“I’m not avoiding it. I just don’t want to sit with them.” I take a bite of my pizza and chew slowly.
Screw salads. So what if I don’t get thrown in the air anymore? It’s not like I’ve been dying to return to that ‘epic’ position.
“Are you coming back to the captain position?” Cindy, a sophomore, asks with a timid voice.
“I don’t know.” And I really don’t. Cheerleading isn’t my goal in life. True, I’m still not sure what my actual goal is, but cheerleading is definitely not it.
Besides, this is senior year. They’ll have to elect a new captain soon. Doing it at the beginning or the end of the year shouldn’t make a difference.
My gaze strays to the ‘main’ table. Bree sits on Asher’s right, running her red-manicured fingers along his bicep…his strong, veiny bicep. She giggles at something he says like some silly teenager with a crush.
He’s eating while throwing glances her way.
Something boils in my bloodstream, turning it all hot and green.
How can Bree, who claims I’m her best friend, flirt with my fiancé right in front of me?
Not that I want to sit next to Asher. Ever.
But still, I don’t like people stepping all over me, especially fake friends like Bree.
“At this rate, there will be a division in the squad.” There’s a sadness in Lucy’s voice as she plays with a fork on her salad plate.
“Correction.” Naomi slams her plate down and sits across from me. She usually doesn’t even eat in the cafeteria. “Lucy is too nice to tell you there’s already a division in the squad.” Naomi points at the cheerleaders, the boys and girls sitting with Bree. “Bitch Uno’s Team.” She motions at our table. “Bitch Dos’ Team.”
The girls gasp, but Naomi isn’t done. She takes a bite of her pizza and speaks casually. “I wonder who will win. Actually, scratch that—you’re losing by forfeiting.”
“Stop it, Nao,” Lucy scolds.
“Nah, your captain seems to have buried her head in the sand like Little Miss Ostrich, so it’s time for a wake-up call.” Naomi throws her hands around. “Bree has been all over Asher like a snake and you’re letting her. She’s taking over the squad and you’re letting her. She’s snatching your position at this college and—OMG, shocker—you’re letting her. Hashtag fall of a queen.”
I suck in a long breath. “Have you ever thought maybe I don’t want to be on those pedestals anymore?”
Naomi laughs. “Could’ve fooled me.”
“I’m not joking, and I don’t have to prove myself to you or to anyone else.” I put down my pizza. “I’m done being the old Reina. I won’t go out of my way to be someone I’m not.”
Silence falls over the table as if I’ve spoken holy words.
“So…what?” Naomi narrows her eyes. “You fell once and now you’re abdicating the throne?”
I smile. “I don’t remember having any throne to abdicate. I lost my memories.”
“But we didn’t. None of us did.” The maliciousness in Naomi’s voice takes me by surprise.
“Nao…” Lucy trails off.
“No.” She shakes her head. “Memories on or off, you’re still a selfish bitch, Reina.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” My tone hardens.
“You’re leaving it all to Bree knowing exactly the type of freak she is. All you care about is getting yourself out of the spotlight.”
“Why do you care? Don’t you hate me?”
“I do, but the other girls look up to you for some reason. The least you can do is protect them from Bree’s fat-shaming remarks and dictatorship. Did you know she makes the less pretty ones go on insane diets and do individual workouts until they almost pass out from hunger and exhaustion? Did you know she’s having them do the male cheerleaders’ work? Of course you don’t. As I said, you only care about yourself.”
“Is that true?” I ask the girls.