"Congratulations, you have all just been granted the honor to attend the annual Hacking Huffington Brunch. As you see there are various appetizers at your disposal along with a front row view of the magic that will be taking place on the Windows 8 - courtesy of Addie Anderson - now any questions?"

Benny Costa raised a black - painted, perfect manicured hand in the air but before she could speak, Erika cut her off, "Talking about that god awful Fifty Shades movie - which is an atrocity to humanity, by the way - will not be permitted." 

"Dammit." Benny pouted and slumped in her patio chair.

The 'Hacking Huffington Brunch' was taking place in the luxurious outdoors of the Felix estate. The elegant pure white table of the Brown Jordan designed patio deco covered with snacks from the Felix pantry and designer purses. The guest list? Jac Lexington, Benny Costa, and Addie Anderson.

"Sorry but the pool is not for swimming," Erika snapped coldly when the pink- haired girl came out of the Felix mansion, looking at the glassy blue pool - that changed hue whenever the sunlight hit it - with longing. "This is a brunch not a MTV pool party." Although for Damon's sixteenth, his party had been so big that MTV filmed it and Project X used it for inspiration.

Addie took a seat next to Benny, in front of the silver pink Windows 8 laptop. Satsified that everyone had taken their places at the table, Erika sat down too, freeing her auburn hair of the hair tie she'd put it in earlier. "Now-"

"Erika why are we doing this?" Jac groaned, finally looking up from her iPhone with disdain. In a floral blue Gucci kimono dress, jet black hair crimped locks down her back, she looked more like a tan version of her mother.

"What do you mean?" 

"Paisely is our friend," She protested. "And no offense, but you kind of deserved what she did."

Erika scoffed, shocked that the girl even had the balls to say those disgusting words. That was the one thing that irritated her so much about Jac, she had a mouth and mind she couldn't control. 

"No offense." Jac said again, shrugging.

"C'mon, you know you're a bitch," Benny tittered."And why do you care so much about her and Chris? Its not like you liked him anyway."

'Because I was actually getting used to that thing that I am and then Paisely decided she wanted to be a little slut,' but those were words she'd never voice. She could never tell her dearest friends, the girls she'd known since her diva beginnings in Weston Day School - well she didn't know Benny until freshmen year - that she was a - 'Ugh, still can't think about that word.'

The truth was she didn't give even a dollar about Chris Edwards. He was the most irritable guy she'd ever met. It was the other person in the equation that made her go from content to annoyed, pleased to disgusted, and....from the admired to the admirer - and she hated it but found it impossible to ignore.

"Jac if you don't get off that phone, I'm sending a fake text to my brother and telling him to come home early." She snapped when she noticed the black-haired beauty smiling wryly at something on her screen.

Jac rolled her eyes but slipped her phone back into her white Tommy Hilfiger snake-skin handbag that she had slung on the table. 

"Now as I was saying," Erika said, reverting back to her sweet hostess voice. "Addie you may now start your task."

Addie, who had finally dyed her roots, slid on a pair of Vera Wang thin white glasses and squinted at the bright screen. Then her shoulders relaxed and she began typing away furiously. "I think that I can-"

"No talking," Erika silenced her harshly. 

"You know you can get her expelled , right?" Jac asked condescendingly. 

Erika tsked. "She's not going to get expelled. You guys are being ridiculous."

"And that picture of her Dad could ruin her whole family's reputation," Jac stated pointedly in that annoying I'm-Valedictorian-so-I-know-better voice. "You're going to drag a whole respected family into shame because she made out with your boyfriend?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing including Addie. Erika tossed her hair over her shoulder and put on her best glower. So Jac was right, she was going a little overboard but she had the right to. She had been the cheated. "Correction, he's not my boyfriend anymore. I dumped him as soon as I caught them in the dressing room."

Jac shook her head, her flawless hair cascading over her shoulders. 

"Sweet baby Jesus!" Benny suddenly exclaimed, nearly falling over in her patio chair. "I'm so stupid! Its so obvious!"

"Wow, Benny, you finally realized how obvious you make your thirst for Brett," Erika snickered. "I think throwing a bottle at his face is not so subtle if you ask me."

"No! You like Paisely!"

Erika's eyes nearly rolled back into her head as if she'd just heard every preparatory school in the district was burned down and they'd have to go to public school - thats how bad Benny's revelation was. 

Addie gasped, slowly pulling out her phone.

"If you text anyone, I'm photoshopping your face on to a saggy woman's body and posting it all over Instagram." Erika managed to spat at the girl. Addie quickly shoved her phone back into the pocket of her tacky striped J. Crew blazer.

"So....its true?" Jac asked slowly, stunned.

Erika took a deep breath to help regain control. The best thing about being a bitch? Her words were valued more than a Versace meets Valentino mashup collection.  "Jac, Benny," She said sharply. "Shall we discuss this inside please?"

The two girls looked at each other knowingly and then got up with Erika, following her to the sliding door that lead into the Victorian hallway of the house. However, before stepping into the mansion Erika turned to Addie. "Give me your phone."

Addie gasped. "W-w-why?"

