Aerolynn
"So, what you missed her family dinner? There'll be plenty more." Jake grunted.
Aerolynn and Jake were currently in his room, Aerolynn sat on Jake's bed watching him as he did pushups.
I stood her up in front of her parents. It's hard to come back from that. Aerolynn sighed.
Jake shrugged. "Just say you're sorry and move on."
Easier said than done. Aerolynn said. I did say sorry and she's still mad at me
"Maybe it's because she found out the real reason you missed dinner." Jake said.
Aerolynn frowned. What are you talking about? Faith needed me so I was comforting her.
"That may be what you tell yourself, but I think we both know you were glad you missed the dinner."
What are you talking about? She said.
"Think about it, you grew up in an orphanage and this is your first relationship. You're not used to making emotional connections. Now here comes this girl you really like but you're scared of letting her in because you think she will abandon you like your parents. In fact, I think you distrust most adults because subconsciously you think they will hurt you just like your parents did. On top of that I think seeing a happy family scared you and-"
Okay I get it, I'm fucked up. Aerolynn said.
Jake shrugged. "We all are."
She never thought of it like that, but Jake was right. Meeting Cleo's parents frightened her. Cleo wanted to make her a part of her life, but what happened if they broke up in a week? She would lose one of the people she cared about the most.
You're quite the therapist. Aerolynn mocked.
"Hardly, I just know you like the back of my hand." Jake smirked.
That's another problem, she thinks I prioritize my friendship with you over my relationship with her. Aerolynn said.
"That's because you do." Jake said bluntly.
Aerolynn crossed her arms. Excuse me?
"Aerolynn let's be real, you and I are a package deal. We're a pair. Just think about it, you could be at Cleo's right now apologizing but instead you're here watching me do pushups. Everyone knows us as Jake and Aerolynn, but nobody goes it's Aerolynn and Cleo." Jake said.
That doesn't mean I care about her any less. I love both of you equally.
"Bullshit, I'm your favorite. It's not a big deal I knew you weeks before she did, she's just going to have to get over it. Bros before-"
Don't finish that sentence. Aerolynn warned.
Jake rolled his eyes. "My point is you can't help but put your best friend first. It's natural. It's why Lex and Faith will never work because their best friend and the person they like are the same person. The lines become blurry. It's also the same reason why nobody would ever date Kevin or Jarret, other than the millions of rumors that they're gay, the two are attached to the hip and if you date one of them you might as well being dating the other."
Aerolynn frowned. Was Jake, right? Did she care about Jake more? Did that make her an awful girlfriend? Cleo would cancel on plans with Aurélie in a heartbeat if it meant they could spend time together. Aerolynn turned her phone off when she and Jake hung out. They were two different people and wanted two different things out of a relationship.
How do I show her I care about her? Aerolynn asked.
"The same way you get any chick to like you. A big romantic gesture!" Jake said dramatically.
A romantic gesture? What could she possibly do to make Cleo forgive her? She hadn't seen enough rom-coms to know how romance worked. Was she supposed to buy her some roses? Chocolates? A Taylor Swift Album?
I think I'm going to need your help. Aerolynn said.
Lex
"Game day!" Kaleb yelled.
He was currently doing enthusiastic crunches while standing on the ceiling in excitement. Most people would be alarmed to see an enormous boy clinging to the walls, but Lex was so used to seeing the sight he didn't even flinch. Instead he focused his attention on tuning his guitar.
"Aren't you excited? This is the biggest game of the year!" Kaleb grinned.
Lex shrugged. Given the fact he lost two friends and was still recovering from the villain attack, he wasn't in a celebratory mood. He could never say that to Kaleb though, considering he had been putting in a lot of hard work and has been looking forward to this game for weeks.
"Yeah can't wait." Lex said half-heartedly.
A part of him wondered if Faith would be there. They hadn't spoken in days and Lex felt like a part of him was missing, like a vital organ. He kept expecting her to text him back and ask if they can make up. She never did.
"Knock knock." A voice said.
The boys turned to see Alexander standing in the doorway.
"Howdy." He smiled.
"Yo, Alex." Kaleb raised an eyebrow. "Where are the others?"
"Others?" Alexander asked.
"Yeah the gang? You know, Faith? Fouzia? Maryanne?" Kaleb replied.
"Faith's avoiding Lex, Fouzia's avoiding everyone, and I'm avoiding Maryanne." Alexander sighed.
The moment the two heard that last part, they had stopped what they were doing and turned to him.
"Seriously?" Lex said sitting up.
Kaleb frowned and flipped back on the floor. "What happened?"
"It's complicated." Alexander muttered.
Kaleb held a dejected look. "I always feel like I'm out of the loop. We've all been looking forward to this game for weeks. What happened to make all of you guys turn on each other?" Kaleb asked.
"Like I said it's complicated." Alexander said.
Kaleb sighed. "Can we just avoid the drama of the week and try to have a good time?"
"Kaleb it's not that easy." Lex told him.
Kaleb frowned. He took a deep breath and grabbed his jacket from his dresser and slung it over his shoulders. He turned and began to walk out of the room when Alexander stopped him.
"Where are you going?" Alexander asked.
"To get our friends." Kaleb said simply.
With that he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Lex looked up at Alexander. "You're fighting with Maryanne?" He was genuinely surprised. Out of all the couples in the class, those two had felt like the most stable.
"Not exactly." Alexander said.
"Then why are you avoiding her?" Lex asked.
Alexander frowned. He took a seat and buried his face in his hands. "She lied to me."
