"Hey Queen," came a voice from the passing hallway masses. Kate pulled her head out of her locker in time to see her best friend, Gwen Carson, wave goodbye to group of girls and stop beside her. "What's up?"

Kate slammed her locker door and spun to greet her friend. "Not much," she replied, "You?"

"Failed my History quiz," Gwen responded, "Other than that, not much."

"You hear about Rayne?" Kate asked after a moment, prompting a confused look from her friend. Rayne Neil, the school's resident outsider, was the last name Gwen expected to hear from Kate's mouth.

"What did that little pierced freak do now?" Gwen asked, "Dye her hair a new color?"

Kate smiled and brought her voice down to a whisper. "I heard she went to the Eastside Senior Prom," she said conspiratorially.

Eastside was the neighboring town's high school, and the students from the two schools frequently intermingled. This came as no surprise to Gwen. "So?" she said, a little upset at the lack of scandal, "So did Tracy, Jen, and Hannah, didn't they?"

Kate smiled wickedly. "But did they go with girls?"

This was more enough to satisfy Gwen. "Rayne went to the Eastside prom with a girl?" Her mouth hung open. Gwen tried to wrap her mind around the concept, and she immediately began making a list of who she could spread the rumor to. The list was up to sixteen names when Rayne Neil rounded the corner and began walking down the hallway toward the two girls.

"Shit," Kate said upon sighting her, "Here comes the little dyke now."

Rayne was Glendale's resident freak. She was actually quite attractive, but seemed to be doing her best to cover that fact up. Her short, athletic frame was covered with black leather boots, tights, and a black leather skirt. And just in case that wasn't enough black, her black T-shirt was covered by a black leather jacket. The only trace of color on the pale girl was her short, errant hair, currently a bright shade of purple. Rayne's ears, eyebrow, nose, and tongue were all pierced, and the only trace of jewelry she wore was a studded black collar and bracelets. Her attire was the exact opposite of everything Kate and Gwen stood for, and they stared appropriately.

"I wonder if she... you know," Gwen said as they watched the black-clad beauty stride down the hallway in their direction.

"Eats tuna?" Kate said, quite seriously. The two girls broke into laughter at the comment, and Rayne noticed. Not that she wasn't used to this, but she was in a rather provocative mood.

"Something funny Queen?" Rayne said, stopping in front of the two girls. Her gaze started at Kate's eyes but soon traveled down, eyeing her bare legs, the thin flowered summer dress that barely covered her young breasts, and her golden blonde hair, hanging down over her perfect face.

"Um... no," Kate replied, "Nothing, Rayne."

Gwen simply smiled, holding back her laughter as Rayne glanced over at her and then back to Kate. "Okay," Rayne said, "I'll see you around." She started to go but turned back, forcing Gwen and Kate to hold their giggles in for a few more seconds. "By the way Queen, I'm having a little party tomorrow night." She pulled a crumpled yellow flyer from her jacket and handed it over to Kate. "Love for you to come." The sarcasm in her voice was heavy, but Kate accepted the invitation as genuinely as she could.

"Thanks," Kate responded. She stared after Rayne as the girl walked away down the hallway, then opened the crumpled paper, read it, and promptly threw it in the trash can beside her, "Thanks a lot."

"I think she was checking you out," Gwen said.

"She was not," Kate replied quickly, "I'm not her type. Not enough piercings."

"No," Gwen continued, "I think she wants you."

"Could you shut the fuck up please?" Kate said, annoyed.

Gwen smiled. "Sorry," she said, "So I take it you're not going to the party then?"

Kate gave her friend a look of surprise. "Are you kidding? A bunch of leather-clad wanna-be vampires? And me? No," she said, "Not a chance in hell."

"Finally a party the great Kate Queen can't handle," Gwen said. It was, in her memory, the first time she'd ever even come close to insulting Kate.

"Are you saying I wouldn't be able to take that fucking party over?" Kate said, her ego wounded, "That I couldn't take some freak goth party?".....(cont)