A/N:Hey, thanks so much everyone! Glad you're loving it and please keep up the feedback! 3
[7th of October, Friday 3:00PM]
"CAILAN!"
The girl went sprawling to the ground, the squeaky sound of flesh dragging against the wood gym floor echoing above the music. Cailan picked herself up and shook it off.
"Are you okay?" Marlen began freaking instantly; as Cailan's protégé she had an obligation to make sure her mentor was alright.
"Yeah, yeah I'm sorry you guys. I guess I got one dance mixed up with another," she let the younger girl pull her to her feet and straightened her uniform.
"You know, you've been doing that a lot lately." Casey said, tossing her curled pony tail over her shoulder.
"She's on three different teams, give her a break that's a lot of focus," Marlen said straightening.
"…Look, Calie, we know you're great and that you've got obligations, but…look, don't you think you might be biting off, well, more than you can handle?" Meg asked, looking from Calie to Casey; she was co-captain and didn't want to be mistaken for attacking her friend for the head position on the team.
"…" Cailan sighed; she'd put this dance together herself, going to Meg for edits; she should know the moves herself. They performed at halftime tonight for the football game—both the dance and the cheers.
"Yeah, do you even know how you're going to manage tonight?" Casey asked, folding her arms over her chest in a challenging stance.
"…Yes, I do. The same thing as always." Cailan smiled and said through gritted teeth. "I'll cheer with the rest of the cheerleaders and them come out for the dance with you guys, then go back to cheering."
"Cause you can manage that."
The gym grew quiet as Casey stood facing Calie. Casey was a blond girl, tall and lean with great thighs and a nice rack. She had a uniform a size too small, long lashes and heavily glazed lips—glazed, not glossed.
"Casey, I know you're concerned for the team, but I've got this. Just like I did last year, and the year before. It'll go just like it did at every other game we've cheered. Our routine is great, our girls are gold, and our football team has plenty of studs to keep us motivated." She smiled and calmly tried to get the girls back into formation.
"You're darting off during practices, forgetting moves and cheers, and running into us all over the place. You can't even get the routine right, how are we supposed to trust you when we're up in the sky doing aerials and you're here supposed to catch us?"
A murmur went through the girls gathered. Cailan looked at the all in a sweeping motion with her eyes; in a moment her mind burned through thoughts that if she didn't take command back now, her team would soon 'mutiny' and get rid of her. She knew that judgments and rumors were spreading like wildfire; if Cailan lost control she lost her team.
"Casey I'm captain, end of story. If you've got an issue with that, you can quit. As for the rest of you," she turned, her voice becoming stone. "We've got two hours to practice before we get dressed, pack on the bus and set up the field over there. So, back in formation. Now."
"Marlen, music." She ordered, straightening her back and stiffening. "One, two, one two ready go!"
…
[4:06pm]
"Ms. Leal," the girls—in the midst of acrobatic doings and practicing's—all soon stopped and meandered around, looking to the principle.
He waggled his finger in beckoning manner.
"Yes sir?" Calie asked as she walked over.
"Let's, uhrm, speak in private." He motioned out the door.
"Ms. Leal, I've noticed that you're grades have started slipping. Under the conditions of your scholarship, you must keep your grades up."
"I—I know, I'm working on it. I, uh, just had some trouble with the classes but, I've already gotten tutors for some classes. My grades will be back in place in no time,"
"…if not, you realize the first thing to go will be your extra-curriculars,"
…
[8th of October, 2:45pm]
The next day Cailan was less than prime for the gymnastics meet. It was nothing big; gymnastics was more of a spring sport, this meet was simply to keep the small team in shape and give them practice. However, after the confrontation with Casey, the warning reprimand she'd gotten from Principal Harding and the staggering loss at the football game, her own confidence took a serious blow.
She didn't medal, or place high for that matter. What that meant was that her team suffered points, lost placing. Pretty much, she'd messed up for the team. Her coach was pissed, her teammates were pissed, hell, she was pissed.
And she knew that by Monday the entire school would be talking about it and Casey was going to make sure of it.
…
[9th of October, 3:30pm]
"Hey Wally…it's me, again. I was just wondering if we were still meeting up? Maybe, I could buy you that ice cream I owed you? …uh…call back if you get this,"
She pulled out a chair and set her bag on the table, looking around.
Cailan waited an hour and a half before she got a coffee, and another half hour before finally giving up and calling it a night.