"That's it?" Lex asked.
"What the hell do you mean that's it?" Alexander asked.
Lex sighed and put down his guitar. "As far as I see it, Maryanne is a good girl. If she lied to you, whatever it was, she probably had a good reason. Besides, it's not like she's the only one hiding a big ass skeleton in her closet."
Alexander winced at thought of it. Lex wasn't sure if they would ever be able to forget what happened with Matt.
Alexander groaned. "That's why I'm upset though. Ever since homecoming and Matt and Hunter, lately, there has just been so much darkness in my life, but Maryanne has been a light. She's been by my side while I dealt with my demons. It scares me to think that…" Alexander trailed off, unsure of what to say next.
"That's she's human? That she has flaws?" Lex asked.
Alexander sighed. "I'm just worried that the person whose been my rock isn't the person who I thought they were. What if I can't trust the girl I like? Hell, after what I did, I can't even trust myself."
"Instead of worrying, why don't you just talk to her, I'm sure she has an explanation to why she lied." Lex said.
Alexander nodded. "You're right."
Lex smiled weakly. If only he could take his own advice.
Fouzia
"I hate everyone." Sarah groaned.
Fouzia looked up from her textbook to see Sarah lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling with a look of contempt with her hands on her stomach.
"Any particular reason this time?" Fouzia asked.
Sarah sighed and sat up. "I've been looking forward to this football game for months and now I can't even go."
"Why did you quit cheerleading?" Fouzia asked.
Sarah frowned. "It's complicated."
Fouzia turned to look at Sarah. The girl looked like she was being burdened by something.
"Are you okay?" Fouzia asked.
Sarah smiled. "Of course, I am."
"You're an awful liar." Fouzia mumbled.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "What do you want me to say?"
"The truth." Fouzia said.
"Because we're so good at telling the truth." Sarah said sarcastically.
Fouzia shook her head. She wasn't going to get Sarah's secret out of her. Whatever it was, it had to be something big. Sarah used to be a massive party girl with the confidence of a super model. Now she barely left her room. Fouzia looked over at Sarah once more. Was she depressed? She had been showing signs of it.
Just as she was about to say something a loud knock was heard.
"Fuck off!" Sarah yelled at the door.
Fouzia rolled her eyes and turned back to the door. Neither of the girls were in the mood for visitors. After the events of the last couple of weeks they found themselves slowly withdrawing themselves from the rest of their class.
"Come in." Fouzia said reluctantly
The door opened slowly, revealing Kaleb. The muscular boy stood in the doorway with a warm smile on his face.
"How are my two favorite ladies?" Kaleb asked.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "What the hell do you want?"
"Always a ray of sunshine." Kaleb sighed and looked between the two girls.
"Why aren't you guys coming to the game tonight? It's the biggest game of the year. Sarah, you of all people should be excited. Haven't all the cheerleaders been practicing for this for months?" Kaleb asked.
"I'm not a cheerleader anymore. I only joined to be popular and to get close to Matt, and now that I have neither, what's the point?" Sarah sighed.
Kaleb looked over at Fouzia. "What about you? Don't you want a night out with our friends?"
Fouzia looked down at her notebook. After what she did, she wasn't in the mood for anything. She didn't deserve to have fun after what she did to Matt.
"I'm fine." Fouzia said through gritted teeth.
Kaleb crossed his arms and frowned. He looked back and forward between the two girls.
"It would mean a lot to all of us if you guys came." He said quietly.
Fouzia and Sarah looked at each other. They both sighed, neither one of them were in the celebratory mood. Yet for some reason, it felt wrong to disappoint Kaleb. He was always there to help and to put a smile on everyone else's face, the least they could do is show up to a football game.
"I'll go." Fouzia said.
"Yeah me too, I could use a night out." Sarah said.
Kaleb grinned. "Well that sounds great, can't wait to see you guys there."
Just as Fouzia was about to say something Kaleb's phone rang. The boy frowned and pulled the device from his pocket.
"Oh crap, I'm going to be late for the dance!" He said.
He shoved his phone into his pocket and turned back to face the girls.
"I'll look for you guys in the stands." Kaleb said.
With that he ran out of the room, leaving the roommates confused.
"Did he just say dance?" Fouzia asked.
Cleo
"You know, I've done some thinking and maybe becoming straight wouldn't be that bad." Cleo said.
Aurélie and Cleo were currently walking to the football field, in preparation for the game. Cleo didn't plan on coming but Aurélie insisted that she help her with the photos for yearbook.
"And what made you come to that conclusion?" Aurélie asked.
"Girls are psychopaths. Just look at Sarah, Alice, Victoria…or Aerolynn." Cleo said.
"You mean the girl who has the ferocity of a baby hamster?" Aurélie said amused. "Exactly what about her screams psychopath?"
Cleo huffed. Heartbreaker was the better term.
"Hey, so why do we have to be here so early?" She asked.
The players wouldn't even be this early, who could they possibly be taking pictures of.
Aurélie smirked. "It's a surprise."
Cleo's face fell.
"Oh good lord, what did you do now?" She asked.
As if to answer her question a loud voice boomed, "Her moves are so crazy fierce!"
Cleo turned to see Jake and a bunch of other football players were standing on the football field.
"Her smile is worthwhile!" Kaleb cheered.
"All the girls want her, but she just wants you!" Jake yelled.
When he finished, Jake and the rest of the team began to dance. Cleo raised an eyebrow, what was going on? Was she witnessing a secret cult meeting?
