章 48: Chapter 48: Confrontation
THIRD PERSON POV
The girl has just finished changing then she put her things in the locker. The new position seems to be too much work and it has been eating much of her free time.
“Hey.” A voice from behind her materialized. Without turning back, she already knows who it is. The deep timbre of her voice is so distinct no one could mistake it for someone else.
“Hi. What brings you here? I thought you’re still at the café.” The girl continues to fix her things. Her back still on the other person.
“I quit.” The other answered.
She stilled at this. She turned around at an awfully slow pace. “Why?”
“I guess you know why. Or are you still going to pretend you don’t know why?”
The other person is leaning on the wall, her face obscured from the little light that enters the ladies changing room. Her expression unseen from the girl standing in front of her locker.
“What are you saying exactly?” The girl doesn’t back down.
The other person straightened herself. She slowly strides towards the girl who isn’t backing away. The girl keeps standing immobilized and steadfast in her place. They see face to face.
“It was all your doing. The pictures. The bullying in the washroom. Maybe even the problem during the fest was intentional.” Alex coldly told her. Her inquisitive stare boring into the girl’s eyes. “Why?”
Alex wanted to know if there was any logic in this girl’s doing. She wanted to know why would she do those things.
“You’d never understand, Alex. You’ve got everything from the start. You don’t have to work for things you wanted. You don’t have to work for people’s attention.” The girl scoffs.
“So that’s it? You envy me? Why involve the others?” Alex demanded. Her hands waving in the air then it falls on her sides.
“No. Truthfully, I adored you. I wanted to be close to you just like Breana, but she’s always the one you’re looking out for, before and even now.” The girl strides outside, heading towards the gym.
The building being beside where they are, Alex follows behind her. There’s not much people around since it’s after classes in the noon.
“Do you know I’ve always wanted to be a cheerleader?” The girl looks wistfully at the court. The basketball team is practicing. A few students are watching.
“Of course, you don’t know.” She shakes her head. “You see; I’ve worked so hard but I never had the chance because there’s Ari. I’ll always be in her shadow.”
Alex stays silent, listening to the girl’s soliloquy. It’s like the girl is telling her a story. The story of what lead to this.
“Then remember when you invited me camping? Man, that was memorable. Only to find out I was just replacement because Sunny chickened out.” The frustration is seeping in Selena’s voice. She laughed humorlessly.
“I accidentally saw you and Bree together that day so I followed you without actually planning to do anything but the idea just popped in my mind when I went along. You confessed into liking Sunny at the camping trip. It was obvious Ari likes Bree but I was shocked when I saw Bree kissed you. I didn’t see that coming. It was like hitting two – no, three birds with one stone.” Selena pauses.
She looks at Alex before continuing.
“I’m damn tired of being a spare, of being second rate, of waiting when will I get my turn to be first at something. You wouldn’t understand that Alex.”
Alex strode in long steps. When she reached Selena, she held her by the collar, wrinkling the sheet around her neck.
“Let me tell you this. I didn’t have everything even back then. Unlike you, even the slightest chance of having a dream is robbed off of me by my parents. Bree only wanted to be herself, she doesn’t want people’s attention. It wasn’t her DAMN fault I befriended her. Ari worked her ass off as well, it’s not just YOU. When you decided not to show up during the fest, she managed to pulled it off, WITHOUT YOU because she did her best, she worked hard for it and she treasured her position.” Alex hissed with gritted teeth.
Her hands gripping tighter on the wrinkled cloth. It was Selena’s betrayal that made her mad but beyond that, it also hurt her because she actually treated the girl as a true friend. She realizes she lost one now.
When she finally calmed down a bit, Alex lets go of Selena. She looks at her with eyes devoid of emotion. “We TRUSTED YOU and we were wrong in doing so. I don’t want you in my life anymore. I hope you’re satisfied that you got what you wanted.”
With that, she left Selena together with their unmended friendship.
---
Ari witnessed what happened. They were by the bleachers with her team mates, waiting for their new cheerleader, namely Selena, for the practice.
The encounter of the two went unnoticed except for Ari. The two were hidden by the stairs. She almost panicked when Alex almost lost her temper as she held the cheerleader by the collar, they didn’t need another student to get punished for assault. Fortunately, Alex didn’t and that put a relief to Ari as she stayed seated.
“Yo! Queen Ri!” Someone shouted. She turned to the source of the voice. It was one of her team mates.
“What’s up?”
“Someone’s looking for you.”
Ari knitted her brows. She isn’t expecting anyone and she sure didn’t have any expected appointments or dates since they’ll be busy for preparations for the inter-high games.
Just then, a panting Breana showed herself. The girl looked like she had run a marathon.
The newly arrived person pulled her without saying anything. Ari’s teammates were as surprised and puzzled as her.
“Wait, wait. Bree, where are we going exactly?”
“To your coach.” Breana continues dragging her along.
“Wait. Why?” Ari pulls back.
Bree stops. “We need to tell her what happened. It wasn’t your fault; you were just mad at them for hurting me. I’ll talk to your coach. You can’t be punished for that.” The girl stammered as she catches her breath.
“It’s fine. It’s true. I was the one who started it anyway.” Ari tried to placate the anxious Bree.
“But you’re not cheerleader anymore.” Bree’s head droops low. Ari cupped her face to look up.
“Well, let’s just say I’ve enjoyed my time and I don’t want to be too busy anyway. The last school fest was hard on me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. You don’t have to worry.” Ari reassures her.
“Then I guess you’ll have time to go out some time.”
“Yeah, we could all go out but I don’t think it will be a good idea until the two – “
“No.” Bree stopped her from finishing her sentence.
“No?”
“No. It will not be the four of us, I’m thinking maybe just the two of us.” Breana looks at her expectantly. Her eyes smiling along with her lips, making her dimples visible as ever.
“O-Ohh. Well, I still have practices but it won’t be as tedious as before. Just give me a heads up when you’ll want – us – to da – I mean, hangout.” Ari feels attacked by Breana’s cuteness. She’s embarrassed and nervous how she almost said date. She isn’t sure if lately, it was all Bree’s advances towards her or she’s just being too hopeful again.
“Sure. Good luck with your practice then.” She gave a tap on Ari’s shoulder before running away.
“Hey! Stop running around! You might actually trip or something.” Ari shouts. Breana might be already too far to hear her but her feelings are surely received and eventually, it’ll be returned, bit by bit.
---
P.S. Happy Lunar New Year!!! :)
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