Prologue
As the door creaked open, Celia was leaning over her make-up case. She whipped upright, grabbed her robe and yelled, "Surely, we wouldn't have accepted pledges that don't know how to knock!"
Rebecca stood with her head down and the door. "I'm so sorry, Celia. I just wanted to update you. And I have the wine you asked for."
"Hphm. Fine." Once she was sure the girl hadn't seen anything, Celia was actually pleased Rebecca was here, but that was no reason to play nice. Keep her subservient, Celia thought.
Celia had an exceptional body. Years of dance and cheer leading had toned the slight curves she'd gotten from her mother Susanna, along with a head of beautiful brown curly hair. However, while she enjoyed showing off her body, there were limits, and Celia wasn't about to waste her assets on a stagehand or someone walking around backstage.
Rebecca eased her way around the door with a second girl in tow. "This is Marlene, the girl I've been telling you about." Rebecca was a good looking blond who edged closed to chubby, a battle she'd successfully won for most of her life. This Marlene, had an exceptional figure. Celia felt a brief ping of jealousy for Marlene's fuller chest, but comforted herself with the fact that the girl really didn't know how to show herself off. She clearly had lovely red hair but it was almost completely hidden in a bandanna. And those glasses should have been replaced with contacts a long time ago.
Celia sat demurely, and took her glass from Rebecca.
"We're set. We've done the work to Sasha's and Brigit's costumes. Marlene's done most of it. She's really smart. It'll be everything you've asked for. We just need to do your final fitting and then in about an hour or so, get you into position."
The High End Costume Ball was the event of the end of the semester, each year growing more and more extravagant. This year would be the most memorable, Marlene promised herself, because this year she would humiliate those two idiots and stand alone at the top of the High End Society. And that would get her into the Silhouette. And that would get her everything.
Celia dismissed Rebecca with a wave.
Marlene set a large garment bag down, and started to unzip it. She took out a fabric measuring tape and stepped toward Celia. She stopped, and with eyes down inquired, "May I ask something?"
"Yes?"
"How have you done it?"
Celia cocked her head to the side, reassessing the girl. An excellent question. She must be smart. "Here, sit, let me tell you a story."
Four years earlier
As the sun beat down on the two girls, Celia grit her teeth, annoyed. I shouldn't have to go through this, she thought.
The last position had come down to two girls, her and this Gisela. Hphm, Celia thought, sure she's smart, and she's got a great butt, but that is average at best. But still I shouldn't be here. It should be that Brigit. I have better extracurriculars than her or that Sasha, but Brigit's a legacy and that Sahsa's only getting in because she's black and wealthy.
The High End was the premier campus club for young women, with a list of famous Alumni that would hit the floor if held from a second level balcony. Rumor had it that the High End was a feeder for the Silhouette, the female equivalent of the skulls. Being a campus club allowed them to evade certain rules, which is why Celia and Gisela were standing in the middle of the quad nearly back to back, wearing bikinis with and holding heavily decorated Paper Mache bars over their heads. The words HIGH END were written on the front of each, with fake vines hanging down off either end.
Well, a least I'm in a bikini, Celia sulked. She's in a halter top and shorts. Celia stole a glance over her aching shoulder. Gisela's bar was barely shaking.
"Remember ladies, the first tassel that hits the ground and we have a loser," Janet, one of the Junior girls announced. "So keep it up."
A crowd was beginning to form. Celia was beginning to worry. She was in good shape, but this Gisela apparently had spent years in yoga. Her thoughts were interrupted by a splash of water and the sound of laughter. Three of the juniors had thrown full buckets of water on her, drenching her from face to knees. She nearly dropped the bar.
Celia began to panic. He heard a few giggles from the audience. She looked down, and confirmed what she was feeling: her pert nipples were beginning to harden, and it was becoming noticeable to the crowd, which seemed to be getting larger by the minute. She needed a plan.
She heard a gasp behind her. Apparently Gisela had just gotten the water treatment as well, to an appreciative cheer. Just under the sound Celia caught the words"...not wearing.." from Gisela in little more than a murmur.
