Chapter Text
Thursday, September 25th, 2021 (Morning)
Someone behind her kept clicking their pen. It was a small insignificant detail that rendered Audrey useless in trying to pay attention to the questions on Mrs Mulberry’s quiz. It's quite a shame as well seeing as she actually tried to study for this test, courtesy of Pete suggesting it when they had nothing to do on the weekend, and she was pretty confident she knew this.
Still, this tiny little detail led to Audrey's mind being unable to focus on anything other than that. As usual, one distraction quickly led to another.
She had come to school today in almost the exact same way she always does; a low lying resentment for this town growing in her chest, an emptiness in her stomach because her parents forgot to give her lunch money and a headache from trying and failing to have a good night's sleep.
The gum she has been steadily chewing on has grown small and tasteless, but she doesn't dare to ask anyone around her for some from them. The clicking turned to an abrupt stop after some kid kicked the desk of the offending student. Good riddance, Audrey thinks to herself. She had half a mind to turn, and do it herself.
It's only when Audrey made the random decision to glance up at the front of the desk to check the time when her gaze met Pete, who was turned to the side, whispering to Stephanie Lauter of all people. If Audrey's jaw was any less attached to her body, it would've fallen off with how hard it had dropped. Stephanie Lauter was the mayor's daughter, the poster girl of popularity for Hatchetfield High. Everyone who is anyone knew that, people like Audrey and Peter were not supposed to talk to those people. Why would Peter even think about talking to her?
Audrey turns to her left where her friend, Richie, sat beside her. When the boy doesn't look up, Audrey rolls her eyes. He is surprisingly oblivious when concentrating on something, so she resorts to the usual tactic and kicks Richie in the shins. Richie hisses but gets shushed by Mrs Mulberry before he can yell at her for it. He raises his eyebrows in a silent question. They only raise higher when he notices what Audrey is subtly motioning towards.
Richie recoils in what could either be disgust or confusion- probably a mix of both. Audrey is glad she’s not the only one confused out of her mind. She mouths a quiet, ‘what the fuck’ to Richie but he only shrugs in confusion turning to his right. For a moment, she thinks that's it, but then she hears a sharp intake of breath from her one other friend, Ruth Flemming. The girl stares at the two, who are still in their own silent conversation before her eyes dart from Audrey to Richie.
A very well known fact about the people of Hatchetfield is that they’re noisy bitches, the students of Hatchetfield high are the same. So, as soon as one person notices the nerds staring at the two people at the front everyone begins staring. Silent conversations between friends round the classroom quickly until all eyes are on Peter Spankoffski and Stephanie Lauter.
It's only when Audrey catches a small movement, Stephanie passing a paper over to the boy that Audrey begins to understand what is going on with them. Of course Stephanie was only using Peter to get a pass on this test, the only thing confusing about it is why Peter would go along with it. But then again Peter was known to be very susceptible to peer pressure, something she has been trying to help him get out of but alas the only thing he ever seemed to stand by without folding pathetically was the god awful outfit he wore.
Then again Audrey wasn’t one to talk with her collection of various bracelets, necklaces and rings filled with different horror movie merch. Her bright red hair that never seemed to calm down from the frizzy damaged curls no matter how hard she brushed it. At the thought of her hair she makes a mental note to buy more hair dye, her roots are beginning to turn that dark blonde again like her mother and she can’t have that.
Audrey shakes herself out of her tangent just in time to hear Grace Chasity stand up and proudly announce the pair at the front as cheaters. She barely suppresses her sneer as Grace makes her way back to her seat, a self righteous smile proudly stuck to her face.
Her brown eyes catch sight of Audrey, and the smile drops. In contrast, a smile begins to worm its way onto Audrey's expression. She dares to move her foot slightly towards Grace as she passes by, not to trip, just to see what Grace would do. As predicted Grace jumps back as if shot, Audrey attempts to hold back a snicker but fails miserably.
"Sweetly, is something funny to you?" Mrs Mulberry snaps.
Audrey drops her head down to conceal a smile, "No, Mrs Mulberry."
Grace has been a problem for Audrey for years. They used to go to church together before Audrey was old enough to refuse to go places with her mom. And that didn't end well. Now they don't really talk unless Audrey decides to harass the girl. For good reason.
