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"That girl is your sister? As in the one you haven't seen in two years?" Cheryl gaped as she and Elena discussed the matter at hand in the changing room, under hushed tones. Elena nodded vehemently, glancing behind them to check for anyone listening in on their conversation. Once she was satisfied, Elena returned her attention back to Cheryl.
"She's one of the try-outs, she's auditioning with Betty." She explained. Cheryl bit back a laugh, covering her mouth as she noted the look on Elena's face.
"Oh what? I think it's nice this mysterious sister of yours likes to do charity." Elena rolled her eyes as she tied up her hair, shaking her head to herself. When was she going to let that go? Betty hadn't been a part of the whole drama with her sister. Yet Cheryl seemed content with thinking otherwise.
"So what's she like?" Cheryl pressed. "I only spoke to her for a few minutes, does she know that you're-"
"No." Elena sighed, seating herself down on the changing room bench. "I never said anything to her, that that was one of the things I was struggling with back in New York. What made me leave." She trailed off as a wave of emotion hit her, the reality of the day's events hitting her at full force. Her Mom and sister were living here now, which meant it was only a matter of time before they found out that she was gay. No running off, no where to hide, no putting it off, just the truth.
And that was absolutely terrifying.
Cheryl sat herself down beside Elena and wrapped an arm around her, in an attempt to sooth her worries. "And you've realised this means you'll be coming out of the closet sooner rather than later to your family," Cheryl realised. "If you need to-"
"Hey!" Elena took Cheryl's hands in hers. "I've got no regrets Cher. It's just it's my family." She emphasised, tugging nervously on a stray thread on her shirt. "I mean they've never said anything outright homophobic, which I think makes it all the more scarier. What if they-" Elena emphasised wildly as she stared down at the floor, unable to voice the fear she had been holding inside of her for all these years.
Cheryl brought a finger to her chin, forcing her to look into her eyes. "Then screw the sticky fingered Neanderthals." Cheryl squeezed her hand in assurance, staring at Elena knowingly. "You will always have me Ellie, and I'll always have you. Family or no family."
"Till death do us part." Elena smiled.
"A little prompt but I can't deny it does sound tempting." Cheryl winked cheerfully, pulling Elena to her feet. "I can't wait to introduce myself. Can your sister actually dance? Does she have any abnormal habits I need to know about before I let her on the team?" Elena placed a grateful kiss on Cheryl's cheek, as she took her hand in hers.
"No." She shook her head, before the two began to walk into the gym hand in hand.
"We're blue! We're gold! We're dynamite! We'll take you down and fight! The fight!"
Elena twitched nervously as Veronica and Betty finished up their routine, eyeing Cheryl closely as she considered what she had seen. She had promised to go easy on them, but this was Cheryl. Led by her heart, and not with her head. "Ladies, where's the heat? Where's the sizzle?" Demanded Cheryl.
"Oh boy." Elena sank down in her seat, covering her face in anticipation of what was to come.
"Well you haven't seen our big finish yet!" Protested Veronica. She tugged a confused Betty towards her and kissed the blonde, igniting a few cheers from the passing football team and more than a few eye rolls from the cheerleaders. Elena's heart thumped over and over again at the sight, still beating like a drum as Betty and Veronica pulled apart. Well Veronica's got no problem kissing girls. She noted, a small feeling of hope beginning to materialise in her chest.
"Check your sell by date ladies! Faux lesbian kissing hasn't been taboo since 1994, and I find it insulting." Cheryl shrugged, igniting the confusion of Veronica. Elena shook her head rapidly in Cheryl's direction, urging her not to say anymore. Cheryl sighed, turning her attention back to the girls. "Let's see if you do any better with the interview portion of your audition. Betty? How's your sister doing?"
"Shit." Elena cursed, as Betty paled at the mention of Polly.
"Polly's fine, thanks for asking." Betty managed to utter in reply.
"Veronica! Has Betty told you about her sister yet?" Cheryl questioned.
"Don't go there!" Elena warned.
Veronica shook her head. "No she hasn't."
"Go ahead Betty," Cheryl urged, "tell Veronica about your sister and my dear brother."
"Polly and Jason dated-"
Cheryl scoffed, as she sat back in her chair. "I wouldn't say dated." Though irritable at the fact that Cheryl had gone full steam ahead on the ''I hate Betty Train'', Elena couldn't help but admire her. She looked like every inch of the Queen Bee persona she plastered on for people at school, with no trace of the Cheryl she knew in private underneath. It both scared and fascinated her at the same time, as she flipped between the two personas you would a coin.
"It didn't end well."
"In fact, Jason is probably the reason your sister had a nervous breakdown and now lives in a group home. Isn't it?" Cheryl filled in. She's not gonna let up is she?
"It's what my parents think." Betty offered.
"What do you have to say about that Betty? Go ahead, the floor is yours! Whatever you've been dying to spew about Jason and how he treated Polly, unleash it! Destroy me! Tear me a new one! Rip me to shreds! Annihilate me!" Cheryl urged, her voice rising as she spoke passionately. Despite Veronica's eyes on her, Elena placed a hand on Cheryl's shoulder in an attempt to diffuse the situation.
"That's enough." She whispered. "I know you're upset but this isn't going to help."
"Sure it will!" Cheryl hissed back angrily.
"No. It won't."
"Fine." She agreed reluctantly, turning her attention back to the girls. "Veronica! Welcome to the River Vixens!" Elena smiled to herself, as Veronica grinned in delight. "Betty, better luck next time." She snarled, as the last of her anger diffused.
