Willow’s return to school was awkward, as she avoided all contact with Razzel. Razzel gladly reciprocated. Neither girl found it difficult to ignore the other, even when seated only a few feet apart.
Willow spent every lunch period in the library, catching up on some of the assignments she’d missed. Whenever Taren or Brent approached either Willow or Razzel about their fallout, neither girl was eager to discuss it.
Willow had spoken to Shayla on the phone on the evening Shayla retreated from Willow’s room, a victim of Razzel’s rage. But Shayla was convinced the three of them would never be friends the way they used to be. Not wishing to make things worse between Willow and Razzel, Shayla kept her distance when the three of them shared a class. She tried to convince Willow to patch things up with Razzel and felt guilty about being the cause of their argument, but Willow insisted Razzel make the first move.
In the mean time, Snella, Carmen and Fusia were none too pleased when Shayla so much as smiled at Willow. They couldn’t understand what could have caused such a dramatic alteration in Shayla’s behavior, for her to no longer segregate herself to the suitably dubbed “accepted” crowd in school.
Rather than approach Shayla about her new outlook, Snella decided to corner Willow in the girls’ bathroom at the end of the school week. As Willow was drying her hands, her peripheral vision made out the forms of three figures standing in the doorway.
"I didn’t think you knew how to use soap, Krimble," Snella taunted as Carmen and Fusia stood on either side of her, their arms crossed, wearing designer blouses and simple grins.
Willow rolled her eyes and shook her head in complete frustration as the three drama-queens continued to block her exit.
"I’ve got a bus to catch …” said Willow, drying her hands, “… I really don’t have time for this."
"Now, now, Krimble," replied Snella, "surely you have a moment to discuss a mutual acquaintance."
Willow had a feeling where this was headed.
"What is it?" she asked, exasperated.
"Well, it seems that Shayla is under the impression that she needs to change certain aspects of her life. Not sure where this born-again attitude hatched from, nor do I care."
“‘Nor?’” said Willow. “Have you been reading the dictionary again, Snella?”
"All I know is," – the volume of Snella’s tone seemed to be rising – " she doesn't need to be seen with trash like you!"
"Hmm … " Willow pretended to ponder something, placing her index finger on her chin as her pupils rotated toward the ceiling. "I think she's a big girl and can decide for herself who she wants to ..." - Willow's eyes scanned her harassers - "… be friends with."
___________________________________
Page 91
Snella moved in closer. Willow didn’t flinch.
"Listen up, Prosthetic Princess," barked Snella as her peanut-gallery chuckled in support, "I know her better than anyone and I - "
"That's where you're wrong!" Willow cut in. "You actually don't know her at all. Now get out of my way!"
Snella took one more step toward Willow, leaving a mere 10 inches between them.
"Or what?" said Snella. "Your body-guard isn't here to protect you this time, is she? From what I hear, the two of you need couples' counseling. Pity … you were so cute together. Who’s bargain-bin jeans will you borrow now?"
Willow felt a surge of anger flow through her. She didn't say a word, but stared Snella down without blinking, her face filled with rage.
Snella had expected Willow to recoil. She was shocked to see Willow standing her ground with an expression that was quite intimidating. This was not the timid little girl she tripped at the beginning of the school year.
"Just stay away from Shayla," Snella warned, "unless you want to have another …” – she made quote marks with her fingers – “… accident."
The tense moment was broken by the bathroom door swinging open. Shayla entered and took in the scene. Based on Willow’s expression, it was clear this was not a friendly exchange.
"What's going on?"
Snella took several steps back.
"Just having a chat with our ... friend here," she said. "But I think we understand each other now ... don't we, Krimble?"
Snella's sadistic grin only fueled Willow's fury. She was tired of people telling her who she could and could not be friends with. Snella had expected her to storm away in tears by now. Not this time.