"She thinks you're super sweet!" Chris sang.
Kaleb took off in a sprint and did a flip landing inches in front of Cleo.
"You're her favorite treat!" Kaleb
"You're her light! Her fire! Her one true desire!" Jake sang.
The boys clapped their hands before linking arms. They began to get in Rockettes formation and did amazingly high kicks.
"She wants you! So Cleo stop playing games Aero wants to take you on a date!" They cheered in unison.
The two rows of boys parted to reveal Aerolynn looking at Cleo with a timid smile. The girl wore a sparkly blue dress and a top hat that was too big for her head. Cleo blushed, Aerolynn did all of this for her? Granted the football players sung off key and Jake was several counts behind the other boys, but it still the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.
Aerolynn took a knee and held her hands high in the air.
I'm sorry! She said while showing off her jazz fingers.
Aurélie tried to hold back her laughter as Cleo stood there in a stunned silence for at least ten seconds before chuckling. "Get over here Aero."
The dark-haired girl ran over to her girlfriend and pulled the girl in for a hug.
I'm sorry. Aerolynn repeated.
"I overreacted," Cleo said.
No, you didn't, I haven't been a good girlfriend to you. Aerolynn said.
"You've been an amazing girlfriend." Cleo chuckled.
She looked back at the crowd of football players who were watching the girls with a grin.
"How did you manage to convince the entire team to do this?" Cleo asked.
I have friends in high places. Aerolynn said. She turned to Kaleb and Jake as the two gave her a huge thumbs up.
Aurélie smiled and clapped her hands.
"Aw you guys are so adorable!" She cheered.
Maryanne
"Aren't you guys excited!" Maryanne said to her teammates.
She and the rest of the cheer squad were walking over to the football field in order to practice before the game. She was surprised to find that Aerolynn, Cleo, Aurélie, and the rest of the football team was already there.
"Did we miss something?" Jarret asked.
Victoria shrugged. "Probably. Where's Monica?"
Maryanne grinned. Monica was going to be so happy to see her. She found a replacement for Sarah in mere hours, and Jarret already had the routine memorized. In fact, he was probably one of the best cheerleaders on the team. Once Monica saw how she took initiative, she would definitely put Maryanne on top of the pyramid.
"Maryanne and Victoria! Just the ladies I've been looking for." Aurélie said.
The two turned to see Aurélie running towards them. A large camera was dangling on her neck.
"Can we help you?" Victoria asked.
"Can I get some pictures of you with some of the guys for yearbook?" Aurélie asked.
Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Since when were you in yearbook?"
"Since yesterday. I needed a new hobby, so are you guys in?" Aurélie asked.
Maryanne grinned. She was going to be in the yearbook. This day was just getting better and better.
"Come on let's go!" Maryanne cheered.
They walked over to where Chris, Kaleb, and Jake were; the boys were already practicing exaggerated poses for the photo. Chris stopped posing when he saw Maryanne walk over to him. He looked her up and down and smirked.
"Why hello there and who are you?" He asked.
Maryanne gulped. She didn't like how he was looking at her. Like he was judging her. She was used to people looking down at her all her life, she would have thought being at a school for heroes would have made things different.
"Maryanne." She said timidly.
Chris smiled. "Time out, you're Maryanne?"
Chris turned to look at Jake.
"That's the Maryanne you're always talking about? From what you told me about her I thought she would look like a toad." Chris chuckled.
He turned back to look at Maryanne.
"You are far from a toad. Jake never told me he had a hot friend." Chris smirked.
Jake crossed his arms and growled.
"Everything that just came out of your mouth was wrong. One, I don't always talk about Maryanne. Two, she is not my friend." Jake scoffed.
Chris chuckled. "I don't blame you man; I could never just be friends with a girl that looked like that. I mean would you look at that a-"
Victoria cut him off with a snap of her fingers.
"Back off Chris, she has a boyfriend. And even if she didn't, she could do better than you." Victoria snapped.
Maryanne was still caught off guard by the encounter. Chris thought she was attractive? When she caught him looking at her just automatically assumed that he was judging her. She never though he would think she cute. It was different from how Alexander looked at her. It just felt more…passionate.
"Okay guys get in close." Aurélie said.
The five teens followed her order and moved in close and forced a big smile. When the picture was over Maryanne grinned.
"I have a good feeling about tonight." She said.
Hell Priest
"What the hell are you doing here?" Hell Priest snarled.
He watched as American Eagle and Ms. Mirror walked over to him. Like him they were probably here to oversee the football game. After homecoming, Amanda made sure there was always at least five pro heroes on call. Given the scale of the football game and number of people in attendance, she upped that number to ten.
He didn't have a problem with Vanessa. Despite the fact she had a drinking problem, she was a relatively nice woman. His problem lied with American Eagle. He hated that smug bastard. He was selfish and impulsive, and he couldn't believe he was in the top five hero rating.
"Amanda called us." American Eagle said.
He crossed his arms and frowned. Like Lucas he probably wasn't happy the other was at the game.
Vanessa chuckled. "Do I sense tension?"
"No, you're probably just smelling the tequila on your breath." Eric hissed.
Vanessa giggled and reached into her purse to pull out a flask.
"Silly Eric, you know I'm a vodka kind of gal." She chuckled.
Lucas growled and snatched the flask from her hands.
"We're supposed to be watching the kids," He said.
Vanessa pouted.
"You guys are no fun! What happened to the days we used to party?" Vanessa asked.
