Prom Queen Killer 1 of 4 — They're DYING to Win!

Abridged story transcript. Sexualized passages have been omitted or replaced with brief non-explicit editorial summaries in square brackets. This is not a verbatim transcript. Separate host segments and advertising are omitted. Prepared from an automatic transcription; residual transcription errors may remain.

Prom Queen Killer by Rob Fields. Part 1 of 4. Laura Lee Hardy was sitting in the back seat texting with someone when she felt her older brother Aiden glaring at her from the front seat. Laura Lee tried to ignore Aiden, but he made sure that was all but impossible. Texting with your little girlfriend again? He sneered. Laura Lee continued with her conversation despite Aiden.

Their mother, Ridge, was driving on a busy freeway in Shore City. Aiden, leave your sister alone, please, Ridge asked calmly. I just asked Laura Lee a question, Mom, Aiden replied defiantly. Then he repeated his question to Laura Lee with more aggression. When Laura Lee still wouldn't answer Aiden, he reached in back and snatched her phone. Give that back, Laura Lee yelled. When Aiden started reading through the text conversation, Laura Lee reached up to reclaim her smartphone.

Aiden quickly brought his elbow up and hit her in the face. Aiden! Ridge snapped. She is your sister. You do not strike Laura Lee like that. Aiden shook his head, slowly. No, Laura Lee ain't my sister. I don't have family that's queer. Before Ridge could go off on him again, he held up the phone with the text app open. Look at this shit.

Look at it. Laura Lee's been texting her new girlfriend. You can read it all right here. My life is none of your goddamn business, Aiden, Laura Lee shrieked. Give me my fucking phone back. And you, watch your language, both of you, Ridge admonished them. But your daughter's a lesbian, Aiden yelled at her. That means she's got her tongue in another girl's. I know perfectly well what a lesbian is, Ridge snapped.

But what you don't know is that your daughter is one Aiden persisted yeah I caught Laura Lee out at the football field at our high school sucking tongues with Deborah Lehman the very same queer bitch she's texting right now god damn it Aiden give me my phone back Laura Lee screamed right now Aiden give Laura Lee her phone back Ridge commanded now but again Aiden wouldn't listen to his mother Oh, looks like there's trouble in paradise here.

Deborah wants to break up with Laura Lee. Laura Lee was livid. Laura Lee was livid. You bastard, you have no right! Aiden pointed at her. Shut the fuck up, or I'll come back there and beat the living shit out of you. He quickly raised his hand to stop Ridge from admonishing him again, keeping his eyes on Laura Lee. Don't you want to know why the bitch is breaking up with you?

I can tell you why. Aiden leaned in. After you two split up, I went right up to Debra and beat the living shit out of her. Laura Lee looked scared now. You're lying. Aiden smirked. No, I ain't. She's texting you from the hospital, ain't she? Didn't you wonder why she never came to afternoon classes? Cause I beat that fucking lesbian bitch within an inch of her life.

I even broke some of her ribs. He shook his head. I'll beat the living shit out of you too You ain't getting with no more girls And I ain't letting no gays into my family And don't think you're ever getting away from me There's nowhere you can run where you can hide from me You ain't getting with no more girls, you hear me?

Aiden looked at Ridge You want a gay daughter, huh? [Editorial summary: Aiden continues his homophobic abuse and strikes Laura Lee across the face. She tells him she hates him.] You ain't my sister and you never will be. I beat the living shit out of Deborah. I got a good mind to come back there and beat the living shit out of you for still talking to her.

Before an angered Ridge could yell at Aiden, Laura Lee screamed with rage and lunged at him. You goddamn son of a bitch, Laura Lee screamed as she raked her fingers across his face. Aiden cried out in pain and again elbowed her in the face. Laura Lee lunged again, grabbing his blonde mullet. Get off me, dyke! I mean it! Aiden yelled. Laura Lee let go of his hair and raked his face again.

This time, one of her nails dug deep into the pulp of Aiden's left eye, making him scream and bleed faster than from the other scratch wounds. Aiden retaliated by grabbing Laura Lee's hair and punching her face hard. Aiden kept pulling on her hair until he pulled her up into the front. Unfortunately, Laura Lee dropped right into Ridge's lap, causing her to lose control of the steering wheel.

