Midnight Friends

Photo Allergic

Claire Hart was a plain, shy girl of medium height with a medium build who dressed in loose-fitting clothes and wore minimal makeup. The raging acne and greasy hair of her early teenage years were now under control, but the reflection in the mirror still left Claire photoallergic.

Claire wished she had a friend who got her. Ruth Andrews was nice, but she wasn’t someone that Claire could discuss the supernatural with. Ruth was a good Catholic girl and thought that such matters were best left unspoken.

Helvey Gray always brightened Claire’s spirits with his goofy jokes, but Claire couldn’t imagine discussing the unseen world with him.

Charmaine Chaplin was so pretty that it made a homely young woman like Claire physically ill to look at her, but she was a sweetheart even if Claire sometimes thought that Charmaine had let her brain atrophy because she never had to use it. Charmaine’s cousin Dorothy Lombardo was a big girl with sad eyes like a basset hound who may have envied Charmaine’s beauty as much as Claire did, but who had a dogged devotion to her effortlessly beautiful cousin whose naiveite sometimes put her in compromising situations.

Claire supposed that it would have been all right to have pleasant companions with no desire to look at the world beyond the walls of sleep if it hadn’t been for the unpleasant individuals with whom she was forced to share her life. There seemed to be far more bad actors than well-behaved students at good old St. Charles Catholic Preparatory Academy.

Valentino Valley was a stuck-up jerk in theatre class. Claire developed a crush on him because he was initially nice to her, but when he discovered that he was carrying a torch for him, he turned nasty. Claire surmised that Val was probably being nice to Charmaine in hopes of getting in her form-fitting jeans and Claire was simply a secondary recipient of his fake friendliness.

Val’s butt buddy Guy Frank was a non-entity when he wasn’t around Val. Guy’s given name was a perfect fit. He was That Guy who blended easily into a crowd. If he’d had the inclination, Guy would have been the perfect criminal mastermind because he had such a nondescript appearance that it was difficult to describe him. Helvey once said that Guy looked like a forty-year-old car salesman.

Helvey also said that Guy looked like a frog and Val looked like a pompous prince. Claire and Helvey giggled while drawing a cartoon featuring Pompous Prince Pompadour of Buttland and his sidekick, Frankie the Frog.

Icy Hot

Val Valley’s needling of Claire for her crippling shyness and ill-advised crush on him was compounded by the cruelty of his mean-girl cheerleader pals. Charlotte “Charlie” Rudolph and Heather Henry had been dubbed “the icy-hot thots” because of their hot looks and cold hearts. Slender, blue-eyed blonde Charlie had Twiggy’s figure and the soul of Elizabeth Bathory.

None of the guys stood a chance with Charlie, so they luridly speculated that she was involved in a lesbian tryst with her BFF Heather, a curvy, raven-haired beauty who looked like a cross between Bettie Page and Angelina Jolie’s interpretation of Maleficent, and whom Helvey said had the heart of Vlad Dracul.

“By which I mean she stole his heart out of his body,” Helvey said as he and Claire sat on the edge of the stage in the empty theatre. “That bitch doesn’t have a heart of her own. So, all the blood pools in her ass and saturates her brain, which she keeps in her ass.”

“You’re funny, Helvey Bear,” Claire smirked as her friend embraced her. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re the only reason I haven’t taken myself out yet.”

“Aw, Cozy Burrito, don’t think that way. Those soggy socks ain’t worth going tits up for. Just think, when you’re thirty years old and a famous writer, they’ll be playing Baby Bliss with a couple of asshole jocks in marriages based on keeping up appearances rather than fidelity. They’ll hate their kids for giving them stretch marks, and they’ll keep the plastic surgery industry alive getting tummy tucks, boob jobs, butt lifts, and Botox.”

“I guess that Heather needs to be careful ‘cause if the doctor lifts her butt too far it will cut off the blood supply to her brain,” Claire chuckled. “I hate those bitches so much, but let’s be real, they’re everything a bargain-bin babe like me wishes she could be. Even their stupid names are perfect for a writer.”