"Unlike you the rest of us grew up." Eric said.
Vanessa frowned. His words seemed to have struck a nerve.
"Well look where growing up got us." She said bitterly as she took her flask back.
With that she took another swig from her flask.
Jake
"Alright fellas, we've been training for this all year." Coach Kirby said.
He and the rest of the team stood in the center of the football field. They were currently in a huddle, their coach doing his best to inspire his team. Jake's confidence didn't need to be boosted. He already knew he was going to win this. After tonight, coach would realize he had what it took to be the quarterback.
Coach Kirby turned to look at Chris.
"Go ahead Chris, give em the ole battle cry!" Coach Kirby cheered.
Chris grinned and put his hand in the center of the huddle. The rest of the boys followed suit and placed their hands on top of Chris, eventually forming a pile.
"Lions on three, lions on me!" Chris yelled. "One! Two! Three!"
When Chris hit three the entire team roared like a wild animal.
"Lions!" They cheered.
"That was a cute little cheer." A voice said.
The boys frowned and broke the huddle. Jake growled and turned to face the source of the comment. It was a player from the other team. He wore a green and white jersey, a sharp contrast to the red and black ones Jake's team wore. He was a tall and muscular boy with raven colored hair and dark brown eyes. Despite the fact that he had a casual smile, it oozed of condescension and lacked sincerity. Jake's face fell, he knew that boy. "No way."
"Jakey Boy is that you?" He asked. Jake froze as he heard the nickname that haunted him throughout junior high.
"Jake, you know this guy?" Kaleb frowned and turned to face Jake, who clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. The boy's face had a mix of anger and fear.
"Oh yeah me and Jakey Boy go way back." The boy said. "You could say, we're old friends."
Jake swallowed the large lump that formed in his throat.
"Trevor." He said shakily.
Four Years Ago:
"Loser!" A loud voice whistled.
Jake kept his head down and tried to ignore the boys behind him. He was used to their taunting. Mocking him was his school's favorite activity. His parents kept trying to get the school involved, but many of the boys that bullied him came from families that loved to "donate" to the school whenever their sons got in trouble. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that they ran the place.
"Jakey Boy get over here." Trevor said.
Jake froze, unsure of what to do. He was screwed no matter what he did. If he ran, they would chase him down and kick the crap out of him, if turned to face them…they would still kick the crap out of him.
Jake wasn't entirely sure why they chose to pick on him. It could've been the fact that he was a late bloomer. He was the last one in his grade to develop a quirk and said quirk wasn't even that impressive. Whenever he ate food, he gained energy from it, but now the most Jake could do with that energy was increase his stamina. His doctor said that one day he'd be able to control the energy he absorbed but for the moment Jake was stuck being Trevor's punching bag.
"How's it been Jakey Boy? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." Trevor grinned. God he hated that nickname with a passion.
Jake mumbled. "That's because I've been avoiding you."
Trevor smirked and approached the boy.
"And why have you been doing that?" He chuckled. "Are you afraid I might do something like…"
Without any warning Trevor punched Jake in the stomach causing the boy to gasp in pain and stumble forward.
"That." Trevor laughed.
Jake groaned in pain and clutched his stomach. He felt like he was going to vomit.
"What's the matter Jakey Boy, you're not going to fight back?" Trevor asked.
Jake gritted his teeth. If he said something now Trevor would knock his teeth out and give him a matching set of black eyes. He'd have to swallow his pride.
"That's what I thought Jake, you're a loser. Actually, you're worse than a loser, you're a pussy. You're never going to amount to anything, you're just going to be so pansy like your dad." Trevor taunted.
Jake said nothing and hung his head down in shame. He wanted to fight back. He wanted to prove to he was strong. But he just couldn't.
Now:
"What the hell are you doing here?" Jake growled.
Trevor smirked. "I'm playing football, what do you think?"
"You know it's against the rules to be on the opposing team before a game. Go back to your own team." Chris told him.
"I just wanted to say hi to my old friend and then I'll leave." Trevor replied nonchalantly. He looked Jake up and down and chuckled. "Good thing your quirk kicked in, you've really bulked up." Trevor said.
Kaleb raised an eyebrow. "What's he talking about?"
Jake's stomach dropped to the floor. No one at Morning Star Academy could know what he really looked like. If they saw his true form, they would treat him just like the kids in middle school did. They would think he was weak. Jake wasn't weak. He wasn't that scared little boy anymore.
"Shut the hell up Trevor." Jake growled.
Just as Trevor was about to say something the referee blew his whistle, signaling the game was about to start. One of the refs ran to Trevor and told him to go back to his own team or risk a flag.
"Well I should probably get back to my team. Good luck Jakey Boy." Trevor chuckled.
The boy walked off leaving Jake and his team alone.
"Who was that asshat?" Chris asked.
Kaleb turned to face Jake. One look at his face and he knew that he would try something stupid. He patted his back in an attempt to calm him down. "Don't let him get in your head. We're going to win this game."
Jake shook his head. It wasn't about winning anymore. With Trevor here that meant this game was personal.
Maryanne
"We know you think you are the best; The Lions will put you to test!" Maryanne cheered.
She and the rest of the team stood on the sidelines watching as the game went on. So far the MSA had the lead at 25 points.
"Come on Lions let's raise that score!" Victoria said nonchalantly.
Maryanne was impressed with how Victoria could smile and speak like a robot at the same time. She had great multitasking ability.
Maryanne looked over at Jarret. The boy had most of the cheers memorized and was waving his pom poms with the rest of the team.