The rest of the class passes as usual, the only difference being when they all go to leave. Audrey sends a mournful look to her friend now stuck with another hour of this hell. A silent promise to wait for him in the library where they all planned to meet up for the new quantum mechanics project they all have due in a few days.
Navigating the hallways of the school was usually the most stressful part of the school. You never knew who you may run into. The crowded hallways always meant Audrey was going to get shoved into a locker if she even slightly nudged the wrong person. Or get tripped up by some ass-hole and Audrey did not have any trousers to cushion the fall as she had stupidly chosen her signature look to be a red and black patterned skirt up to her knees (not very practical for someone like her but when she’d chosen it she had been naively hopeful she wasn’t about to get bullied out of her mind that year) At least Max wouldn't dare to pants the girl students he bullies, so it's not too bad compared to Pete's whole thing.
She passed a semi-empty hallway and let out a sigh of relief. This was the best she was going to get. The small number of people meant she could navigate it pretty well while also not being completely alone. Yet, when Audrey stepped closer, she made out the figures. Stopping in her tracks, Richie was surrounded by Max and his goons. For a moment, they both made eye contact, a plea for some kind of assistance, but Audrey has been sent home with enough bruises to know that trying to stand up against Max only led to getting hurt.
So she did the only thing she could do and sent an apologetic look at Richie's way before turning and practically bolting the opposite direction.
Yet this time, the hallway was empty, and Audrey cursed under her breath. An empty hallway only meant one thing, no witnesses if Max does managed to catch her. Blue eyes dart around for some other way to run but there was only one other way to the art studio and it was through the empty hallway. She couldn't fail that class. There was no way. It was too important for her. If she wanted to become a artist and get out of this town, she needed the grades from that class. So she took a breath, and with shaky legs, Audrey passed the hallway head low, arms wrapped over her bag slung over her black and white circularly patterned shirt halfheartedly tucked into her skirt. It was fine. She wasn’t about to run into Max Jàgerman and die. She was going to be fine-
There was something on her locker.
Audrey paused to glance at it. It wasn't the usual note from some random goon for Max telling her to die or whatever. It seemed to be a flyer of some sort. Audrey approached the flyer with cautious curiosity, taking the bright pink flier in her hands, a frown on her face growing as she took note of what was written on it,
The school dance has to be stopped! Was the title written in big bold letters of differing fonts against a bright pink background, it was a bit of an eyesore, Don't dance with temptation, embrace Jesus and sign the petition! Every signature counts!
“Excuse me!” A chipper voice cut through her thoughts, and Audrey jumped back, hitting the front of someone's locker. Her hands were out as if she even knew how to fight back. She relaxes once she realizes it’s not Max, only to sigh in defeat after seeing who it actually was. Of course it was her. Turns out just reading something made by her summoned her like bettlejuice.
“Chasity.” Audrey sighs, head leaning back to smack against the locker. She wasn’t going to get killed, but if she spent more than one more second here, she was going to kill someone. Forcing the most disinterested tone she could get, Audrey stares at the girl, “What do you want?”
Grace Chasity makes her way across the hallway, that same self righteous grin that she wore constantly stuck to her face up until the moment she locks eyes with Audrey. Audrey watches as Grace goes through several different emotions at once, panic, annoyance, anger, and fear until she settles on disinterest, not so different from the expression on Audrey's face. She slowly turns her body to the side and takes a few steps back, similar to when a person comes across a big scary animal, "Sweetly, what are you doing with that?"
Audrey ignores the comment, Grace has always tried to stay pretty far away from her on account of the fact they fucking hate each other. Or at least she hates Grace, so she took her time reading the rest of the flyer, just to see the way Grace's eyes dart from one side of the room to another in panic. Eventually, Audrey raises the flyer to face Grace, an amused smile on her face, "So you and your little Jesus fuckers think Homecoming is a huge orgy?"
"Because that's what it is."
"It's not." Audrey adds plainly, "If it was I would've actually considered going."
Grace gasps, her skin flushing red in embarrassment a large contrast to the light blues she's wearing but matching the stupid little hair clips she still keeps in her hair, like a child. Audrey's jaw clenches as she stares at her face, "Don't act so stuck up, I know half the people in the Lords cult would do the same."
"I'd advise you not to take the lords name in vain like that Sweetly, it's never worked out well for non believers in the past," Grace warns her voice grave and dark as if she was giving a huge ominous warning before the main characters meet the big bad in a movie but then she plasters on her little smile and moves forward, "Let me take that from you, wouldn't want you to contaminate it after all. You obviously have no interest in being saved after what you did."
Audrey moves her hand back, Grace doesn't move her body forward she just extends her hand, if Audrey wasn't pissed right now she'd be laughing her ass off at the position they've found themselves in. Her standing on her toes bent awkwardly to the side with Grace leaning over her close but not touching, fingers stretching to grab the flyer but not being able to make it due to their height difference. But she is pissed so she only glares at Grace and puts as much heat into her voice as possible, "You mean after what you did?"
Grace frowns at this, like she genuinely doesn't understand why Audrey is mad at her. Which only serves to fuel the resentment blazing under her skin. Her voice so earnest in the belief what she did was right it makes Audrey want to run away and down a drink as to not kill something, "I was trying to save your soul."
Rolling her eyes Audrey shoves the flier into Graces chest, the girl immediately backs off to her usual five feet distance, "So you telling my parents about me drinking and smoking, getting me grounded for months was for my fucking soul?"
Grace wipes the flyer off with the selves of her shirt then clutches it close to her chest, "The house of God is no place for an addict-"
"I'm not a fucking addict!" Audrey snapped, she pitches in between her eyebrows before taking a breath. It was true she indulged in some smoking and did manage to steal a lot of beer to drink but she was by far not an addict, that title went to her parents- it was just a bit of stress relief, "I can stop whenever I want."
Grace seems to take this as another opportunity to keep talking, "I had hoped that the intervention would stir you into the right path away from all the-" She lowers her voice to barely a whisper, "Satanism that you indulge in."
Audrey sighs, every single time she does this. Audrey keep her voice as steady as she could, which means it only wavers in anger now, "Grace, how many times do we have to have this conversation? I watch horror movies. I don't sacrifice people to dark God's or whatever you think I do, this isn't Cabin in the woods."
Grace places her hand over her chest and lowers her head as if she was in mourning, "You don't have to lie to me Audrey. I might not be able to get through to you, but God will. You just have to let him help you."
Audrey fixes Grace with an incredulous look. She hated it, the way Grace spoke to her like some charity case, like she needed to be fixed. It was embarrassing, "I don't need help Chasity-"
“Oi! Creeply, what are you doing?”
Audrey freezes. She knew that voice, the one thing every nerd here feared. The monster of Hatchetfield high. He must’ve snuck up on her while she was distracted. Curse Grace and her stupid charity or whatever. All the energy she felt then gone in an instant, making her tense up and stutter out a panicked response, “Max! Oh, I’m sorry. I was just-”
“Just what?” Max yells stomping down the hallway with a fire in his eyes that meant only one thing, “Leaving? You better be.”
Audrey takes a step backwards intent on running to her next class, she’s probably already late anyway but she’s stopped by a large hand grabbing her bag, shoving her into the locker. She loses her footing and falls to the ground. There's a hand moving to yank her back up and slam her into the locker door. Her back aches and she lets out a squeak of pain. Max towers over her as he holds her down, wide terrified blue eyes meet dark angry ones. Audrey breaks away to see anyone who could help but only sees Kyle and Jason, Max’s goons, in some conversation with Grace who doesn’t even seem to care that she’s getting assaulted right now. Some saint she is.
“I’ll ask you again, what are you doing?”
“I was leaving, y’know like what you told me to do.” She dares not show her confusion or annoyance for this interaction, unlike what most anti-bullying talks may suggest Max loved it when you stood up or talked back to him. If only because he gets to show you just how much control he had over this school.
Max looks away as if contemplating something but Audrey doesn’t dare let herself hope she’ll get out of this unscathed. She knew him well enough to know that peace was never an option with him around. Max wonders out loud, reveling at the fear cursing through her, “So you think I should just let you go, even after what you did?”
Before she could respond- not like she was actually going to respond anyway, one of the guys spoke up in an enthusiastic tone, “Yeah! Let her go.”
Audrey finds herself being unceremoniously dropped to the floor, her legs were shaking so much it took her a while to stand properly, even then she had to hold onto the locker for support. Her back ached in a way that she knew would leave pretty little bruises down her shoulder blades in the future.
