Chapter Nine: Anatomy of a Clique
~*Bianca*~
Craig walked back into the music room slowly, staring at the floor.
"Craig, what's wrong?" I asked.
No reply. He just bent down and put his guitar in the case and started gathering his things.
"Craig, where are you going?" I asked.
"Away from you." He replied gruffly.
"Did I do something?" I asked. Just when things were getting back to normal between us! I felt a lump forming in my throat.
"No." he replied curtly.
"Then why Craig? Why?"
He picked up his guitar case and slung his book bag over his shoulder, then looked at me. He had the saddest look on his face. Like the time in fourth grade when his dog got ran over.
"Manny told me to stay away from you. And I think that's what's best."
"You can't mean that." I replied. "You can't. Craig, we've been friends for ten years. You been dating Manny for ten weeks. You're just gonna drop your oldest friend for no reason?"
"Bianca, you and I are over. I don't want to be around you anymore. Got it?" Craig said cruelly. He was making his signature "I'm trying not to cry" face.
"You don't mean that. You're lying." I replied.
"No, I'm not." He choked. "Stay away from me."
I shook my head in disbelief, and looked down for a moment. Then, looking back up, I met his eyes and said coolly,
"Fine."
I grabbed my messenger bag and pushed past him, almost knocking both of us over in the process. As soon as I got out of the music room, I ran as fast as I could to the basketball courts.
I had to talk to Jimmy.
~*Jimmy*~
I was practicing lay ups on the basketball court when I saw Bianca running to me in tears. Dropping the ball, I hurried over to her and put my arms around her. She buried her face in my shirt and began to cry. I stroked her hair and her back, trying to comfort her.
"What is it? What's wrong? Is it Ashley again?" I asked. She shook her head. "Then what? Bianca, please tell me, and I'll try to fix it."
"You can't fix it." She sobbed. "Manny and Craig both hate me."
Now I was confused. "Manny and Craig? Why?"
"I don't know why. But Manny stormed into the music room, and yanked Craig outside. A few minutes later, Craig comes in and tells me he never wants to talk to me again." She cried.
"That's a very un-Craig-like move." I said.
"I know! That's why I don't get it! Jimmy, is there something wrong with me?" Bianca asked me.
I leaned down and cupped her face in my hands. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, Bianca. Trust me. Okay?"
"Then why does everyone hate me so much?" she whispered.
I shook my head. "I don't know. I don't know, Bianca. It's just the anatomy of a clique. They choose one girl to tear down, and proceed to do just that. I just don't understand how Ashley could do this to you, when she's been there." I said. "Come on, let's get out of here."
"Out of school? You wanna skip?" Bianca asked in surprise.
"You're in no mood for school." I replied. "So let's get out of here."
Bianca stood up on her tiptoes and kissed me sweetly. "Thank you, Jimmy. I don't know what I'd do without you."
I was starting to feel the same way.
The Next Day...
~*Manny*~
It was lunch time and I was sitting with Paige, Terri, Hazel, and, as much as I hated it, Ashley. Craig and Spinner were in line getting our food, and us girls were gossiping.
"Oh my god, did you just see that?" Paige asked, gesturing to Bianca.
I rolled my eyes. Lying tramp, that's all Bianca Taylor was.
"She just touched Spinner!" Paige said in outrage. "This is ridiculous! First she screws Manny's boyfriend, then she goes out with Ashley's boyfriend, and now she's trying to get with MY boyfriend."
"The sign in the hallway and the soda yesterday wasn't enough, obviously." Ashley replied.
"Obviously." Paige agreed. "Girls, I think to make an impact on little Bianca, we're going to have to go to extremes."
I had been staring at the table all this time, but when Paige said 'extremes', I jerked my head up.
"How extreme?" I said. Sure, I didn't want Craig talking to her, but I didn't want to physically hurt her.
"Relax, Manny. We're not gonna kill her or anything like that." Paige replied. "Here's what we're gonna do..."
