Bitter Demons

9. She Was Nothing

I groaned as I looked into my bag. My cool new outfit had gone back to its horrible original state. I must have lost my concentration when Brooke hit my shoulder.

I knew I couldn't change with all these people around. I stalled for time as everyone else changed, then, when no one was watching, I slipped into the secret training room downstairs. Luckily, it was empty. I quickly changed into my old clothes and sat down on the hard cement floor. It took me a little while longer to connect with my power than it had this morning. My shoulder was still sore and it messed with my concentration. Pain sucked.

When I finally got the glamour going again, I walked quietly up the stairs. I heard my name in the locker room. I stopped and listened before I went through the wall.

"Harper's new to this town and this squad," Brooke said. Her voice had an angry edge to it. "What gives her the right to just take over the lead position? I've been waiting four years to be at the top of the pyramid. I finally get there and what happens? Some new girl who's never cheered before in her entire pitiful life takes it away from me."

I cringed. Part of me wanted to run up there and tell her that I didn't want the position in the first place. But at the same time, I knew that I needed to do exactly what Mrs. King told me to do. If I started falling short of the Order's expectations, there was no telling what they might do to me. I didn't want to find out.

"She's special," Allison said.

I couldn't tell how many people were up there, but I was glad Allison was kind of sticking up for me.

"She's clueless," Brooke said. "You saw her when she first got to this town. She was nothing until we invited her into our group."

I'd never heard Brooke talk so nasty. Her words stung. I didn't know she felt that way about me.

"Brooke, she's the future Prima for God's sake. You have to respect that," Allison said. "I know it sucks because you totally deserve to be the star of the squad this year. You earned it. But at the same time, she's important. I'm sure that whatever their reasons, the Order is doing what's best for all of us. Including you.

"Brooke made a frustrated sound deep in her throat. "I'll believe it when I see it," she said. "Besides, she's not even technically the Prima yet. She's only a future. She still has to prove herself in this town. Especially after the disappointment her mother was all those years ago."

My hands clenched into tight fists. How dare she say those things about my mother. I felt a sick pang in my stomach. Did everyone know more about her than I did?

As soon as I was sure Brooke and Allison were gone, I came through the wall. A sound up in the open window overlooking the locker room caught my attention.

A black crow sat in the window sill. I looked up just in time to see it turn and fly away. I suddenly got the strangest feeling in the pit of my stomach. Maybe I was imagining things, but I could have sworn that crow had blue eyes.