"It would seem," said Willow, turning her attention to Shayla, "your so-called friends here think they can intimidate me into not speaking to you anymore." She turned her attention back to Snella. "We wouldn't want to damage your reputation now, would we?"
"This true?" Shayla asked the three debutantes.
As usual, Carmen and Fusia answered with blank stares. Snella, on the other hand, was a bit more vocal.
"Oh, come off it, Shayla. Wake up and smell the caramel latte. You know how it works. We don't associate with the likes of ..." - Snella scanned Willow up and down with her index finger - "... this!"
"With the likes of this?" mimicked Shayla. "The likes of what? Someone who actually gives a damn about the people she hangs out with? Someone who doesn't use her friends to gain points in the popularity poll?"
Snella tried to speak but Shayla cut her off.
"With the likes of this?" Shayla repeated, pointing to Willow, taking a step towards Snella. "If I were lying in the school parking lot, dying, what would you do?"
Again, Snella opened her mouth, but Shayla was too quick for her.
"You'd probably check your watch and count down the seconds before you could claim my Louis Vuitton bag for yourself."
___________________________________
Page 92
"Shayla, I - "
"Decide right now, Snella. Make a choice. This also goes for the two of you!" Shayla addressed Carmen and Fusia, who were dumbstruck by her behavior. "We can all be friends no matter what our clothing labels say, and it doesn't end with Willow either. There's no reason why we can't talk to whoever roams the halls in this school no matter what their parents pull in at bonus time, or ... you can remain the way you are: a pathetic clique that tries to outdo one another in order to maintain some ridiculous social status which, once we leave this school, no one will remember anyway!"
Shayla surveyed her opposition.
"So … what's it gonna be?"
Snella turned to Carmen and Fusia to read their reactions. She stared at them for a moment before nodding. They both nodded back. Snella turned back to Shayla.
"Shayla Stergus," she snarled, "from this point on, I'm gonna do everything within my power to make your life a living Hell!"
Carmen and Fusia smirked in approval.
Shayla smiled back at her three adversaries.
"Don’t sell yourself short, Snella. You’ve made my life miserable since the first day we met."
Next Chapter
Willow spent every lunch period in the library, catching up on some of the assignments she’d missed. Whenever Taren or Brent approached either Willow or Razzel about their fallout, neither girl was eager to discuss it.
Willow had spoken to Shayla on the phone on the evening Shayla retreated from Willow’s room, a victim of Razzel’s rage. But Shayla was convinced the three of them would never be friends the way they used to be. Not wishing to make things worse between Willow and Razzel, Shayla kept her distance when the three of them shared a class. She tried to convince Willow to patch things up with Razzel and felt guilty about being the cause of their argument, but Willow insisted Razzel make the first move.
In the mean time, Snella, Carmen and Fusia were none too pleased when Shayla so much as smiled at Willow. They couldn’t understand what could have caused such a dramatic alteration in Shayla’s behavior, for her to no longer segregate herself to the suitably dubbed “accepted” crowd in school.
Rather than approach Shayla about her new outlook, Snella decided to corner Willow in the girls’ bathroom at the end of the school week. As Willow was drying her hands, her peripheral vision made out the forms of three figures standing in the doorway.
"I didn’t think you knew how to use soap, Krimble," Snella taunted as Carmen and Fusia stood on either side of her, their arms crossed, wearing designer blouses and simple grins.
Willow rolled her eyes and shook her head in complete frustration as the three drama-queens continued to block her exit.
"I’ve got a bus to catch …” said Willow, drying her hands, “… I really don’t have time for this."
"Now, now, Krimble," replied Snella, "surely you have a moment to discuss a mutual acquaintance."
Willow had a feeling where this was headed.
"What is it?" she asked, exasperated.
"Well, it seems that Shayla is under the impression that she needs to change certain aspects of her life. Not sure where this born-again attitude hatched from, nor do I care."
“‘Nor?’” said Willow. “Have you been reading the dictionary again, Snella?”
