User blog:SodaCat/diamonds chap 3 idk

im so bad at blog title names

Diamonds

“No, we can’t get anything pecan… Didn’t Derby ever tell you? He’s utterly allergic to them; whenever he eats them he breaks out into hives.”

Piper giggled at the memory as she recalled her step-cousin one Christmas, after he’d mistakenly eaten a slice of pecan pie when they were about eight years old. Piper had nearly peed herself laughing, and Derby had been quick-tempered about the memory ever since. Last week, he’d explicitly told Piper that she was not permitted to order anything with pecan nuts from the caterers, and then followed up the order with some trivial threat that Piper hadn’t really listened to.

“Really?” Bif asked, crossing ‘pecan pies’ off of the list he’d been writing, “I never knew that. I’d love to see that, though.”

“It’s the funniest thing,” Piper agreed, beaming into his emerald eyes, “but he gets unconditionally furious if you bring it up, so don’t let him know that I told you.”

“Our secret,” Bif approved, grinning back at her.

The two were resting stomach down on Bif’s bed in Harrington House, Piper’s sky blue Ericsson between them, as well as a notepad on which Bif was writing down ideas for foods to order for the approaching Harrington House start-of-the-year party. It was only a week away now, and would take place on September 31st. Piper was astonished that time had gone by so swiftly, and if Derby found out that she was only just booking the catering, he’d have a fit.

She smiled back at him, feeling herself redden just a little. Their secret. It was just so romantic.

“You’ll be my date right?” She asked abruptly, catching herself by surprise. She was supposed to let him ask her that.

Bif looked at her, stunned. Piper bit her lip, suddenly tense. Oh god, what if he didn’t like her that way and was completely freaked out that she’d asked him? She should’ve said escort, of course he wouldn’t want to call it a da—

“Sure,” Bif said finally, shrugging. He gave her a heartfelt smile, taking her smaller hand in his larger one.

She grinned back, nearly bursting with delight. Yes, this was how the movie that played in her head whenever she was with Bif was supposed to go. They’d go to the party, where they would finally kiss after years of anticipating, and then he would call his father who would then betroth them, and they would spend their final high school years at Bullworth before going off to an Ivy League together and getting married. And then, they could move to London, or Paris, and spend the rest of their lives together, in love.

Instead, she settled on something simpler to respond to him with. “You have a suit, right?”

“Yeah,” he replied, laughing a little at the predictable question from his fashion-savvy best friend, “is Calvin Klein okay?”

Piper nodded, smiling to herself. She knew he’d want to go with Clavin Klein. It was just so… Bif.

He chuckled, sitting up with his legs over the edge of the bed. “I gotta head to boxing practice—do you wanna come? You can call the caterers on the way there.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Sighing, Piper shook her head. “I need to hand out these invitations for Derby, I’ve been putting it off for a while, and if he finds out he’ll have my head.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Bif shrugged, standing and tucking his cell phone into his pocket. “Alright. I’ll see you later, okay?”

<p class="MsoNormal">Piper nodded to him, biting her lip uncertainly as she gave him a hopeful smile. “Balcony?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’ll be there.”

<p class="MsoNormal">She watched him walk out before burying her face in his comforter to hide her smile. He was just such a sweetheart. How could she not love him? It was just absolutely impossible.

<p class="MsoNormal">Dialing in the caterer’s number that Derby gave her, Piper looked over the list that Bif had written, admiring his untidy and hasty script. It’d been the same for as long as she could remember, messy and fast as if he were in a rush whenever he was writing, which he probably was, considering he didn’t like writing much. Or school. But she didn’t mind—it just proved to her that he was dedicated to the essential things in his life. Boxing, and her.

<p class="MsoNormal">Of course.

<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center">***

<p class="MsoNormal">Multiple phone calls later, Piper had booked everything that Derby wanted—except for those senseless Russian cakes Derby loved so much, but she just figured he’d have to make do without them—and was ready to head out to deliver the handwritten invitations she’d made a couple weeks ago. The invitations were truly a masterpiece, the peach-colored stationary was complimented nicely by the smooth strokes of her expert-level calligraphy.