“Ew, no, they sound like a pair of crappy romance novelists!” Helvey protested. “Actually, Charlotte Rudolph sounds like she writes horrible historical romance. Heather Henry sounds like she writes those bad porn stories that you used to find in airport bookstores. Anyway, Claire Hart is a perfect writer’s name. You can do anything you want to, mi burrito. Don’t let those bitches make you think otherwise. You are as perfect as a pan of bourbon blondies.”

“Are you hungry or something, Helvey?” Claire laughed.

“Starving. But I want to wait until the Asshole Patrol has cleared the hallway before we leave.”

“Yeah, I don’t really want to see another printout of that picture of my ass with a big spot of blood on the back of my pants,” Claire agreed.

Just Neighbors

Claire and Helvey both lived on Hoover Street in the Blooming Fields subdivision. Built on a hill, the middle-class neighborhood was at the highest point in Lawrence, Kansas, and, for the last five years, had suffered worse hail damage than other areas. One of these hilltop hailstorms was due that afternoon, so Claire sent Helvey home when the sky turned threatening. She told him that she wanted to have a nap before dinner because her struggle against the Crimson Tsunami had left her feeling drained.

Helvey said he didn’t mind sticking around and playing video games, stating that he didn’t like leaving Claire alone when she wasn’t feeling well.

“Helvs, it’s my period,” Claire laughed. “It’s not like I’m recovering from major surgery. Go home before the hail starts so you don’t get brained by a golf ball size chunk of ice. Mom and Robb will be home soon anyway.”

“Okay, Cozy Burrito,” Helvey agreed reluctantly. “I guess it wouldn’t do to get smacked in the head with a hailstone. My brain might end up in my butt like Heather’s. I’m sure glad we’re just neighbors, though. It would suck if I had to go all the way across town.”

“Well, if you lived all the way across town, I wouldn’t make you walk home, Goofball. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Now, hurry up. That sky looks like it’s ready to rampage.”

As soon as Helvey was gone, Claire went to her closet and took a bottle from the case of hard lemonade she had hidden in a box under her clothes. Herbert Webster’s Frank Sinatra wannabe cousin, who used the stage name of Sinclair Chicago, worked at Dino’s Liquors to make ends meet and didn’t mind selling liquor to teenagers to make a few extra bucks.

Claire bought a new case of hard lemonade from Sinclair every week. He left it hidden in the bushes near the back garage, and she sneaked it into the house when her family wasn’t home.

Claire poured the hard lemonade over ice and added a splash of regular lemonade to dilute the smell of alcohol. She went to her computer and opened one window to StudySite.com. She opened an incognito window to GirlCoven.ca, a website run by the self-proclaimed Canadian teenage medium and witch Arachne Desrochers. She logged in and saw that she had a friend request from another member.

Claire read the message from HellsBelle666, which read:

“Hi Claire, I’m Jeanette. Sorry about the short notice, but I just joined this site, and then I found out the next day that my fam is being relocated to the U.S. and I’ll be going to your school! I hope we can be friends both online and IRL. When you get this, I will already be on my way to the USA. See you soon, Fam! Blessed be, Jeanette Jett. P.S. I love rock n roll and I see that you do 2. Cool!”

Claire accepted the request immediately.

Deliciously Dangerous

For the first time ever, Claire couldn’t wait for the weekend to end. Jeanette was due to start her first day of school on Monday. Claire wondered if she had at last found the special friend who could relate to her adventures beyond the wall of sleep.

“Well, she looks deliciously dangerous,” Helvey said when Claire showed him a picture of their classmate-to-be while sitting in the student lounge waiting for the first period to begin.

“That’s a strange thing for a gay dude to say about a chick,” Claire teased.

Seeing the worried expression on Helvey’s face, Claire embraced her chum.

“Don’t you dare think that anyone could steal your Cozy Burrito from you, Helvey Bear,” Claire chided. “I told Jeanette about you, and she thinks that you’ll make our gruesome twosome into a gleesome threesome.”

