The exposing rats are apparently back. Big whoop, they know about Fedez! Should I really care about their return? Sure, but I won't. Hell, I don't even give a damn they're talking about Skylar and me! They don't have proof we hooked up, so can anyone really believe them? No. that's why i'm not fretting over it. I can't say the same for Skylar since she flipped when she showed me their comeback post. I didn't see the big deal then, and I still don't.

I have better things to worry about, like the fan competition and what I'm wearing to the AMAs. I'm leaning towards multimedia and choosing a winner from each category: video, drawing, and writing. I just need a theme to tie everything together.

"The album's called Shooting Stars," I sigh, frustratingly running a hand through my hair. "I feel like there should be a space theme because of that. I would have named it Stars Dance, but that's already taken and I don't want to look like a copycat."

"By who?" Audrey questions.

"Selena Gomez, that album title stealing bitch!" I mutter.

I glance at Skylar in hopes of one of her grand ideas, but she seems just as baffled as me. Actually, she looks bored to death from the way she's sitting—head leaning on top of folded arms. She blows raspberries in an attempt to blow her bangs out of her face, but they won't stay out of her eyes. Defeated, she swats it with a hand.

"Don't think too much about it," she finally voices as she sinks into her seat. "I think your idea is good, and space is a broad topic. The fans can use their imagination with that theme. Just go for it, Marquilla! Make the announcement now!"

"Now?" Audrey and I simultaneously ask.

"Yeah. Here, hand me your phone."

I can completely trust Skylar, so I give her my phone. Audrey and I shoot each other confused glances as Skylar swiftly types away. She obviously doesn't know what's happening, but anyone would think I do since I called the girls over to discuss tactics. I would have invited the others, but they're all too busy. It's alright; I kinda like having a smaller group.

Ten seconds (I think) pass, and Skylar slides my phone over. My skepticism must be showing, because Skylar obnoxiously sighs and rolls her eyes. It's as if she can't believe I'm doubting her. I'm allowed to be wary! Sometimes Skylar can get carried away when she's not being calculative.

"I know you guys have been wondering about the competition deets and how you can send in your entries. I'm sorry it's taken this long to tell you about it, but I come bearing news! In honor of Shooting Stars, the theme is outer space! You can use anything in your work that relates to space by writing a song, story, creating a fun video, or drawing. A winner will be picked from each category, and the lucky five will spend the day and attend the AMAs with me! You have two weeks to submit your entries. Good luck, and have fun! I can't wait to see what you come up with. - Marquilla."

After reading that off of my Facebook page, I stare at Skylar. It's absolutely perfect! I couldn't have worded it any better than that, and the AMAs addition is genius because having the winners as my date will be great press! Everyone will think I'm some saint with a heart of gold for throwing in that once in a lifetime opportunity. Skylar Rose is a litera mastermind and I'm so proud she's mine.

"So...what do you think?" Skylar presses. "It's not too much with the AMAs thing, is it? I personally think it's perfect because it'll help your image. People seeing you be that generous after being sick will warm their hearts."

"Which is why you're the queen of being nice!" I praise. "I wouldn't have thought of that, Skylar! If it were up to me, they'd just spend the day with me. But attending the AMAs together? Now that's going the extra mile on the generosity scale! See Skylar, this is why you're the genius of the group. You always know what to do and how to exceed expectations."

"I can't take all the credit," she humbly says as a tinge of pink colors her cheeks. "I thought about how you're performing and premiering that song on the night and how wonderful it'd be if they witness it in person. I think they'd appreciate the honors and it'd be one of the best nights of their lives."

"What song are you singing?" Audrey inquires. "Or are you sworn to secrecy and your team would kill you if you told us?
"It's just you guys!" I laugh. "I'm sure they won't mind since you won't spill the beans and ruin the surprise. Sora, Carmen, and I were in the studio writing more songs because I felt like the album was incomplete. We may have written a song inspired by a certain Jason due to recent events. It's called 'Hearts Don't Go Together,' and I think it'll be HUGE!"

