My New Sister

Chapter Three

 The principal did not respond well to our email of complaint. While reading his reply, it became clear he was scrambling for reasons why it was perfectly fine for the cheerleaders to do the dance. "For the sake Christmas cheer" and the cheerleaders "creativity and culture" were not valid reasons. We responded again to tell him this, and he told us that if we got one hundred signatures, the dance would be prohibited from the assembly.

                Of course, this was close to impossible. But we accepted the challenge. We began with the other outcasts-slash-people-who-wanted-Rachel-Berry-taken-down, and soon we had thirty signatures. Less than half, but still, we had some time before the assembly day.

                "Don't be pathetic, Noelle."

                Is what Rachel Berry said to me one day at lunch while we were collecting signatures. She cornered me at the end of a dark hallway where a lot of "un-cool" kids hung out. I don't think I've ever seen a cheerleader down that hallway before, so I assumed she'd followed me. I'd just collected three signatures and was on my way back to meet Pippa and Ruth.

                "You're the pathetic one, Rachel." I said. "Degrading yourself in front of the entire school body, and for what? A few woo-hoos and some applause?"

                "I'm doing it because it raises awareness of the cheerleading team." Rachel sneered. "Not to mention school and Christmas spirit."

                I rolled my eyes. "Like we don't have enough awareness of the cheerleading team. I mean, for Christ's sake, it's all we hear about! It makes me sick."

                "Someone's a little jealous." Rachel said. "It's too bad, Noelle. You're pretty and super skinny. You could have been an awesome cheerleader."        

                "I'd rather not be a blind, stupid slut. Thanks, though."

                Rachel's face fell. I watched as my words cut into her like a sharp knife. I expected a quick comeback, but Rachel turned and stormed away. Huh. I really did hurt her feelings. I returned to Pippa and Ruth, who were waiting for me back at the cafeteria.

                "Three signatures." I announced as I took my seat. "Plus an encounter with a fuming Rachel Berry."  

                "Details." Pippa said.

                "She called me pathetic, I called her a slut. The end." I shared.

                Ruth looked up from her cafeteria hot dog. "I hate that word, Noelle. You know I hate that word."

                "I'm aware," I said with a sigh. "But I don't hate it, so, yes, I use it in variation."

                "You use it all the time." Ruth snapped. "Words like 'slut' degrade not only the girl in question, but the entire female race, Noelle. Using that word gives men more power. It's not okay to judge somebody on their sexual activity, okay?"

                "But she is a slut. She's slept with, like, five guys." I pointed out.

                Ruth's face reddened. "One, we don't know that for sure. And two, it doesn’t matter how many people she's slept with! It's not our place to pose judgements!"

                "Why are you defending her?" I asked accusingly.

                Ruth stood up with her tray of food in hand and dropped it forcefully on the table. The contents went flying, all over me as she stormed away.  I was removing fries off of my shirt when Pippa said, "That's the problem with hanging out with all feminists. We're all willing to fight for our beliefs, but when we have different opinions, it's World War three."  

                I laughed.

It was Friday night. Mom was wearing a sparkly red dress, and she couldn't keep the smile off her face as she buzzed around the house. I watched as she curled her hair and sang along wildly to the classic rock station. Her excitement had even persuaded me into a blue t-shirt dress, the only dress I owned. I let her do my hair, too, and soon I was sporting a classy up-do. She wanted to put some makeup on me, but that's where I drew the line.

                We were going out with Jake. And although Mom didn't say anything, I knew something special was going to happen tonight. I just wasn't certain what. They'd been dating for nearly a month and a half now, so marriage was way out of the question. An announcement like that would have me questioning her mental state.

                The restaurant was a swanky uptown joint, with black-tie waiters and bottles of wine worth hundreds. I'd never been there before, nor had anybody I knew. It was way too expensive. I wasn't all for restaurants of that variety, considering there were starving children all over the world, but I didn't have a choice in the matter, so I planned to enjoy the experience.

                Mom shoved Audrey -- practically kicking and screaming -- into the car, and off we went. We met Jake in the lobby, where the maître 'd led us to a reserved table for five.  Jake pulled out Mom's chair as she sat down, and tried to do the same for Audrey, but she was having none of that.

                "Why a table for five?" I asked.

                "My daughter will be joining us," Jake said, beaming.

                I nodded, thinking his ex-wife would be dropping her off or something. Why I automatically assumed she was a little girl, I'm not sure. That's when I looked down and saw the bracelet that Jake wore. I could now read what was engraved on the plate, and it said "Father and Daughter".

                "She's simply lovely," Mom told my sister and I.

                Before I could ask questions, my phone began to buzz and I pulled it out of my pocket. It was a video call from my Dad. I only heard from him a few times a month, so I excused myself from the table and went into the bathroom to answer.

                My Dad's tanned face popped up on my screen. I could tell he was seated in the resort's indoor bar. "Hi, baby girl!" He shouted into the phone.

                "Hey, Dad! I can’t talk long, can you call me back later?"

                He ignored me. "Where's your sister?"

                "I'm in a bathroom of a restaurant, Dad -- "

                Suddenly, the face of a young woman squished in next to my dad. She was obviously Hawaiian, with dark hair and tanned skin. She was absolutely gorgeous, even over the bad quality of my phone screen.

                "Meet Olina! My fiancée!"

                My heart dropped. Time seemed to freeze. My Dad kept talking but I couldn't hear a thing. He was getting married? To an island girl who couldn't be older then twenty-five? I couldn't believe it. I went numb. Finally, I managed a smile and a weak congratulations before telling him I had to go and we'd talk later.

                I turned off my phone and leaned against the counter in the bathroom. I didn’t know what to think or what to do. I knew I should go back into the restaurant, but I couldn't leave.  The door to the bathroom opened, but I didn't look up.

                "Noelle Hartman."

                I knew that voice. That sly, self-assured voice. My head snapped up and there stood Rachel Berry in a short, slinky dress. Her auburn hair was in loose curls, cascading down over her shoulders. Her skin was glowing -- maybe even sparkling. My eyes were drawn to the gold bracelet on her wrist. A chain-link band with a plate reading, "Daughter and Father."

                Rachel was Jake's daughter.