"…uh, hehy," she sighed into the voicemail. "me again. Just wanted to let you know I'm up for rescheduling…sorry to have missed you…again. Bye Wally,"
…
[12th of October, 11:13am]
"Hey Wally," Cailan smiled, leaning against the locker next to the younger boy's.
"Oh, hey Calie." She watched his jaw jump and felt the air drop about ten degrees.
"…uh, so…about Saturday—"
"Yeah, sorry I couldn't make it. Look, my mom said she wants me at home to study and take care of my siblings, so…I can't help you anymore. Sorry Cailan." He said, refusing to look at her and slamming his locker door closed before he turned and left her here.
Surprised she stood there, staring at the empty space that used to hold Wally. Blinking, she realized she was still standing there, staring stupidly. Fighting her blush she glanced around; other kids were already looking at her, muttering to their friends behind their hands. She felt their eyes on her, caught those eyes darting away after they'd been caught looking. Taking a deep but shaky breath Cailan straightened and began walking down the hall.
…
"…how can she do that?" Dick questioned, peering after the high school 'queen' as she walked calmly and surely down the hall.
"Do what?" Artemis snapped, hardly tossing a glare over her shoulder to address her friend.
"That; how can she walk down the hall like that? I mean…she just…like, exudes an air of seniority."
"Because she's a pampered little princess whose mommy and daddy have given her everything she ever wanted who rules the school through rumors, sex, and popularity. Can we change the topic now?"
"…uh…" Artemis shook her head and stormed off before Dick could correct her; Cailan didn't get everything from a rich mommy and daddy. "Jealous much?"
He shook his head and smiled, following after her towards the class they had together. He sent one more glance down towards where Cailan had disappeared.
…
[12:19pm]
"Uh, hey, Conner, right?"
"Yeah," the soot-headed boy said, arching the brow of a blank face at her.
"Hi…uh, you're a good friend of Wally's, right?"
He still stared at her, his face still void, the air still uncertain.
She took a deep breath to calm herself of jitters she didn't know why she had. "C-Could you…I mean, uh…do…" she paused, mentally shook herself and smiled again. "Sorry. Ahem…do you know if there's something wrong with Wally?"
"No." he said flatly, never getting emotion to his face, walking towards the table he shared with his friends.
"Okay well," she rushed out, hurrying to catch his shoulder "could you…tell him if I've done something, I'm sorry?"
This made Conner pause and take a good look at her. It didn't seem like she was lying. He felt something he wasn't sure he liked; it was…a different feeling.
"Sure."
…
"You're girlfriend's trying to apologize." Conner said bluntly as he gently shouldered between Megan and Kaldur; Dick and Artemis (thanks to clever hacking) now shared the same lunch.
"Huh?" The redhead said, looking glumly up from his food.
"Conner rolled his eyes half-way to a bite of pizza. "You're girlfriend, the cheerleader/dancer/whatever. She bugged me to harass you about being sorry."
Wally stiffened and glanced to Kaldur; he was irritated but knew Kaldur had been right in his decision, but now he was trying to be on his best behavior. So, getting nothing from the other two Wally shrugged and went back to his food.
…
[1:49pm]
"I heard that Tony said Jake and Calie have some…wild…ideas about how it's done," Amy was saying.
Cailan paused—froze—and listened, hoping they hadn't noticed her sneakers before she could pull them up to the stool's rim.
"Pft. What's that news? Half the team talks about what a slut she is,"
Cailan's jaw dropped and her eyes flashed with anger. She did her best to hold her breath steady and not burst through the stall door. She didn't even have a boyfriend!
"Well Jake was talking about some pretty intense stuff." Amy insisted.
"Guys, don't you two have anything better to do? She's my friend and I'd know if she were doing those things," Calie heard Meg say.
"Yeah, well, it's kind of hard to not believe when Mat said it flat out."
"Or when Josh decked Drew on field?"
"Hey, I heard that was over Marlen, not Cailan," Meg said. "Besides, guys lie all the time about sex! They have to…well, stroke their egos and make themselves look good to their friends,"
The three tittered over the terrible pun and resumed doing their hair. "Besides," Meg said, rolling her shoulders. "Calie doesn't and hasn't had a boyfriend, like ever. Her and Jake have only just started to see each other. She hardly has time for a relationship!"
"Casey says different. She says—"
"That girl is a power-hungry bitch. She hates Cailan. If you guys were her real friends you wouldn't believe rumors about her."
