Her Realization

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Every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has its dawn
Just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song
Every rose has its thorn

Though, it's been a while now
I can still feel so much pain
Like a knife that cuts you the wound heals
But the scar, that scar remains

~Poison, Every Rose Has Its Thorn

After being introduced to the front wedgie by Aisha Robinson during the beach party at the lake, losing her popular status and simultaneously becoming an outcast all on the same night, Yasmine had had plenty of time to think when she'd been in Par...

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After being introduced to the front wedgie by Aisha Robinson during the beach party at the lake, losing her popular status and simultaneously becoming an outcast all on the same night, Yasmine had had plenty of time to think when she'd been in Paris over the summer.

Now, she figured she had a choice to make; she could hold onto either her pride or her friends, and she wasn't good at being alone. In this case, she'd pick her friends over her pride any day. Also, she'd realized, Sam and then Moon had grown tired of her unthinkingly cruel behavior towards others.

Once they saw her true colors, things soon changed. Yasmine kicked Sam out of the popular clique because of a rumor of Yasmine being bulimic, and when Yasmine told Moon they were leaving the beach party at the lake (because of the presence of the Cobra Kai students Yasmine hadn't thought to invite to her birthday party and who had gotten to the lake first), Moon chose to stand her ground and say no to Yasmine and her behavior instead of catering to Yasmine's demands like she usually did.

"No. I'm staying. I apologized to Aisha for what we did, and you should too." 

In other words, Moon had apologized to Aisha for both the bullying and the prank at the Halloween Dance before attempting to get Yasmine to do the same; Yasmine was unable to believe her ears, but put on her "mean girl" mask when she'd dismissively brushed Moon off with her rude reply of "Whatever" before adding, "You deserve them, Moon."

Yasmine suddenly felt a sharp pang of regret while recalling that memory now. What had she been thinking in brushing Moon off like that? Moon had opened her eyes and saw bullying for what it really was, and decided to make up for her past mistakes.

Deep down, Yasmine knew she'd be in for quite the much needed stern lecture from Moon as soon as she got back from Paris; Moon had meant it with her desire to stop being a bully and turn over a new leaf.

Now, Yasmine began to wish she'd swallowed her pride and taken Moon's advice of apologizing to Aisha for her cruel treatment of her, as well as vowing to turn her back on the "bad popularity" and replace it with the "good popularity" — because building others up would've been a welcome change and a breath of fresh air compared to how she'd been before with tearing them down.

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