| ENIGMA, 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞

CHAPTER THREE

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III. THREE

CHEER TRYOUTS

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GABBY CORTEZ stood beside Cheryl Blossom and her minions within the gymnasium. When she entered the room dressed up in her gym uniform, she wasn't expecting Cheryl to accept her into the River Vixens just on the spot. Being Maya Cortez's daughter had its perks, this not being the one she wanted.

"We're blue and gold!" Veronica and Betty shouted. "We're dynamite!" Gabby watched with wide eyes as the two girls shook their pom poms. "We'll take you down, and fight the fight!" They jump up and down. "Whoo! Go, Bulldogs!" Veronica yelled out.

Gabby's gaze trailed over to Cheryl, who seemed unimpressed.

"Hmm." She hummed. "Ladies, where's the heat? Where's the sizzle?"

"Well, you haven't seen our big finish yet," Veronica said, causing Gabby to have a confused look. "Don't freak out. Just trust me," the raven-haired girl whispered to the blonde. She took her hand gently in her palm as she pulled Betty closer. Veronica captured Betty's lips against hers.

Gabby's mouth was opened agape at the sight of the two girls kissing. Just like the Cortez girl, the Riverdale High Basketball Team was just as shocked. Cheryl Blossom was just unimpressed. "Check your sell-by date, ladies, faux lesbian kissing hasn't been taboo since 1994." The redhead said.

"You sure know a lot about it," Gabby commented, earning a small laugh from Veronica.

"So let's see if you do better with the interview portion of our audition. Betty, how's your sister doing?" Cheryl asked, causing the raven-haired girl's eyes to widen. Only Veronica stood there confused. "Um, Polly's fine, thanks for asking," Betty muttered softly. "Veronica, has Betty told you about her sister yet?" Cheryl asked.

"Uh, no," Veronica said.

"Go ahead, Betty. Tell Veronica about your sister and my dear brother."

"Cheryl, stop—" Gabby tried to stop the redhead but Betty raised her hand to stop her instead. "It's okay, Gabby." She Said softly. "Polly and Jason dated," Betty explained to the new girl. Cheryl scoffed. "I wouldn't say 'dated'."

"It didn't end well."

"In fact, Jason probably why your sister had a nervous breakdown and now lives in a group home, isn't it?" Cheryl questioned. "That's what my parents think," Betty said.

"What do you have to say about that, Betty?" Cheryl asked. Gabby knew this wasn't going to end well. "Go ahead, the floor is yours. Whatever you've been dying to spew about Jason and how he treated Polly unleash it. Destroy me. Tear me a new one. Rip me to shreds. Annihilate me." Cheryl kept going, her tone angry and filled with disgust.

"Cheryl!" Gabby exclaimed.

"I just..." Betty sighed.

"Finally." The redhead whispered with a smile.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened to Jason. I can't even imagine what you and your family must be going through." Betty said. Cheryl's eyes teared up slightly, which didn't go past the girl who stood beside her. "Right..." she whispered.

"Veronica, welcome to the River Vixens. Betty, better luck next time." Cheryl said cheerfully.

"Wait, what?" Gabby questioned, as she looked between the two girls. "Why?" Veronica asked as well. "Because you couldn't bully Betty into being a bitch?" Veronica added.

"I need girls with fire on my squad."

"I know what you need, Cheryl, because I know who you are." Veronica started. "This should be good," Gabby muttered under her breath. "You would rather people fear than like you, so you traffic in terror and intimidation. You're rich, so you've never been held accountable, but I'm living proof. That certainty, that entitlement you wear on your head like a crown? It won't last. Eventually, there will be a reckoning." Veronica ranted on.

"Or...Maybe that reckoning is now. And maybe, that reckoning...is me. Betty and I come as a matching set. You want one, you take us both. You wanted fire? Sorry, CherylBombshell, my specialty's ice."

Gabby slipped from Cheryl's side and now stood beside Betty. She rubbed her arm gently, as she noticed the hard-clenching hands from afar. "Welcome to the team, you're gonna hate it." Gabby welcomed the girl.

And the duo laughed.

☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎

Gabby stuck her head out the door, seeing if anyone was in the hallway. The coast was clear, as Veronica was distracted by whether her cheer uniform matched her skin tone or not. She checked the time, as she slowly closed the door behind her. As she went to walk out of the school, a sudden force bumped into her. The chest was hard, and it was so sudden.

The person caught her in time.

"Ella?" A familiar voice asked.

The raven-haired girl looked up, her eyes connecting with the same chocolate brown eyes that she'd seen every Saturday night as children. "Reggie?" The girl questioned. The football player helped the girl up from her feet. "What are you doing here? And why are you wearing a cheer uniform?" Reggie asked as he eyed what Gabby was wearing.

"I'm on the cheer squad," the girl said, her tone more questionable than she wanted to be.

"You tried out for the River Vixens?"

"More like I was forced into it by Betty and was taken under the bombshell's wing," Gabby explained to the jock. Reggie chuckled as she looked at him confused. "What?" "I just never imagined you as a cheerleader." He admitted. "You used to make fun of people like that," he said. "I'm not like Cheryl," Gabby said.

"No, you're not," Reggie agreed. "You're much better than her."

Gabby smiled up at him.

Reggie had noticed a couple of his teammates rounding the corner, as he pulled his touch away from his childhood companion. "I've got to go," Reggie said, as Gabby nodded her head. As she went to walk away, Reggie pulled her arm back for a second. "Are you going tonight?" He asked the girl. She raised a questionable brow. "To the semi-formal." He added.

"Well, Emma is probably gonna drag me. So, yes."

Reggie nodded his head with a smile.

"See you tonight, then." And with that, Reggie walked away from the girl he's always watched from a distance.

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