May 10, 2007
The bell tone sounds at a half past three. Kids flood the halls as afterschool has officially begun. Some goof around glad to be unbound. Others whiz towards the doors, eager to break free from the building. Amidst the commotion, four girls sporting matching hairdos and complimenting outfits stand by the lockers in an unhappy cluster.
Metal door number fifty-nine slams with a loud clang. Brie's annoyed about the ruined plans she had for this evening. "Just cancel it."
"Huh?" Savanna questions. "We said yesterday that—"
"I know, but then this happened." Brie flashes the book in her hand, Lois Lowry's The Giver. She makes a disgusted face at it before dropping it into her backpack and zipping it away.
"That report was due last week!" Ella exclaims.
Carelessly Brie shrugs. "The book's boring so I forgot about it. But Ms. Rydell said if I turn it in tomorrow my grade will go up to a B."
"Okay, good for you." Cece, the final girl in this group of four, pipes up sourly. "But what about practice tonight?"
Rubbed wrong by the rude tone, Brie knocks her down a few pegs. "If anybody need it bad, it's you. We get it."
"Burnt!" Ella starts with a laugh.
"Smokin' and crispy," Savanna mocked.
Giving them the evil eye, Cece carries on. "Laugh, I don't care. The talent show is next week and we have be on point. Okay?"
Brie can't argue with that. There's a lot riding on this competition. It's the last major party of the school year, which means that it's the last chance to claim reign as top sixth grade clique. There's two other posses in the running; the Harris twins captains one of them. Brie won't put up with losing to Kameela and Kamyla again. The embarrassment at the Valentine's Day dance was enough.
While Brie wants this talent show win for revenge, Cece's trying to establish something far more important in her mind's eye. A reputation. And about it she feels no shame.
"Yes, I do need practice. Not because I can't dance but 'cause I need the attention. What y'all think about me getting a solo?"
"The whole school is going to be there," Ella reasoned. "How much attention do you want?"
"All of it! Come on, this is it." Index finger stabbing toward the ceiling, "Next year we go up there. We can't go up there like this." Pausing, Cece eyes each of her friends. "Okay, I can't go up there like this."
Upstairs to the second floor she means. In this K-8 school, the top floor is for the 7th and 8th grades only.
"Wait, why just you? What's wrong with us?" Savanna frowns.
"Absolutely nothing," Brie says confidently.
"Exactly. Nothing's wrong with y'all." Pointing at each, Cece lists off. "Ella, you got the brightest blue eyes plus blonde hair and everyone loves it for some reason. Brie's famous, literally. They already know her upstairs. And Savanna, your dad works for her dad, so you like half famous...plus..."
"Plus what?"
Three pairs of eyes zero in on the same thing. Three voices speak in unison, "Boobs."
Crossing her arms, Savanna downplays puberty's over generosity; an attribute she isn't comfortable with yet. "It's not all that. Anyway, you're okay too. You not ugly."
"Who said I was? I'm gorgeous, but I got nothing special. The talent show can get me some attention until I figure it out. So what about that solo?"
YOU ARE READING
The Gemini: Emancipation
Fiksi PenggemarFree from a name. Free from his chains. While Roger thrives in his emancipation, Jody discovers that liberation has a price. Through the years they both learn that where there's beauty, there's ashes. Especially when secrets never die. [A SEQUEL]