"Because of the Jason affiliation," Audrey snipes. "I'm sorry, but that's pathetic, Marquilla."

"No it's not!" Skylar protests. "I do it all the time! It's called drawing from your experience, Audrey. It's a huge part of songwriting. Then again, you wouldn't know that. You're a model. Of course you wouldn't understand."

"You say the world 'model' like it's a bad thing," Audrey spits, sounding offended. "It's not. You have no clue how hard it is t—"

"To look pretty all the time and walk down a runway?" Skylar interjects. She shakes her head and laughs. "Yeah, like you have it so tough when you grew up without struggles. You easily got into modeling because of your dad. You probably think you're loads better than we are, don't you?"

"N-no. What's your damage, Skylar? Since when have you been drinking haterade?"

"You might as well leave. Marquila has everything figured out, so you're not needed here anymore."

"Actually, I think you should leave, Skylar," I chime in. "I have a few things I need to discuss with Audrey, and I'd appreciate it if your rude attitude would simmer down. Please, Skylar. If you don't have anything nice to say to Audrey, you might as well leave."

Skylar is baffled. I nod towards the door to show her I mean what I said. It sounds ironic that I'm defending Audrey when the words that came out of Skylar's mouth are the exact reasons why I don't trust models, but I need Audrey. She's the closest thing I have to Lindsay. I also need her to keep peace with the Model Squad for me since they're leeches. Who knows what they have up their sleeves? Audrey is a vital part of my board. I CAN'T LOSE HER!

The smug grin on Audrey's face as Skylar leaves the house is one of victory. Great, they hate each other. My relationships are so fucked up, yet I manage to retain a happy medium. Those exposing rats would say it's karma, but I'm saying "that's life." You can't please everyone no matter how hard you try. It's impossible on all accounts because there will always be that one person who hates your guts regardless of anything you do.

Once we're completely alone, Audrey turns her attention to me. If I were her, I'd be confused as to why I kicked out Skylar and not her, too. Skylar's my best friend and I consult her for everything, but I need Audrey for this situation. This is out of Skylar's expertise; I'm sure she doesn't care for Lindsay.

"Tell me all about Lindsay's life in Paris," I demand as I pound a fist on the table.

"Why? You're basically why she moved there, Marquilla. Why should I tell you when she wants nothing to do with you? You have her number now, anyways. You can ask her if you're that desperate to know!"

"BECAUSE I NEED HER!" I yell, glaring intently at the model who is now cowering. "Besides, she'd never tell me if I ask. I need her to come back, fix everything, and tell me what she knows about Freddie Giante. I know she dated him, Audrey. He introduced her as his ex when we met. Freddie is trouble, okay? I would know."

Audrey squints her eyes and cocks her head to the side like she's having trouble seeing me. I don't know how any of this can be confusing when my directions are straightforward. She tells me about Lindsay, Lindsay talks to me and comes back. After that, I get Freddie to give me dirt on Sofia so I can ruin her. How is this so difficult to understand? I'm not asking her to solve a differential equation or recite Shakespeare verbatim—it's just her cousin!

"Why are you so intent on gaining information on Federico when he's done nothing to you? Lindsay told me about him, and he's harmless! Is it Sofia? If you have a problem with her, you should take it up with her, not drag her brother into it! Do you see what you're doing, Marquilla? You're viciously attacking people for no reason! I don't understand why you'd do all of this. Why hurt harmless people?"

"You don't understand how this industry works since you're not a singer," I reiterate Skylar's argument. "Unlike my colleague, I'll be kind enough to explain it to you. You see, you need connections with the right people if you want to make it, and you need to be smart enough to outdo your competitors or else they'll squash you. Careers can be ruined by one wrong move, Audrey.

"Everyone knows Reli and I grew up together; she's not threatening because of our sisterly bond. But it's different with Sofia. She's using all of my connections to rise to the top. We both broke out from a children's show—people WILL make connections. I can't have Sofia taking everything away from me! Skeeter backs her, Jason and Lindsay are her friends...I don't know how much more I can take! I know I should be supporting her because of feminism and girl power, but Sofia and I simply have never seen eye-to-eye. I don't think we ever will."

