Happier

Chapter 19

The Unholy Trinity have been ruling the school like it's their kingdom since Freshman year, but before that, they were already friends. Best friends. In fifth grade, a new girl came to Roosevelt High. Her name was Melanie Marshall. She didn't have any friends and was shy. Making friends was really hard for her. During recess one day, two girls walked up to her. They'd seen her arrive and saw her standing on the side, no friends to play with. One had blonde hair, just like Melanie. The other was a raven-haired girl.
"Do you want to play with us?" the blonde haired asked. Melanie had looked at the both of them, a little uncomfortable, but the smiles on their faces made her relax. The little girl nodded and went to play with the two nice girls.
"I'm Lacey and this is Violet, but I call her V," the blondie explains and Melanie nods.
"I'm Melanie," the new girl introduces herself. It only took a couple of cheerleading uniforms to form the Unholy Trinity. Those uniforms seem to have a magical spell over them. Wear those and you'll be worshipped by the whole entire school.

Melanie still remembers her first birthday party since she arrived in Cherry Hill. It was her eleventh and she'd invited every kid in her class. About fourteen invites were sent just a week before her birthday, but only four kids actually showed up. Lacey, Violet and even Archie Andrews and Melanie's cousin Jesse. The second Lacey and Violet saw Melanie's disappointed face, they rushed over to her.
"It's okay, Mel. We're here. This is going to be the best birthday party you ever had," Lacey reassures her. The corners of Melanie's mouth curl up into a smile, knowing Lacey was right. And she really was. They played truth or dare, and hide-and-seek. They ate the cake Melanie and her mother had made and gave Melanie her presents.
"You're going to like this," Violet tells her with a smile as she gives her the present she bought. The birthday girl rips the wrapping paper off the box, revealing the best thing she has ever seen. Violet and Lacey give each other a smirk and a knowing look. Like they both know what's going to happen. Lacey takes out a box, containing a Barbie doll. With its blonde hair tied up into a pony tail and a cheerleading uniform on, it almost looks exactly like her.
"Aw, thanks, guys," Melanie says, admiring the Barbie doll. Lacey and Violet then reveal their own Barbie dolls. The exact same, only Violet's has dark hair, but all three have cheerleading uniforms on. Melanie's smile grows wider.
"This is us when we go to high school," Violet tells her best friend, "I'm sure." The girls look at each other, smiles on their faces as they go in for a group-hug. Archie and Jesse watch the girls, smiles on their faces. They're happy for the girls.
"We're going to be friends forever," Lacey states, predicting their future.

Lacey remembers the day they tried out for the cheerleading squad. It was the first day of Freshman year when they found out about the try-outs. Obviously, they would do that. They even went together. It took only a week for them to prepare a routine and only two minutes until coach Rivers told them they made the team.
"I told you we would make it," Violet tells them after they hugged again. Coach Rivers gives them their well-earned uniform and the second they put it on, a weird force suddenly enters their body. It feels like they can handle everything. The girls walk out to the hallway in their uniforms, everyone getting out of the way when they pass by. Splitting like the Red Sea. They don't say anything, but they all knew. All of them know they'd rule this school whether Roosevelt High was ready or not.

It only feels like a week ago when Lacey became head-cheerleader and Violet remembers it like that. She remembers coach Rivers asking the Unholy Trinity to stay behind after rehearsal because she needed to speak to them about something.
"I see a lot of potential in all of you," Rivers starts, eyeing the girls in front of her, "But only one can be captain," The three look surprised, determined to win this. "Dance off to see who is worthy of this title," she starts the music and steps back, waiting for the girls to start dancing. And they do, Lacey taking the lead and starting. Then Violet takes over and then Melanie shows her moves. In the end, they dance together and it's like they know exactly which way everyone is going. The slightest quiver of Violet's upper lip decides whether they go right or left. It's like they actually rehearsed it. Coach Rivers stops the music, causing the girls to stop dancing too. They all have smiles on their faces, having a whole lot of fun.
"Marshall," she starts, "McLaren," the two girls look at her in anticipation, not knowing what she's going to say, "Say hello to your new captain. Congratulations, Goldberg, you are our head Rose," the blonde girl shrieks and so do her friends. They're happy for her, even though they wanted that title too. But ever since Lacey got the title, she's grown into a complete bitch. Wherever she went, whoever she talked to. Lacey Goldberg had grown into a cliché head-cheerleader. Violet and Melanie went with it and followed their captain into bitching and sassing every student that crossed their path.

In their sophomore year, the girls started dating footballers. Lacey and Archie got together, Violet started dating Jason and Melanie fell head over heels with Robin. Still ruling the school. Only this time, they ruled with their boyfriends. Their arm-candy determined whether or not they were allowed at the football parties. Ever since that day, Archie and Lacey have been endgame. They weren't in love, they were just together. As a power couple.
At Junior Prom, Lacey and Archie campaigned for Prom king and queen. They ran against Violet and Ryan, who started dating at the end of Junior year. It was a tough competition and both girls were quite bitchy and played mean. They dug up things they'd done in Junior High and Kindergarten. Both were humiliated, but in the end, Lacey and Archie actually won.
"Told you we were the Power Couple of the school," Lacey told Violet, giving her a bitchy smirk. Afterwards, they made up the way the Unholy Trinity always makes up; by doing a sleepover. Melanie had intended it after Junior Prom, seeing her two best friends didn't even think about making up. At the sleepover, they realized Melanie was right. They were best friends since Kindergarten, why would you let that go over a stupid title as Prom Queen?

Maybe now a sleepover would do the Unholy Trinity good. Maybe that's what they need to make amends. Proper amends. Not a school shooting that wasn't even real. Apparently, a dude took a gun to school to kill himself with, but coach Rivers had told him to give it to her, trying to save him. Instead, the gun went off, twice. No one was hurt, only a little shocked and traumatized. The boy lives and got counseling and a therapist. Coach Rivers helped him a lot after that moment. Normally, there's a no-gun policy in the school and he'd be suspended or maybe even expelled, but now the Principal understood and gave the boy the benefit of the doubt.