“That just sounds kinky,” Helvey smirked. “But ain’t no way that threesome would work, C.B. Now, if we were talking about adding a guy to our gruesome twosome…”

“Okay, well, he’d have to be bi,” Claire said. “Which hot bi guys can you think of?”

“Well, that guy Mika, the one who does that song “Big Girl You’re Beautiful” is hot. But I don’t think he’d be into a couple of dorky high school students.”

“Yeah, better to avoid guys who are technically old enough to be our dad,” Claire agreed.

“Girlfriend! Joan Jett lookalike at six o clock!” Helvey declared excitedly. “Are you going to help me welcome our new partner in crime to our shitty school? Helloooo, Jeanette! Over here, Doll!”

When Claire saw Jeanette in person, she had to agree that her new friend did look deliciously dangerous. Claire hoped that some of Jeanette’s cool would rub off on her.

Jeanette smiled and opened her arms.

“Babies! I’m so glad to meet you in the flesh!” she declared.

“Ooh, Child, don’t confuse me!” Helvey chided. “You’re channeling Joan Jett, but you’re quoting Blondie!”

“And who says I can’t love ‘em both, Big Guy?” Jeanette inquired, patting Helvey’s belly. “Hey Claire, loving the Kawaii aesthetic! That pink bow rocks!”

“Do you really think so?” Claire asked, blushing. “I’m glad you like it!”

Wild and Unwilling

“Morticia made a mistake teaming up with Ollie Oinker and Clarabelle Cow,” Charlie Rudolph smirked. “Val is going to have a field day with this!”

“Are you and Val doing it?” Heather asked. “You sure have been going over to his house a lot lately.”

“Yeah, we hook up sometimes,” Charlie said casually. “Why, do you want a piece?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I get plenty on my own. Maybe once, just to see what it’s like. Mostly I want to be in on helping you two roast Claire the Cow, Bouncy Belly Helvey, and Vampirella.”

“Can you imagine if those three had an orgy?” Valentino asked as he came up behind Charlie and Heather and put his arms around their shoulders. “Well, I can, and I’m going to create a webcomic all about it. I could have Guy bring Cousin Adam by and we can get creative. Want to come and join the fun? You down, Guy?”

“Yeah, sure, I can, uh, pick up Cousin Adam and help you make your webcomic,” Guy agreed.

“That would be cool, Val, but I have a better idea,” Charlie suggested, stroking her finger over Valentino’s chest. “You know how Claire’s crushing on you? She has no self-esteem, and she’d do anything to make you like her.”

“I don’t think she’s quite as keen for me as she used to be,” Valentino smirked. “She kind of didn’t see the humor when I passed around that drawing I did of her as Bo Peep bending over for Helvey the Sheep.”

“Well, that’s why you apologize, Val,” Charlie explained. “You say you’re sorry and you want to make it up to her. Then you invite Claire and Goth Girl to a little party at your place.”

“Well, what if they bring Helvey?” Guy interjected. “He isn’t going to stand by and let his friends get humiliated.”

“You’re so dense, Guy. Helvey likes you. You keep him distracted while Claire makes a fool of herself for Val.”

“But Guy kind of has a point,” Heather remarked. “I don’t think the new girl is a self-loathing drip like Claire. What if she won’t play along?”

“Well, that’s where you come in. I’m pretty sure she’s a dyke, so you flirt with her and keep her occupied. You don’t have to actually make out with her or anything unless you want to.”

“Not really,” Heather said, making a face.

“Hold up,” Guy protested. “Drawing pictures is one thing, but actual nudes is another. People sometimes kill themselves over that, and we could get arrested or something. I don’t want to be involved in anything like that.”

“Val, you need to get yourself a cooler BFF,” Charlie sniffed. “’Cause it looks like Guy is a weak-ass loser.”

Live and Don’t Learn

“Gee, I don’t know how anyone could have predicted this happening,” Guy Frank sneered sarcastically at Valentino Valley, who sat on his bed, gawping at Guy with a look of sheer confusion. “Close your mouth, Val, before you start catching flies.”

