Mean Girls

iv. an actual presidential race for once

Chaeryeong is never late. You can't get far in life without planning ahead and therefore she always makes a point of arriving at least five minutes early to wherever she needs to be. It's not her fault that Chaemin had decided to throw a temper tantrum this morning and, by the time Chaeryeong had managed to calm her down, they only had ten minutes to get to school. She always needs to drop Chaemin off first, which is why she's now running through the hallways, trying to make it to AP Government on time.

She somehow manages to walk inside the classroom as the second bell is ringing, so there are no consequences for her tardiness and she just gives the teacher a quick apology before taking her seat on the row by the window.  Pulling out her notebook and her pencil case, she places her phone between her legs to let the girls know she's alive and is surprised to see she has more texts than she'd expected. Both Lia and Yuna have blown up her Whatsapp notifications.

Yuna [8:16] are u here yet??

Lia [8:21] Where are you?

Lia [8:22] Did something happen?

Yuna [8:24] ok bitch we headin inside c u after 1st period

Lia [8:25] Is everything okay? You should be at school by now

Yuna [8:26] where tf r u chaer

Yuna [8:26] GIRL U NEVER GONNA BELIEVE THIS SHIT

Yuna [8:27] YOU GOTTA SEE THIS

Yuna [8:28] get your ass to the lockers rn!!!!!

Lia [8:29] Shit. Did you see it?

Yuna [8:29] THE FUCK U AT

Chaeryeong stares at the screen in disbelief. Of course the girls couldn't have been kind enough to drop a photo or a snap of whatever they wanted her to see and now she'll have to wait until class is over to catch up on the latest gossip.

With an annoyed sigh, she grabs a pen and starts copying the notes on the board.

Chaeryeong doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary as she leaves AP Government, sending a quick message to the Clique's group chat so they'll meet at her locker. She's vaguely aware that there are people watching her and pointing and muttering under their breaths, but there are always people doing that and she's learned not to care about it.

After all, it's much better to be the one people talk about than to have nothing better to do but talk about someone else.

She saunters up to her locker and opens it to pull out her Psychology textbook. A folded paper falls to her feet and she lowers down to pick it up, keeping it between her index and middle finger as she finishes what she has to do. It isn't the first time, nor will it be the last, that someone leaves random messages through the slit of her locker. She shuts the door and leans against the wall of lockers, hoping the girls won't take too long.

Chaeryeong isn't quite prepared for what she sees as she unfolds the paper and her chin drops before she can regain control of her muscles and facial expressions. What she has in her hands is a very poor excuse for a student president campaign poster, limited to a printed out color photograph on A4 photocopy paper with a slogan underneath in what looks like a bland Arial font. She would be appalled at the unprofessionalism of it all if it weren't for the shocking content.

It's a photograph of Shin fucking Ryujin. And sure, the photograph is flattering, but Chaeryeong couldn't care less if Ryujin had plastered her face all over school or decided to hand out nudes at the cafeteria. No, what really gets to her is the slogan: