The Good Girl Squad

Chapter 4

     Before the next part of my story begins, let me just tell you that they made me do it. I still feel bad about that to this day. So, let's get on with the judging.

     It was in the morning, before school. We were hanging out in the parking lot, along with about half the school, waiting until the last second to walk through the gates of hell.

     We lounged about in Patricia's red Ferrari, and I felt exactly like one of them. I felt like I belonged. I couldn't help the smile that grew on my face.

     We blasted the radio, nodding our heads and tapping our feet along to some mindless pop song on the radio. I didn't even like pop music, I was more of a country fan myself, but with them I felt like I did. I felt like I had to.

Then a girl walked by. She had short, straight, brown hair that hung by her chin. It just about covered her whole face, but circular, blue glasses could be seen beneath it. She had a timid face, scrunched up in an uncomfortable position, like she was always watching her back.

     She wasn't that short, taller than me, but her slouched up form made her look like a small child.

As she scampered by, Patricia stuck out her foot. The girl tripped on it and landed on her stomach, on the hard pavement. She squeaked, but got off of the ground, still successfully avoiding all eye contact. Her cheeks pinked, but other than that there was no reaction.

The squad laughed. "God, could you be anymore clumsy, Sally?" Jasmine asked, flipping her hair.

"It's Sienna," the girl whispered. It was practically inaudible.

"Hmm?" Rebecca raised her eyebrows.

"My name is Sienna. Not Sally," she said it a little louder this time, her eyes still locked on the ground.

"Whatever. That just makes you even weirder," Grace said.

Patricia turned to me and handed me her soda. "Pour it on her."

"Excuse me?"

"Pour the drink on her. Or else." The glare she gave me would have made the school's quarterback pee his pants.

I shakily took the drink from her and stood up. Sienna cowered in fear. I looked behind me, and the girls smiled sweetly. I swallowed hard.

"Please, don't. Please, please." Her doe eyes pleaded with me. I averted my eyes and did it. I dumped Patricia's Coke all over that poor girl. She started crying and ran off, covering her face with her hands.

I dropped the cup in disappointment. Disappointment in myself, not anyone else, just me. I heard the squad's chorus of laughter behind me.

"Cheer up, Ash. We do stuff like that all the time. It's fun," Rebecca said.

"But that girl. She's a mess now."

"So! Who cares?" Grace said, laughing as she placed her hand on my arm, turning me away from the puddle.

"Did you see her face?" Jasmine asked, clutching her stomach.

     "Yes! Priceless," Patricia agreed. I forced a smile on to my tight face.

"Didn't that feel great?" Rebecca asked me.

"Um, yeah." I nodded, determined to feel like they did. It was just some girl. Everyone would probably forget about it by the next day.

Everyone pretty much did, except for Sienna and I.

     "You, me, and a date tonight?" Caesar asked, appearing from behind my locker that Friday.

I looked around wildly, making sure that Rebecca, Patricia, Grace or Jasmine weren't around. I didn't see them. Little did I know, they had spies everywhere.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. I'd love to." I smiled, my gaze finally shifting back to his chocolate brown orbs.

     Another thing I didn't know, someone took a picture of me and Caesar, one of the spies, and sent it to Patricia.

     "How does mini golf sound?"

     I shut my locker. "That sounds perfect."

     "Awesome. I'll meet you here, after the bell."

     I nodded, trying to reign in my grin. He flashed me a smile, then ducked his head and walked away, in that cute, awkward way he always did.

    I rested my back against the lockers and stupidly grinned. I made a lot of mistakes in my life, but involving Caesar in the whole mess might have been the biggest one I ever made. I regret ever meeting him, for his own sake.

     However, I went with him. After my last class of the day, Latin, Caesar met me at my locker, with his sweetheart smile in tow.

     "Hey beautiful. Are you ready for the time of your life?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

     "I sure am. Do you have a car?"

     "Nope, but I do have a Bernie. Come on." Caesar put his hand on my arm and we took off for the parking lot.

     "What's Bernie?" I asked, walking alongside him as we exited the school.

We stopped in front of a red, rusty, old pickup truck. "Bernie, meet Ashleigh, Ashleigh meet my pride and joy, Bernie."

"Wow. He's beautiful."

"Thank you." Caesar opened my door for me. For a moment, I was scared that it would fall off in his hands, but the door clung on for dear life. I smiled at him and got in, before he slammed it behind me.

He got in on his side and started it up. "Alright, so the mini golf place is like twenty minutes away. You can pick some music on the radio, if you want."

I reached over and switched the stations until I found a country one. The speakers were shoddy and clouded in static, but the music could still be heard.

"I was kind of surprised you agreed to come out with me today. I thought you were scared of The Good Girl Squad," Caesar said, glancing over at me as he pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the road.

"Why would I be afraid of them? They're my friends."

"Because they're evil. You're not like them."

"Yes I am. I'm one of them now and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Okay, okay. It's your life, not mine."

For the rest of the ride, we stayed silent. It wasn't a comfortable silence, like we had had before. This one was more tense, unforgiving, and mean. That silence could have taught the squad something.

We eventually broke the silence and returned to our fun atmosphere, but it took a while. Other than the awful part, the rest of our date was fun.

At the end of the night, he dropped me off at my house. We stood on my doorstep, just like in the movies. My life felt like a fairytale, as he pressed his lips against mine. The kiss was quick and fast, but meaningful nonetheless.

In all the cliches, the parents are usually overprotective and peer through the windows as the two young lovers gaze at each other lovingly. In my fairytale however, there was nobody in the house waiting for me. My father was off on business again. So I pretended to feel the need to go inside so my parents wouldn't worry.

In reality, Caesar went off to get home to his family, while I went into my cold, dark house and watched a movie by myself, before drifting off to sleep. But at least I now had the squad.