Chapter 3: Meet Christina

The Burnt Bean was humming with activity, the smell of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the murmur of relaxed conversation. In a cozy corner, Lisa had gathered a small group for their casual meet-up: Lynn Jr., Lucy, Christina, Girl Jordan, Clyde, and herself.

Lisa, ever the efficient communicator, begins the meeting. "Thanks, everyone, for coming today. I wanted to update you on Lincoln's well-being, particularly for those who are newer to our group." She nodded towards Girl Jordan. "Lincoln's adjusting well. He's been more involved in family activities—watching Lynn Jr.'s soccer games, joining Lucy's poetry slams, running errands with the twins, and most recently, he's reconciled with our father.

Clyde leaned forward, a smile spreading across his face. "That's really great to hear, Lisa."

Lisa nodded, her eyes twinkling. "Also, I want to welcome our newest member, Girl Jordan."

Girl Jordan waved, a friendly smile on her face. "Hi, everyone. I'm glad to be here and I want to do whatever I can to help Lincoln. So moving forward, these meetings are about his progress right?"

"Precisely," Lisa replied. "We meet to update each other on Lincoln's mental health and devise strategies to help him find his voice again."

Girl Jordan then turned to Christina and asked. "So how long have you been in this group Christina?"

She took a deep breath, her eyes reflecting a mix of regret and determination. "I've been here since the beginning actually. I started this group during our freshman year of high school and wanted to make amends with Lincoln. Middle school was incredibly tough for him. Even after the confession, I made multiple attempts to apologize. But no matter how hard I tried, I realized it was best to give him space and live with the guilt."

Girl Jordan listened intently. "So, when high school started, you thought maybe Lincoln would open up to someone he trusted, like family?"

Christina nodded. "Exactly. But it wasn't easy. Many of his sisters didn't want anything to do with me. Some even despised me."

Lynn Jr. interjected, her voice firm. "Some of them still do."

Christina chuckled nervously. "Right. Maybe I should start from the beginning, from where it all started. It's best if you hear it from my perspective."

Girl Jordan listened intently, her focus solely on Christina. "I'm all ears."

Christina leaned back in her chair, absently twirling a strand of her curly red hair around her finger. "You know, moving from Detroit to Royal Woods felt like stepping into a cage," she begins. "In Detroit, I had it all. Friends everywhere, boys bending over backward to get my attention. Flowers, gifts, dates... I was living the dream."

Girl Jordan nodded, sipping her coffee. "Sounds like you had quite the life there."

Christina sighed, her eyes reflecting the memories. "But I wasn't always the nicest person. I had them doing my homework, lying for me to get out of detention. All it took was making them feel special, telling them how great they were, flirting just enough to keep the favors flowing. My so-called friends? They were green with envy, always wishing for my downfall. But I use my popularity as a shield to keep them in check."

She glanced at Girl Jordan, who was hanging on her every word. "Then there were these two girls in my old social group, Evette and Ada. They were always jealous, and one day they decided to take me down. They vandalized our principal's car—smashed the windows and stole his wristwatch. They planted the evidence in my locker. To top it off, they caught a girl with curly red hair on camera running away. And who has curly red hair? Me."

Girl Jordan's eyes soften. "What happened next?"

Christina's voice trembled slightly, more from the memory of the betrayal than fear. "Principal Hobbs confronted me in front of everyone, asking me to lead him to my locker. He looked so disappointed, saying I was one of the best students. 'Why did you do it?' he asked. I let the tears flow—crocodile tears. I told him, 'Principal Hobbs, I didn't do it. I swear.'"

She took a deep breath and continued, "As he searched my locker and found the baseball bat and his watch, more students started gathering around. I thought fast and decided to give a speech. I said, 'Despite how strong the evidence is, everyone knows I wouldn't do such a thing.' I pointed to a student, Jimmy I believed in you passing that math test even when you doubted yourself. I pointed out to another student, and Luis I cheered for you knowing you'll make the last shot of the game."

Girl Jordan shook her head in disbelief. "And that worked?"

Christina nodded in return. "Yes, it did. The students started murmuring in agreement. One kid even yelled out, 'Maybe she was framed!' and soon, everyone was saying it. Principal Hobbs, seeing the tide turn, sighed and told everyone to settle down. He decided I couldn't possibly be the culprit. I wiped away a tear, and thanked him for believing in me.

Girl Jordan leaned in closer. "Go on?"

Christina's eyes close in on the memory. "Another student yelled, 'Let's find the real culprit and make them apologize to Christina!' But I raised my hand and pleaded, 'Please don't. I'm sure whoever did this feels remorse and will think twice before doing something like this again. In fact, the real victim here is Principal Hobbs. His car was damaged, and his watch was stolen. He deserves justice.'"