<p class="MsoNormal">Really, the delivery process would be fairly fast, so Piper decided that she may be able to make Bif’s practice—or the end, at least. After they could go by the ice cream parlor and get a sundae to split between the two of them. He adored the ones with the hot caramel draped all over them after his boxing practices, so she’d be sure to treat him to one.  

<p class="MsoNormal">True wife material, really, she knew how to keep her probable husband-to-be happy.

<p class="MsoNormal">Most of the Preps were already moved in their dorms at Harrington House, and the ones that weren’t would just have to deal with Piper slipping their invitations under the door, consequences be damned. Except for Derby’s, of course, which he demanded be hand-delivered to him… though why he needed to be invited to his own party Piper hadn’t the slightest idea. Just part of being a narcissistic, pretentious git, she thought.

<p class="MsoNormal">She went through the guest list fairly quickly—first Tad, who just had to act completely flattered to having been invited to a party he’d helped plan, followed by Gord, who refused to open the door to her, claiming he wasn’t dressed to receive guests, and then Justin and Bryce, both of whom had made a point of asking her stupid questions about the party and the entertainment that would be available.

<p class="MsoNormal">She would be delivering Pinky’s tonight at the girls’ dorm, and despite Derby’s wishes, she simply slid his invitation under the door, mainly to spite him. Bif, of course, had been given his invitation the moment she’d made his—after all, to her, he was the most important guest.

<p class="MsoNormal">Piper found Chad out in the side yard by Harrington House, sitting on the grass playing with his dog, Chester. She gave Chad his invitation, which he stiffly thanked her for, and set off back into Harrington House.

<p class="MsoNormal">The only one left to distribute was Parker’s, which Piper dreaded. It wasn’t that she disliked Parker… he just made her feel so uncomfortable.

<p class="MsoNormal">It seemed that as soon as they hit puberty, Parker had developed a small yet persistent crush on her that could only be described as ‘puppy love’. Ever since, he’d insisted on constantly trying to strike up conversation with Piper, claim the seat beside her, even on occasion try and suggest a date between the two. Maybe she would’ve been flattered under different circumstances, but surely he had to realize sooner or later that she was spoken for.

<p class="MsoNormal">She considered all of this as her fair-skinned knuckled knocked on his dorm room door, anxiously hoping that he wouldn’t be home so that she could just slide the invitation under his door without having to speak with him.

<p class="MsoNormal">The door opened revealing Parker. His black hair looked neat and styled, and his Aquaberry sweater appeared to be freshly pressed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Piper!” He greeted, smiling at her with genuine cheerfulness, “I wasn’t expecting you! Do you want to come i—“

<p class="MsoNormal">He was cut off by Piper thrusting his invitation in his face, offering an awkward smile. “Hey Parker, I just wanted to deliver this party invitation,” she explained quickly, before adding in, “for Derby.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Parker stepped back in surprise, but took the invitation nonetheless, a rather disappointed look in his eyes. “O-Oh,” he said, his disenchantment apparent, “um, thanks.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Piper nodded, turning on her heel, preparing to leave as hurriedly as possible so that she could arrive to the boxing gym before Bif completed his training.

<p class="MsoNormal">“W-Wait!” He called, reaching out and seizing her wrist. Piper stopped abruptly, turning and giving him a slight glare. Did he really just do that? Was Bif the only gentleman among these twits?

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, Parker?” she asked, freeing her wrist from his grasp and turning to face him, placing her now free hand on her hip.

<p class="MsoNormal">Parker looked down nervously before giving her an uneasy smile. “Um, I actually just wanted to say you look really nice today.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Oh,” Piper replied, her anger fading away just a little, “well, thank you, Parker. I have to go now, Bif is expecting me and all,” she lied, though to her it wasn’t much of a lie. Bif wasn’t expecting her, so to say, but he surely was hoping she’d be there.

<p class="MsoNormal">And she would be sure to be there for him.

<p class="MsoNormal">“But, I need to tell you something!” Parker cried out, reaching out for her once again, but this time she was too far for him to touch.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m sure it can wait,” Piper replied, a little irritated at this point. “I really need to go!”

<p class="MsoNormal">Sighing, Parker nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. “Okay, Piper, I’ll tell you some other time. Bye!” he called hopefully, but she didn’t hear him.

<p class="MsoNormal">Let down, he shut the door.

<p class="MsoNormal">After all, Bif was expecting her.