Pretty Little Liars: the next generation

Torn in Half

8
Torn in Half

Ring! The bell rang for lunch. Shay and her classmates got up from AP Russian History, and raced to the door. Shay emptied her books and papers into her locker, and slammed the door shut. Then she went to go meet her friends from swimming; Grace, Delia, and Charlotte. Delia sat down at the four chaired table where they always sat, and took a sandwich out of her lunch bag. Grace mumbled that she had to use the bathroom, and Charlotte said she had to make up a test in algebra 3.
Shay got into the lunch line behind Sasha. They both had geometry together. While the rest of the class took a pop quiz, Mrs. Kinkle filled Sasha in on what they were doing in class.
Shay grabbed a red plastic tray, just as Sasha turned. "Oh. Hey."
"Hi Sasha," Shay said.
"Hi, um, uh," Sasha stuttered. "Is it... Shannon?"
"Yeah," Shay replied. "That's my real name, but everyone calls me Shay."
"Cool." Sasha stepped further into the lunch line. "You know, I'm starting a whole new clique. I want you to be in it."
Shay felt heat rise to her cheeks. "Why me?" her voice sounded feeble and weak.
"Because." Sasha twisted a devil red bracelet around her wrist. "You're special."
"Oh." Shay grabbed a salad from the cold food shelf.
Sasha grabbed a bottled water and turned around. "Sit with me at lunch?"
"Well..." Shay said, looking at Delia.
"Please?" Sasha begged, her eyes growing big like a sad little puppy.
"Okay," Shay finally agreed. After all, it was just one day. Her friends wouldn't miss her. She followed Sasha to a table by Ashley, Jess, Gabby, and Tiffany.
"Shay! Over here!" she heard Delia call.
Shay ignored her and kept walking, what was she supposed to say? They approached the five girl table, and Shay plopped down next to Sasha. She saw a hurt, pained look on Delia's face. She quickly turned away.
A few minutes later, Lucy sat down across from Sasha. "Hey guys," she said, pulling a sushi container filled with sushi rolls and rice. She pulled out a pair of pink chopsticks.
"Yum! Can I have a sushi roll?" Sasha asked.
"Sure," Lucy said, using her chopsticks and placing it on Sasha's plate by her pasta.
"I wish they served Asian food here," Shay said, taking a bite of lettuce and shredded carrots.
"Yeah," Sasha said. "The food at my school in New Jersey was amazing. It was like going to a restaurant."
"I bought them at the cafe across the street," Lucy said. "Just go there before school."
Grace came back from the restroom and looked at Shay. She walked to Delia, and the two of them started whispering.
Shay glanced down at a ripped poster on the floor advertising a dance from last year. She felt just as torn as that poster.