Before Ridge could think of what to do next, the car was suddenly slammed hard and sent rolling again and again. Ridge was barely able to comprehend that their car had suddenly turned and screeched sideways and was t-boned by a speeding semi. The car slammed to a stop at the center barrier. And then another semi-truck had plowed into them and sent them turning again.

The Present Monday Laura Lee yawned as she came into the kitchen of her apartment. Morning, Mom, she said through another yawn. It's about time you got up, Ridge replied. I was beginning to think you were going to keep hitting the snooze button. Laura Lee yawned again. Believe me, I was tempted, except Misty called me a little bit ago and woke me up.

Then she suddenly felt worried. Listen, Mom, are you sure you're okay with me seeing Misty? Honey, we talked about this, Ridge replied softly. You don't have to worry about me judging you, she sighed. I just wish that things would have worked out better with Aiden. Ah, but we won't bring him up. Anyway, no, I'm perfectly okay with you seeing Misty Blint. She seems like such a nice girl from when I talked to her on the phone.

Laura Lee looked at the clock on the microwave. Looks like you have to leave for work already. Ridge groaned a little. Please don't remind me. I'm sure I'll be home late, so you'll have to fend for yourself. Then why do it, Mom? Laura Lee asked. Dad left us set with plenty of insurance money when he died. Because I can't just sit around in this apartment all day, Ridge replied.

I have to get out and stay active. That's why I go and work. Laura Lee yawned again. Okay, I guess I'll talk to you again when I talk to you. They exchanged pleasant goodbyes. When Ridge was gone, Laura Lee yawned again and decided to get some iced coffee out of the refrigerator. She poured herself a glass and started to drink it down when she heard the doorbell.

Taking the glass with her, she went to answer. Hey you! Misty Blint cheered. Laura Lee smiled. Hey! When Misty came in, they shared a romantic kiss. Laura Lee had just started her senior year at Strickfield High School, when she met and became fast friends with Cheryl, Misty's older sister. When Cheryl introduced Laura Lee to Misty, it wasn't long before the two of them were seeing each other.

As the school year went on, their dating turned into a serious relationship. You ready to go? Misty asked. Laura Lee yawned one more time. Yeah, let me finish my coffee first. You want Misty brightened up? Hell yeah! Laura Lee prepared two to-go cups with the rest of the iced coffee. From there, the girls began their walk to Strickfield High School. Oh, did I just miss your mom again?

Misty asked. I've never once seen her. I've only talked to her on the phone. In fact, when I called your landline a little bit ago, she answered and told me to come over and wake you up myself. She said she hates having to come into your room and shake you awake. After I talked to her, I called you and woke you up.

I know how crabby you get when I shake you awake. Laura Lee laughed a little. Yeah, mom had to hurry. You know how she likes to keep busy. Misty heard a chime on her smartphone and pulled it out. Cheryl's waiting for us. She says to hurry up. There's going to be an assembly in the gym where they'll be announcing shit about prom on Saturday, first thing.

Laura Lee sighed. Ah, prom. The girls quickened their walk and soon made it to Strickfield High School. They easily found Cheryl in the gym sitting in the senior class section of the bleachers She was the only girl with flaming red hair It's about time you two got here Cheryl scolded Principal Van Deest is down there It looks like he's getting ready to announce the prom queen candidates You should be a shoo-in for that, sis Misty said Yeah, you're definitely hot Laura Lee agreed Then she turned to Misty But not as hot as you, babe aww thanks misty gushed cheryl didn't take offense especially when her boyfriend davis walsher came to join them cheryl and davis shared a quick peck before he sat down next to her morning ladies he cheered yeah i see three potential prom queen candidates right here yeah right laura lee disagreed i've got about as much of a chance of being nominated as i've got becoming the actual queen.

Misty playfully slapped her arm. Hey, you stop that. You know any of these guys would love to go out with you. Laura Lee laughed a little. Nope, they know I'm gay, so they don't waste their time with me. The student body was seated before Principal Matthew Van Diest started to rattle off the morning announcements. The teens muttered among themselves before he finally got to the reason why the student body was forced to convene for an assembly.