"Having fun?" Maryanne chuckled.
Jarret blushed. "No, I'm just doing this to meet hot girls."
Maryanne giggled. If she didn't know any better it seemed like Jarret was actually enjoying himself.
"Just wait till the half time show!" Cindy laughed.
Cindy was a sophomore and Monica's best friend. However, Cindy was actually tolerable and pleasant to be around compared to Monica. She was bubbly and ditzy a sharp contrast to Monica's cutthroat personality. She had curly red hair that she currently had tied in a high ponytail.
Cindy leaned in close to Jarret's ear and whispered loudly, "Since you're going to be the one lifting me in the air if you wanted a chance to look underneath my skirt that would be the time."
Jarret blushed, his face becoming the same color as Cindy's hair.
"I—uh-um—erm." He stuttered.
Cindy turned to face Maryanne and smirked. "Your friend is funny."
The girl went back to cheering leaving Jarret speechless. He grinned and turned to face Maryanne.
"Operation get hot girls to notice me is a success." He smirked.
"I'm glad you're happy." Maryanne said.
"Alright bitches, let's get this show started!" A loud voice yelled.
The cheerleaders stopped to see Monica walking over to them. Everyone besides Victoria gave an audible gulp. Monica was intimidating she made people cry on the daily.
Monica froze when she saw Jarret.
"What the hell is this loser doing here?" She asked.
"Um…cheerleading?" Jarret said sheepishly.
Monica scoffed. "Who the fuck let you on to my squad?"
Maryanne held her head down and walked towards Monica.
"I did." She said quietly.
Monica frowned and narrowed her eyes at Maryanne. She placed her face inches from hers.
"Next time you want to make a decision involving my squad, why don't you call the captain first." Monica hissed.
Maryanne gulped. How could she have been so stupid? She should have called Monica first.
"You're right, I'm sorry." Maryanne mumbled.
Monica rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's just get ready for the half time show. For the triangle formation Victoria, Cindy, and I will be the fliers. For the chorus Megan you're going to do a toe touch while Maryanne balances you. Since Sarah's not here Victoria will be on top of the pyramid." She said.
Maryanne blushed. "I-I.."
"Spit it out Isla." Monica barked.
"The reason I invited Jarret on the team was so he could take my place and I could be on top of the pyramid." Maryanne mumbled.
Monica's face fell. For a minute everyone went quiet, curious as to what the girl might say. Then Monica erupted into a fit of laughter.
"You can't be serious. Someone, please tell me she's joking." Monica laughed.
Victoria growled. "Monica, cut it out."
Monica ignored the girl and continued laughing.
"Why would you ever be on top of the pyramid?" Monica asked.
Maryanne's stomach tied itself into a knot as Monica proceeded to humiliate her. Maryanne bit the inside of her lip in a weak attempt to stop herself from crying.
"Well I've been practicing a lot." Maryanne said.
Monica smirked. "You're still the heaviest girl on the squad, no one on this team has the strength to hold your Hippo Hips for that long. The girl on top of the pyramid is supposed to represent our squad and I'll be damned if I let my squad be represented by someone that looks like you."
As much as Maryanne hated to do so, she started crying. All she wanted was to be treated like the other girls. Even though Monica let Maryanne on the team she never passed up an opportunity to remind her that she was still a loser.
Because of her hero training and all the cheer workouts Maryanne had lost a lot of weight, she was happy with her new figure. At least she was. She still wasn't pretty enough.
"Hey Monica, fuck you." Victoria said.
Monica growled and turned to face Victoria.
"Excuse me?" She said.
"Did I stutter? Fuck you and your boring routine. Fuck you and your fake eyelashes. Fuck you and your insecurities." Victoria said.
Monica rolled her eyes. "And what would I have to be insecure about?"
"Maybe the fact that you're untalented, you have no real friends, and the fact that people only pay attention to you when you're being mean to someone." Victoria said.
Monica growled. "Watch it Crown."
"Or what Monica?" Victoria snapped.
"Do you really think you intimidate me. You may intimidate all these barbie dolls, but I see you for what you are." She continued.
She turned to look at Maryanne and smiled weakly.
"I quit. I hate cheerleading and I'm only doing this to make my mom happy. But I refuse to be on a team that will humiliate my best friend. So goodbye Monica, I hope one of these girls drops you on your head." Victoria smirked.
Maryanne smiled as she wiped her tears away. Did Victoria just call her, her best friend? Despite the fact Monica crushed her dreams, this was one of the best days of her life.
Monica gasped. "You can't quit! I've worked the whole routine around your performance. You're one of the best girls here."
Victoria rolled her eyes. "Cry me a river."
Another cheerleader raised her hand. "I quit too."
Monica frowned. "What?"
"You're really mean Monica." Cindy admitted.
"Yesterday you told me that the only way anyone could love me is if I got a boob job and plastic surgery." A dark haired cheerleader grunted.
"I was trying to give you advice!" Monica snapped.
Before Maryanne knew it every girl soon told Monica they quit as well as provided a reason why.
"You guys can't quit, we've been working on this half time performance for weeks!" Monica panicked.
Victoria scratched her chin as she thought about Monica's words.
"She's right." Victoria said.
Maryanne frowned. Why would Victoria change her mind? Was she regretting defending her?
"We're going to do the performance…we're just going to do it without you." She said.
Monica growled. "You can't do that, I'm the captain."
"You should we couldn't do the routine without me, you didn't say we couldn't do it without you." Victoria said.