There was a groan of pain that made Audrey focus back into the conversation, one of the men- Kyle she thinks is on the floor now, she suppresses a smile. Those guys were just as big dicks as Max. Not because they actually did anything. They were enablers or whatever they said at the anti-bullying talk they had a while ago. The small smile leaves as soon as Max turns back to face her, immediately she goes back into pushing herself near the locker, making herself as small as possible. This was so much less fun when it was directed at her.
“Let me make this very clear, Creeply,” Max’s voice is dark as he crowds her into the locker. Audrey turns her head to the side clenching her teeth as to not let a pathetic whimper escape her, “You go anywhere near Grace Chasity with your stupid little horror references and murder music and ruin my chance of obtaining her forbidden fruit. I will end you, just like that Michael Meres you like so much.”
“It’s Michael Myres, you know that.” She blurts out before she could stop herself, this wasn’t one of her friends she could correct. This was Max. She desperately looked around but couldn’t make out anything from behind the wall Max’s arms had created for her. God, shit, shit, shit, she is so fucked.
Max smiles because he’s a monster who preys on fear, his response is as angry as ever, “Oh, so you wanna be smart now? Flex your grades in front of me?”
“No! Of course not, I would never- I just think if you're going to insult my interests you might want to get the names right-”
“Save it freak, you’ve already committed the crime against me,” He yanks her arm with so much force she has no choice but to stumble behind until they’re right by a locker which she recognizes to be Jason's. Fuck, "Now time to face the punishment."
“Hey Jason, do you need anything from your locker?”
“Well actually, yeah!” Jason answers as Audrey tries to claw her way out of Max’s iron grip but it does practically nothing. Jason opens the door, “I was going to get my Chemistry-”
“Well too bad!” Max yells before shoving Audrey inside it, she barely has time to yell out before the door is yanked shut, “Have fun in there. Hope you don’t piss yourself!”
The sound of laughing is the only thing Audrey hears before she’s left alone in a really shitty smelling locker (do any of these jocks wash their clothes, oh god) Her body is pressed between several different things she can’t make out, the back of her head is being stabbed by some textbooks and her leg keeps falling over a bag. Audrey takes a moment to try and catch her breath, ignoring the smell. She’s been shoved in lockers countless times she could handle it.
At least he didn't fart in here this time, she thinks to herself. It's a pathetic excuse for comfort but it does the job well enough to stop her from hyperventilating.
The only thing she was really pissed about was missing out on art class today. It was the only class she really cared about here anyway. Still, she could do nothing but wait for the cleaner, who has helped them enough to know to check for anyone in the lockers before leaving, to let her out of there.
Thursday September 25th, 2021 (Afternoon)
Thankfully, the janitor was early today so Audrey managed to get out of the locker in record time. She didn't have enough time to get to her last lesson. Which will bite her in the ass next time she shows up there, but she'll worry about that later. She did have enough time to relax her nerves with a quick smoke break so she didn't look like complete shit by the time she made it to the library.
The library was one of the few places in the school Max didn't rule, Audrey doesn't think he's ever stepped into one in the first place, so the nerds ended up claiming it as their own safe space. There wasn't a time when there wasn't a nerd hanging around here during school hours. Audrey let go of her cigarette and snubbed it out on a nearby bin before walking through the doors.
As if by magic Audrey's shoulders relaxed, the rest of the stress the smoke break couldn't fully get rid off leaving completely. She let out a sigh of relief. Breathing in the dust that clung to the books no matter what, and the smell of the old people who practically lived there. Distantly, she noticed Ruth and Richie in quiet conversation with one another. Audrey let herself smile and ran a hand through her wild hair taking her place on her chair at what they had dubbed 'their table' ever since they all became friends.
It was a small corner of the library, shielded by three large oak bookshelves hidden slightly by a smaller bookshelf that went up to Audrey's height. A small round table, full of wear and tear from years of being forgotten by the cleaners. This was one of the only things that could fit in the space that was left behind. Surprisingly, they had managed to fit four rickety, uncomfortable chairs in the space. But Audrey loved their old dusty spot on the library too much to care about how cramped it was.
"You look like shit." Richie commented the moment she sat down, but Audrey only laughed at the comment. It's not like she didn't know. Getting stuffed into a cramped, sweat-filled locker did not help you look more attractive.
