Sharon went out of town for the winter break, so we just texted and called a few times. My family spent Christmas by donating to Kenyan orphans and skyping with one of the biologists still back there. On New Years I hung out with Janis and Damian, spending my first new years without my parents. Regina had gained a lot of weight by the next time I saw her, after everyone had come back from winter break. So much so that she wore sweatpants to school on thursday. When she tried to sit down with us, Gretchen stopped her.
"Regina, I'm sorry but you can't sit with us."
"Why?"
"You're wearing sweatpants, it's a Thursday."
"Whatever, those rules aren't real."
"They were real the day I wore a vest." Karen added.
"YOU CAN'T SIT WITH US!" Gretchen roared almost immediately recoiling. Karen patted her back with a shocked look on her face.
"Sweatpants are all that fit me right now."
"Cady, what do you think?"
Gretchen had thrown it to me. I had gotten my revenge, I could just let it go. No.
"You can't sit with us."
She walked away and they turned towards me.
"You were so fearless, how'd you do that?"
"Some people need to learn their lesson."
"And we're free." Gretchen and Karen laced fingers and gazed into each other's eyes.
I smiled, that was something good. I noticed the whole cafeteria had gone silent as Regina left. When she was gone they started clapping. They were clapping, for me? I had never felt like this before, the applause fueled me. I got up on a table.
"I did this all for you, you're free now." I shouted to all of them.
People complimented me all day. They began to ignore Regina, realizing there was a new queen bee around. I noticed the air around me change. I had the power now. People didn't have to cover in fear or hide themselves. And everyone saw me for, they stared at me. By eighth period I had seven thank you cards. I rode this high out to the end of the week, expecting everything to go back to normal next week.