Monica looked at the other girls for support but no one backed her up. She turned to Cindy in a last ditch effort.
"Come on Cindy, you're my best friend." Monica said.
Cindy looked down at her feet. "I really want to cheer Monica, but you make the team such a toxic environment. Maybe it's best if you just sit this one out."
Monica's face fell as she watched her team rebel against her. Monica growled.
"This isn't over." Monica hissed.
With that she marched off leaving the team behind.
"I have no idea what just happened." Jarret said.
Maryanne ignored Jarret and turned to face Victoria.
"Thanks for sticking up for me." Maryanne said.
Victoria smiled. "Anything for a friend."
Maryanne squealed. "So you admit we are besties! This changes everything we need to get bunk beds and matching-"
"Don't make me regret it." Victoria warned.
Victoria pointed to the football field and grinned. "You can pay me back by not falling off the pyramid."
Maryanne's face fell. "You guys are going to put me on the pyramid?"
"I mean we did just kick Monica off the team, so you could do this." Victoria said.
Maryanne gulped. "But what if she is right? What if I let everyone down?"
"What if you're great and you make everyone proud? You won't know until you try Maryanne." Victoria said.
Maryanne nodded hesitantly. Victoria was right. The only way she would be able to find out if she were cut out for being on top of the pyramid was by being on top of the pyramid.
Faith
"This game is great...I think. I don't know much about football." Cleo admitted.
Faith, Cleo, and Aerolynn sat in the stands watching the football game unfold in front of them. Aurélie was a few seats down from them taking pictures for the yearbook.
"We're winning, that's all that matters." Faith smiled.
Faith felt hesitant about joining Aerolynn and Cleo at the football game. She was afraid she would be the third wheel, but the girls were doing their best to make sure Faith felt included. Besides after everything that happened, she needed a night out.
Aerolynn looked over at the half a dozen empty seats that sat on both sides of them.
Shouldn't more people be here? Aerolynn asked.
Cleo shrugged. "When I bought the tickets the guy at the concession stand said that these seats were ordered online."
"I wonder who bought these seats." Faith said.
Almost as if the universe heard her, Faith heard a loud groan.
"Oh hell no." A voice said.
Faith turned to see Sarah and Fouzia approaching her. Sarah was noticeably wearing a large hoodie that covered most of her figure. Faith groaned; how could she be this unlucky?
"On second thought, I don't need to watch this silly football game." Sarah said.
Faith grunted. "What's the matter, you don't like football?"
"No, I just don't like judgmental bitches." Sarah said.
Faith raised an eyebrow. "When's the last time you looked in the mirror?"
"Unfortunately, I couldn't because you cracked them all." Sarah shot back.
"Original." Faith said sarcastically.
"Unlike your fashion sense." Sarah fired back.
Fouzia rolled her eyes and stepped in between the two girls.
"How about I sit between you two?" Fouzia offered.
Faith frowned as Fouzia took a seat right next to her. She and Fouzia haven't spoken since the funeral. Both girls had been so consumed with their own drama that they neglected their friendship.
"Nice of you to bring your new best friend to the game." Faith said coolly.
"I didn't even know you were coming to the game." Fouzia frowned.
"Because you didn't ask." Faith sighed.
Cleo turned to look at the three empty seats besides Aerolynn.
"Wouldn't it be funny if the boys just happened to order those seats?" Cleo smirked.
Sarah groaned. "Why would you say that?"
"You definitely just jinxed us." Faith said.
Almost as if on cue they heard Alexander and Lex laughing as they walked over to their aisle.
"Dude I can't believe we were able to get seats so last minute." Lex chuckled.
He stopped when he saw Faith and Sarah sitting in their row. His jaw fell and the girls quickly looked away, determined to not to make eye contact.
"Well this is just hilarious." Cleo snorted.
Faith sighed. She could get through one football game without talking to Lex. She just needed to keep her head down. Besides Lex wasn't the main person in her class that she was avoiding. As long as Kevin wasn't here she would be fine.
"Hey guys I brought the popcorn." Kevin said.
He approached the aisle and stopped when he saw the rest of his class was there. Kevin blushed.
"Well this awkward." He said.
Even though Faith wasn't looking at him she could tell red eyes were watching her. She made it obvious she was avoiding him after what happened at homecoming. If Lex or if anyone found out what she did…she would lose what little friends she had left. So for right now her best option was avoiding Kevin.
For the most part the teens sat in awkward silence, occasionally cheering for their team. They got the loudest when Kaleb or Jake scored a touchdown.
Soon half-time approached and the cheerleaders began to stretch in preparation for the performance. Coach Kirby smiled as he watched them. He turned to face the crowd and began to cheer.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen, our young ladies have been working on this special performance for weeks so let's give the Lionesses our undivided attention! Go Lions!" He said.
The crowd roared in agreement, excited to see what the girls had prepared.
"I wonder what song they are going to do." Faith said.
"It can't be worse than Mother's Daughter." Fouzia chuckled.
Lex smirked. "I remember that day, it was the same day Sarah flashed the whole school her underwear and refused to tell anyone why."
Alexander, Sarah, and Faith's face fell. They all knew why Sarah did what they did. They've been so focused in their own lives they had forgotten the shadiness of Amanda's past.
Sarah forced a laugh. "I helped choreograph this routine and trust me it's much better than Mother's Daughter."
"Oh yeah it's probably going to be some lame pop song." Cleo chuckled.
Sarah smirked. "Oh, you wish."