“Well, I didn’t expect the bitch to fly into a frenzy!” Val protested. “Hell, you’d think she’d be glad for the exposure. She’ll probably have lots of dudes calling her now. It isn’t like she’s ugly, really, she’s just kind of a nerdy-birdy, not really up to the Val Valley standard, you know.”

“You didn’t expect her to fly into a frenzy after you and Charlie and Heather spread nudes of her all over the school?” Guy sighed. “She was in love with you, Val. Stop fucking pretend you did her a favor by doing this. You and those bitches Charlie and Heather wanted to push her over the edge. The three of you are so lacking inside that the only way you can make your sorry selves feel better is by destroying other people.”

“Yeah, maybe, but I still think she went over the top,” Val said with a shrug. “I’m hungry. You want something to eat?”

“Do you expect that I’m going to go down to the kitchen and eat leftover turkey legs with you, la-di-da, like nothing happened? Or should we get out some pumpernickel and rye and make sandwiches? I haven’t got a fucking appetite, Val, and I don’t know if I ever will again. You’ve always been a bit of a shit, but I let it slide because I convinced myself that at the heart of things you were cool. Well, the stage was set when you convinced poor Claire that you had feelings for her, so she dropped her guard and let you take advantage of her.”

“Hey, Man, I didn’t force her to strip and pose for me!” Valentino protested.

“Bitch, you as good as raped her!” Guy snapped. “We’ll be lucky if we don’t end up in jail. Any lawyer worth their stuff is going to argue that she was legally impaired. She had Cousin Adam tripping balls through her bloodstream, and I’d argue that her taste in men was fatally impaired from the get-go, her being in love with you and all.”

“You don’t have to tell them that you supplied the drugs, and I’ll say that she asked me to take the pictures. I was tripping balls too, so maybe she took advantage of me.”

“You’re pathetic,” Guy groaned. “I don’t know why I was friends with you. Even if I don’t go to jail, I can kiss any scholarship opportunities goodbye. Worse than that, Charlie, Heather, and Jeanette are missing. I don’t give a shit about Charlie and Heather, but Jeanette seemed cool. Claire may spend the rest of her life in a mental institution if she ever regains consciousness. Helvey had a nervous breakdown and he may have lost his best friend. What the fuck did Helvey do to deserve that, Val?”

“Took up too much space in the hallway?” Val queried.

“You’re fucking hopeless. I’m going to try to do the right thing, even if it’s too little too late. I wish I’d never met you, Val. I hope that karma bites your ass hard. See you in court.”

Valentino Valley watched his only real friend walked out of his life forever and wondered if maybe he had gone too far with his scheme to humiliate a girl whose biggest mistake was falling in love with a good-looking popular boy while not being pretty and popular herself.

Acknowledgments

Fandango’s One-Word Challenge: Fidelity

https://fivedotoh.com/2020/11/27/fowc-with-fandango-fidelity/

Light Motifs: Learn

https://lightmotifs.wordpress.com/2020/11/26/thursday-inspo-84/

October Spooky Writing Challenge: Midnight

https://thewritershandbook.tumblr.com/post/630699213481705472/this-years-october-spooky-writing-challenge-is

Putting My Feet in the Dirt

https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/

Photo Allergic

Icy Hot

Hilltop Hailstorms

Just Neighbors

Cozy Burrito

Soggy Socks

Deliciously Dangerous

Bourbon Blondies

Wild and Unwilling

Leftover Turkey Legs

Pumpernickel and Rye

Reedsy Prompts

https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/

Written in response to the Write about someone who’s so obsessed with a goal that it leads to the destruction of their closest relationship prompt. Also utilized the Write about a character who everyone thinks is guilty of something terrible but isn’t prompt, the Write about two people who know they’ve made a mistake, and one of them wants to tell the truth but the other wants to lie about it prompt and the Write about someone trying to atone for a mistake they’ll never be able to fix prompt.

The story was submitted to Reedsy Prompts on 4 December 2020.

Tale Weaver: Confusion

https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2020/11/26/tale-weaver-303-confusion-november-26th/

Tales from the Mind of Kristian: Frenzy

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2020/11/27/frenzy/

Cousin Adam is a lesser-known slang term for MDMA (Ecstasy).