Riverside

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Arden," Ronnie said as she rushed up to me about ten minutes after school. I was shoving things in my locker, but it was overflowing a bit and my notebook kept falling out. "I'm so sorry."

I furrowed my eyebrows and bent down to pick up my notebook. "Sorry about what?" I asked.

"There was an emergency cheerleading meeting," she said.

"What? Since when and why didn't I know about it?"

"That's the thing. They didn't want you knowing about it, and I didn't even know until they pulled me into the classroom because they knew I would tell you. But they voted if they still want you as captain or if they want someone else because of the whole you not showing up for the basketball game."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah, really," Ronnie said. "And....they all voted for a new captain. Well, I didn't and I tried to tell them what really happened, but Peggy, of course, wouldn't let me talk."

"Are you serious?" I asked. "So they're not even giving me a chance to explain myself?"

Ronnie shook her head. "No. I'm really sorry, Arden."

"Don't be sorry," I said. "You actually tried to keep me as the captain. It's Peggy who didn't."

Peggy and Colette walked over. Speak of the devil. Literally the devil. I never thought Peggy would ever stoop that low to do what she did just so she could be the captain.

"Oh, hey, Arden," Peggy said with a fake smile. "I guess Ronnie told you the news."

"Yeah, she did."

"Good, good," Peggy said. "So, we're holding a practice today. Right now. You two should head over to the back field."

"I can't, I have to go to work," I said. "You know I work on Wednesdays."

"Oh, you do?" Peggy asked and I was very tempted to glare at her. She knew I did, and that was why we never had practice that day. "Well, it's a mandatory practice so if you don't show up, you're off the team."

As much as I loved cheerleading, I honestly didn't care at all. I would never want to be on a team where Miss Gossip over there was the captain, and lied to get there, no matter how much I loved cheerleading.

"Fine," I said. "Then I guess I'm off the team."

Peggy gave me a fake pout. "Aww, I'm so sorry, Arden. Don't worry, I can easily find a replacement for you."

"Trust me, I won't worry," I said. "I'm too busy worrying about something else. Well, someone else. Does the name River Gillespie ring a bell." Peggy and Colette both furrowed their eyebrows. "Oh, didn't your mom tell you? Yeah, I'm the one who hired her to prove River's innocence."

Peggy widened her eyes. "You what? He's dangerous, and a murderer, and you're trying to get him out of prison?!"

"Yeah, you heard me," I said.

"I can't believe you," Peggy said. "You're too trusting, Arden. It's your major fault."

Yeah, I know, because if I wasn't, then I wouldn't have trusted her to think that she was my friend.

"I don't care," I said. "Because I am going to get River out of that prison if it's the last thing I do."

Peggy scoffed. "No, you won't, because he's guilty. I don't care if my mom is a good lawyer. She won't be able to prove a guilty man's innocence."