Lie Until You Laugh

8- Bonfires

“We are getting revenge,” Brian states. Steam is practically surging out of his ears as he speaks.

“I still don’t think that’s going to be a good idea,” I admit with a sigh as we walk towards the E Building for morning practice on Friday. Stella and Mason are already there but Brian stopped with me at the food court to get some breakfast first. It’s one of their diet rules with Stella and Mason that they shouldn’t eat breakfast every day. I think that’s ridiculous because the breakfast in this place is almost as good as their pizza.

“You can agree with it or not, but it’s happening. This isn’t something that they can get away with. Not all of us are as noble and patient as you, Sienna,” He reminds me.

“I just don’t want to get caught up in any drama,” I mumble.

“Sienna,” Brian laughs. “You got caught up in this drama when you walked onto this campus. You made it worse by being an incredible dancer. I mean, that’s nothing to be ashamed of but they just don’t like competition.”

“Yeah, I’m getting that,” I mumble as we walk into the building. We’re almost late thanks for our breakfast stop, so we don’t have time to stretch or anything before practice is going to start. My other shoes are still squishy, so I’ve resorted to wearing my ugly neon tennis shoes again until my new ones dry. “What are you going to do?”

“We’re going to conspire first,” Mason pipes as we walk up to Mason and Stella as they are stretching.  I don’t know how she knows what we’re talking about, but she somehow does apparently. “To get a plan.”

“My brother’s getting an earful from our parents after practice today,” Stella informs us. “I mean, I know that’s not going to do anything because his head is so incredibly hard, but it’s a start, I figure. How are you doing today, Sienna?”

“I’m fine,” I assure her. “I mean, a few cuts but other than that, I’m fine.” I took the bandages off this morning so that I don’t look so broken, but the cuts are obviously still visible even though I tried my best to hide them with Stella’s makeup. I couldn’t use a lot of it though, because our skin tones are different. I’m a little bit tanner than she is and I don’t want my face to look blotchy.

“Well, we’re planning something big,” Mason declares. “And mean.”

“I just don’t-“

“We’re starting,” Penn the Petrifying states louder than all of the conversation as he walks into the room from his mystery door. I flash back to Penn and everything that happened last night. I blush and look down at my feet instead of looking up at him. “We’re not going to stretch yet though.”

This can’t be good. I think to myself, feeling an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

“Anthony, Darren, and Ada,” He announces, confirming my suspicions that something bad is about to happen. Well, I guess it’s good for me, but humiliating and just bad. “Get your asses up here.”

All three of them start to walk up to the front of the room and Stella, Mason, and Brian all look happy about what’s happening. I just watch the front and wait to see what Penn is going to do.

“Do you think that you’re good dancers?” He asks them in front of everybody.

“Or we can just let Penn throw shit at them,” Brian whispers.

All three of them nod silently.

“Do you think that you deserve to be here?” He asks them, now facing them with his arms crossed. He looks very intimidating and if I was in their shoes, I’d probably crumble but then again, I think that every time he talks to somebody.