Okay, let's get to the Strickfield High Junior and Senior Prom. Now, as you all know, the title of Senior Prom Queen carries a lot of prestige here in the high schools of the Erie Shore Conference. This is mainly because the sororities of the area universities always tap these lucky winners. I'm talking full-ride scholarships here. Nearly every Senior Prom Queen who's been accepted from Strickfield High has gone on to great things, so I won't bore you with any further details.

Time to see who the five contestants will be out of our senior class. Then I'll announce the junior class contestants. And remember, both the junior and senior prom queen candidates are all based on the votes of their respective class bodies. Once the candidates are announced, voting will take place until the end of the school day on Friday. Again, by your respective class bodies.

The junior and senior prom queen winners will be announced at the prom on Saturday night. And now, the senior prom queen nominees are... Principal Van Deist cleared his throat. Randy Robinson, Ellen Franks, Cheryl Blint, last year's Junior Prom Queen crown winner, Taylor Mirren, and finally... Laura Lee gasped in complete shock when Principal Van Deist said her name. She barely had time to let it sink in when Cheryl suddenly grabbed her into a hug.

We did it, Laura Lee! Cheryl cheered. You and me, we did it! um yeah yeah i guess we did laura lee stammered yeah congrats laura lee davis said sincerely but we both know you're going to win laura lee said to cheryl you're much more popular than me hey now don't cop that attitude you have just as good a chance of winning as i do cheryl replied just the same may the best girl win when the assembly broke up to go to first period, it wasn't long before a girl with long, frizzy blonde hair pushed in between Cheryl and Laura Lee.

Then she pushed them away from her with two quick shoves. Neither girl fell to the floor, but they came close. Then the girl turned to face them. She reached out and shoved them both again, this time finally sending them both to the floor. As Misty and Davis were helping their significant others up, the girl who had just shoved them spoke up. You two bitches might as well just stay down there.

While you're at it, you can get on your knees and kiss my feet. Oh, shit, Laura Lee whispered. Cheryl didn't give such a reaction, but they both saw they were pushed by Taylor Mirren. Anybody who knew Taylor knew that she was, without a doubt, the absolute meanest girl at Strickfield High. Laura Lee remembered Cheryl telling her that Taylor was just pure evil in a beautiful girl's body.

It was also no secret that Taylor Mirren had more money than she knew what to do with. Just after Taylor became junior class prom queen, her parents had both died in a plane crash. Early rumors had stated that Taylor herself had tampered with the plane prior to her parents leaving on their final flight. However, there was no evidence of tampering found. The crash had been linked to a circuit board failure.

Taylor had genuinely screamed in utter shock when she had inherited everything. The total amount of properties, assets, accounts, and cash was in the 15-figure range. Taylor Mirren's newly acquired wealth made her quite independent. In fact, she was the only known student at Strickfield High who lived by herself. Even before she acquired her vast wealth, she was still considered quite evil. [Editorial summary: Taylor is known for finding people’s secrets and exploiting them.] She had destroyed many who dared to stand up to her.

Taylor Mirren didn't waste any time. Let's get something straight right here and now. You two are dropping out for Senior Prom Queen. Right now. We both know that none of you have a snowball's chance in hell of going against one of me. So do us all a favor and quit. Taylor laughed and clasped her hands. Or you can stay in and challenge me.

I'll just destroy you in front of everybody. So please, please stay in and challenge me because I really want to expose your dirty little secrets. Cheryl wasted no time. Go to hell, Taylor. I'm seeing this all the way through to the end and so is Laura Lee. I am? Laura Lee quickly thought to herself. Taylor laughed coldly. Yes, I'm so glad you're both challenging me.

When it comes to Ellen Franks and Randy Robinson, I'll have no problem beating those two losers out. They're really not that important here in Strickfield High. Yeah, Randy's on the track team, and she's good, but so what? Ellen's real big in the National Honor Society, a star in the drama club, and popular with the preps, many of whom I've got tightly wrapped around my little finger.

It won't be hard for me to eliminate those bitches, especially with what I've already got on them. Such tasties. Oh, but I'm going to have so much fun with you two. You'll be worth saving. For last. Misty stepped away from Laura Lee. Leave us alone. Taylor laughed coldly again before she quickly moved Misty to the floor. Taylor pointed to Cheryl. Don't even think about it, bitch.

