me! You're the one who--"
Her protests were swallowed by the buzz of the crowd that had gathered around them. Elizabeth was shaking with anger, but Suzanne's cool seemed to remain intact. It was at that moment that Elizabeth realized she was dealing with no ordinary liar. Suzanne was a monster. Her beauty was all on the surface. Underneath she was pure poison.
Elizabeth waited for some of the noise to die down. "Mr. Collins was right about you. He knew from the beginning how evil you were."
At the reminder of Roger Collins, the corner of Suzanne's mouth turned up in a tiny, almost imperceptible sneer. But Elizabeth didn't miss it. A spark of hope flared inside her. Maybe I can crack her angelic veneer after all, she thought.
"No wonder he wouldn't look twice at you," she added for good measure, mimicking a tone she'd heard Jessica use on numerous occasions.
At that moment Winston jostled his way through the crowd, holding a cup of punch. He extended it toward Suzanne, a foolish grin pasted across his face.
"I thought you might be getting thirsty," he gushed. Literally tripping over his own feet, he
lurched forward, spilling the entire contents of the cup down the front of Suzanne's beautiful white dress. Instantly he was full of tortured contriteness. "Oh, wow, I'm really sorry, Suzy! Gee, I hope your dress isn't ruined! I don't know how I could have been so clumsy!"
Suzanne stood frozen for a long, speechless moment, as if she didn't quite believe what had happened. Then she looked down at the huge reddish stain seeping into the expensive fabric. This was clearly the last straw in an evening that wasn't turning out at all the way she'd planned. The color drained from her face. The same ugliness Elizabeth had glimpsed earlier that evening flashed to the surface once again.
"You idiot!" Suzanne shrieked. "Look what you've done!"
"Gosh, Suzy, I really feel awful about it. Here, let me help you." Winston made a clumsy attempt at mopping up the front of Suzanne's dress with a crumpled handkerchief he'd fished from his pocket.
Suzanne shoved him away. "Get off me, you dumb clod! You're only making it worse! Can't you just leave me alone? You've been following me around like some kind of big, stupid dog ever since I met you."
Suddenly she realized everyone Was staring at her. Abruptly she stopped screaming. Her
sweet, smiling mask shifted back into place. She even attempted a weak laugh, as if the whole thing had been a joke, as if she hadn't really meant all those cruel things she'd said to Winston. But it was too late. The suspicious looks that had been directed at Elizabeth a minute ago were now on her.
"Never mind, Winston," she simpered. "It was just a silly accident. I'm sorry I blew up at you; I was getting tired of this dress anyway, so you probably did me a favor." Turning to Aaron, she cooed, "Would you mind taking me home so I can change? I must look an absolute disaster."
Aaron gave her a calculating look and said coolly, "I don't know, Suzanne. I think it suits you just fine the way it is."
He started to walk away, and Suzanne screeched, "How dare you treat me this way! I was only doing you a favor by going out with you in the first place."
Aaron didn't look back. He just kept on walking. Suzanne cast frantically about for a replacement, but they were all walking away, some of them looking over their shoulders in disgust. All her admirers. This couldn't be happening! Not to her!
Her face crumpled, and she began to cry in shrill, noisy gasps. They were the first real tears she had shed in a long time.
***
"I should probably thank you, Win," Elizabeth said when she'd caught up with him at the refreshment table.
"Thank me? What for?" Winston looked up from a plate piled high with food.
"That was the best-timed accident I'd ever seen. You really saved me."
"Yeah, I know. I heard you talking
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