I turn quickly and run back into the school building, I clean at my eyes and see Flinette standing and watching me, “my acting is so damn good” I say to her and laugh.

She pulls me in for a hug and the gesture alone makes me begin to cry again, “I’m such a great actress so why does it still hurt so much that it feels like I could just die?”

“To love and stop loving isn’t easy” she whispers and I grip her tighter.

“I hate that I still feel this way after all this time” I cry into her shoulder as she strokes my back comfortingly, “I hate that I will still have to see his face and remember how much he hurt me”

“Just leave with me then” Flinette says and I pull back from her, “Let's forget all of this and move to California together”

“I can't leave my friends behind and go to somewhere where I might even end up being out casted” I say

“Don’t be deluded” Flinette snaps and it takes me off ground, “Look around you, there’s no one for you to call for a friend around her except for Shantele because the rest either fear you or suck up to you hence no one is really on your side”

“It's still not enough to up and leave” I reply adamantly.

“You're still going to up and leave when it's time for college”

“That’s different” I snap feeling frustrated with her hard headedness.

“How’s it different from doing it a year and half earlier” she says, “Think of this, what do you think will happen after you ruin Renae and Micheal? You think your life is going to remain the same and it’ll all be rosy all round? Think again because people will find out the truth if you remain here and if Renae manages to gain sympathy then you're back to being the heartless bitch who stabbed her friend in the back”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” I snap, “run away?”

“You're not running away, you're simply taking a bow after the huge performance you did” she whispers into my ear, “Think about it, wouldn’t it be better to leave as the girl who got betrayed by her friend and gain so much sympathy than to later on leave as the crazy psychopath who plotted to ruin her friends lives”

“But what about Shanty” I ask, “I can't just leave her behind”

“You can and you will” Flinette says with finality, “after all you owe me for all the sacrifices I made for you”

I want to object but the guilt of how much Flinette had to give up for me still weighs on my chest and makes me question my logical decisions, “Fine”

“Great!” she exclaims and kisses the top of my head, “I’ll call Mr Farrand to tell him, now run along and go have the final rehearsal”

*

“We welcome you all to the 45th annual sports game!” A voice booms from the loudspeakers. I check myself in a mirror to make sure the ribbons in my hair stay intact throughout the cheer performance, “And now we give you Parkinson Academy’s Cherry Bombs!”

We run out into the large auditorium, the sound of so many people cheering us on has me momentarily stunned, I’ve never stood in a gathering as large as this and it has my heart beating really fast and adrenaline running through my veins. 

Flinette grabs my hand and pulls me along with her towards where the other cheerleaders are standing and waving at the crowd.

“Once more we are here to say goodbye to another impeccable Cherry Bomb captain Flinette Anderson!”

The crowd goes wild with cheers and Flinette takes a bow as people start chanting her name, I stare awe struck at it all as a voice whispers into the back of my mind, letting me know that this is no longer my reality and is something I will forget along with my memories here. “Since this is the last time, we might as well give it our all” Flinette says to me and I nod my head.

“It's been a wonderful journey with you Flin” I say, “and I’m honored to spend your last moments on stage with you” we hug each other and the crowd goes wild once more.

“Ooohhh, this kind of sister love is making us all emotional” The announcer says and the crowd choruses a yes, “Now let us begin”

*

I accept the bottle that Flinette hands me and take big gulps of water, my heart is beating erratically and I can't tell whether it's from the adrenaline or from the smile that never left my face since Renae and I climbed the pyramid and the crowd cheered us on.

Now I see why girls go crazy for cheerleading, everything about it is so precious and it makes me so sad to think that I’m never going to perform with these people again or hear these people in the bleachers cheer us on because I’ll no longer be part of the Cherry Bombs.

“And now we have a message from the principal of Parkinson Academy” the announcer says and everyone turns their heads in the direction of the image that the projector is projecting.

The image is fuzzy and we all can't tell what it is but Flinette gives me a knowing look and when I turn my head I see Avaline smirking and my heart drops into my stomach as I realize Avaline actually pulled through and is displaying the images on the projector.

“It's finally happening” I smile to myself as I can't help but anticipate the look on everyone’s faces.