"Just give it to me." Erika snapped and the girl tossed it to her. Pleased, Erika slipped the bedazzled phone gingerly into the pockets of her baby blue Lilly Pulitzer cover-up tunic that only showed a glimpse of her matching bikini.  "I'll give it back when we're done talking."

With a sugar sweet smile, Erika shut the sliding door, joining Jac and Benny who stood waiting for her in the sun lit elegant hall. Erika thought the hallway looked much better without all those pictures of their peasant-born mother. Pictures of deceased relatives hanging up everywhere was tacky anyway. 

"The next time you want to say something idiotic, " Erika snapped towards Benny. "Try not to say it in front of outsiders."

"Don't deny it, Erika," Benny laughed, glossy black hair lazy waves on her athletic shoulders and looking like a Cherokee legend in a Victoria's Secret black-and-white V-romper. "I seen you at the party when you kissed Paige, you were into it."

 Erika gasped. "As if, it was a game." She hadn't made it that obvious had she? 

"Hey, I'm not judging you," Benny held up her hands as if she were surrendering. "I'm just telling you that I know."

"You don't know anything."

"Erika, if you like her thats okay," Benny chuckled nonchalantly. "Last time Alabaster had a lesbian, it was pretty hot."

Erika nearly barfed at that word.  "Are you comparing me to Katy Chapin because that bitch had ninety-eight surgeries on her nose," She retorted. "And I am not a -a -a - ugh! - I am not a lesbian."

"Benny is right though," Jac said softly, putting a perfectly manicured hand on her thin shoulder. "Its okay if you're lesbian. We'll still love you-"

"And hate you." Benny stuck out her tongue playfully and Jac rolled her eyes.

"Read my  lips," Erika snarled. "I. Am. Not, I repeat, Not. Lesbian."

Jac leaned her small frame against the royal-printed walls of the hall, arms crossed over her chest. "I honestly believe you."

"Thats because you weren't there when she kissed her, " Benny replied then smiled. "How about this? I I tell you my secret in return for a real confession to the fact that you're lesbian."

"I am not -"

"Erika, just admit it, " Benny exclaimed. "You're a lesbian okay? And you're in love with Paisely and thats why you want to ruin her life because she hurt your feelings when she liked Chris and not you!"

Eyes darting around the hallway, Erika realized she had lost. She had let her panic take over and now she was seconds away from her biggest secret being revealed. She hated not being in control which is why she rarely ever slipped up - the last major slip up had, in  fact, been the kiss at Brett's after party. 

Forcing a You-don''t-know-half-of-it smirk, Erika put her hands on her hips. "Fine, I'll play. Whats your big secret, Benny?"

Benny bit her red-glossed bottom lip and then sighed. "You know how I said I spent my Summer in Africa doing charity work?"

"Yeah, you have pictures to prove it," Jac said.

"Those were photoshopped," Benny admitted with a shrug. "I was actually in a rehab facility in Hollywood because I took the blame for some Ectasty pills my mom found in my closet."

Erika gasped, her heart jittery with all the new material she was going to get. It was always good to know your friends' dirty little secrets, you never know when you're going to have to use it against them. 'Thank you Paisely for having so many secrets to exploit.'

"The pills belonged to Brett but I didn't want him to get caught," Benny said with a sad smile. "His Dad said he'd send him to public school and cut him off if he ever caught him with drugs again."

"And then he dumped you after you saved his ass," Jac shook her head as if the story was the biggest tragedy in the world.

"Now, Jac, whats your secret?" Erika asked, portraying the best 'caring' tone she could muster.

Jac scoffed. "I never said I was going tell you a secret."

"Oh well, you have to," Erika snapped. "Now spill."

"My Dad is gay-"

"We already know about that one, its all over the city, hun."

Jac glowered at her but then sighed too. "I'm still a virgin and soon I'll be a poor one too. Happy?"

"Poor?" Benny gasped and nearly took a step back from her.

Erika raised an eyebrow, remembering for a moment that she had no money to get her eyebrows done again. Soon, everything about her was going to wither away. "How so?"

Jac looked down at the floor, running a hand through her crimped hair and ruining her flawless side part. "My Dad has been forced to resign from his job so now all our money is tied up into my schooling and all these other things I don't know anything about."

"Jac," Benny comforted her. "I'm so sorry."

Erika felt bad herself but was relieved she didn't have to be the one to ease the girl's worry. She just wasn't good at being there for others. Nonetheless, she gave her best sympathetic smile even though she had a feeling it was coming off as a taunting smirk. Sympathy wasn't her thing.

Jac shrugged Benny off lightly. "Its fine, really."

"Are you sure?" Benny asked softly.

Jac nodded and laughed, but Erika could see right through it. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good," Erika said, happy that they didn't have to dwell any longer.  "Now we should get back outside before Addie does something stupid like fart in the pool." She turned to open the sliding door out to the patio but Jac stopped her.

"You have to trust us, Erika, we're your friends," Jac said fairly. "I mean, we trust you. "

"Yeah, we practically gave you the leverage to ruin our social relevancy." Benny added.

Erika studied her friends, meticulously observing each of them. She didn't have friends. Little did anyone know - besides her brother -  Erika was a one-girl army. Everything she did was for herself whether it was comforting a broken "friend" or posting unflattering pictures of another online. 

