Just Friends

Chapter 2: Christa Howard

Cheyenne's POV

"Look out the evil queen is checking out your man again." Dannie used the Portuguese Pinky Point, a method my Great Grandma used at the Festas to point out someone she was gossiping about without them realizing it. I followed the point to Christa Howard and her little clique. They were all giggling while watching Kellin get his books out of his locker.

"He's not my man, Dannie. And would you stop saying that, we're just friends." I hated it when people said stuff like that about me and Kells because we had been friends since first grade and nothing more.

"Whatever. Still, you're telling me that THAT doesn't bother you?" I looked back at Christa while she walked passed Kellin and "accidentally" dropped her book. Kellin picked it up and handed it to her with his sweet smile. She giggled and said thank you. He looked her in the eyes, smiling and said "you're welcome." As he walked away from her, he looked over his shoulder and she blew him a kiss. . . As much as I disliked Christa, her power over guys, and girls dying to be popular, intrigued me. But now she was trying to use her power over Kellin. . . "Cheyenne?"

I looked back at Dannie and regained myself. "No it doesn't bother me."

"What doesn't bother you?" Kellin asked as he joined Dannie and I at our lunch table by the school's row of cherry trees. During the spring, the trees were stunning with the beautiful cherry blossoms but now as they returned to there normal summer look they seemed depressing. It was a constant reminder that our Senior year was ending soon and I wouldn't have these lunch time conversations with Dannie and Kellin, or anyone else that decided to join us, for much longer.

"Nothing, Kellin." I looked behind him and yet again found Christa and her preppy friends staring at Kellin. He noticed me looking at her and turned back around to see for himself.

"Does anyone else find it weird that Christa becomes so clumsy around me?" Dannie and I tried not to laugh but failed miserably. "Why are you laughing?"

"Because ding-dong, she's flirting with you!" I said as I helped Dannie off of the floor. When she laughs to much she loses balance and falls. It's even funnier when she's standing.

"Christa Howard is not flirting with me you guys! She is into jocks." Kellin said. He seemed a little upset when he said this and it confused me. Did Kellin like Christa? Even after everything she's done to us?

"She's into anything with a dick that gives her the light of day." Dannie muttered under her breath. Almost everyone had a sincere dislike of Christa Howard but no one shared the same amount of hate that Dannie Kennedy had for her.

Since seventh grade Christa has made it a point to make sure that Dannie and I, and everyone else she didn't deem worthy, knew our places. Christa would threaten us with ending our social lives if we ever stepped out of line. And of course we always did. Christa would go anywhere from pulling out your chair out from under you to spreading insane rumors that no one ever really believed. But there was a time when Christa went to far.

Freshman year Christa was dating this senior football star named Adam Gordan. But Adam had a reputation for being a player on and off the field. He would constantly flirt with girls and one that he set his mind on going after was Dannie. He would offer to walk her to classes and place roses on her desk. Dannie hated guys like that so she would ignore him the best she could, but that didn't stop Christa from getting jealous. So Christa hatched a plan with her two evil sidekicks. One was Andrea Goldstone, who was literally the dumbest person I had ever met, and the other was Annaleah Soto, who was the most conceded.
One day after swimming during P.E., Dannie was taking a shower so Andrea went and took all of her clothes. Then Dannie frantically went searching for her clothes in her locker which was right next to the door. Christa grabbed Dannie's towel and pulled her outside while Annaleah locked the door. Dannie scrambled to cover herself while Christa took pictures of her. After PE everyone waited outside for a teacher to open the gate for us to leave, so when all this was happening to Dannie almost everyone was outside and saw the whole thing, including me and Kellin. I ran to Dannie's defense and people tried to hold me back as Christa threw a wet white t-shirt that read "UGLY POOR BITCH" for Dannie to put on. That's when I started elbowing and pushing people out of my way. Then as soon as I reached Christa I nailed her right in the middle of her nose. Blood gushed out like a garden hose and Christa fell holding her nose. I gave Dannie the clothes I had in my bag for softball practice while Kellin covered her with a towel. Soon our teacher Mr. Costa took all of us, Christa, Andrea, Annaleah, Dannie, and I to the Assistant Principle's office. Christa and her friends got let off the hook with a "stern" talking to while I had to serve two weeks of two hour detention after school. I took the punishment without any disagreement and that drove people insane. Everyone, including my teachers who hosted the detentions, said that I didn't deserve the punishment that I got. One conversation I will never forget is the one I had with Mr. Costa on the last day of detention.