“But, I…I thought we could be friends?”
Ha. Liar.
“What?” I boom out. “Friends? Are you kidding me? Tell me, why now? Why be my friend now after going to school with me for so long? All of a sudden, I’m the fucking Queen around here and now you want to be my friend. Huh, funny,” I grin down at her, resisting a scoff. “I see right through you and let me tell you, it’s freaking embarrassing.”
She starts shaking her head. “No, no. That’s not what I…”
“That’s not what you meant?” I question. “Have I got that wrong? You don’t want to be my friend? So, if you’re not looking for my protection, you don’t want to be friends, and considering you’re a cheerleader, you’re not after the popularity boost, then what is it? Oh, maybe you’re just after Noah?”
“No,” she rushes out, eyes even wider.
I step further into her, going with it despite the fact that I was right all along. She’s after my protection from some bitch who’s probably even weaker than her but screwing with her just seems a little too much fun for me to pass up on my Monday morning. “That’s it, isn’t it? You think you could worm your way into my life, maybe get close enough that I’ll even invite you over. What then? You wait until my back is turned and make your move? It won’t work, honey,” I whisper. “He’s not interested in trash like you.”
“No, I swear,” she cowers. “I don’t want him. I promise, I just…”
I let out a sigh and reach for her before pulling her into the locker where our conversation can be a little more private. “Be fucking real,” I demand, having enough of this shit. “Stop cowering and stand the fuck up for what you want. How the hell are you going to get anywhere in life if you can’t even find the strength to ask someone for help? What’s your name?”
“Stephanie.”
“Right, Stephanie. Go and grow a pair of balls and leave me the hell alone. I’m not about to fight your fight. That doesn’t solve anything except for making me look even more badass than I already am. You come out looking weak and whoever the fuck you want me to take down comes out looking like a fool. Take the fucking high road and handle your shit yourself. If not, she’s just going to keep coming back. Got it?”
Her head bobbles around and I see the relief leave her, probably because she’s narrowly escaped one hell of an ass whopping. She stands there staring at me. “Shoo, Stephanie,” I tell her, losing my patience.
As if not even realizing what she was doing, she jumps into action and scrambles away, leaving me standing by some random locker with a room full of eyes still on me. “Scram,” I tell them trying not to grin at the way they all run away.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, being the Queen around here certainly has its perks.
I hold power within the ranks here. I don’t get elbowed in the hallways and I don’t have random cheerleaders backing me into corners to put in my place. Not that they were ever able to actually put me in my place, but they certainly tried.
What I say matters now and I have to admit, it’s a weird feeling to get used to. I’m so used to being the black sheep around here. I’m the girl who got picked on, joked about, and taunted with every step I took, but not anymore. It’s crazy being the girl that everyone else wants to either be or be with. It’s the kind of attention other girls fight for, but not me. I want nothing more than to get rid of it, but it’s simply not happening.
I’d like to be one of those girls who makes a difference. You know, use this newfound popularity for good instead of evil, but it’s hard. When everyone is suddenly wanting to be your friend for their own selfish reasons and every person you talk to is either terrified of you or being fake, it’s hard to remember who the fuck you are.
“What the hell was that about?” Tully questions ripping me out of my inner thoughts as she comes to join me by my locker.
My eyes search the long hallway for Noah, finding him at the opposite end, jamming shit into his locker with Rivers leaning up against the one beside him, completely oblivious to the cranky girl standing behind him, needing to use it before the bell rings.
“Nothing,” I grumble, opening my locker and jamming my bag and jacket inside with a little more force than necessary. “Just another person trying to use me to get herself ahead.”
Tully sighs and gives me a tight-lipped smile. “You’ll get used to it,” she says. I desperately want to believe her, after all, she’s been in my position ever since she could walk. She’s always been the popular girl and being Noah’s twin sister, it’s like being the popular girl on steroids. Their popularity astounds me. It’s seriously ridiculous. I don’t know how they put up with it.