After Class Read Free Page B

index and middle fingers, as her hand is stuck holding the beer in her red plastic cup.
    Taylor looks onward and watches as Nicole’s new man friend takes her into a nearby bedroom and shuts the door behind them. “So much for having a fun night out with her,” Taylor says to herself. She looks at the other partygoers. Women are half dressed, only wearing short skirts and bras as some men do body shots off of them. A group of men are sitting around a dining room table, each of them chugging beer. There is another guy nestled close to a beer keg, filling up each of their cups as they become empty from chugging. Through the mess of bodies, Taylor finds it hard to find someone that she knows or that she wants to let alone, associate herself with for that matter. She looks down at her flat beer and decides to take a sip, only to want to spit it out on the floor a few seconds later.
    Feeling alone and thinking how this time could be spent studying and achieving that 4.0 grade average, Taylor spins around and heads for the door. Just as she spins, two beautiful women walk into the house. They are slightly older than everyone else but still carry that youthful, partying vibe. They are dressed to impress, wearing black cocktail dresses and their hair done to perfection. They are in full makeup and look like they were plucked off of some fashion runway in New York. After the two women catch her eye, Taylor suddenly recognizes a familiar face but not before the same thought process is reciprocated.
    “Well if it isn’t Miss Taylor Murray,” the taller blonde says, coyly, crossing her arms and starring Taylor dead in the eyes. She bears a smile on her face that makes her slightly less intimidating. Standing before Taylor is none other than Chantelle Boudreau; Taylor’s role model and rival ever since Elementary School. Chantelle was the kind of girl that didn’t have to work hard to achieve perfection. She always had the perfect skin, perfect hair, perfect family, perfect boyfriend and what Taylor envied the most, the perfect grades. Chantelle graduated from grade school with outstanding marks that were previously unheard of, only to be followed by getting on the Dean’s list with distinction and honors every year in college. She was the girl that every guy wanted and that every girl wanted to be, especially Taylor.
    “Oh my god, Chantelle! What are you doing here?” Taylor goes in for a hug and wraps her arms around Chantelle. The two embrace and smile from cheek to cheek.
    “Just because I’m graduated doesn’t mean I can’t come to these parties every once in a while”, Chantelle smirks.
    Still in shock, Taylor grabs at the thin air for words. “Well it’s so good to see you! You look great!”
    “And you look like hell, honey. What’s the matter?”
    Taylor knows the signs of stress can be seen across her face and that the lack of sleep is hitting her hard. She drops her head briefly but doesn’t want to seem weak in front of Chantelle. This is her rival. She can’t lose. She has to keep it together.
     Taylor musters up some confidence and tries to put on a smile. “Just a college student trying to get good grades. You know how it is,” Taylor replies, trying to keep the smile on her face but the pain and frustration she feels deep inside has no choice but to surface and shine dully through her lies.
    “I know, college can be stressful, but there are always ways around getting what you want and not having to work too hard to get it,” Chantelle says, smiling and winking at her friend next to her.
    Her friend smiles back and looks at Taylor. “Chantelle sure knows how to get what she wants,” the brunette next to Chantelle says, just as she notices someone that she knows. She waves to them in the distance. “I’ll catch up with you later,” Chantelle’s brunette friend says as kisses her on the cheek and disappears into the crowd.
    Still trying to decipher what the brunette meant, Taylor looks towards