"Wrong. So wrong, Marquilla!" Audrey objects. "Look, Sofia's told Lorraine about her issues with you, and it appears you're in the wrong. You duped her brother because he rejected you in the past, didn't you? And then you turned that anger out on Sofia since she's the star of the family. She wasn't much of a threat on TV, but when she started her music career, you panicked because she's a way better singer than you. Since she toured with Jason, you've been jealous because he was spending time with her, not you. Am I right about that? You're just bitter, Marquilla. BITTER!"

Everything she said is true, but that doesn't necessarily make me a bad person. If anyone's a terrible person, it's that skinny, squeaky voiced rodent! She's ruining EVERYTHING for me! I have to eliminate her with Jason so neither of them can get back at me. Killing two birds with one stone should be easy, but it'll be difficult. If Sofia shares a team with Jason, I might have to re-think my options; I don't want my dislike for her to be obvious once I start taking Jason down. I need to handle both battles with care.

"I may be bitter, but I'm fucking adamant when I want something," I defend myself. I lean in my chair and relax, kicking my feet up on the empty seat beside me. "This could go either two ways, Audrey. You can help me and save yourself, or you can protect Sofia and suffer the consequences. I'd hate for you to choose the latter when I really like you. You're way better than your model friends. So what will it be?"

Audrey sighs deeply and drops her gaze. She can take all the time she needs to reach a verdict. I won't force her to pick me, but it'll be highly disappointing if she doesn't. She knows who she's dealing with. If she's smart, she'll tell me everything she knows. But if she wants to be a goody two-shoe and stay loyal to her cousin's bestie, then that's a price she's willing to pay.

"I know there's a heart deep down in your soul," Audrey suddenly mentions. "You don't need to be this cruel, you know? If you really like Lindsay—I know you do—then you'll drop this. You don't have anything to prove, Marquilla. I know how stubborn you can be, but the look in your eyes says it all. You won't rest until Jason and Sofia are ruined. I know, I know. You never mentioned Jason, but that doesn't mean you're not thinking about him. You're always plotting his demise. If he knew you were do—"

"Wait a second...you know where Jason is, don't you?" I ask. Although she doesn't say a word, I already know the answer. I curl my lip up into a smile and chuckle. "Not only did you know why Lindsay's in Paris and what she's doing before I could figure it out, but you also knew where Jason's hiding. I know you know where he is, Audrey. Where. Is. He?"

I don't think my tone's intimidating enough to crack an answer out of her. Audrey's eyes widen and she grips her chair as I hop off of mine and stand behind her. I can sense how nervous she's becoming by how fast she's breathing now. I can also smell her perfume; she smells like tangerines. It kinda reminds me of Lindsay cause she smells like peaches.

I pull her face towards mine and smile at how ghastly she looks. If I'm not careful, I could very well scare the living daylights out of her.

"Where's Jason?" I whisper in her ear as I caress her cheek. "Audrey dear, where is Jason Flamel?"

"I can't tell you," she breathes. "You don't deserve to know where he is, Marquilla! You broke his heart and now he's in pieces! It I was his girlfriend, I'd never l—"

"OH MY GOD, AUDREY!" I shout once her words piece together. "You have a thing for Jason, don't you?"

I've never seen her blush this much. I'm positive she said she likes Jason as more than a friend at that sleepover last year, but I didn't think she was serious. What she said boils my blood. Jason and I may be over, but there's no way in hell Audrey can have him. Jason belongs to ME, and that means he can't be with anyone else. I don't care if that makes me sound possessive, but it's true. I OWN Jason after he signed his rights away. Therefore, he's not allowed to move on from me since we're bound by that contract.

"Audrey, Audrey, Audrey," I tut as I circle her. "I feel sorry for you, and do you know why?"

"Um, no. Why do you feel sorry for me, Marquilla?"

