𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑒 𝑣 𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑒

chapter two

"you totally need to join cheerios. no offence, but you need the popularity."

"i do not need popularity! i am actually very happy with my social status." marley rose frowned, and laykia snorted from beside her.

"yeah, sure. well, whatever." she laughed, and marley couldn't help admiring her.

"don't stare at me, pervert."

"sorry." marley quickly looked away, and laykia sighed.

"look, if you join the cheerios i'll join your stupid new directions." she said, scrolling through her phone. she was so caught up in social media that she didn't notice marley's eyes light up, not because they needed new singers but because she could spend more time with laykia.

"deal." she agreed rather hastily. laykia nodded.

"cool. now can we watch a movie or something, i'm bored as shit." she said, and marley turned on mean girls.

half way through the movie laykia noticed marley staring at her again.

"what?" she snapped, but not maliciously. marley flushed after being caught out yet again, and changed the subject.

"kitty will be mad when she finds out we're hanging out, you know."

"i don't really care what kitty thinks. you're my best friend as well, and if you two don't stop fighting then i'm gonna stop speaking to both of you."

"but it's her-"

"don't wanna hear it. find a way to get along. end of conversation."

"fine." marley grumbled, arms crossed over her chest. laykia smirked, and carried on watching the film.

. . .

"i cannot believe you!"

laykia and marley were on the phone and laykia was fuming. she'd joined the stupid new directions and marley hadn't even got into the cheerios! and that prick of a teacher mr schue hadn't let her quit. she's gonna expose him one of these days, he's way too close to his students.

"it's not my fault! i auditioned, didn't i? coach sue said i was awful!" marley replied, and laykia sighed.

"well what am i gonna do now? i can't stay in glee club, no way. not happening."

"just don't turn up, i don't know."

"i have to! mr schuester said he'd give me detention for the rest of the year if i quit! that would interfere with my cheerios training, and i'd get kicked off the team. i can't risk that, cheerleading is my future!" she ranted, and marley was silent.

"you know, you could sing about your feelings."

"not helping!"

. . .

"okay, as you all know, as national champions we get to host the annual show choir rules committee meeting." laykia rolled her eyes. she was sat in the choir room, next to marley. she honestly couldn't care less about show choir or whatever. she was being forced here against her will and she was going to sue the school.

"please tell me you're gonna ask what 1/3 vintage meant last year? or like, why some teams get to sing six songs and other ones only do one? speaking of competitions, shouldn't we start like, preparing for ours? i have some ideas which i am working on very hard."

um i don't really want to give anything away right now. i have no ideas. i'm tapped out. i spent all last weekend trying to think of something for us to perform, and all i came up with was a scat version of carmina burana." mr schue pointed at brittany

"yes, go ahead."

"excuse me, i'm not sure if what you were saying was actually important 'cause i wasn't listening but I'd like to make an announcement. first, i'd like to know if anyone can prove that blaine was actually born in this country. second, i'm wrapping up the election by selecting artie as my running mate." brittany said, and laykia smiled slightly. she liked her.

"ah. alright."

"i think by bridging the human-slash-robot divide, we'll ensure that both students and vending machines will be voting for us."

"still not a robot." artie said.

"brittany, that's not fair. this isn't a popularity contest, it's about who's got the best ideas. it's about believing you can make a change, right?" blaine argued.

"no, it's about popularity." laykia said from her seat.

"what is that taste in my? is that sour grape brittany." they left, and laykia patted the guy on his back.

"tough luck dude."