Celia looked behind her, and then she saw. Gisela outfit was too dark to be see-through, but her shorts were plastered to her legs. She's not wearing underwear, Celia realized. A plan crystallized in her head.
Celia had been a cheerleader in high school. She was the one being thrown upwards, not doing the throwing, but she knew how. She flexed her knees and bent her elbows, and with all her might threw the Paper Mache bar straight upwards.
In one move she turned and ripped Gisela's runner shorts to the ground, then turned back and caught her bar with a jolt to her wrists.
Gisela's eyes widened with shock. Most people had watched the bar go up, but now all eyes were on her exposed, neatly trimmed pussy. "Oh my God," she yelled, and snapped her knees together. Laughter echoed throughout the quad.
Panicking, she dropped the bar and bent for her shorts. As soon as she did, Celia shot her own butt out, knocking Gisela forward. Gisela's right foot stepped out of her shorts and right through the Paper Mache bar.
She slipped a bit forward on the wet grass and her left foot came out of her shorts. With her bare foot, Celia reached back, grabbed the shorts between her toes, and sent them into the crowd with a dancer's kick. The crowd again voiced its approval. Gisela scrambled her hands, trying to cover up, free her foot, and lift the bar all at the same time as cell phones snapped video and pictures.
"We've got a winner," Janet announced. Celia smiled and looked at Gisela, now crouched down and trying to cover herself. She was too tempting a target. Celia turned and whacked her across the butt with her bar, which sent Gisela sprawling forward. She heard another gasp from Gisela.
Apparently Gisela's slide had moved her halter top to just above her waist. Gisela scrambled to her feet, her hands everywhere. Celia walked up behind her and posed for one picture. Holding her bar at Gisela's back, she nicely framed the word END right above the girl's still exposed butt.
Celia motioned with her hand and Marlene quickly poured her another glass of wine. "As you might have guessed, the photo was quite popular. I'm told it's the banner on many an internet site."
Marlene began, "So Gisela...the girl..."
Celia shrugged, "Ran off, dropped out, who cares? The important thing is that I was in."
Marlene shook her head. "It's an impressive example of raw opportunism, but it doesn't answer my question."
Celia smiled. She could hear the nervousness in Marlene's voice when she asked the question, but she still asked it. Polite but not weak. She was beginning to like this girl.
Three years earlier
Celia had spent her Freshman year trying to make herself noticed in The High End. She went out of her way to become friends with Brigit and Sasha. She volunteered for everything and went out of her way to help everyone in the elected offices. However, she sensed she wasn't getting anywhere.
She asked around as quietly as she could. Finally, Brigit came to her with an answer. "Apparently, Janet like, liked that other girl."
Celia stared at her for a moment. "What do you mean "liked"?
Brigit shrugged. "Like, I dunno. Liked. Wanted to be friends with her our something."
Celia tried not to snap at the stupidity of her new friend. "We need to get rid of Janet. She's holding us all back."
"What? Why?"
"Think about it, Brigit. Your sister, two aunts, and great aunts were all officers here. Janet's Sergeant at Arms and what did she appoint you to? Just on the Welcome Back Lawn Fete committee. Not even in charge."
Brigit seemed to shrink inwards, thinking. Don't strain yourself, Celia thought.
"And Sasha, look at you. Your mother runs the largest cosmetic supplier in the South. You've been interning with her since you were twelve, but haven't been appointed to anything here. Come on. You know why."
Sasha seemed to shake her head slightly. "You don't think..."
"Look, I'm not saying anything. But Janet's all aloof and just hangs around with the other girls on the swim team. One of them got appointed. I just think that everyone should be represented as part of the High End. Not just some people. People who deserve it."
Celia could see herself winning them over. "We'll get her at the Lawn Fete. Just be super nice to her until I can come up with something."
It was three days before Celia could come up with anything. It was a bit of a gamble, and required some risk taking, but it was all she had.