"Jason, of course!" I answer as I clap my hands together. I sit on her lap and she cringes. "There's no need to be scared, Audrey. I won't hurt you, dear. Don't want to ruin that pretty little face of yours when that pays the bills. There is makeup, but no amount of concealer would be able to hide the damage. It simply wouldn't be enough!

"Like I said, I feel sorry for you because of Jason. You're in way over your head, girl. Sure you're a hot model, but he'd rather someone more...normal than you. Being hot and famous isn't everything, you know? Skylar told me something about Jason before I broke up with him. She made an observation about him when he arrived at the hospital to see me, and you know Skylar has a keen eye. She thought it was silly until he basically confirmed it. Do you know what I'm referring to, Audrey? More accurately, do you know who I'm talking about?"

"N-no. Is it Sofia?"

"I can't believe how naïve you are!" I scold while shaking my head at her stupidity. "First, Sofia isn't normal. Second, she never visited me at the hospital. Why would she when she has it in for me? Think of someone you're really close to. Someone who's...blood, perhaps?"

"Jason and Lindsay?" she gasps, to which I nod to confirm her guess. "Linds would never go for him, Marquilla! I had a feeling he liked her, but I didn't want it to be true. But...she still wouldn't go for him. She thinks she's too common for anyone who's famous, which means she thinks she's too common for Jason. They'd never get together because he th—"

"Trust me, Audrey. If they see each other again, Jason will most likely ask her out. She wouldn't be 'a rebound—she'd be legit. I know Lindsay's your cousin and all, but if you like him, you should snatch him up while you can. Besides, there's a chance Freddie and Lindsay might get back together. They only split because he moved away, anyways.

"As Jason's ex-girlfriend, I'm giving you my blessing. I grew tired of him, so I dumped him. I won't stay single for long, and neither should he. Better you than some other skank in the business. I'm not saying you're a skank, by the way. I'm just saying I'd rather see him with a nice girl like you than a skank."

"So...you're saying I should go for it even though he likes Lindsay?" she wonders, clearly confused that I'm being so nice to her.

"Exactly!" I exclaim as I boop her nose. "He had his time to get over me. Show him there is light at the end of the tunnel. I think he's suffered enough, and he needs something to keep his mind off of disappointing his fans since he's not doing anything for a while. Go on, Audrey! Make Jason's day and come clean! You have absolutely nothing to lose by trying, and everything to gain."

I hop off of her lap and shoot her a smile. Audrey surprisingly pulls me in for a hug and kisses the top of my head. I don't know what I did to deserve that, but I'm not complaining. There's definitely something in the Goodrem-Reinhard gene pool that produces beautiful women; Lindsay and Audrey are proof.

"What was that for?" I ask as I bounce back to my feet.

"It's my way of thanking you," she reasons with a shrug. When she stands up, she makes me looks pint-sized since I'm petite and she's obviously not. "You're not as bad as I thought you were, Marquila. Thanks for the advice. Looks like you really do have a heart."

"Does that mean you'll tell me about Lindsay and Jason?"

"No. I'm afraid not," she chuckles, placing a hand on my shoulder. "But I'm going to talk to Jason. Maybe he'll come around and at least resurface on social media. He's the only one who can convince his fans he hasn't fallen completely off the radar."

"Yeah...good luck with that, Aud. Let me know how it goes!"

Audrey happily nods and gives me another hug before collecting her things and leaving my house. Once I'm sure the door is completely closed and Audrey, gone, I glide to the living room and collapse onto the sofa. A wicked grin forms as I catch my reflection in the mirror on the coffee table.

Oh Audrey! I think as I grab a pillow and hug it tight. Still soooo naïve. She thinks you're doing her a favor by being supportive, Marquilla. HA! As if you'd condone them dating! Little does Miss Model know, you have something up your sleeves. She's going to wish she never confessed her true feelings to him. She'll want to stay as far away from him as possible once you're done with them.

