Irreplaceable - Chenry

O.N.E

Charlotte's POV-

I walked through the hallway with my chin in the air. My shoulders remained erect and lip gloss gleamed under the florescent lighting. Destiny and Desiree flanked either side of me. My wives of anarchy, left and right hands. The swarms of Swellview High's lukewarm students in the hall parted like the Red Sea for us. They stood back against their lockers, glaring and gazing two parts adoration and three parts envy. The perfect recipe for jealousy. I tossed my shoulder length curls casually over one shoulder and let my hips guide the path of my walk. One foot in front of the other, strutting as if in front of Tyra herself. Let them stare. And gawk like birds of prey. We're the only females who matter, the only unique set of diamonds robustly shining in the rough. The school year had barely begun, but already I could sense the social media posts about our entrance... Almost like a second superpower. The first being irrevocably beautiful. They happen every year. Candid shots of my girls and I walking the hallway like the true-skin Queens we were, would make their rounds through our small town of socialite feed for weeks. A slight shiver skidded up my spine as I settled a smirk into the corner of my mouth. The attention excited me, bubbled my blood with a giddy delight I've always hungered for. From middle school until now, the spotlight has always been on me. I'd never not be used to the scrutiny of my fellow peers, as it was what made me the person I was sauntering through the hallway this very moment.

"Good morning, Charlotte, Destiny, Desiree."

Mr. Mateo, our Spanish elective instructor gave a nod in our direction. I lifted my hand to coyly wave at him, and he smiled, showing off his new porcelain veneers which deepened my attraction for that man even more. I felt my heart skip a beat, but continued walking as if I hadn't even heard his greeting.

"Rie, wait."

Destiny and Desiree pulled me off to the side, near the holy trinity of where we managed to snag our lockers.

"What?"

"Why don't you go talk to him?"

Destiny whispered, nudging my arm with an encouraging smile. The mischievous glint in her eyes mixed with the coal-black eyeliner under them reminded me we weren't in middle school anymore. We were playing with bigger dogs and bigger fish on the food chain. My inner self would have never entertained the idea of flirting with a teacher, but that was 2 summers ago. When I was the old Riele. The boring, quiet, and shy wallflower with two followers on Instagram. As a slow, deliberate smile spread onto my lips, I raided my eyebrows slightly and puffed my chest out a little more, feeling the courage swell in my belly like a hot air balloon.

"I'll be back..."

Turning toes on my black daisy-painted combat boots, I strutted back over to where Mr. Mateo was handing out schedules outside of his door as students poured in.

"Buenos noches, Senor."

I felt the cheesy of my smile start to stretch out across my face and fought desperately to hide it by running my tongue over my teeth.

"Hola, como estas?"

Mr. Mateo's accent made the blood in my body shoot through my veins at a turbo speed. I sucked in a quiet, but deep breath and crossed one ankle over the other, tilting my head just as I had practiced in the mirror hours before this endeavor.

"Estoy Buena, y usted?"

"Verdad bueno, gracias."

Nodding my head slowly, I relaxed my smile into a grin and got ready for his compliments to pour over me like holy water from the Vatican.

"Very good, Riele. Your Spanish has gotten so much better, mucho gusto! Good job, kiddo."

I'd never wanted someone's approval more. But that small inner victory was doused by the word kiddo. It clung to the back of my brain like the sting of a bee.