"Yeah well, that's what happens when you run into Max while on your way to class. I swear I'm going to fail my classes just because of how many times he locks me in a locker before I could get there." Audrey shrugs unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice, that man had been tormenting her for years now yet never failed to piss her off in more and more ways.
Nevertheless, she can't do anything now, so she gets out her book it had a black background with a shitty copy and pasted image of Art the clown on the cover. It stood out against Richie's anime themed one and Ruth's book which was full of different stickers from her favorite musicals and a piece of art Audrey swears is from some obscure porn webtoon hidden on there.
Richie nods sympathetically, "Still, I would've rather gotten that then a flick-it-ticket."
Audrey winces whereas Ruth groans, making them both turn to face her, "You're lucky. He won't even touch me there, like come on!"
"I think you could do better than Max Jagerman, Ruth." Audrey's face scrunches up in disgust, she was aware that some people saw Max as attractive- she did once upon a time, but she's not gonna tell anyone about that. Now, when you've seen the man fart on your friends multiple times, it kind of becomes more and more harder to believe anyone ever could. Then again Ruth's probably into that kind of stuff.
Ruth gives her a look as if what she was saying was ludicrous and Audrey doesn't have the mental strength to try and argue, so she lets this one go. If her friend wants to sexual fantasies about Max then she can. It's not going to hurt anyone. They fall into a silence as they all get some homework done, waiting for Peter so they can begin work on the project. It's nice the silence, not the oppressive way the classroom feels. It's comforting just existing around her friends, she finds she does her best work while just existing around the people she cares about.
Eventually, Peter shows up to their little get together, looking extremely happy for someone who got their fist detention ever and now sporting a completely new look from his signature one. A choice unheard of for the nerds. The sweater looked a lot more comfortable than the suspenders, still, the whiplash from the drastic change made it kind of hard to appreciate He takes a seat down by the three of them, "Hey fellas, you ready to make like Newton and get this physics project in motion?"
"What?" Richie asks looking as baffled as the rest of them. Audrey puts her pen down and stares at Peter.
Peter looks between them, "Ya know, like Newtons law of motion, like physics?"
"This projects on thermodynamics," Richie states plainly, "What the fuck are you talking about?"
Peter sighs disappointed. He takes out his bag to grab his stuff, "Okay. It was just a little joke. I've got it on good authority that I'm actually pretty funny."
"Funny looking maybe." Richie jokes rubbing his hands along his legs.
Audrey smiles at the joke, looking away from the work she was supposed to be doing but kind of derailed into her doodling on the pages. She glances Pete's way, "Yeah, did you phone your mom while you were in detention, or what?" She chuckles mainly to herself, "Was that before or after you lost your bow tie?"
Ruth nods along as they all stare at where the bow tie should've been, "People are gonna start thinking you're poor, Pete."
Audrey nods, it was common knowledge that when your enter high-school you have to have a signature look and stick to it. Pete's one had never been the greatest but it was his and changing would only attract more attention from people like Max and his lackeys. Pete's always been known to avoid that kind of attention. Something told her that one Stephanie Lauter was the cause of this particular change.
"I'm trying out a new look, okay?" Pete defends. Audrey had to admit the new look wasn't bad, she was sure she could get used to it in time but she definitively didn't want Pete thinking he had to change because of some girl. Let alone one that just wanted to use him to cheat on a test.
"At the library? Who are you trying to impress, them?" Richie motions to both Ruth and Audrey sitting next to one another.
"Yeah, you don't even have to try with me Pete." Ruth smiles dragging her hands over her body sensually. Her face and voice takes on a more desperate tone, "I just want someone to touch me, anyone! Please!"
Audrey recoils in disgust eyebrows furrowing, she glances at both Ruth and Pete, "Yeah, I'd rather be Ashley Freund than do either of those things."
Pete shakes his head, clearly not offended by the comment. He only turns to the both of them with an exasperated look on his face, "Jesus both of you stop it with the blood and… gross sex stuff."
"Okay, just because you've never-" Ruth starts but she's quickly cut off by Richie before this could get too sexual or offensive.
"I know what this is," Richie declares as loud as he could for the library, "Someone walks to detention with Stephanie Lauter and suddenly he's Stefan Urquelle. Well don't get your hopes up Pete. She was just using you to cheat on a test."
