Chapter 20: Your Days Are Numbered
"We don't have all day whoever you are!" Grey James yelled shooting up out of his seat beside Tyler which made their clique break out in laughter
Was it weird that every single guy I hated in this school a football or basketball player? I don't think so. I tutored Grey back in tenth grade hence he was two years older than me yet we were in the same grade now. Let's just say he might have had the looks but definitely not the brains. Successfully he had passed with my help with flying colors. Afterwards; without a Thank you might I add, he never talked to me again.
And now he didn't even remember my name.
My cheeks burned in discomfort and my legs quivered. Maybe if I didn't get up, they'd move onto the next person.
"Calm down, James. We all know you're going to be stuck here for another year. Get used to it!" Carter retorted with a smirk. The entire gymnasium broke out in laughter and I couldn't help smile at the thought of him standing up for me. Grey muttered a few words under his breath but remained quiet for a while at least after taking his seat.
Serena on the other hand didn't like it one bit. Her eyes found me in one shot and they were glaring. If she had heat vision I'd be dead by now.
I slumped down in my seat but then Mrs. Brady repeated my name for a third time.
"Get up there before I make a scene Cerise."
I took in a deep breath at Kelly's words before standing up. The little amount of wind in the gym gave my bare back goosebumps. I dreaded not wearing one of my granny sweaters right now. I didn't care if my deceased grandmother wore it on her seventeen birthday. It was darn right comfortable. A few puerile and mocking whistles were thrown out when the little wind blew up a bit of my dress but it didn't get far because of my speedy hands. I walked onto the tiny stage, jutting my hat down some more.
"Hey, Nerd! You got a date?" Allison Tater snorted
"Yeah, with a textbook!" Tyler replied fist bumping the laughing guys around him
"Students. Keep your foolish comments to yourself." Mrs Brady spoke into the microphone.
"I-I didn't enter." I muttered softly and quietly but Mrs. Brady only looked at me as if I was half crazy
"Of course you did, dear. Your name was the first on the bulletin and your drawing was the first one in. That drawing of that bouquet of purple perennial flowers was lovely." She chuckled moving her mouth away from the microphone.
I did remember drawing those flowers one night in the bakery but I never sent the drawing in.
"But I seriously did not enter." I couldn't stretch that enough. Wasn't it illegal to forge signatures for events like these?
"We'll talk later." Mrs. Brady says dismissing my presence and returning to the podium.
*
"Can you believe this, Kelly? Someone forging my signature and entering the contest for me?" I tried to contain the vast amount of anger that riled up inside of me, but I just couldn't.
"Maybe it was Serena." Kelly shrugged, opening her locker
"How did Serena manage to get one of my drawings?" I asked her, pulling the hat on my head even more. If I adjusted it again I'd probably pass out or something since it felt extremely tight now
"I don't know. Magic? I can't talk to you when that hat is almost covering your entire face" She complains
"Great. It's serving it's purpose." I replied trying to open my locker but with eyes covered by the hat
"Cerise, this is ridiculous. I'm pretty sure anyone who knows you knows that's you're wearing that dress." Kelly groans snatching the hat off of my head
"Wait! No!" I jump towards it but she backs away
"Look at your forehead." She hands me a small pocket mirror from her locker and I study the red hat marks
"You're not getting this back til after school then I don't want to see it again." She says sternly stuffing in into her locker and slamming it back
Such a mom
"You do know I have your combination, right?" I laugh ignoring for a second my messy brown hair that's revealed to the world
Well it wasn't messy. Just not perfectly put together like it's suppose to be on a regular school day. And the hat definitely didn't help it either.
"Yeah, yeah. So I'm guessing we're going all Nancy Drew and figuring out who entered you into the competition." She said sarcastically, running a hand through her hair
"I swear I'm going to kill whoever did that. He or she is going to wish they were never born. I--"
"Are those threats I smell?"
I turned around to see Carter looking down at me. He was tall but not too tall. Okay about six ft three. He leaned against the locker beside me..
"You-You entered me in that competition, didn't you?" Now wasn't the time to stutter, Cerise..
"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't " he said slyly with his right hand behind his back
"But how'd you do it?" I asked curiously
"You left this back at my house." He said revealing my book of drawings.
