This is where things get serious! Remember how much Gina hates being ridiculed in public, and imagine her rage and humiliation while reading this chapter.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The first thing Gina notices when she opens the door of McKinley High next morning is the stares. Then, the smirks. The mocking smiles, the laughing eyes, the amused whisperings. She thinks at first that there is something embarrassing sticking out of his nose or shoe or face, but once she makes sure that she is clean, she frowns in confusion at all the unwanted attention.
She continues walking through the hallway. Everywhere she looks, people are looking at her. Some look like they don't give a damn, but most, especially the Cheerios, give her degrading looks as if saying, go back to where you're from, freak. You don't belong here.
When she finally reaches her locker, she checks her reflection in the mirror. Nothing embarrassing. Nothing funny. She doesn't have too much make up on, her hair is all right, there is nothing wrong with her. Then what? What is really going on?
Artie wheels past and Gina immediately stops him. "Artie," she leans in to whisper to him, "why is everyone acting like I've grown a horn on my head?"
"That's because everyone already knows, Gina," Artie says casually. He doesn't seem to care much about whatever is going on, and Gina feels a kind of relief.
"Know about what?" she asks carefully. Her heart beats wildly. Know… about what?
Artie straightens his glasses before answering, "That you like Jake Puckerman. And that you're only friends with Marley because you want to get closer to him."
Gina's jaw drops. She looks around her wildly, sudden panic surging through her. What in the world? "Who… what… how…?"
"The rumor spread like wildfire last night," Artie continues. "After Glee practice, the Glee kids got an anonymous text. Whoever sent it said that he knew your deepest secret. Well, then everyone kind of found out, and… it took off from there."
"But… but… but that's not true!" Gina almost yells. "That's a lie! Those are just rumors!"
"Which one is a lie?" Artie questions. "That you like Jake or that you became friends with Marley because of him?"
Gina can't find the strength to answer. She is so angry right now that her face turns red. Her mind goes blank, it races a hundred miles per hour as she tries to process what is happening to her life, her world, and her reputation at McKinley high right now. She is doomed. Done for. She will be the new laughingstock of the school, and her image as the fearless, sassy girl no one could mess with is ruined completely.
They have found her weak spot.
"Everyone kind of thinks you're a backstabber now," Artie says uncomfortably. "I mean, I'm not sure about it myself, I'm team Switzerland all the way, but I think some of the guys like Unique and Sugar think you're the bad guy for screwing Marley up like that."
"I didn't screw her up!" Gina cries desperately. "I don't! I truly like her! Gosh, why don't people just give me a break? Use your brains, people! Think!"
"Um… The text also mentioned several other things about you, like you were actually not a choir group leader back in Indonesia, that you were either bulimic or anorexic because you were a – um, I beg your pardon here – midget, and that you were a – beg pardon again here – bitch and whore because you also flirt around with Ryder, when you're only using him –"
Ryder. Gina has finally connected the dots. Ryder is the only one who knows about her feelings for Jake. Only him, and no one else. Not even Mr. Schue or Ms. Pillsburry knew about it, and she is the school counselor. Gina was pretty good at hiding her secret. If no one else knew about it, then the only answer to this question is Ryder.
Gina feels a sharp pang of pain as she processes this information. Ryder had betrayed her. The one friend she thought she could trust, had spread her secret around like cheap flyers, adding information that she couldn't even bring herself to think about. She imagines Ryder's warm, smiling face, and her chest feels heavy. He looks so nice, so kind, that she cannot believe that he could do something like this.
That's it.
Gina storms away, leaving a very confused and awkward Artie alone. She glares at anyone who sneers or giggles at him. She even drives one boy who mocks her with catcalls to the wall. She is angry. No, she is beyond angry. She is furious. She feels like planting her fist on every single face in this crowded hallway.
Halfway across, she comes face-to-face with Marley. They lock eyes for a moment, and then Marley looks away. "What did I ever do to you?" she whispers, her voice faint, sending daggers to Gina's heart. Marley, to her horror, is on the verge of crying. "I thought… I thought we could be friends…" She lets out a tiny sob and walks away.
"Marley, wait!" Gina tries chasing after her, but then she freezes, because Jake has joined her. He glances back at Gina briefly, which causes her heart to leap up to her throat, but then he chooses to wrap his arm around Marley and ignore Gina.
Her knees buckle. Hot, angry tears form behind her eyes, but she bites her tongue to stop herself from crying. No. She will not show weakness again. Not here, not in front of these people. She will be the strong, confident, no-nonsense Gina everyone at McKinley high knows her to be.
But her heart feels hollow, and her head is spinning.
She can't hold it anymore.
Poor Gina! What do you think will happen to her next?