They were very surprised to find out that Stephanie had even hung around Pete to try and convince him to cheat. Let alone walking with him to detention, but in the end that meant nothing. This time next week they'll forget they even spoke to each other and go back to the usual school hierarchy, with Pete and the rest of them at the bottom and Stephanie up there with everyone else.
Ruth leans closer to Pete, making Audrey lean further back on her chair so she doesn't end up tasting the unruly mess of curly on Ruth's head, "What was it like when she touched your arm? Did you cum?"
Both Pete and Audrey let out similar disgusted noises, Audrey uses arms to push Ruth away from them and back onto her seat. The girl as mature as ever glares at Audrey and sticks her tongue out as retaliation Audrey only shakes her head in exasperation.
"We just has a nice talk! She's cool." Peter yells his face was getting extremely red, so much so Audrey was beginning to get concerned for his health.
"Yes we know she's cool Peter, you're not." Richie responds his gaze then turns as if he was having a vivid flashback sequence from a movie, "You and Steph, it's a fantasy. Like a boy and his anime love pillows. It's a beautiful dream but I'll never hold the real Rei or Asuka in my arms."
A phone ringing breaks them all out of their conversation, all eyes turn to Pete who clumsily grabs his phone out of his pocket and takes it to his ear. Being the nosy Hatchetfield residents they are, all three of them watched intently as he walked away to speak with- whoever may be calling them. It was Ruth who asked the question they were all thinking first, "Who do you think it is?"
"Probably a telemarketer." Richie responds, going straight back into his work. Audrey wishes she could do that but the conversation has distracted her too much to go back to work now.
"Lucky!" Ruth groans, "I'm such a loser even telemarketer's hang up on me."
Audrey looks away from Pete on the phone just to lay a half-sassed sympathetic hand on top of Ruth's shoulder, "You've dodged a bullet there, I cannot imagine sex with telemarketer to be interesting at all. They'd probably pitch their idea's to you mid orgasm."
Once again, Ruth groans, "Oh god, do really think that? It would be amazing."
Both of them stare at Ruth with matching confused stares before it morphs into a more fond look, despite her interests in that kind of stuff Ruth was quite entertaining. At least she was to Audrey.
Ruth, the most curious one out of them all slowly got up and in a shitty attempt at being sneaky she approaches Pete, whispering to the two of them, "Now I gotta know if that's what they're doing."
"God I hope not." Richie adds, he turns his head slightly to watch Pete, "He wouldn't deface the sanctity library like that."
Audrey shifts on her seat slightly hands moving to tug on the ends of her skirt, feeling the soft strings between her black fingernails. She needed to get back to study for the project, after all she's way too far behind on- everything really.
It doesn't take long for Ruth to come running over to them, Audrey was about to chastise her for running in the library but then she speaks and every thought about studying flows out of her brain, "Pete's talking to Stephanie Lauter."
"What the fuck?" Audrey blurts out just as Richie lets out his own shocked gasp, "Nani?!"
Dropping her pen without a care, Audrey follows the two teens as they all gradually creep up closer to Pete in a cheap imitation of sneaking. They all crowd around Pete as he talks, Richie to his right, Ruth to his left and Audrey from behind. It was rare for one of them to even be acknowledged by a person as popular as Stephanie- unless it was to get made fun off. Even more rare, so rare it's never happened before, for one of the popular people to come back. So they all cling to the situation with a mix of glee and concern. Literally. They all begin to pull on certain parts of Pete's clothes until they're all practically on top of him, quite a difficult task for Audrey seeing as they're almost the exact same height, Pete being only a few inches taller than her.
"What is she saying?" Ruth asks, a feral tilt to her voice, "What the fuck is she saying?"
Pete continues to try and shake the three of them off him only to abruptly stop. They all freeze Audrey gazing over Pete's shoulder. Her hands latched onto his elbows, trying to pull the phone closer so she could hear, but she doesn't need to as Pete speaks in an almost breathless tone, "You want me to meet you at Pasqualli's?"
The pure shock at hearing this causes Audrey to momentarily lose her grip on Pete just to cover her mouth, letting out a gasp as she looks between the other two sporting ecstatic expressions. Audrey however, feels an unsettling feeling curling in her guts. Maybe it was the amount of horror media she consumed but she was concerned. Why would Stephanie Lauter of all people want to hang out with Pete? Not to say he isn't an amazing friend and person to be around but popular kids don't talk to people like them. She had to have some kind of motive.
