Free to be

4

"I am incredible!" I say sauntering into the kitchen the next morning. Last night I remembered to help Jenny pick an outfit. In fact we picked the next weeks worth of outfits, I finished the homework that was set for us, even though it wasn't that much and I still managed to get some practice shoots in before dinner. Now I woke up and my face is looking clear and decked in my favourite pair of joggers and an old charity run t-shirt I feel ready to conquer the day. Lizzy giggles into her cereal as my mom eyes me from where she is leaning against the counter, inhaling her coffee. "Well don't all jump to agree at once." I mutter as I lean over to Kiss Lizzy's cheek and settle down from some cereal. I am lucky that my metabolism works in aw ay that means I do not have to count carbs like I know a lot of sportswomen do. I am conscious of what I eat because I know that it affects my performance but luckily not my weight. 

"You are incredible, and smart and beautiful. "Mom says leaning to kiss my cheek before dumping her coffee in the sink "and you also forgot to take the bins out last night."

"Fuck!" I curse and my mom reprimands me instantly as Lizzy giggles once more into her cereal "Sorry, I will do that now."

"Sit." Mom pushes me back into my seat "Finish eating, I already did it."

"Sorry mom." I mutter shoving some more cereal in as Jenny comes down stairs, dressed and ready. I feel like it is a huge accomplishment for me. "Jen you are looking Fly today!" I compliment and she grins batting her eyelashes in exaugurated agreement. Mom chuckles with a smile. 

"How was I blessed to have the most confident girls out there."

"You raised us right!" I shout before standing up and rinsing my bowl and putting it in the dish washer. 

"Oh no." I spin around as Jenny's voice takes on a tone of pending doom, her phone is out and she is scrolling. " Tori you are all over social media." 

"what?!" I rush over to her shoulder and peer around her. Sure enough I am there, my cafeteria take down has been documented, made into memes and blasted through everyone's social media.  I try stay off of it for this very reason. I read the comments as Jenny scrolls and my eyebrows furrow. Some are good, saying that I am brave and that the school needs more she-ero's like me while others say that I am dramatic and that I should leave things the way they are. The defense for Sienna is incredible, seeing as I do not think she gives half these people the time of day. 

"So much for a quiet senior year." I joke but my stomach is in knots and I want to curse the makers of social media. 

"What happened?" My mom asks concern evident on her features as she finishes on Lizzy's hair. 

"Tori stood up to Sienna for cutting into the lunch line yesterday and now it is all over social media." Jenny says showing our mom the video of me standing up to Sienna. There is no audio but you can see what i happening clear as day. 

"Well good for you." mom says laying the brush down in the draw. "You know that I approve of standing up for yourselves."

"Thanks mom." I grin planting a kiss on her cheek. 

"You guys better get going!" She says glancing at the clock. Sure enough all the morning excitement has made us late. Jenny hurries to finish her breakfast before we are shoving our stuff into the car and peeling out of the driveway. I really need to be better at keeping time.

We had to enter through the office to get late slips, we get three chances before we get detention. I hurry to art handing in my slip and taking a breathless seat besides Danna. 

"Nice of you to join us, girl with balls."

"What?" I hiss at him trying to re-orientate myself to understand what we are meant to be doing. I look around trying to gather more information about the task ahead, only to realize that everyone is already looking back at me, all with mixed expressions. "What?" I ask a little louder than I meant to but luckily the art teacher is in the storeroom and half deaf anyways. 

Some turn back while others grin at me I turn to Danna "What is going on?"

"You famous." He shrugs as if I should have expected this "No one has ever tried to take down Sienna Rose and now you did it, publicly."

I groan, banging my head gently against the desk. It will blow over. I tell myself as I settle to get some work done. Everything always blows over.

Except after gym I am rushing to get changed and make it out the room so I am not late for the Bio quizz that I run head first into the person I am trying to avoid. 

"Watch were you-" I look up and meet those artic eyes, they narrow when they recognize who it is "Oh, it's you." the venom in her voice is unmistakable. "Enjoying your fifteen minutes of fame?"

I let out a snort at her words "Only you would think all this attention is a good thing." I rub my nose that bumped into her boney shoulder, she is once more in heels and therefore taller than me. 

"Isn't that why you did it?" I hear the accusation in her voice, like she believes I have an ulterior motive to standing up to her "Everyone wants there piece of the elite attention."

"I stood up to you because you are a self-centered jerk who thinks nothing of cutting in line and existing over people." I say ignoring her furrowed eyes "Now if you will excuse me I have a test to get to." I don't wait for her reply as I bound off down the hallway and make it just in time. This whole time keeping thing is insanely difficult.