Lions Pride: Mean Girls Next Generation

11

"Mom, yes. We understand." Ithlilen nodded, "It's for safety reasons, we got it."

"Another thing. Don't forget to feed the cat!" Regina declared. "Don't start doing other things and forget about him. He's just like you, he needs to eat. And the litter box, please for everyone's sake...don't let it get out of control."

"Yes, I'll be very upset if I come home and my cat isn't taken care of!" Cady spoke up.

"Simba will be fine too!" Clara reassured, "We'll all be perfect. Just..go, you're gonna be late!"

After many more reminders and slight lectures, Cady and Regina finally got into the vehicle.

"We love you! See you in two weeks!" Cady called from the passengers seat.

When morning came, everything felt weird. Clara woke to her alarm and was startled to go downstairs and not find Cady holding out an apple to her for breakfast knowing how eating to much in the morning hurts her stomach. Raph immediately missed brushing his teeth alongside Regina as she told him all about the newest gossip at her office. And Ithlilen...almost didn't wake up on time. Without his mothers there to shake him from his sleep, he found himself running into his home room class just barely before the bell.

"Mr Heron-George, running behind today I see." The teacher asked holding a clipboard containing everyone's names.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry, sir!"

He quickly took his seat with his group of friends. Ithlilen couldn't help but blush at the onlookers giggling at him. Most of which, were girls.

"Why're they all laughing at me?" He asked his friends finding himself trying to hide his face.

"Dude, I don't wanna sound like a jerk but...did you get dressed in the dark or something?"

"No...why do you—oh my god!" Ithlilen looked down to see his outfits was an assortment of different pieces of clothing belonging to his family members. He had his own jeans on...backwards. Raph's tap dancing shoes. But most embarrassing of all, he was wearing Regina's blush pink hoodie with the phrase "girls just wanna have fun" written across the chest. "Why didn't Clara or Raph tell me?!"

"What's up with you, bro?" One of his buddies asked. "I can believe you'd accidentally come to school in your mother's clothes but..even your hair is a train wreck...."

"It's just been an....exhausting day." Ithlilen blushed trying to hide the words written across his chest.

He was able to save the rest of the conversation by revealing how he was "allowed" to participate in the demolition derby.

From there, he was riding high. He managed to flip his jeans around, and change into a t-shirt and sneakers from his gym locker. When he found his sister and brother later in the day, there was hell to pay.

"What the crap?! Why did neither of you tell me I looked like that?!"

"We figured you knew..." Clara chuckled

"Why would I willingly come to school wearing Mom's clothes?! Do realize how mortifying it was to walk into home room wearing a pink hoodie that says 'girls just wanna have fun' with lipstick kisses all over it?!"

"Dude, we're sorry. We figured you had eyes!" Clara couldn't help but snort in laughter. "We honestly assumed you were just missing her so..you decided to wear one of her hoodies to school."

Ithlilen glared the two down with an intense look of betrayal. "We're family! I trusted you! And Raph, does this whole twin thing mean nothing to you?!"

Raph only shrugged keeping a simple smirk on his face.

"I've never been betrayed so hardcore in my entire life! By the ones who share my last name as well!"

"Yo Shepherd, I think I've found someone who might beat you in the drama department!" Clara called to her friend who just happened to be passing by.

"What?! Oh no she isn't!" Shepherd gasped pulling Charlotte along for the ride.

"Oh no...Clara why? I finally got him to stop ranting about why movie version of Cats ruined his whole year..." Charlotte whined

"Who is this person who thinks they can beat me?!" Shepherd demanded

"Right here!" Clara motioned to her younger brother. "Let's sit down...this'll be good."

"What makes you think you have the power to beat me?!" Shepherd asked Ithlilen. "I don't think you understand who you're messing with!"

"Yeah! He's got the power of god and anime on his side!" Charlotte called from her spot next to Raph and Clara. When she got confused looks, she responded with, "What? It helps him get in the zone!"

"If you must know! I have been completely and utterly betrayed to the highest order by my own siblings!" Ithlilen waved his arms around.

"Hm? Oh yeah? Well, I was attacked by your family's cat last time I was over! He most definitely tried to kill me! He sunk his flesh destroying claws into me and began ripping as I screamed in pain." Shepherd acted out

"Oof...that ones gonna be hard to beat." Clara nodded

"Oh yeah? Cool sorry! I was unfairly treated with the upmost level of disrespect! They're family, and you expect them to care for you! You expect them to hold you close and protect you! But no! I was left all alone and abandoned looking like a complete fool!"

"I mean...one part of that sentence was true..." Clara chuckled to Raph, who nodded with his smirked face in agreement.

"Your vicious feline, who hunts for his next victim caught me in my weak moment! I was heartbroken due to Clara's situation! I was blindsided by a fluffy creature and trusted him to bring me a smile in my time of need! But alas, all I received in return was a horrifying screech and a cat nail in my flesh! I screamed! I called for help but no one could hear me! I was about to be left for dead as Simba's dinner!"

"Fat lie! I was there! I saved you!" Charlotte complained.

"This could go on forever. Let's just call a truce." Ithlilen sighed holding out a hand.

"There are no truces in drama battles! This shall continue until one of us comes out on top! See you at lunch Ithlilen Heron-George. Get ready....to lose!" Shepherd announced skipping away.

"I better make sure he doesn't blindly skip into the maintenance closet again. Last time he did that...I found him upset down turtle...his butt stuck in one of those garbage cans. For weeks afterward I had to listen to 'how he found his true home'." Charlotte chuckled hurrying after her other half.

While being completely distracted by the hilarity of the current situation, Clara missed the approaching threat.

"Clarabelle Heron-George. Long time no see." Ethan's voice cracked like thunder would in a silent night. Unexpected, and world rumbling.