The next day, Will confidently strided through school. She would have answers. Things would be better.
She approached Taranee, all alone and reading herself a book in the library.
"I'm cool with you, I swear! But the other girls told me to stay away from you. Because you... kinda overstepped boundaries and don't respect us at all, someone told me."
"What?!"
"I didn't want to lose this group, Will. They're all cool... but I know that you're not like that at all."
"Who told you, specifically?"
Taranee looked away. Will shook her.
"Please! I want to solve this matter; you have to help me! I don't want to fight with you guys, either! I don't want to lose any of you!"
Taranee lifted her head. "...promise me you won't tell anyone?"
"I promise."
"Um... Elyon did. Elyon said that."
Elyon?! "T-thanks..." Will nodded, and left.
What could she have done? She wasn't in a relationship with Matt; she didn't ask him out and he didn't ask her out. Could she have said something bad over the weeks? As she pondered on what Elyon could've taken offense to, she bumped into Matt.
"Hey!"
"Uh, hi. Will." He shrugged, frowning. "I gotta go-"
"Are you okay? You look down."
"Uh..." Matt stared at her. His eyes seemingly scanned all over her face. "...I guess, not anymore?"
"Are you checking me out?" Will smirked, crossing her arms.
"No. Just checking on you."
Will stood back, face burning at the thought.
"See you around," Matt bade, his sweet face adorned by his smile.
She watched him leave, and when he turned around the corner, she slumped against the lockers. "He's... cute... and nice..."
A squeal snapped her from the trance, and she followed the voice. She found Uriah and his gang cornering Elyon.
"Hey, where's the money, Eskie?" Uriah taunted, "Too chicken to ask Mommy for some extra cash?"
"No more of this, Uriah!" Elyon protested, "I'm not your wallet!"
"Yeah sure, but I know your dirty secret, remember?"
"EEP!"
"The Grumpers would sure love to know it!"
"Let her go!" Will said, swiftly knocking Kurt aside. Elyon's eyes went wide.
"Aww, what a knight in shining armor! Too bad you're not the knight she wants!" Uriah mocked, causing his friends to snicker.
"Stay away from her."
"But see, we had a deal, Redhead! Eskie here would give us money. Her parents are loaded, you would think they'd let her go to some all-girls school but fortunately for us, she goes here. But if she doesn't give us the money, we tell everyone her dirty secret. Fair trade, isn't it?"
"No, it isn't!"
"Ellie Eskie found it fair before; why not now?" Uriah and his goons laughed, "So, what's it gonna be, Eskie?"
Will grabbed Elyon and pulled her away, running. The boys were much faster on their feet; they were yelling and Elyon was screaming, but Will couldn't be bothered to look back or stop.
Somehow, she and Elyon ended up panting and catching their breaths in a janitor's closet. Will began to laugh, even if she found little to laugh about.
"W-what were you doing?!" Elyon questioned, "You could've killed me! What if I had asthma?"
Will only laughed. "Gosh, didn't you see Uriah's face?! It was so red!"
Eventually, she stopped laughing. Silence and tension hung in the room. Elyon told Taranee and the others to ignore Will, and Will had to confirm that.
"...hey, Elyon," Will said, "What did I do wrong?"
Elyon didn't answer.
"Come on. Please? I want us to be friends again."
"...Matt is off-limits, new girl."
"Yes, you said that, and there's nothing between us. Honest!"
"Really? So who's this girl that Matt keeps talking about lately?"
"I don't know? I can't even talk to him properly!" Will shrugged, "He's always sleeping in class, and he only ever really talks to his friends and the teachers. I don't know why you're pinning that on me when we don't even know each other well."
Elyon frowned. "...fine. I'm giving you another chance, then. But, for everyone's sake, he's off-limits. Tell him you're strictly on academic mode with him or something!"
"G-Got it!"
Middle school was tough, but at the least, Will could sit with her friends again. Things will be better... and this would be all over when Elyon finally gets the guts to ever confess to Matt.
"So," Will said, "I have a suggestion about the Uriah problem."
The girls looked at each other. Elyon sighed. "Yes, what of it? How do you suppose we solve it without telling Mrs. Knickerbocker?"
"Yeah. We can't report it. That would stain Elyon's record and also her parents'!" Cornelia added. "By the way, how did you find out?"
"I was careless," Elyon commented, frowning.
"Uriah is a big bully, that's why!" Will stressed. "But we have to show him he's not the boss of this school. We need to challenge them to something, anything!"
"...bike race?" Taranee suggested.
Will smirked. "Heh. If we're talking sports, then I'm just the girl for the job!"
Will found her Saturday booked for the challenge. The route went around Heatherfield, set up by the infamous Grumper sisters. Oh, yes, the news spread, and Will and Uriah's gang attracted a fairly large audience.
Will knew she had a disadvantage by being a newer resident to Heatherfield, but she had to try.
"I need a miracle," she whispered to herself. She had no feather, for she lost it, but she had a little froggy pendant to hold onto.
"On your marks, guys!" Martin Tubbs yelled, and the crowd cheered.
The race started, and Will began pedalling. A miracle, just one miracle would do... for the betterment of things...