"Right Meg; that's exactly why you and Adam were talking about how Cailan had been leading him on and was only interested in another notch on her bed-post." Beth sneered. "Oh, don't give me that look. I heard you talking to him at the game this weekend. He was totally undressing her with his eyes and you went over and asked if he'd seen her and Roy at the party when she'd gotten drunk and…well, you know."
Cailan felt her heart sinking. Meg was—she'd thought—had been, a good friend.
Two choices. Stay and hide or confront them. Stay and hide, confront. Okay. Fine.
"Didn't know you all were so loyal. You know, talking like that, people might think you're a little obsessed." She said flatly as she walked stoically out of the stall.
"…well, speak of the devil,"
"Literally." Beth confirmed of Amy.
"Why" her voice caught and she battled frustration and anger. "I thought we were friends."
"We are. Were. Whatever. We were just talking about what's going around." Beth shrugged, realizing that the most popular girl at school was on the brink of total social-suicide.
"Do you guys really hate me enough to keep spreading these lies?" Calie asked, her voice cold and her body so stiff it ached. Her eyes held each of the three girls, ending on Meg.
They each squirmed a little under her gaze. Calie's hands clenched tightly, her long nails digging into her palms. "Well?" she spat through clenched teeth.
"…no…we don't," Meg said, looking frustrated and sad and confused all at once. "Don't you get it? We're just tired of you being little Ms. Perfect, all the time. Everyone loves you, all the guys want you, you do everything. It's…sickening—no matter what you're always happy, all the time! Well…look at you now. Not happy, are you?"
Beth and Amy looked satisfied to see Meg walk out without a reply. They smirked and looked to each other, started giggling. Then—taking a cue from Meg and gaining a confidence they didn't deserve—they turned on their high heels and walked out of the bathroom.
Cailan walked to the sinks, trembling. She didn't think she'd ever been so angry. Gripping the porcilen sink she looked into the mirror. Her eyes were red; she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't. Ignoring the ringing bell sounding the start of a new class she riffled through her purse and dug out a brush and her makeup. A little eyeliner—dark brown—and mascara and her eyes looked almost as good as new, you could only tell if you looked close. Next she ran her brush through her hair, rolling it at the ends to give her hair an inward flip and some body. Lastly, feigning a good demeanor and air of being okay by now, she pouted her lips and glossed, smiling at her reflection and trying not to notice how fake it was.
…
"Sorry I'm late Mrs. Kelly," Calie said as she pranced into the computer's class nearly fifteen minutes late.
"Class started nearly twenty minutes ago."
"Fifteen, Mrs. Kelly." Calie answered shortly, standing at the teacher's desk. "Won't happen again."
The teen flashed a smile and walked to her seat without giving Mrs. Kelly a chance for reprimand. Her seat was a table back from Dick's and two seats over. The teacher stared after her, obviously startled.
Gothem_red07: Pretty brazen. Dick gave an appreciative smirk and typed off a message in seconds flat.
the13th:wat do u mean? Cailan replied through the IM box, keeping a plastered smile on her face as she pretended to work.
Gothem_red07: You kidding? Walking all over like you own the place?
People say things. I'm saying, that was pretty brazen, talking to Mrs. Kelly like that. Anyone else tired it they'd probably get a detention.
the13th: o. ill be a senior nxt yr; u just act like they cnt touch u, and no1 tries.
who r u, btw?
Gothem_red07: just a kid who finished work early.
the13th: …okay, how'd u get my sn?
Gothem_red07: good with computers. It was easy to find.
Calie let the curser blink on her monitor. What else was she supposed to say? She minimized the box and resumed work on her assignment. But as she worked she let her façade slip away and her mind wandered. What were people saying right now? Her face grew worried, sad even. Dick (having been hacking and playing games for the past half hour) glanced over now and again. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was upset.
Gothem_red07: something up?
the13th: no, y?
Gothem_red07: Cause I'm pretty good with people, and your face screams 'woe is me, I need someone to talk to'
the13th: …mayb. But, u don't seem like 1 for chitchat. Sides, ur a stranger.
Gothem_red07: yeah, that's true. But I'm a good listener too.
Calie thought a moment, staring at the cursor for a good five minutes. The she signed out and logged off ten minutes before the bell sounded. For the remainder of class she sat looking into a black computer screen, pretending to do her hair and adjust her clothes and fix her makeup.