However, looking back at where her 'every-girl-for-her-own' way of life had gotten her so far, it wasn't really leading her anywhere good. She was cut off from her Dad's very plentiful bank account, she had been cheated on, and she was probably that thing - 'Lesbian,' She finally managed to think to herself.

She was most likely the fakest girl on the planet with fake friendships, fake romances, and a fake self esteem - and she hadn't even realized it.  

"Fine," She sighed. "I think I like Paisely," The girls both gasped. "But you can't tell anyone."

"Why would we?" Jac managed despite the stunning confession. "We're your friends."

"Plus, its pretty badass," Benny commented. 

"No, its not," Erika avoided their eyes to keep her tone shallow. "Its disgusting."

"I like gay people," Jac shrugged. "Although some of them can be real backstabbers."

Then the girls went silent as if an awkward sheet had been thrown over them. Erika fidgeted with her broken nails, suddenly wishing she could at least get a manicure to boost up her self esteem a bit. She felt so off as if she were an offbrand loser.

"Sooo....you like her as in you wanna date her or...." Benny trailed off.

"Gosh, what are you? Dr. Phil?" She spat coldly. Erika wasn't really sure what she wanted with Paisely. All she knew was that she liked her. She liked her more than just a friend. She found herself admiring her and hating her all at the same time. Not the kind of admiration a girl would give to another because of her outfit either. 

To ease herself into comfort, Erika looked over at Addie, relishing in how tacky she looked. "With that dress on, she looks like a Cancer patient, don't you think?"

"Erika!" Jac scolded. "Thats not funny."

Erika simply shrugged. "Was to me."

She didn't like the queasiness she felt after confessing. In fact, she felt vulnerable and small. Holding her chin up high, she regained her superior aura. "So are we done with this whole gay talk because we have a brunch to get back to."

"But you just told us you like Paisely!" Jac exclaimed. "You can't post the pictures now!"

Erika snickered. "Just because I think I like her doesn't excuse what she did." 

Strutting back outside, Erika took her seat at the patio deco, grabbing a bottle of Diet Pepsi - because regular will make you gain weight before you could even say, "I shouldn't have". She took a long swig from the drink before setting it back down on the table.

Addie was biting her nails, staring at the Windows 8 screen that was still on the Huffington Post homepage.

Erika whipped out the girl's phone and slid it back to her over the table. "Thank you, Addie, for being so patient." The girl smiled as if her approval was the best thing that could have happened to her. "But if whatever was said at this brunch gets out, so will that photo of your saggy ass."

Addie covered her mouth in horror but managed to stammer out, "Well, I-I-I," She cleared her throat in frustration. "I finished the hack." Then she turned the computer over to Jac, Benny, and Erika so that they could get a better view.

There it was; every embarrassing photo Erika had scavenged of Paisely all in a collage on the front page of Huffington Post, overshadowing the major headlines like, 'ISIS strikes back', as if it were far more important.

Erika smirked. "Good job, Addie."

"I-I-I think I-I can-can, um, keep it on there for, like, um, uh, I think, uh-"

"Ugh, spit it out." 

"At least, um, fourty-eight hours." She said quickly.

'Perfect,' It was just enough time for her to mass text every relevant person in the social class of every preparatory school in the area about what had landed on Huffington Post.  Taking out her iPhone, Erika composed her message; ' Seen front page of Huffington lately?' before shooting it out.

"I did it....so can I sit with you guys at school next week?" Addie asked quietly, hope glinting in her brown eyes that almost made the girl look pretty.

Benny and Jac exchanged horror-filled looks and Erika giggled, giving the girl a soft smile. "Sweetie, of course not."

"But-"

"I'll follow you on Instagram." Erika replied dismissively, not bothering to inform her that she was going to unfollow her after fourty-eight hours. It was only fair since thats how long the pictures would be up.

"Ugh, this is wrong," Jac stood up, grabbing her Tommy Hillfiger bag.

"How so?" Erika asked sweetly. "I'm just getting the revenge I rightfully deserve."

Jac frowned, eyes flickering to Addie for a moment.. "Christian Dior will never work with YSL now that they've started that stupid spat at fashion week." Then she opened the sliding door, stepping halfway into the house. "I'll text you later." With a wave, Jac closed the door, her heels could be heard clicking against the ktichen linoleum.

"Why the hell was she talking about Dior and YSL?" Benny burst out laughing.

However, Erika understood the girl and realized she was right - and she was actually really down about it, so morbid that she almost wanted to take the pictures down. 'Oh well,' She sighed, taking a sip from her Diet Pepsi bottle again. 'Dior is just going to have to deal.'

-------------

A/N: So now Erika's secret is out but will it stay in her circle of friends? What do you think?

Already have the ending down and I know where the characters are going to end up. So I guess it is officially safe to say the end is very  near.  

Make sure to comment your thoughts - I know I say that a lot :p - and vote as its a great motivator <333

 EDIT: The Dior and YSL reference is referring to Erika and Paisely just in case you didn't catch it. Erika is YSL and Paisely is Dior :p