Status: Up and Running.
Rat Race
Stick a Foot In It
“I still don’t see why you had to stay after. It’s, like, six o’clock, and I missed Jersey Shore,” Aaliyah whined as she and Rosalynn walked out the front double doors of the school.
“Really, I thought you had more class than that, Aaliyah,” Rosalynn replied, airily. “And besides, we didn't have to do anything; I did," Rosalynn huffed out a breath of cool air and yanked a baby blue beanie out of her purse. Shoving it on her head and bringing her curls to rest on shoulders, she paused as she saw the cheerleaders burst out of the girls’ locker room.
"Here comes the Ice Queen," Aaliyah muttered, referring to Giselle Bentley.
Giselle Bentley was the leader of the pack with her cronies trailing her like a cluster of eager puppies. With the exception of that Barbie look-alike, Rosalynn noted. She trailed behind them with a scowl on her sweaty red face, her hair in a sloppy side bun, and her arms were crossed.
“The time has come for another Cheer Sleepover,” Giselle was saying. She always looked so put together and today was no different. Wearing a tan blazer over a white blouse, indigo jeans and oxfords, she looked well above all of those overly tanned robots. Coming to a complete stop, Giselle watched as the girls formed a loose circle around her.
Rosalynn and Aaliyah had unconsciously come to a complete stop also, shivering in their pea coats, but keeping their eyes trained on the cheerleaders in the middle of the school lawn. They still hadn’t noticed the two girls.
“Now, as you know, coach wants us to have monthly sleepovers to learn more about each other and grow ‘closer’,” Giselle’s dry voice and eye roll let everyone know exactly what she thought of that event. “So!” She clapped her hands and her voice lilted with a fake brightness, “Who wants to host it this time?”
Everything was silent as the girls looked at each other with questioning eyes. No one would volunteer.
“Why don’t you do it, Jelly?” Barbie’s voice rang out in the silence.
The girls’ immediate giggles were stifled as Giselle glared at them, her eyes seeming to capture each of theirs. “Do what exactly, Tabitha?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“Host the sleepover, of course.” Tabitha’s smile was that of the Cheshire Cat’s.
“Uh, that won’t be possible,” Giselle straightened out the imaginary wrinkles on her jacket and ran a hand through her short red hair. “There’s something going on this weekend,” she said.
“There’s always something going on,” Tabitha rolled her eyes and pinned Giselle with a challenging gaze, “Cancel.”
It was once again awkwardly silent as the two girls glared at each other.
“I’ll host it!” The words tumbled out of Rosalynn’s mouth before she had time to stop them. All the girls, including Aaliyah turned to look at Rosalynn. Tabitha’s face twisted into an ugly scowl and Giselle’s smoothed over to disinterest.
“You’re not a cheerleader.” Giselle didn’t say it unkindly. Just in a matter-of-fact way.
“I know,” Rosalynn said just as evenly, “I figured I’d see what all the fuss was about. Plus…” Rosalynn paused, “My house is pretty… roomy.”
That was an understatement. Everyone knew that her father had some deep pockets. This was evident by the anxious looks each of the girls, minus Giselle and Tabitha, gave each other.
Tabitha opened her mouth in outrage. “Sure,” Giselle said, glancing at Tabitha. Rosalynn could see a hint of a smile on the girl’s lips. “We’ll be at your house by 7.” Then she turned and walked toward the student parking lot. The girls quickly followed, Tabitha throwing one last glare over her shoulder at Rosalynn.
She didn’t know why she just volunteered to have a bunch of cheerleaders in her house overnight. She guessed she was curious. She’d seen the slight uneasiness in Giselle’s eyes. Giselle, the girl with a stony façade who rarely showed her feelings. There was something that she was hiding. There was a reason she didn’t want those girls at her house. And Rosalynn wanted to find out.
“Really, I thought you had more class than that, Aaliyah,” Rosalynn replied, airily. “And besides, we didn't have to do anything; I did," Rosalynn huffed out a breath of cool air and yanked a baby blue beanie out of her purse. Shoving it on her head and bringing her curls to rest on shoulders, she paused as she saw the cheerleaders burst out of the girls’ locker room.
"Here comes the Ice Queen," Aaliyah muttered, referring to Giselle Bentley.
Giselle Bentley was the leader of the pack with her cronies trailing her like a cluster of eager puppies. With the exception of that Barbie look-alike, Rosalynn noted. She trailed behind them with a scowl on her sweaty red face, her hair in a sloppy side bun, and her arms were crossed.
“The time has come for another Cheer Sleepover,” Giselle was saying. She always looked so put together and today was no different. Wearing a tan blazer over a white blouse, indigo jeans and oxfords, she looked well above all of those overly tanned robots. Coming to a complete stop, Giselle watched as the girls formed a loose circle around her.
Rosalynn and Aaliyah had unconsciously come to a complete stop also, shivering in their pea coats, but keeping their eyes trained on the cheerleaders in the middle of the school lawn. They still hadn’t noticed the two girls.
“Now, as you know, coach wants us to have monthly sleepovers to learn more about each other and grow ‘closer’,” Giselle’s dry voice and eye roll let everyone know exactly what she thought of that event. “So!” She clapped her hands and her voice lilted with a fake brightness, “Who wants to host it this time?”
Everything was silent as the girls looked at each other with questioning eyes. No one would volunteer.
“Why don’t you do it, Jelly?” Barbie’s voice rang out in the silence.
The girls’ immediate giggles were stifled as Giselle glared at them, her eyes seeming to capture each of theirs. “Do what exactly, Tabitha?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“Host the sleepover, of course.” Tabitha’s smile was that of the Cheshire Cat’s.
“Uh, that won’t be possible,” Giselle straightened out the imaginary wrinkles on her jacket and ran a hand through her short red hair. “There’s something going on this weekend,” she said.
“There’s always something going on,” Tabitha rolled her eyes and pinned Giselle with a challenging gaze, “Cancel.”
It was once again awkwardly silent as the two girls glared at each other.
“I’ll host it!” The words tumbled out of Rosalynn’s mouth before she had time to stop them. All the girls, including Aaliyah turned to look at Rosalynn. Tabitha’s face twisted into an ugly scowl and Giselle’s smoothed over to disinterest.
“You’re not a cheerleader.” Giselle didn’t say it unkindly. Just in a matter-of-fact way.
“I know,” Rosalynn said just as evenly, “I figured I’d see what all the fuss was about. Plus…” Rosalynn paused, “My house is pretty… roomy.”
That was an understatement. Everyone knew that her father had some deep pockets. This was evident by the anxious looks each of the girls, minus Giselle and Tabitha, gave each other.
Tabitha opened her mouth in outrage. “Sure,” Giselle said, glancing at Tabitha. Rosalynn could see a hint of a smile on the girl’s lips. “We’ll be at your house by 7.” Then she turned and walked toward the student parking lot. The girls quickly followed, Tabitha throwing one last glare over her shoulder at Rosalynn.
She didn’t know why she just volunteered to have a bunch of cheerleaders in her house overnight. She guessed she was curious. She’d seen the slight uneasiness in Giselle’s eyes. Giselle, the girl with a stony façade who rarely showed her feelings. There was something that she was hiding. There was a reason she didn’t want those girls at her house. And Rosalynn wanted to find out.