"What were you doing at his house?" Kelly asked, I could hear the enjoyment in her voice
I mumbled 'For the project' then let my thoughts trail on the book again. How'd it even get out my book bag? I was just glad he didn't see my other book. You know; the sad one filled with love letters dedicated to him.
I snatched the book quickly stuffing it into my bag and rewarded him with my severe glare once again.
"You had no rights doing that!" I spat, but not too loudly since the hallway was filled
" Okay, okay. So maybe I lied." He chuckled.
"So you didn't enter for me?"
"Nope. I was about to, but you're name was already on the bulletin."
This made absolutely no sense whatsoever. If Carter didn't do it and Kelly didn't do it then who did? My head started to ache from all the thoughts spiraling inside. But that still didn't give him the right to think about putting my name on the bulletin without my permission.
"Even if you didn't do it; You were about to do it."
"You're really talented, Cerise. And I'm not just going to sit back and watch all your talent go to waste."
My cheeks flushed a bright pink and I desperately tried to hide my constant blushing which wasn't working until Kelly let out an interrupting cough.
"I have to get to class." I say which is a horrible excuse since the bell hasn't rung yet. But better to be early than late, right?
"Yeah. We have one more decision on the project. We don't have to to go to my house if you don't want to. Probably the city park. I can pick you up--"
"I'll meet you there." I say hurriedly
"Okay. Then I'll see you there around five. If you're not working that is." He said with a smirk, his eyes scanning my outfit before leaving.
*
I threw the huge purple shirt over my head. It almost reached my knees. This was definitely not my size and I knew Serena probably picked it out. Yes, hch had a uniform. I brushed the strands of fallen hair out of my face as I stuck both feet into the white baggy pants that went along with it before looking down at myself. I was fully dressed and not a single piece of flesh showing unlike the girls in the gym that I was suppose to meet now.
I forced my gym bag into the tiny locker before exiting the locker room. When I arrived in the gym there were snickers and hyena laughs thrown out when most of the girls got a look at me, but I didn't really care. Maybe the shirt was a little too big and I had to stuff a little in my pants, but I was accustomed to wearing baggy clothing.
"Hey, Cerise. Guess what?" Kelly tugged on my shirt sleeve excitedly ignoring my outfit as I took a seat on the bench.
"What?"
"You're suppose to guess" She whined
"Okay, okay. Vince asked you to marry him. You said yes then you rode into the sunset on his black stallion." I said dryly looking at her for a response
She pouted. "No.", "Serena was demoted so now she's co-captain."
"She still has some authority." I pointed out watching the cheerleaders gossip in a huge circle around something or someone, but she was not Serena."So who's in charge now?" I asked emphasizing 'charge'
"Byron's sister. Bianca." Kelly answered, getting up from her seat.
Great. Now I had to worry about his sister. He already loathed my guts and I his, but now his sister would make my life a living nightmare. On the bright side; I didn't have to endure Serena's tasks.
"Gather around, everyone!" Bianca said through the bullhorn that Serena used to hold. I could sense the bit of envy Serena held standing next to Bianca.
I hopped off the bench and followed behind Kelly who had already found a standing spot in the circle. Bianca was really pretty. She had blonde hair like her twin brother and that warm yet comforting smile that could easily evaporate when they wanted to ruin you. But nonetheless she looked like she couldn't hurt a fly. Just that happy go lucky cheerleader. But if she was anything like her brother I knew that was just camouflage.
"I'm sure you're all aware of the changes that were made the other day. I'm now head cheerleader and my beautiful friend over here, Serena is co captain." Bianca said hugging Serena sideways. Serena shed a fake smile in return or at least I could tell a fake Serena smile when I saw one.
"Okay, girls. We're going to work on a new routine today."
"N-New routine? What was wrong with the routine we had before?" Serena asked her drowning in jealousy.
"I was hoping we'd spice up things. That one was so dull and boring." Bianca shivered as if someone had just asked her to do the most unpleasant thing in the world
I held back the laugh that wanted to flee from my mouth as Serena began counting under her breath. Something she did when she was extremely angry. Okay, so today has officially been enlightened by this practice.
