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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The next week is a living hell for Gina.

Wherever she goes, people catcall her and mocks her. They would flash printed pictures of Jake with his lips blown up at her. They would put little Post-its with fake love letters from Jake on her locker. They whisper behind her back, and steer out of her way whenever she comes. They would say things like "beware the backstabber!", and the boys would clear out of her way, saying "watch out here comes the whore!" and every other insult that comes along with it.

She's been miserable. She sits at the back row at classes, trying to ignore Marley, Jake, and Ryder. She has skipped Glee club for days, and she has been avoiding everyone. She has no friends, no one to talk to, no one to confide in. She has no one she can trust anymore.

Sometimes she locks herself in the bathroom and cries. Sometimes she sits on the cold auditorium floor and sings songs to herself. Sometimes she peers into the auditorium when the Glee club is practicing, leaning on the exit door and closing her eyes, singing along quietly to herself. She wishes she could find the courage to step up to that stage and sing along with them. But she can't. She can't handle the fact that all the Glee clubbers probably hate her, thinking of her as a traitor. She once overheard Unique complaining about her to Sugar. Unique, furiously, told Sugar that Gina didn't have a clue on what her backstabbing actions could do to the entire Glee club. If Marley was upset, she wouldn't be in her best condition for Regionals. If this was the case, the Glee club could lose Regionals, and then it would be over for all of them.

"Unique is not going to let anyone bring down my girl," he says. "Glee club will win Regionals. That is why we should nip the bad weed in the bud while we still can."

Gina ran away after that, not wanting to hear the rest of the story.

To the entire McKinley high school, she is a heartless, selfish villain. To the Glee clubbers, she is the pest that needs to be terminated. Permanently.

Nothing can help her feel better. Even a counseling session with Ms. Pillsbury didn't do anything to her. The two of them just sat there, Gina grouching, Ms. Pillsbury trying to keep the spirits up by asking her questions like "have you tried giving them an explanation?" and shoving colorful pamphlets up her nose. When she left she felt like she had wasted an hour of her life.

Sometimes, when she is alone, she wants to pick up her phone and dial Ryder's number. She wants to hear his voice, to hear his horrible jokes and Dr. Phil-ley advice and soothing voice. She misses that kind voice, that twinkling glow in his eyes when he talks to her. But at the last minute she always catches herself and remembers how Ryder had hurt her. He had probably never cared about her in the first place. It was all just an act. Gina laughs at the irony – Ryder said she was a backstabber, when he was the one who backstabbed her in the first place.

She has been avoiding Ryder ever since. Whenever they meet in the hallways she would take a detour or look away, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. But it's hard to do, with all the insults and catcalls and mocking laughter trailing her everywhere. When they have the same class, she sits as far away from him as possible. When he calls or texts her, or even send her messages online, she pretends that she isn't there. What else is there for him to say? How else does he want to break her heart?

And Jake. Jake. There is nothing left to say. She can't face him; she can't look him in the eye. She's so ashamed of herself that she feels like collapsing to the floor whenever they meet. Marley, too, kills her with her pitiful stares at Gina. Marley offers her a bleak smile from time to time – trying to be nice, as usual, Gina suspects – but that only makes her feel even guiltier. She wants to explain to Marley, but how could she? She's just a coward who hides behind her attitude. She doesn't have enough guts to even talk to Marley.

It has been almost two weeks now, and Gina is still hurting. She still has watery eyes whenever she thinks of Ryder. She misses having a friend. She wishes she was back in Indonesia, where she had real friends, real people who liked to be with her, who cared for her and was concerned for her…

"Hey,"

Her heart leaps out of her chest. She spins around and finds Jake Puckerman looking at her.

She forgets how to breathe for a moment. She thinks she might be nailed to the spot. Her hands are shaking, and she notices sweat dribbling off her face. Gosh, she looks embarrassing. Her hair is messy. Her clothes are all wrong. Her eyes are puffy from crying from the bathroom. Her skin is dry and cracked and –

"Um…" Jake looks uncomfortable, shrugging and shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Say something, please? I don't… you look like I just killed you or something."

Gina takes a deep, long breath. "Did you just… hey me?" she manages to blubber out. Her voice is too high pitched. Her tone sounded too cocky, too arrogant. He might think –

"Yeah," Jake says awkwardly. "I, um, guess I just did."

Gina's head is spinning a hundred miles per hour. "Why?" she asks, and her voice goes up a notch.

Jake seems to think hard for a minute before answering her. "Look, just… just meet me at the auditorium after school today, okay?" he says. "I… I have business with you."

Gina is even more dumbfounded. "What do you want with me?" she asks.

"Just… just come," Jake says. "Please?" He looks nervous and weird at the same time.

Slowly, Gina nods. If Jake wants to meet up with her, then it is fine with her. Completely fine.

"Okay, um, see ya soon," he says, and he runs off before Gina could say another word.

Gina is at a loss for words. She doesn't know what to think. What does Jake want with her? Does he want to talk to her privately, so he can personally throw her whatever insult he's been keeping inside for days? Does he want to beat her up, lash out at her and threaten her never to embarrass him in public again? Does he want to intimidate her for hurting Marley? What does he want with her?

Gina feels herself shivering as she walks to her next class.

Why is Jake calling Gina to the auditorium? What's he going to do to her?