Your baby sister should have known better than to think she could challenge me. She glared down at Misty. I'm Taylor Mirren. Taylor motherfucking Mirren. Don't you ever challenge me again. She pointed to Laura Lee. Or you. Okay, you're gay and out of the closet, so I can't use that against you. But believe me when I say I will find your deepest, darkest secrets.

Last time. Drop out. fuck you Cheryl hissed Laura Lee was upset at Taylor putting her hands on Misty fuck you Taylor she shook her head quickly and why do you even need to win don't you have more than enough money to buy whatever you want you can put yourself through college hell you could buy your own college Taylor chuckled you've been paying attention I like that she quickly raised her finger my inheriting my family's fortune doesn't change a goddamn thing.

I still love to fight for everything I want. Well, I want the senior class prom queen crown and the prestige of having won both crowns back to back. You see, it's all about prestige. And now that I've given you your valuable lesson for today. Without warning, Taylor snatched Laura Lee's iced coffee, quickly popped the top, and splashed it right in Cheryl's face.

Cheryl screamed and fell to her knees. My eyes! As Davis moved to help his girlfriend, Taylor struck again. [Editorial summary: Taylor humiliates Misty by tearing her clothing. Laura Lee lends Misty her sweater.] Game on! Taylor declared. before she turned away and left. When school was out, Laura Lee and Misty left and walked back to Strickfield Cove, the apartment complex where Laura Lee lived.

I'm just glad Cheryl's okay, Laura Lee said. Yeah, the nurse was able to flush the coffee out of her eyes, Misty replied. [Editorial summary: Laura Lee and Misty return to Laura Lee’s apartment. Misty changes clothes, and the couple spends time together before falling asleep.] Laura Lee woke up and snatched up her smartphone from her nightstand. Seeing that Misty was still sleeping soundly, she got out of bed and moved to her mother's bedroom across the hall.

She knew she needed to call Ridge to check on her. She tapped the entry at the top of the phone's call history and waited. Hey, Mom. You're working late again? Sure, yeah. Misty's here with me. Yeah? Well, don't drive all the way home if you're too tired. Yeah, I can manage. Not a problem. I will. Oh, I certainly will. I love you too.

Bye. When the call ended, Laura Lee saw that she had a few unread emails. She decided to read them before returning to Misty. The first email was about some exciting new offer from Higbee's department store over in Shore City. The second email was her monthly newsletter from Denoyer's Grill about some new menu items and specials. She was considering waking Misty and seeing if she wouldn't mind going to Denoyer's Grill for a late meal.

But it was when she reached the last email that she dropped her smartphone like a hot skillet. Oh my fucking god, she choked out. [Editorial summary: Laura Lee trembles as she reads the message.] Slowly, she squatted down and picked up her phone. Then she looked with wide eyes when she saw the email from... Aiden, her older brother. Aiden had been gone from her life for a good two years.

Why did he wait until now to get in touch with her? And how the hell had he gotten her email address? She forced herself to read the email. From Aiden. Did you really think you were getting away from me, Laura Lee? Did you really think I wouldn't learn you're in Strickfield now? I told you before two years ago, and I'll tell you again now.

There's nowhere you can run. Nowhere you can hide from me. I'm here in Strickfield. After what happened two years ago, I never stopped thinking about you. Not for a second. You even have a new girlfriend now. Guess I'll have to let Misty know how things work in our family, huh? But make no mistake, I am here, and I will make your life a living hell like you made mine the last couple of years.

Watch your back, because I'll get you, especially Misty, when you least expect it. Laura Lee was already crying softly by the time she finished reading the email. God damn you, Aiden, she thought. Why can't you just leave me and mom alone? We moved to Strickfield to have a new life together, away from you. Why can't you just let us be happy? Why can't you just let me be happy?

Laura Lee turned off her smartphone and returned to her bedroom. She put the phone back on the nightstand and got back into bed with Misty. It was a great comfort to Laura Lee to hold her girlfriend, but she knew she wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon. Laura Lee knew it would only be a matter of time before Aiden would come for her.

It wasn't a question of if, but when.