They turned back to see the cheerleaders on the field. As they began to get information their music started to play.
Whores in this house, There's some whores in this house, There's some whores in this house.
Except for Sarah, everyone's jaw dropped. There's no way the cheerleaders would perform this song in front of the entire school.
Lex gasped and turned to face Sarah. "You picked this song?"
Sarah smirked. "What can I say it's my favorite."
I said certified freak
The cheerleaders began to dance to the song, despite the song choice the girls were quite good. There was an impressive amount of flips and stunts. Faith stopped when she saw a familiar face on the field.
"Holy shit is that Jarret?" Faith gasped.
"He's actually kind of good." Sarah observed.
Kevin chuckled. "Maryanne convinced him to join."
Everyone gasped when the boy did a back flip and landed in a split.
"He can do splits?" Fouzia asked.
"He can twerk in a split?" Cleo frowned.
Towards the climax of the song the girls (and Jarret) cartwheeled over to the center of the field. With great control, Victoria jumped into Jarret and Cindy's outstretched hands. Before Faith knew it, the girls had managed to form a pyramid, with exception they were missing a top. Standing at the bottom of the pyramid was a reluctant Maryanne.
She took a deep breath and charged towards the pyramid, when she got close, she jumped into the air. Faith's heart dropped, if the girls didn't catch her this could all go wrong in seconds. Faith let out a sigh of relief when Victoria caught Maryanne and swung her to the top of the pyramid, landing on some girls' shoulders.
Maryanne gulped and balanced on top of the girls nervously.
She lifted her leg up high and grinned. "Go Lions!"
Faith grinned and clapped her hands. "Go Maryanne!"
Jake
"Alright fellas we have the lead right now if we keep playing like how we've been playing we can make it to the Championships." Coach Kirby grinned.
Chris grinned and clapped his hands. "This is our year."
Kaleb nodded in agreement. Jake however was not an enthusiastic. Even though he was winning all he could focus on was the fact that Trevor was on the other team. Not only that Trevor thought Jake was weak. Jake wasn't weak. He wasn't going ever let someone see him as weak. Not again.
"Alright Morning Star, time's up, go ahead and get ready for third quarter." The referee said.
Coach Kirby turned to face the boys. "Go get em boys."
The team got off the bench and walked to the center of the field where their opponents were already gathering. Jake saw Trevor finally take the field after being benched the first two quarters.
"I got Trevor." Jake growled.
Kaleb shook his head. "No way, you're too hotheaded right now. You're going to jeopardize this for us."
"I'm not, I just want to bash his brains out." Jake growled.
"He hasn't even said anything to you this entire game and you're still letting him control you." Kaleb said.
Those words struck a fire inside of Jake. He yelled and turn around to face his teammate.
"No one controls me!" Jake yelled.
"Jake, get out of my face." Kaleb said calmly.
Jake growled. "Do you think I'm scared of you?"
"What's going on with you? Do you think acting like this makes you tough? It doesn't, it just makes you a douche bag." Kaleb snapped.
Jake was opened his mouth to answer but was caught off by Chris's yelling.
"Are you ladies done doing each other's makeup? Some of us actually want to win this game." Chris groaned.
Without saying another word Kaleb walked over with his rest of the team. Jake took a deep breath in an attempt to control his anger. He walked over to his team and stood behind Chris.
Chris cleared his throat as he began to call a play. "Golden Delaware on 3! 1,2,3!" Chris yelled.
The minute the ball left Chris's hands Jake pounced. Even though Trevor wasn't anywhere near the ball, Jake was determined to take the boy down. He could tell he was judging him. He still thought Jake was weak.
Jake growled like an animal as he tackled Trevor, throwing his entire body weight on top of the boy. Trevor yelped in pain as he landed shoulder first on the ground. Jake smirked as he got off of the boy.
"Hurts, don't it?" Jake smirked.
Trevor growled and got off the ground.
"What the hell Jake?" He asked.
Jake rolled his eyes. "It's football, if you can't handle it, join cheerleading."
Trevor frowned. His frown then turned into a sinister smirk.
"Oh I get it. You're trying to prove you're some big man, huh?" Trevor asked.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Jake said through gritted teeth.
"You thought tackling me would prove you're not same scrawny little boy we used to enjoy bullying? Jakey Boy, you're still that kid. You've always have been and you always will be," Trevor taunted.
"Shut up." Jake growled.
"No one at this fancy school knows do they? They don't know that without your quirk you'd be some weak little-"
Trevor never got to finish his sentence because Jake delivered a strong punch to his jaw. The impact was strong enough where it managed to put a dent in his helmet. Jake was flooded with so much adrenaline that he didn't even notice. Instead he tackled the boy again, but this time, he stayed on the boy and continued to punch him in the jaw. He lost count of how many times he hit the boy. With each hit he tried to block out the memory of his past. With each hit he tried to block out his secret. Trevor was right he weak. Soon everyone would know it. He had to prove that he was a man.
He didn't stop hitting when Trevor's blood started to stain his knuckles. He didn't stop hitting when the referees blew their whistles at him or when he heard Coach Kirby yell at him to stop. He didn't stop when he noticed Aerolynn's horrified face. He didn't stop when Trevor lost consciousness.
"Jake get off of him!" Kaleb yelled.
He ran over to the blond and used one of his hands to yank Jake from Trevor's bruised body.
"Let go of me!" Jake screamed.