Minutes went by and I glanced over at the girls working on their routine. Looking up from my book every so often because Bianca's staring was getting to me. I thought I was doing something wrong when she made everyone stop. The girls paused from their pyramid as she started making her way towards me.
"What are you doing?"
I couldn't get my eyes to look up at hers, but they had no problem searching Serena not too far behind her enjoying this. "I- Well usually I sit here until someone orders me to do something." I answered, closing my book.
"She's hch." Serena chirps in.
"Hch? That position hasn't been held since freshman year." She laughs. "But I'm in no need for an hch."
I furrow my eyebrows in confusion to where this conversation is going. Until she finally says.
"How would you like to be on the team?"
Serena's eyes widened and so did most of the girls around her. Kelly seems surprised, but has that look that she's comfortable with it which I'm not.
"I don't know- I can't be--" Bianca stops me. "There's no such thing as can't. Can you do a handstand, splits and or cartwheel?" She asks, listing each on her fingers
Surprisingly I could do all three. I nod my head and she smiles. "Then you're in."
"Whoa whoa whoa." Serena steps in between us. "She cannot be on the team."
Bianca gives her a look that reads "And why not?". "I mean look at her. Do we really need that on our team?"
"She's a human being, Serena. And I say we should let her join. Who's with me?" Bianca's hand shoots up in the air. The girls exchange short whispers before sticking their hands up also. Serena glares at me with folded arms but then a smirk forms on her face.
"Okay, she can be on the team. But she has to pass evaluation."
Everyone gasps at the 'e' word. Even Kelly and Bianca. But then Bianca clears her throat regaining her fearless posture. "I'm sure she's up to it."
"Good." Serena says simply. "My house. Saturday."
*
"What evaluation? I'm going to die, Kelly!" I started to panic as we walked down the entrance steps.
"You're not going to die, Cerise. You just have to pass a few childish dares they throw at you." Kelly reassures waving over her ride
"Remember Donna?" I ask quietly, but then she just turns to me slowly.
"You're not going to end up like Donna. " She places her hands on my shoulders firmly. "The whole team will be at Serena's house Saturday. Including me and I won't let anything bad happen to you."
"Maybe I should just drop out of this thing." I sighed
"No. And give Serena the upper hand of seeing you back away? I don't think so. You're going to prove to her that you can handle whatever she throws at you. No matter what."
And those are the last words Kelly says before waving me a goodbye as she enters the vehicle that pulls off.
Since mum is back she wants to establish a regular driving routine which meant driving Aubrey and I to school then picking us up. She really wanted to build the bond that disappeared so long ago when she left the city.
I spot her car not too far away and start to it. As I arrived I noticed she was talking to a man. He looks like he's around the age of forty or late thirties like mom, but wearing a very expensive looking suit. It's dark blue with a thin green windowpane pattern. Single breasted, but with peaked lapels. Along with handmade buttonholes and functional cuff buttons.
The shirt is white, with lavender stripes running up it. The tie is deep purple, solid and sleek. He has dark brown hair, but a few grey streaks runs through it and he leans against the car as he chats it up with mom.
"Oh, there she is! Cerise, darling. I'd like you to meet Ned." Mom introduces the man who turns to me
"Nice to meet you." The man stretched out his hand to shake and I do so.
"We met at the airport yesterday and now we run into each other here." Mom says in a magical tone
"Maybe fate." The man says with a smile that makes me want to puke up my lunch. Fate, really? That's what you're going with?
I stood there for a while as the two conversed. I wasn't used to seeing mom laugh with a guy who wasn't related to her or dad and it made me feel slightly uncomfortable.
"Ned Archer, you are something else. Such a flirt." My mum says to the man who kisses her hand gently in a departing way.
"I'll pick you up at seven." Ned says before leaving
"Can you believe it, Cerise?We're all going to Ned's house for dinner."
But I just stand there in shock of the man's last name that was called out moments before he left. Archer. As in Byron's family. Related to Byron.
"Cerise, you in there?"
I refused to believe it.Could it be possible that Byron's dad just asked mum to come over for dinner? Was Byron's dad interested in my mother? If they got married, think of what would happen to my life.
Byron would be my brother.
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