"All I know is," – the volume of Snella’s tone seemed to be rising – " she doesn't need to be seen with trash like you!"
"Hmm … " Willow pretended to ponder something, placing her index finger on her chin as her pupils rotated toward the ceiling. "I think she's a big girl and can decide for herself who she wants to ..." - Willow's eyes scanned her harassers - "… be friends with."
___________________________________
Page 91
Snella moved in closer. Willow didn’t flinch.
"Listen up, Prosthetic Princess," barked Snella as her peanut-gallery chuckled in support, "I know her better than anyone and I - "
"That's where you're wrong!" Willow cut in. "You actually don't know her at all. Now get out of my way!"
Snella took one more step toward Willow, leaving a mere 10 inches between them.
"Or what?" said Snella. "Your body-guard isn't here to protect you this time, is she? From what I hear, the two of you need couples' counseling. Pity … you were so cute together. Who’s bargain-bin jeans will you borrow now?"
Willow felt a surge of anger flow through her. She didn't say a word, but stared Snella down without blinking, her face filled with rage.
Snella had expected Willow to recoil. She was shocked to see Willow standing her ground with an expression that was quite intimidating. This was not the timid little girl she tripped at the beginning of the school year.
"Just stay away from Shayla," Snella warned, "unless you want to have another …” – she made quote marks with her fingers – “… accident."
The tense moment was broken by the bathroom door swinging open. Shayla entered and took in the scene. Based on Willow’s expression, it was clear this was not a friendly exchange.
"What's going on?"
Snella took several steps back.
"Just having a chat with our ... friend here," she said. "But I think we understand each other now ... don't we, Krimble?"
Snella's sadistic grin only fueled Willow's fury. She was tired of people telling her who she could and could not be friends with. Snella had expected her to storm away in tears by now. Not this time.
"It would seem," said Willow, turning her attention to Shayla, "your so-called friends here think they can intimidate me into not speaking to you anymore." She turned her attention back to Snella. "We wouldn't want to damage your reputation now, would we?"
"This true?" Shayla asked the three debutantes.
As usual, Carmen and Fusia answered with blank stares. Snella, on the other hand, was a bit more vocal.
"Oh, come off it, Shayla. Wake up and smell the caramel latte. You know how it works. We don't associate with the likes of ..." - Snella scanned Willow up and down with her index finger - "... this!"
"With the likes of this?" mimicked Shayla. "The likes of what? Someone who actually gives a damn about the people she hangs out with? Someone who doesn't use her friends to gain points in the popularity poll?"
Snella tried to speak but Shayla cut her off.
"With the likes of this?" Shayla repeated, pointing to Willow, taking a step towards Snella. "If I were lying in the school parking lot, dying, what would you do?"
Again, Snella opened her mouth, but Shayla was too quick for her.
"You'd probably check your watch and count down the seconds before you could claim my Louis Vuitton bag for yourself."
___________________________________
Page 92
"Shayla, I - "
"Decide right now, Snella. Make a choice. This also goes for the two of you!" Shayla addressed Carmen and Fusia, who were dumbstruck by her behavior. "We can all be friends no matter what our clothing labels say, and it doesn't end with Willow either. There's no reason why we can't talk to whoever roams the halls in this school no matter what their parents pull in at bonus time, or ... you can remain the way you are: a pathetic clique that tries to outdo one another in order to maintain some ridiculous social status which, once we leave this school, no one will remember anyway!"
Shayla surveyed her opposition.
"So … what's it gonna be?"
Snella turned to Carmen and Fusia to read their reactions. She stared at them for a moment before nodding. They both nodded back. Snella turned back to Shayla.
"Shayla Stergus," she snarled, "from this point on, I'm gonna do everything within my power to make your life a living Hell!"
Carmen and Fusia smirked in approval.
Shayla smiled back at her three adversaries.
"Don’t sell yourself short, Snella. You’ve made my life miserable since the first day we met."
Next Chapter