"Wait what?" Veronica gaped. "Because you couldn't bully Betty into being a bitch?"
"I need girls with fire on my squad." Deflected Cheryl.
"I know what you need, Cheryl, because I know who you are. You would rather people fear than like you, so you traffic in terror and intimidation. You're rich, so you've never been held accountable. But I'm living proof. That certainty, that entitlement, you wear on your head like a crown? It won't last. Eventually, there will be a reckoning. Or, maybe, that reckoning is now. And, maybe, that reckoning is me. Betty and I come as a matching set. You want one, you take us both. You wanted fire? Sorry, Cherylbombshell, my specialty's ice."
Elena held in her breath as Cheryl contemplated her next move, wondering what the hell she could do. Suddenly a relaxed smile overcame Cheryl's face, as an idea began to form in her mind. Oh god what's she going to do? "Of course." Cheryl waved Veronica off. The red head looped her arm in Elena's, her smile never wavering as she stared at Veronica head on.
"I'd hate to upset my girlfriend's sister."
Elena visibly cringed. There it is.
"Seriously Cheryl?" Elena hissed, as she and the rest of the judges re-convened in a private room. The new River Vixens had been sent to change into their new uniforms, which Elena had taken as an opportunity to yell at Cheryl. She hadn't dared look at Veronica, taking the easier option of dragging Cheryl away to talk. Elena turned to the side, eyeing Ginger and Tina. "Out!"
"But-"
"Out!" She snarled, pointing to the door. Ginger and Tina followed her order reluctantly, and tottered off outside. Once she was certain they were out of hearing range, Elena turned her fury back on Cheryl. "Were you going to give me a heads up or what?"
"Your sister shouldn't have shown me up!" Argued Cheryl. "I won't be made a fool of in front of those bimbos!"
"You pissed her off! And rightly so!" Cheryl rolled her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief. "Jason ran off because of your parents, Betty has nothing to do with it. Instead of taking out your anger on her, maybe you should be directing it elsewhere."
"Don't bring JJ into this!" Cheryl defended. "And I ripped the proverbial band aid off for you! Can you honestly say you were gonna tell her?" Cheryl softened, offering out her hands as a peace offering. "I adore you Elena Lodge, ever since you trailed into your audition with that neon pink sports bag," The two girls smiled at the memory, "but I won't be your dirty little secret. I can't. I have to hide at home, and this is the one place where I can be me. Where I can hold your hand in the hallway or out in the quad and order dumb new recruits around with my girlfriend. Where everyone knows, and no one cares!"
"I get it." Elena nodded. "I'm sorry, it's kind of been like a safe little bubble here for me. Away from everyone I used to know, and I didn't have to worry about anyone judging me. But when conflict rears it's butt ugly head, you know I always run the other way. It's who I am." Elena admitted. "I'm terrified Veronica and my mom are gonna judge me and I don't know how I'm gonna deal with that if it happens."
"Like I said before," Cheryl took Elena's hand in hers. "Together."
"See?" Elena pointed out, as she drew Cheryl close, "She put away the claws ladies and gentlemen!"
"Oh hush!"
Elena fiddled with the strap of her bag as she waited for Veronica to leave the changing room, her mind running amuck as she considered all of the possibilities that could occur. What was Veronica thinking? Was she shocked? Was she still processing? Was she going to tell Mom and Dad?
Before she knew it her sister came out from the doors, taking sight of twitchy figure. Veronica appeared to be almost as nervous as she was, strolling over with a look of apprehension that matched Elena's identically. "Hi." She greeted awkwardly, "do you want to talk?"
"Sure." Elena nodded, inclining her head towards a bench outside the gym. The sisters made their way over silently, catching the odd look of the departing River Vixens. The pair sat themselves down next to one another, neither quite sure as to how to begin.
"Listen-" Elena began to break the silence, but was soon cut off.
"No I just want you to know I don't care or anything!" Veronica exclaimed. "I mean of course I care, but it doesn't bother me, I mean. I- I mean I'm happy that you're happy." Veronica smiled nervously as she stumbled in search of the right words, causing Elena to stare in amazement. She was okay with it? Just like that? It felt like she had built up a terrible image of what had happened, and it had completely collapsed beneath her with one shove.
"You're okay with it? That I'm a lesbian?" Elena checked, still unable to believe it.
"Yeah." Veronica nodded. "I mean your girlfriend is kind of a bitch, but if she makes you happy I guess-" Veronica was unable to finish as Elena pulled her sister into a bone crushing hug, as years of fear drained from the girl. Veronica paused for a moment -startled by the gesture- before hugging Elena back.
"You're really okay with it?"
"Yeah! So what if you're gay? It's not like you're a drug addict or in a cult." Elena let out a relieved laugh as the sisters pulled apart, wiping away the tears that had formed in her eyes. Veronica was okay with it. She had her little sister back, and she knew and didn't even care!
"Is this why you kept acting out? Getting into all that trouble at Spence?" Veronica guessed.
Elena nodded, as she brushed back a piece of her black hair. "I didn't wanna believe it at first, you see it online and at school and you think if you come out the worst will happen to you. People will laugh, they'll call you names, make you feel like nothing. I- I couldn't bring myself to do it, just in case your or mom or dad didn't take it well. So I cut you all out of my life to save myself the pain."
"Oh honey." Veronica pulled her into a hug once more. "Nothing you could say could ever make me leave you. We're hermanas. We're blood. Besides, we Lodges' have to stick together no matter what." Veronica decided.
Elena nodded in agreement. "Let's never not talk again."
"Agreed."