Twisted (title pending)

Twisted ((Chapter Five))

Chapter Five:

“What were you and Brandon talking about?” Corrie asked, her face red.

“We were talking about the drama club float,” I answered. That was only part of the truth, but Corrie didn’t need to know all of it.

“You’re lying,” Anne assumed. I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to keep from getting too angry.

“No, I’m not,” I said. “Why does it even matter? There’s nothing going on between us, guys.”

“How do we know that?” Corrie said. “If you do start going out with him, I’ll tell Mom and she’ll punish you. She knows me and Anne want him. Plus you’re not allowed to date, Mom says.” Corrie looked like she felt important, saying that. With those few sentences she confirmed my worst fears: I was forbidden from even having a romantic interest, whether or not Corrie- and apparently Anne- were chasing him also. I couldn’t let Lenora do this to me.

Punishment almost felt worth it but then I realized Brandon would probably feel like it was his fault. He seemed to feel like it was his fault I was being teased about the plastic bag when really, it was no one’s fault but the clique’s. I hated hurting people and my getting punished for going out with him would probably hurt him.

Then I remembered the chances of us actually becoming a couple. They were so slim I’m sure I’d need a microscope to even see a speck. No need for me to worry about the troubles that would come of actually being a couple when it wasn’t likely to happen.

“We’re not going out and probably never will be. Now I need to get to class so please shoo.” I started walking off, thinking about what they’d said. So Anne wanted him too? I hadn’t known that. Maybe that was why she had joined drama club. Come to think of it, I’d never seen her actually participate in anything acting related. Interesting.

I navigated the crowded hallways, trying to get to class before the bell rang. If I got detention for being late to class for the third time Lenora would probably ban me from the float, which was now more important than ever. The float was my one chance of actually getting to know Brandon or anyone of the other drama people without Anne or Corrie ripping them away from me. If she took that away from me I didn’t know what I’d do.

I barely made it to English on time and sat down, panting. The teacher looked at me disapprovingly but started her lesson without saying a word to me. I felt Anne glaring at my back the whole time. I hadn’t even seen her come in but knew she was there when a folded note suddenly appeared on the floor next to me, tossed by Anne, who sat behind me.

‘Ella- Don’t even try for Brandon. I know Corrie already told you that but he’s mine. You don’t have a chance so don’t get your hopes up.

-Anne’

I crumpled it angrily. Anne had been nice over the weekend, so why was she being such a word-that-rhymes-with-witch to me today?

I could only think of one answer: she actually considered me competition.

I was elated until I remembered that Anne considered herself competition in the first place, so her thoughts on that subject weren’t entirely reliable.

It wasn’t that Anne was a terrible person; she could actually be witty and decent. She was just spiteful and mean and could be selfish. Not the greedy kind of selfish, though- she just didn’t think of other people a lot. And Corrie… well, Corrie was just a vacuum. She was the absence of thought. She did what her friends or her mother or her sister told her and the only time she thought for herself was when she was deciding whether to wear purple or pink that morning and even then, either I or Anne had to help her. She was nice until someone told her not to be and then she did whatever they said.