***

In order to sabotage Audrey, there's one person I need to desperately speak to: Lindsay. Although Audrey's family, Lindsay wouldn't trust her to date Jason. It sounds crazy, but if anyone asks if she'd ship them together, she'll say "yes" because it's the polite thing to do. I can see past that—I can see past her. I knew something was up when she first saw me at the hospital ad we spoke about Jason.

Lindsay has feelings for Jason just like Audrey. Audrey's are stronger, but Lindsay's were slowly budding. From what I gathered, something had to happen between Jason and her for those newfound feelings to appear. Lindsay's not one of those girls who develop crushes easily, which is why she hasn't dated anyone since Freddie. She has to really like someone to develop a crush on him, which is exactly what happened with Jason.

Once Lindsay likes someone, she doesn't let them go that easily. Freddie already liked her, so she had no problem getting him to ask her out. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that! But with Jason, everything's more complex. Jason's not only younger than Lindsay, but he's also a celebrity! She knows what she'd have to deal with if they ever date thanks to me. She received the inside scoop on what it's like to date Jason Flamel.

She told me she was in Paris because she was sick of the drama that followed me. Jason Flamel is part of that.she definitely will never admit it to my face, but he's also why she ran off to Paris to be an au pair for those twins. Who would have thought her little plan would backfire like this? She's smart when it comes to literature, but Lindsay can't out wit me on things like this. I just know.

It's about 10:30 at night here, which means it should be 7:30 tomorrow morning in Paris. Hopefully my call isn't her wake up call. I'd hate to interrupt a good night's sleep, but this is important. I can't sabotage Audrey's relationship with Jason without her! Well, I could find other ways, but it's more fun since the girls are family! I've already fractured the Giantes, so I might as well go for the cousins, too.

I impatiently wait for her to answer the phone, pacing in front of my bed with my hands behind my back. Why are time zones even a thing? Who made it okay to decide that every region of the world is on a different clock and Western time happens to be the one that's super behind everyone else? That's so fucking stupid! It's times like this when I wish they'd disappear so I don't have to worry about how late or early in the day it might be for the other person. At least I have the decency to think about that!

"Oh my God!" I exclaim when Lindsay finally appears on the screen. "Finally! I feel like I've been waiting a lifetime for you to pick up! But it's only been like, a few minutes."

"That's what happens when you're dealing with time zones," she sleepily responds in a husky tone, which I believe is her morning voice. "Luckily the twins are still in bed. So um, good morn—night! What compelled you to call at this ungodly hour?"

"It's not that early in the morning for you, Linds! I've been up earlier for daytime TV. talk to me when you're forced to be up at four in the morning."

"Touché," she laughs. "But you don't have to cater to six-year-old twins who run around after you pick them up from school. I think I win."

"Okay, yeah. You definitely win. I was wondering if you've spoken to your lovely cousin lately."

"Audrey? No, I've been too busy with the kids and my classes t—"

"And Freddie," I add, making her glare. "Are you two back together or what?"

"We're jus—we're trying to be friends again, then that bombshell happened. It's funny how he fessed up about Sofia in a text, but never bothered to tell me about her when we were actually dating. I'm torn on whose side to be on because Sofia's my friend, but what Fedez and I had was special."

"Uh-huh. Right. So have you spoken to Audrey lately? Apparently she's going to try to get Jason to ask her out."

"WHAT?!?!!"

"Yeah! She talked to me about it and I told her to go for it. You must be thrilled she finally has the guts to do that, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I-I'm overjoyed for her."

I knew Lindsay would fake happiness for Audrey. She used the word "overjoyed" to express her happiness, but the stutter and disheartened look in her eyes said otherwise. It looks like things are going my way this year, and there will be nobody to piece back together everyone I'm about to exterminate.

A/N:

It's not  Valentine's Day yet where I am because there's still a little under an hour, 45 mins till, but Happy Valentine's Day! I don't have a boyfriend, so of course I'm spending it alone...again...but it's all good. 

Marquilla is definitely stirring up trouble. Ooooh, her witch's brew is boiling! Thoughts on this chapter? Predictions for what'll happen next? See you in partie neuf!