Careful…
Someone's in on the gossip, and they're about to spill it all. The Golden Gang better be careful, because there's a Gossip Girl in Walkerville.
Gossip Girl in Walkerville
W enters twelfth grade, and shocks everyone. Especially C, D, K and T.
Why do things change?
Wanda Li was horribly late. She was lost, and now she didn't know where to go. The corridors seemed to have twisted and turned and she couldn't find her way.
Damn those high heels she was wearing. So what if Jimmy Choos were cheaper in Asia? And the miniskirt and sleeveless mandarin-collar had to go. She began to desperately wish that she'd worn her tomboyish outfits from before. Although even William admitted that his sister did look kind of hot.
Which Wanda thought was totally wrong, even though she was totally flattered.
She stormed into English, backpack almost falling down, to a shocked, mousy English teacher about her height (or would have been if Wanda wasn't wearing the killer five-inch heels).
And to a shocked classroom. She saw everyone stare back and her. And a few people were more shocked than others. Namely, a Latino boy – er, man? Whatever – who was chucking paper balls at the rubbish bin, bragging and laughing (Carlos really cleaned up over the past two years) until her entrance, which was marked by a raised eyebrow; nearby, an immaculately – although albeit conservatively – dressed golden-haired girl, who was dutifully taking notes only realized Wanda was around when everyone else stopped talking and a hushed silence fell over the class (Dorothy Ann was ever the bookworm); an African-American girl with afro-hair, many ear-piercings and a nose ring, wearing a denim top and a miniskirt possibly even shorter than hers stopped trying to coerce Dorothy Ann into talking with another tall African-American boy and a large, muscular All-American boy and stared (Keesha was a rebel now? And since when did she hang out with Tim or Ralphie – who, to be fair, was of Italian ancestry, rather than being an All-American boy). She saw Arnold, sitting quietly next to Keesha, Tim and Ralphie, not daring to look up, and Phoebe –
Oh dear God, Phoebe. Phoebe Terese was just sitting quietly, looking straight at Wanda, eyes as emotionless as never it had been.
She'd forgotten that Phoebe couldn't forgive Wanda for the whole Arnold-Tim-Phoebe-Wanda fiasco. Just because she didn't tell anyone the fact that they'd been temporarily suspended for fighting in school grounds, didn't mean that she would forgive Wanda, although Wanda easily could defend herself by saying it wasn't entirely her fault. After all, if Phoebe had just spoken to her and they talked about the whole thing like they used to –
It was stupid. Wanda could see where Phoebe was coming from, though. After all, if she so happened to have a crush on a guy and believed that this girl was trying to steal him away – but Wanda never cared for Arnold that way. And Phoebe, who never had anything her way, didn't want to lose Arnold to someone else. Not that she was selfish – Phoebe was the least selfish person in the world, but too often had Phoebe been the lonely girl, that when she and Arnold became friends in the 3rd grade, he had grown so important to her; he was her rock, and to lose that rock to someone else, to someone who seemed to have it all – a loving mother and father (Phoebe's mother Melena died when Phoebe was young, and Phillip Terese was never the same since), many friends (honestly, while Wanda was something of a social butterfly, Phoebe was quiet and shy), could get along with so many different people –
She needed to mend fences with Phoebe, for her own conscience, even if it wasn't guilty to begin with.
"Class, meet Wanda Li. She's joined Walkerville from China –" Miss Morris introduced Wanda to the whole of the senior class.
Well, Dorothy Ann thought. Technically it's not introducing, since everyone still remembers Wanda.
A note flew onto her table. It was from Tim.
Did you know Wanda was coming back? He had scrawled in his artistic handwriting. It always irked Dorothy Ann that Tim had nicer handwriting than she did.
No, how could I? I haven't spoken to Wanda in years. She didn't leave any contact details, after all, she replied.
She saw Carlos eyeing the notes she and Tim were swapping. "From Tim," she mouthed silently.
Carlos shrugged. "What about? Wanda?"
"What else?" She mouthed back.
" – Would you like to introduce yourself, Miss Li?"
"No thanks," Wanda said bluntly. "I think everyone here knows who I am."
Carlos and Ralphie guffawed. Keesha shot them both 'The Look'. Carlos and Ralphie immediately shut up. Miss Morris was flustered and confused. "Well then, why don't – I mean – there's an empty seat – take it," she murmured, somewhat incoherently, gesturing to an empty table near Dorothy Ann, Carlos and Phoebe.
"Oh dear. I wish it was in alphabetical order. No matter. I trust that Mr. Ramon and Miss Slater will be good companions."
Dorothy Ann heard Ralphie snickering.