Pete puts Stephanie on hold just to shake them off once more and ask, "What is the matter with you three? You told me not to get my hopes up!"
"That was before Pasqualli's," Richie explains resting his head on top of Pete's shoulder, "That's where all the cool kids go before homecoming." He lets out an imitation of a siren, "This is not a drill Pete! This is a date, a date!"
Now that Pete has let go of his grip on the phone more, they get to hear the way Stephanie claims to be the smart one of her group. A surprise to Audrey but not unexpected for the way the popular kids were. The two of them shake with excitement. Ruth tugged on Pete's arm, "She needs you Pete, like princess Leia, you're her only hope."
"Really Ruth a star wars analogy?" Richie criticizes, "Need I go into why Attack on Titan is superior in ever possible way?"
Audrey rolls her eyes lifting her head to rest upon Pete shoulder, "Oh please, someone like Stephanie Lauter would want to hang out with one of us? she's probably only leading you there to kill you Pete, it's basic common sense! Think about Jennifer's Body!"
"Don't ruin his chances 'Rey!" Ruth chastises, "We're trying to get him there, not scare him off."
"I just want him to be prepared-"
Pete once again tries pulls himself free of the three of them, annoyance plain on his face, "Shut the fuck up!" He pauses, breathing deeply, "Not you, just these three fucking nerds that won't leave me alone."
"Well could you ditch those nerds and help me out?" Stephanie's voice rings out from the phone. Audrey has to hold on more to avoid being thrown off of Pete with how hard both Richie and Ruth were shaking.
"What are you waiting for Pete?" Ruth finally lets go just to run her hand down her body, "A naughty school girl want's you to help her study? They don't call it a cram session for nothing. Watch some porn, you'll see."
Without Ruth holding down his side Pete manages to push himself away from their grip on them, Audrey almost stumbles straight into Richie before she manages to catch her balance. Pete holds the phone close to him as he yells, well as close to a yell you could get while respecting the rules of a library, which wasn't a lot but they got the point, "Stop being gross, all of you. I had a good day today, okay. A cool popular girl told me I was funny. Can't we just leave it on a high note? You're tell me I gotta be funny again. I didn't do it on purpose the first time!"
No longer trying to hold onto Pete, Audrey put her hands on her hips, willing her expression into a more apologetic one. Despite what the others may believe, Audrey had absolutely no faith in this not being a trick and she wasn't about to let her friend get hurt by this. "You're right Pete. Let's face it- You spending some time with Stephanie and making it out unscathed by Max is the best outcome someone like you is going to get. There is no use chasing some fantasy girl who could very well be a demon just to get some-"
Before she could finish, a hand latched itself over her mouth leaving Richie the perfect opportunity to jump in and start his argument, Don't listen to her Pete, you have been given a once in a lifetime opportunity. Someone is willing to tolerate your presence for an entire evening, this may never happen again," Richie take's a step forward, his tone as if he was giving an inspiration speech at the climax of a movie, "Destiny knocks but once and yours is Stephanie Lauter. You lucky son of a bitch!"
With a new found determination Pete takes the phone to his ear and speaks as confidently as he could get, "Steph, I'll be there in twenty minutes!"
Like the mature adult that she most definitely is, Audrey drags her tongue over Ruth's hand, who instinctively startles back. She holds her hand up close to her chest her expression more longing than disgust, "Wait no, do it again! That's the most action I've ever gotten."
"I wasn't trying to do anything like that," Audrey feels her face heat up with embarrassment, "I was trying to stop you from suffocating me!"
"I had to, you were ruining our chances."
"You mean Pete's chances?"
Ruth rolls her eyes, "Let me live vicariously through him."
Scoffing, Audrey pinched the middle of her forehead letting her annoyance seep through her tone, "I just don't want this to end terribly- for all we know Stephanie could be devouring peoples souls right now."
"Well if that's the case then Pete's already dead and gone," Richie points towards where all of Pete's thrown together pile of stuff has disappeared along with the boy himself.
With no way to attempt to stop this growing disaster, Audrey ran her hands over her face not caring for her probably already ruined makeup. Accepting the fact she may never see Pete again Audrey and the other two move back to their seats to try and actually work on some of the project they need to finish. Even if the only one who actually knew this kind of stuff was probably dead by now.