The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)

Shelley was beaming at me the entire drive home. Pulling into the driveway, she cut the engine, but stayed put.

“What?” I asked, resigned to whatever she had on her mind.

“You blew me away, Taryn. I have to tell you that. You really blew me out of the water,” she giggled, “but…I just think it’s a waste of talent if you don’t try out for the team. You’ve already missed most of this year, but you could still practice with the team. Get to know them. Train with ‘em in the off-season. You could be more than ready to compete by next fall. And we could get some scouts to come and watch you.”

“Shelley,” I said, “I…I don’t know…maybe.”

Shelley grinned, just giddy, as we walked through the door and inside.

I stopped, seeing Amber and Jasmine in the kitchen with Mandy. Grant and Bryce were sitting on the counters, each with a bag of chips.

“Hey, guys,” Shelley called out, “I’ve missed seeing the old crew.”

I beat a hasty retreat.

Pick my battles. It’s what I had to do. Even if it meant biting my lip the entire evening—or staying locked in my room.

Stripping out of my wet clothes, I showered, and dressed.

I felt good, strong, as I fell onto my bed, my hand reaching for my iPod.

A little while later I heard a soft knock at my door, and called out, “Come in.”

Mandy poked her head around the door, a small smile on her face. “Hey.”

I sat up and leaned against my headboard, “Hi.”

She came in and closed the door. She sat at the end of my bed uncertainly. “Mom said you guys went swimming together.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s good. I mean…you could join the team.”

“Maybe. I don’t know.”

“Mom said you’re really good. Like, really, really good. You could get a scholarship, maybe.”

“Yeah.”

Could she stop beating around the bush?

“Um…” Mandy fell silent, glancing around the room.

“I don’t get it,” I said bluntly. “Amber treated you like shit and now you’re friends with her and Jasmine again?”

She sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s not like that. I mean…I’ve been friends with Amber and Jaz for—forever.” She shrugged. “I have to forgive ‘em sometime.”

“No,” I spoke, “you don’t.”

“Taryn.”

“Mandy, you don’t. Look, you and me, we’re cool. We have to be, we’re sisters. But Amber, Bryce, Jasmine—no. I don’t want anything to do with them. They treated my sister like shit.”

“Bryce didn’t.”

“No. He treated a girl that listened to you cry for hours last night like a sex toy and we both know it. He used her and discarded her—knowing full well that her best friend has a thing for him and knowing full well that she’d let him use her because she wants to be popular.” I stood up. “I think it’s disgusting.”

“Like you’re any better,” Mandy cried, standing up. “You judge—you judge my friends.”