Human

FOUR

Jayden had already disappeared with the double Js. Jackson and James stole pervy glances at me as they went along. Jayden just gave a small wave which I returned as a mark of courtesy.

"What happened just now?" Alysia asked me as we went out of the hall. "I told you not to come..."

Because I trust Jayden. He said it was alright. So I listened and went for the lecture. Together with him.

"Aly let's get the tickets." I gave a shake of my head, motioning to her that the question would be forgotten and gone. Aly cleared her throat as we walked towards the student union's room to purchase tickets for Blaze's concert.

That's when I saw the bunch of cheerleaders for the baseball team.

All of them were in shiny red costumes with the supreme capital "M" letter boldly printed which stood for Meridian. They all had high ponytails and long dangling red earrings. There was a clique of them, about twelve slut-looking girls.

The worst thing was that they were sashaying towards me. And Aly.

The girl in the middle, who was called Madison Amedee, had her sharp eyes glued to mine. I shifted around, unused to the unnerving energy radiating towards me. As predicted, word of my "hook up" with Jayden was now being spread around campus like swarmfire.

It was like an army marching towards us and once the commander of the military, Madison Amedee, stopped in her tracks, everyone else followed suit. All their arm swings were parallel to each other, which were probably perfected through years of practice. The way their long sleek hair swung left and right was also in unison.

It was intimidating.

It was twelve against two. Once they halted, I was telling myself to continue with my brave front and walk two steps closer.

"What's up?" I said with swag.

Madison snarled, raising her head even higher like she wanted me to look up to her. To her arrogance. "Jayden is with me." She looked at me like I was a mosquito vulnerable to her slap.

I believed that silence is a solution in all situations and I just looked her in the eye cooly, not replying. She was starting to fidget in her heels. "So?" She mouthed.

"What do you want me to do? That was a statement you made. You suddenly turned it into a question with 'So?'." I cocked my head to the side, scrutinizing my nails on my left hand. I wanted her to think that I didn't really care about the words that she was going to blurt out. I really didn't.

The problem about such cliques in high school was that they seemed to have power. And they really do. But that was due to the fact that people allow them to be in power and to control their actions and speech. I didn't understand that logic.

Everyone is of equal standing and placing regardless of their popularity among the student body and activities they were involved in. Cheerleaders were often in the company of the bad boys which held prestigious sports scholarships and they were filled with immense pride because of that. It was because of their pride which allow them to rule the school. It was their mindset that caused fear in people.

Normal students should also have the mindset of being special. Because everyone is unique in their own ways and was equally having a role in "ruling" the school. So they shouldn't give into demands of these cool or popular kids.

That's not saying all cheerleaders and sport guys are bad. Just in Meridian High. With the exception of Jayden Beaulieur.

I didn't allow myself to be put below them.

"It is ridiculous that you don't even know what you should do! Can't you see that everyday we... Or I mean, I sit beside the triple Js. While you and that potato are not even seen around." Her eyes flashed. "Or perhaps y'all are even too lame to be observed by people. So you should freaking stay away from Jayden and the other boys!"

I was seething with rage. Did she just call Alysia Grey a potato. "Wow did you just called my dear friend a potato?" I placed my hand on my hips then another. This exact gesture was followed by Madison. But I was faster anyway. We were staring each other down.

Before she could compose her rebuttal, she said, "Forget it." And then she kicked her red high heel into my stomach. "I can't stand you bitch." She snarled.

I looked beside me at Aly. She was staring blankly at Madison with wide, horrified eyes. I had no choice but to defend myself. I had been pushed over onto the ground and I held onto my throbbing arm which was injured due to the impact of the ground. It was hurting more than my stomach. "Ouch." I groaned. Was it a fracture?

I released my hand, standing up slowly. I clenched my uninjured hand into a fist. Madison smirked and before she could continue to dramatise the situation with her infuriating words, I lifted my leg up and kicked her leg. She almost faltered and fell but the girl beside her grabbed onto her in time.

"Ugh. You a stupid girl... Hitting me? I'm gonna complain about you." She cried childishly as she shrugged off the hold of the girl on her.

Not even thankful to the person who prevented her from falling over, I thought.

People were starting to crowd around us. They were chorusing "Catfight! Catfight! Catfight!" in the air. Why did I have to be in the center of people's attention today the second time.

"I can't stand this." I pointed to the people around us. "Perhaps you like the attention but I don't." I muttered to Madison.

I raised my voice higher and gave it a higher pitch. I looked at Madison. "Prove it that you're worthy. I didn't even sign up for this. If someone was really yours, you wouldn't even try to fight me. Because. You. Should. Be. Confident."

She was flashing with anger. I'm no longer afraid, just annoyed. I turned my back to Alysia and said "Let's go." She complied quickly and off we went.

I cued a round of applause and there it came. Expected. Some of the chorus of "Catfight! Catfight!" also evaporated into disappointing sighs. I didn't understand the logic of guys enjoying girls having cat fights too. It was interesting to look at (maybe?) but someone could really get hurt. Like me.

"Ugh." I held onto my hurting arm.

"Are you okay?" Aly said with deep concern etched on her face.

"I think it's a fracture." I glanced at my arm which was starting to swell up. Alysia inspected it closely, feeling the small red bump and agreed.

"Yeah it should be a fracture." She looked around for an empty chair for me to sit before she went over to the student union table to get the tickets.

The cheerleaders were still around in the distance. I could hear Madison hurling accusations at her other companions on why they didn't help her out in the fight and defend her words. I rolled my eyes.

This was a long day.