The image clears out and it shows Renae in her underwear cuddling Micheal who is also in his underwear. Everyone gasps and the place goes quiet.

I take a calming breath to remind myself of the role I must play, the victim who had the two most important people in her life betray her. “What the hell is this?” Jordan demands from the stands and everyone turns in his direction.

Everyone starts murmuring and the look on Renae’s face is so priceless that I have to tell myself not to laugh and hold it in, she looks like she just heard that someone important to her died, I like how she looks it's an image I will remember forever in my head.

“Wow, so the almighty and holy Renae actually has a dirty secret” Avaline scoffs and I force a tear drop out of my eye.

“Renae how could you?” I ask and storm past her, I run into the school building and into the girls locker room where I grab all my stuff.

The door to the locker room opens and Renae jogs in, the moment she spots me she runs to me and grabs my hands and I stare at her hands holding mine, to think I used to find this gesture comforting in the past.

I pull my hands out of hers so fast that it hurts my shoulders, “how dare you try to hold me?” I ask and rub my palms on my cheerleading uniform like it got dirty.

“Jossie what you saw outside isn’t true” she says and I sigh

“Then was that photo shopped?” I ask, “Did I look like a fool to you also that you had to take one more person who meant so much to me? Like Adaira wasn’t enough you went ahead and took Jordan and now you're trying to dig your filthy claws into Micheal as well”

The sound of the slap reverberates around the room before I feel the sting on my cheek from where her palm connected with my face, “I said that I didn’t do anything with Micheal so stop calling me names and making false accusations at me!” she screams and tear drops roll down her face.

“You know what? I really like this version of you, the one who raises her hand to slap whoever doesn’t listen to her” I wipe at a tear drop with my thumb, “keep it up because you're going to need it when the hyenas come knocking”

I shove her out of my way and walk out of the room, I slam the door shut and take another deep breath so I can have the mental energy to face a furious Micheal.

The moment I step into the school car park leading to the gates I see his red hair amongst the mob of students who are bustling around him for answers.

Someone whispers that I’m there and everyone goes silent and paves a way for me to pass, they’re such diligent slaves that it makes it even sadder because I won’t have them around to boss around.

I walk up to Micheal with strong strides and stop in front of him, I take a second to calm my breathing before I slap him across the face. when he raises his face to glare at me I slap him on the other cheek.

My expression is cold, I’ve always wanted him to see me with the cold look in my eyes so he can see the monster he has created, “you're such a lying ass”

“Is this what you meant by your final act of mercy?” he demands.

“And to think I trusted you so much and yet you went behind my back and slept with my former best friend” I clench my fists tightly, enough to make me cry.

“This is all bullshit!” he yells at me.

“Is it?” I ask and a snide smirk crosses my face as I lean in closer to whisper to him so that only he can hear what he has to say, “I’ve achieved my plan so far”

“I’m leaving and I’m never coming back” I announce and another round of murmurs from the crowd ensues, “the pain I have received in this place is just too much to bear” I walk past Micheal but stop momentarily by his side to whisper once more to him, “goodbye Micheal Dane, if I ever come across you after today I will make you truly rue the day you were born”

I use my shoulder to bump him and set him off balance, I then run the remaining distance out of the school and past the gate.

I stop the moment I step out of the gate and look at the school that I spent the past four years plus of my life. I shared so many memories here, I dreamt, I loved, I laughed, I lived, I got hurt, and I hurt others.

This place will forever be a reminder of my errors and the errors of others, I hope that people can look back on all of this and see the error of their ways and hopefully one day they will demolish the Status Quo so that no one would ever get hurt in the fight for power and popularity.

“I guess this is where I say my final goodbye” I whisper as my true tears begin to fall freely, I raise my hand slowly and wave goodbye to this place I once called my second home, my safe haven and a place where I dreamt.

This will be a lesson to me, one that I will never forget that will remain imprinted, I wonder, if I had the chance to go back and change it all would I have done so?

The sound of the horn from Flinette's car snaps me out of my deep thoughts and I take in a deep breath.

I take a bow and then smirk as I turn to leave, “Long live the Queen”.

AN
And hence I also take a bow.
Stick around for the Epilogue and Ending words.

Till Friday when we will really have to say goodbye.

Tee out!!!!