~*Bianca*~
Craig walked back into the music room slowly, staring at the floor.
"Craig, what's wrong?" I asked.
No reply. He just bent down and put his guitar in the case and started gathering his things.
"Craig, where are you going?" I asked.
"Away from you." He replied gruffly.
"Did I do something?" I asked. Just when things were getting back to normal between us! I felt a lump forming in my throat.
"No." he replied curtly.
"Then why Craig? Why?"
He picked up his guitar case and slung his book bag over his shoulder, then looked at me. He had the saddest look on his face. Like the time in fourth grade when his dog got ran over.
"Manny told me to stay away from you. And I think that's what's best."
"You can't mean that." I replied. "You can't. Craig, we've been friends for ten years. You been dating Manny for ten weeks. You're just gonna drop your oldest friend for no reason?"
"Bianca, you and I are over. I don't want to be around you anymore. Got it?" Craig said cruelly. He was making his signature "I'm trying not to cry" face.
"You don't mean that. You're lying." I replied.
"No, I'm not." He choked. "Stay away from me."
I shook my head in disbelief, and looked down for a moment. Then, looking back up, I met his eyes and said coolly,
"Fine."
I grabbed my messenger bag and pushed past him, almost knocking both of us over in the process. As soon as I got out of the music room, I ran as fast as I could to the basketball courts.
I had to talk to Jimmy.
~*Jimmy*~
I was practicing lay ups on the basketball court when I saw Bianca running to me in tears. Dropping the ball, I hurried over to her and put my arms around her. She buried her face in my shirt and began to cry. I stroked her hair and her back, trying to comfort her.
"What is it? What's wrong? Is it Ashley again?" I asked. She shook her head. "Then what? Bianca, please tell me, and I'll try to fix it."
"You can't fix it." She sobbed. "Manny and Craig both hate me."
Now I was confused. "Manny and Craig? Why?"
"I don't know why. But Manny stormed into the music room, and yanked Craig outside. A few minutes later, Craig comes in and tells me he never wants to talk to me again." She cried.
"That's a very un-Craig-like move." I said.
"I know! That's why I don't get it! Jimmy, is there something wrong with me?" Bianca asked me.
I leaned down and cupped her face in my hands. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, Bianca. Trust me. Okay?"
"Then why does everyone hate me so much?" she whispered.
I shook my head. "I don't know. I don't know, Bianca. It's just the anatomy of a clique. They choose one girl to tear down, and proceed to do just that. I just don't understand how Ashley could do this to you, when she's been there." I said. "Come on, let's get out of here."
"Out of school? You wanna skip?" Bianca asked in surprise.
"You're in no mood for school." I replied. "So let's get out of here."
Bianca stood up on her tiptoes and kissed me sweetly. "Thank you, Jimmy. I don't know what I'd do without you."
I was starting to feel the same way.
The Next Day...
~*Manny*~
It was lunch time and I was sitting with Paige, Terri, Hazel, and, as much as I hated it, Ashley. Craig and Spinner were in line getting our food, and us girls were gossiping.
"Oh my god, did you just see that?" Paige asked, gesturing to Bianca.
I rolled my eyes. Lying tramp, that's all Bianca Taylor was.
"She just touched Spinner!" Paige said in outrage. "This is ridiculous! First she screws Manny's boyfriend, then she goes out with Ashley's boyfriend, and now she's trying to get with MY boyfriend."
"The sign in the hallway and the soda yesterday wasn't enough, obviously." Ashley replied.
"Obviously." Paige agreed. "Girls, I think to make an impact on little Bianca, we're going to have to go to extremes."
I had been staring at the table all this time, but when Paige said 'extremes', I jerked my head up.
"How extreme?" I said. Sure, I didn't want Craig talking to her, but I didn't want to physically hurt her.
"Relax, Manny. We're not gonna kill her or anything like that." Paige replied. "Here's what we're gonna do..."