She chuckled softly. "Principal Hobbs appreciated my sincerity but agreed it was best to let it go. He was just glad no one was harmed and just hoped the real culprit would turn themself in. As the crowd dispersed, I walked toward Evette and Ada, hugged them both, and whispered in their ears, 'I know you did it. Pull a stunt like that again, and I'll do something ten times worse. Got it?" They gulped and nodded. 'Got it,' they said in unison.

Christina's smile turned icy as she added, "And by the way, Ada, that wig getup was tacky as hell."

As Christina finished her story, Girl Jordan spoke, her tone curious. "You know, after hearing about your life in Detroit, you kind of give off a mean girl vibe. Moving here must have been like starting fresh, stripping off the reputation you built."

Christina nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Yeah, coming to Royal Woods was nerve-wracking but also exciting. My plan was to mingle with the most like-minded individuals at Royal Woods Elementary, which, by the way, was you and your friends—Molly, Rachel, and Cookie."

Girl Jordan looked perplexed. "You thought I was popular? What made you believe that?"

Christina admired Jordan's blissful nature. "You asking questions like that is exactly why people like you. You're genuinely kind with no ulterior motives. You don't care what people think of you, and they admire you for it, even if you don't realize it. So, when I came around, you welcomed me with open arms."

Girl Jordan's mind drifted back to the first time she met Christina. It was in Mrs. Johnson's class, and the memory was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.

Mrs. Johnson stood at the front of the classroom, her warm smile welcoming the new student. "Class, we have a new student joining us today. This is Christina. She just moved here from Detroit. Christina, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"

Christina stood at the front of the room, her curly red hair catching the light. She waved to the class, her voice steady but with a hint of nervousness. "Hi, everyone. My name is Christina. I just moved here from Detroit. I like going to the mall, cooking, and going to concerts. My favorite rock band is Smooch, and I'm really looking forward to their next performance here in Royal Woods. Being the new girl isn't always easy, so I hope you'll all welcome me with open arms."

The classroom erupted in applause, and Christina made her way to the back corner, where an empty seat awaited her next to Girl Jordan and her friends.

As Christina sat down, Girl Jordan leaned over, whispering, "Hi, I'm Girl Jordan. No, my name is not exactly Girl Jordan. There another Jordan who's a boy. So in order not to confuse us two they call me Girl Jordan and him Boy Jordan. but you can call me Jordan when its just us girls. These are my friends, Cookie, Rachel, and Molly. I love your curly hair! What do you use to keep it looking so nice?"

Christina felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Thanks, Jordan. I use a mix of coconut oil and shea butter to keep my curls defined and frizz-free. I also swear by this leave-in conditioner called Curl Magic."

The girls slowly opened up to each other, their conversation flowing naturally. Cookie, Rachel, and Molly joined in, asking Christina more about her life in Detroit and her interests. As the minutes passed, Girl Jordan knew she would be an integral member of the group, hoping Chirstina would find a sense of belonging.

"When we first met, it felt like any ordinary introduction. But as time passed, our friendship grew deeper and more meaningful."

Christina smiled, nodding. "Yeah, we did have some good times, didn't we?"

Girl Jordan's eyes lit up as she reminisced. "Remember when we used to ride our bikes to the park and spend hours just talking and playing? Or that time we built that epic treehouse in your backyard? We even had a secret handshake!"

Christina chuckled softly. "Yeah, those were fun times."

Girl Jordan continued, "And let's not forget our sleepovers. We would stay up all night watching movies and eating popcorn. We even tried to bake cookies once, and they turned out to be a disaster, but we laughed so hard about it."

As Girl Jordan continued to reminisce, Christina gently interrupted her. "Jordan, there's something I need to tell you."

Christina took a deep breath and gently held Jordan's hand. "I need to be honest with you. When I first became friends with you, it wasn't for the right reasons. I saw you as a way to quickly gain popularity, just like I did in my old school. You were a means to an end for me, a way to climb the social ladder and make everyone else fall in line."

Girl Jordan slowly moved her hand away from Christina, her voice laced with silent anger. "So, your plan was to be the queen bee? If any of us stepped out of line, would you resort to underhanded tactics? Like manipulating the boys to like you, keeping them on a leash when things got tough? Or maybe even turning us against each other?"

With her head down in shame, Christina answered, "Something like that. You know full well who that someone was—Lincoln."

Girl Jordan tried to readjust herself, fighting off the livid anger swelling inside her. She wondered what kind of friend Christina really was before she met her. "Christina, I know you're being honest now, but Lincoln was just another pawn in your game."

Christina looked up, her eyes filled with remorse. "Jordan, I know you're angry, but he's the reason we're here in the first place."

Girl Jordan sighed, trying to calm herself. "Right. I'm doing this for Lincoln."