"Get a hold of yourself!" Kaleb ignored Jake's cry and continued to pull Jake away. Jake growled and tried pull his wrist free, but Kaleb's grip was too tight.
All Jake could think was that he wanted to get away. He felt trapped. Kaleb was just another person trying to prove that they were stronger than him. Before he even realized what he was doing he opened his mouth and barfed up a bright orange beam of energy. The energy slammed square into Kaleb's chest and roughly threw the boy several yards backward. He landed on the ground headfirst in a heap.
At that moment, time seemed to catch up with Jake. His adrenaline faded away and he looked at the bloody and bruised body of Trevor before his coaches and several sports medics circled him. His gaze then went to Kaleb who currently laid on the ground, surrounded by their fellow teammates who ran over to check on him. Coach Kirby ran and cleared them away as more sports medics were tending to him. Judging by their reactions, he wasn't waking up.
Jake stood there, mouth agape in horror. Did he really just do that?
He looked over to see the crowd looking at him with contempt, he saw his classmates with a look of shock and disbelief.
They eventually looked at him as if they were staring at some kind of monster. Maybe because he was.
Victoria
Sixteen Minutes Before the Fight:
"I can't believe I was actually on top of the pyramid! And I didn't fall off!" Maryanne cheered.
Victoria grinned. "I knew you can do it."
"I feel invincible, like I can take on anything! Is this how you feel?" Maryanne giggled.
Victoria chuckled. "Something like that."
It meant a lot to her that Maryanne was happy. The girl had been there for her throughout all of her mistakes. She finally had a real friend. Someone she could count on.
"Hey Victoria," Monica called.
Victoria and the rest of the cheerleaders froze. They turned to see Monica was watching them with her arms crossed her eyes wide with anger.
"You guys did great," She said sarcastically.
"Monica, if you don't have anything nice to say why don't you just leave us alone." Victoria said.
Monica pouted. "Don't worry girls, I'll leave you guys alone. Besides I just wanted to speak to Victoria."
Victoria turned to look at the girls and Jarret. "Go ahead, I'll take care of the trash."
The rest of the team chuckled before walking off leaving Victoria and Monica alone.
"Well aren't you just a great friend." Monica said.
Victoria rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean the way you stood up to me just so Maryanne can accomplish her dream is just so noble. I wonder how your bestie would feel if she found out you were a lying skank." Monica hissed.
"Again, what the hell are you talking about?" Victoria asked.
Monica smirked. "How would you Maryanne feel if she found that you had sex with Jake? The same boy whose been bullying her since the beginning of the year? If I remember correctly, didn't he call her a fat bitch during the Initiation?"
Victoria's heart dropped. She tried to keep a calm expression despite Monica's accusations. How could she have known? The only people that knew were her and Jake. Suddenly Victoria remembered the card in her room.
I know what you did.
All this time, she thought that it was about Matt's murder that it never crossed her mind. It was never about Matt's murder, it was about the fact Monica knew she had sex with Jake.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Victoria gulped.
"Maryanne is just going to love it when I tell her!" Monica giggled. "You're just like your mother."
Those words pricked Victoria's heart like a dagger.
"No, I'm not." Victoria growled.
Monica raised an eyebrow. "You're coldblooded, manipulative, and cruel. Just like mommy dearest."
"I am nothing like my mother." Victoria said through gritted teeth.
Monica chuckled. "Maybe I'll call your mom up and tell her that her little princess got deflowered in the school gym. I mean she got pregnant in high school too, so maybe she'll be proud of you. Like mother like daughter."
"I said I'm nothing like my fucking mom!" Victoria screamed.
Before she could even process what she was doing she already grabbed a fistful of Monica's hair. The blond girl screamed in pain as Victoria roughly pulled Monica's head toward her before flipping the girl. Monica yelped in pain as she landed roughly on the ground. Victoria growled and jumped on top of Monica.
She wrapped her hands around the girl's throat and screamed in frustration.
"Say it again! Say it again!" Victoria screamed.
Victoria looked into Monica's blue eyes and saw her own reflection.
Five Years Ago:
"Say it again." Janelle taunted.
A ten year old Victoria laid on the floor, coughing up blood from how hard her mother punched her.
Victoria growled and looked up to face her mom.
"I said I hate you." Victoria said.
Janelle howled and kicked Victoria in the face, her head roughly hitting the wall behind her.
"You ungrateful bastard! I've given up everything for you!" She screamed.
Now:
The memory left as quickly as it came, but it was enough to paralyze Victoria. She removed her hands from Monica's neck, allowing the girl to gasp for air.
Monica was right she was just like her mother.
Addy
Addy yawned as she brushed her hair. She was starting to hate her cell. She had been in here for months. Granted she was glad that Amanda had placed a divide between her cell block and Quirk Killer's and Land Mine's.
A soft click pulled Addy away from her daydream. She turned to see who was approaching her cell. She gulped when she saw who it was.
"Hi Amanda." She said.
Amanda smirked. "Hello Addison, you look healthy."
Addy blushed. "Aw thanks, you starving us has helped me lose a lot of weight."
Amanda ignored Addy and reached into her handbag and pulled out a black blazer and a red skirt. It was a schoolgirl uniform.
She smirked and tossed it over to Addy who caught it with ease.
"What's this for?" Addy asked.
Amanda smirked. "Well, you're going to need it for your first day of school."
"What are you talking about?" Addy asked.
"Well Addison, I think it's time Mrs. Zambiea's students meet their new classmate. I hope you missed Sarah, you're going to be seeing her really soon." Amanda smiled.