People still hadn't finished talking about her. She ran into Phoebe, who – the poor girl – tried to be kind by asking her how was her day, did she need help, etc. etc., but Wanda was in a foul mood, because she could hear people whispering about her. She was sick and annoyed, and just wanted to throttle someone, so she couldn't really be blamed if she could barely restrain her anger at Phoebe. She went back to apologize, and found Phoebe at the back of the school, but Phoebe was with Ralphie, and she was in tears.
Wait.
Phoebe was with Ralphie?
Ralphie?
That didn't make sense.
She inched closer – damn those heels! – She took the heels off and slithered between the bushes, and saw Ralphie hugging the poor girl - muttering soothing somethings.
"I mean, if Arnold has to like her, I can't be stupid and vindictive, can I? I mean, it's not Wanda's fault! It's not like she liked Arnold! I guess I was jealous of her – she was always close to him, and he was always happier when she was with him – instead of me. And I tried to be nice to her today and she just blew me off – I'm such a horrible person, Ralphie! I wish – I could make everything right!" She looked up beseechingly at Ralphie (not that she had that far to look, since she was 5'9 and Ralphie was 'only' 6'1).
And in that minute that Ralphie and Phoebe's eyes met, Wanda knew.
"Where's Ralphie and Phoebe?" Dorothy Ann asked everyone at lunch. The seven friends usually had lunch at the same period (which wasn't strange, since most of them wanted to pursue science related fields). Arnold was going to be a geologist (really, who didn't see that coming?), Carlos wanted to study physics (he really wanted to know why some of his inventions wouldn't work), Dorothy Ann opted for medical research (she was a brilliant chemist, and loved physics. Bio, to her, was a cinch), Keesha was going for psychology (not exactly science-related, but close enough – she said she might as well take it because she enjoyed analysing why her friends tended t be so childish sometimes), Phoebe was torn between environmental science and becoming a vet, Ralphie was into sports science and Tim was going to go for architecture and/or engineering (his landscape sketches were amazing).
"Making out?" Carlos joked. Tim and Keesha rolled their eyes.
"Why you always have to come up with some dirty joke is beyond me," Arnold complained. "If I knew I'd still be stuck with you in our class, I'd have ditched Walkerville High for some other school."
"Oh, yeah? But you knew without me, life would be too boring, wouldn't you?"
Dorothy Ann laughed. "Carlos, you're incorrigible."
"Indeed," Keesha frowned. "I thought you'd have grown up, but it seems you're seventeen going on nine."
"No, Keesh," Carlos said, seriously. "I thought even a smarty-pants like you would know that my age increases by one year every year, and therefore if I were seventeen, I'd be going on eighteen."
Keesha gave him 'The Look' and effectively shut Carlos up. "Although I do wish Ralphie were around for me to practice it on him. He and Phoebe, they've been tight, haven't they? Kinda takes the fun out of practicing 'The Look'."
"Yeah," Arnold said off-handedly. "They have been. I wouldn't be surprised if they came here as a couple after this conversation."
"Dude, insensitive much?" Carlos said, annoyed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Arnold asked.
"Yeah, Arnold. It's like, your tone – it's like, you want to get rid of them, and good riddance," Tim joined in, frowning.
"Hey, you guys," Keesha intervened. "Quit it. What's the matter?"
Carlos was sulking. "Ask Arnold," and skulked off.
"Carlos!" Dorothy Ann called after him.
"I'm going too," Tim said.
"Did all the boys go drama club on us?" Keesha asked Dorothy Ann.
"Not quite. OK, Arnold, confession time," Dorothy Ann asked Arnold, who frowned.
"Oh, never mind – it's not like you'd understand, anyway!"
"Now?" Keesha asked.
"You're right. Something is going wrong," Dorothy Ann frowned. "We'd better get to the root of this problem."
"I suppose first we need a plan," Keesha grinned. "And I have just the one, which can be put into action effective immediately –"
"How was the first day of school, honey?" Mrs. Li asked her daughter as she stormed into the house. "That bad, huh?" she said complacently as Wanda stormed up the stairs. Oh well, two could play that game, Mrs. Li smiled. Then I won't have to tell her that someone stopped by to see her – in her room.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Wanda screeched. Mrs. Li shook her head. Well, she found out soon enough.
Author's Note…
All right, I know I was supposed to put this online yesterday, but honestly, the internet connection is sucky, at least right now.
Anyway, if the chapters seem to be getting more layer-y and layer-y, well, that's the intended effect. Like all good stories, I want the plot to build up and up until finally it snaps and we have the anticipated climax (although I'm afraid there will be plenty of time before that happens).
But, in the meantime, there's no reason why we can't go Gossip Girl and just eat popcorn in the meantime…