Rat Race

Giselle tried not to roll her eyes as Tabitha Green and another girl sat beside her. She hated the fact that her yoga class was for sophomores and up. But Coach Laurel thought it’d be good to have the whole cheerleading team take yoga. It would be easier to ‘bond’, she said. Giselle hated it.

“So I totally saw them. I didn't think Rosalynn would go that far!” Tabitha practically broadcasted her conversation to the whole room.

Giselle sighed heavily. God, sophomores weren't much better than freshmen. Just cockier.

Tabitha stopped her afternoon announcement and turned to Giselle, mid-crow. “Hey... Jelly.” She smirked.

Giselle rolled her eyes closed at the juvenile nickname she acquired in elementary school. She was a little chunky and her name had turned from Giselle to Jelly. It was amazing what things stuck no matter how much time had passed. Her eyes opened and she breathed through her nose. “I wonder how many 'friends' you had to back stab to get that sort of confidence.” She said, relaxing into lotus position.

“At least I have friends.” Tabitha said icily.

“Are they your friends?” Giselle questioned. “Or your daddy's credit card's?”

“Jel-”

“And don't think trashing a senior's reputation is going to get you popular.” Giselle opened her eyes and looked at Tabitha. Her face was an unattractive red. “Ugliness gets you nowhere.”

“And you would know, wouldn't you, Geek?”

The red head's eyebrows furrowed in pretend confusion. “So, because I actually want to do something with my life instead of partying, I'm a geek now? Did you happen to forget that I’m head cheerleader and could kick you off the team like that?”She snapped her fingers pursed her lips. “I think you need a reality check.”

“Giselle... Tabitha? Do we have a problem here?” Ms. Janine wheezed, her glasses sliding off as she attempted a handstand.

“No, we're fine.” Giselle scowled, her day ruined. But it usually was with valley girl classmates like Tabitha.
~
Rosalynn walked in from her late lunch at Dazzle, a boutique with a huge desert bar, three blocks away from the school. Students were hustling through the hallways, getting ready for the last class of the day.

It seemed like eyes from all over were staring at her- which was expected, of course. It just seemed like a lot more than usual.

She calmly sauntered toward her locker, her heels clicking beneath her. She'd missed the whole day of school, so she wasn't in a rush.

“Hi...” Her best friend, Aaliyah Cameron greeted her at the locker beside hers decorated with pictures of Paul Rudd. She looked skittish and her voice sounded nervous.

“Hey?” Rosalynn shook off her jacket and hung it in her locker while simultaneously yanking her math book out. She looked at Aaliyah suspiciously. “What's up?”

Her friend stopped picking at her nails and threw her hands down. “So when were you going to tell me?”

“Tell you... what?” Rosalynn chuckled, shutting her locker.

“About what happened!” Aaliyah placed her hands at her hips.

Rosalynn raised an eyebrow.

“C'mon don't play stupid, Rosalynn. You don't have to do that with me!” She said, hurt.

“Do what with you? I have no clue what you're talking about.”

“When were you going to tell me about your...” Aaliyah glanced around and whispered, “Tryst with James Fowler?”

“Who the hell is James Fowler?”

“The guy you hooked up with!” The short brunette exploded.

“The only guy I've recently 'hooked up' with,” Rosalynn put air quotes around 'hooked up' because at that moment, she didn't even know what the phrase pertained to. “Is Lucas. You know that. And I don't even know a James Fowler. So whoever told you that bull is wrong.”

“Omigod, were you drunk?” Aaliyah gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. “I didn't know you drank. And certainly not at school!”

“Aaliyah!” Rosalynn kept her voice down to a whisper. They were still in a hallway full of students. “I don't drink and I don't 'hook up' with guys I don't know!” She leaned towards Aaliyah.

Aaliyah frowned, unable to grasp that. “That's not what I and every other person in school heard.”

“When did you hear this?”

“To...day...” Aaliyah said quietly.

Rosalynn straightened and hitched her purse higher up on her shoulder. “From who?”

Aaliyah shrugged casually, already walking toward their math class. “Some sophomore, I think.”

Rosalynn sighed in confusion, her finger tapping against her glossed lips.
What sophomore would be stupid enough to do that?