Opposite and Adjacent {SailingSam & AnnaBeth Belle}

[AnnaBeth]

Of course she was dating the varsity quarterback. Doing otherwise was as unthinkable as the Rockford High Crusaders having a losing season or not making it to the state championships for the ninth year in a row. 6 wins and rings, 3 narrow losses, and the Crusaders were looking for an even tenth championship game this year at Lincoln Stadium, home of the legendary Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Drew Williams was the varsity quarterback, a phenom who started on varsity as a Freshman and never once missed a game. Tall, broad shouldered, good looking with an All American "Aww, shucks" attitude he was going places after graduation, a few years at Nebraska and then an NFL career.

Of course she was dating him. Tori Thomas was the Varsity Cheer Captain and they went together like peas and carrots. She was tall, but not as tall as him, prettier than he was handsome and her straight black hair that fell like a waterfall of silk down the back of her uniform was held in place by a big poofy bow complemented her sky blue eyes. They were the perfect couple.

So everyone thought and Tori wasn't about to risk the shame and humiliation of letting anyone know otherwise. In public she was the perfect girlfriend, laughed at his jokes, brought him snacks to practice, walked home with him, hips touching and holding hands while he carried her books, had gone to Junior Prom and would go to the Senior Formal and Homecoming and Senior Prom with him, kissed him every period in the hallways, earning the half-hearted scoldings of the teachers, and wore his class ring on a necklace around her neck.

They'd get married while he was in college and she'd be on the sidelines of his NFL games with a baby in her arms, still rocking out her cheerleader body, and things would be perfect.

Nobody knew she was working on an out of state scholarship to NYU and was a lesbian. Well, in theory anyway. She hadn't actually done...it like that. Sort of though, but not all the way but Tori knew she wanted to.

And she would.

"I don't get it."

Tori smiled instead of sighing and tried again. She and a few other cheer girls were tutoring the Freshman squad. They were to tiny and cute and a few of them were dumb as rocks but really good with stunts so Coach made them tutor their feeder teams. Even the Fish.

"Okay, so like...put your eye here," she drew a large triangle on a piece of paper and held it parallel to the floor. "And look like your eye is at the angle. What's the side across from you called. Across," she said slowly.

"Ummm, opposite?"

"Good job!" Tori enthused and hugged the younger girl. "Okay, back to the paper. And what's this one called? The one that is literally right next to you."

"Um, hippopotanuse?"

God she was dumb. "Nooooo, not the hypotenuse. That's the longest one. The one right...next...to...your eye."

"Oh, adjacent!" She clapped her hands when Tori nodded. "But, like how can I remember all this stupid geometry."

Loosen your cheer bow. "Like, think of something you know. Um, what has triangles. Oh, I know! Remember when Sarah and Courtney-"

"C Courtney or K Kourtnee?"

"C Courtney. Sarah and Courtney both liked Richard, remember? A love..."

"Triangle" the freshman girl answered slowly.

"Right, a love triangle. So like Richard is the hypotenuse because he's the guy and he's the biggest. And Sarah was adjacent becuase-"

"Because she was dating Richard?"

"Good job! You're so smart. And opposite was Courtney-"

"C Courtney."

"Yes, C Courtney because she wanted to be with Richard but couldn't because he was already dating Sarah. That's how you remember opposite and adjacent."

"Tori! OMG! You're adjacent and Drew is the hypotenuse! But wait, who's opposite?" The Freshman looked confused.

"Like literally every other girl in school," piped in Mikayla, a JV girl and her joke got giggles from all three squads.

I wish one of them would take him, Tori prayed as she laughed along with them. It was bad enough to be closeted. It was worse to have to pretend she cared if another girl made eyes at her boyfriend. God, the end of the year and college could not come soon enough.

"Ohh Emmm Gee, it's the band," one of the girls said as the double doors at the end of the gym opened and the band nerds and band geeks began to come in, sweaty and gross and loud and not cheerleaders poured in from their grueling parking lot practice.

Almost in unison the cheerleaders, all three squads, turned to stare at the band kids with wrinkled up noses and haughty expressions. They didn't say a word, didn't move, just used their coordinated and rehearsed stare to make the band kids nervous and take a wide path around them on their way to the band hall.

Tori's blue eyes went from one to the other as they passed and she alone was standing, queen among her princesses of the school.

 

[Charlotte Honeycutt]

"Five six seven eight!" She called out one last time as she blew her whistle and squinted her eyes in the blazing hot sun of the still warm yet approaching Nebraska fall. The wind section was still a bit off, and she could still hear the newest members of the band struggling to keep up with the pitch and sudden pace as they practiced the school's fight song in the now empty student parking lot after school.

They couldn't have the field, that's where the football team practiced, and god forbid they stepped into the air conditioned gym and have the cheerleaders practice outside for once. At least they didn't have to wear their band uniforms when they practiced else they'd have to go home and wash them every night with how much some members of the band sweat.

Reina Johnson watched them from the top of a ladder, putting her hands over her glasses so that she could see the movements of the band to make sure they were following the choreography of it all. She glanced quickly to either side of her at her two other majors to ensure that they were helping to keep the rhythm as the young and relatively small band moved about their motions. She would have to remember to wear her contacts the next day, she silently reminded herself. Reina didn't like them, they felt odd pressed up against her dark green eyes and she much preferred just a hat and her small rimmed glasses, but she could hardly see them now, wondering what it would be like under the bright lights of the football field on the upcoming Friday's first home game against a sure cupcake team that stood no chance against the Crusaders and the powerful accurate arm of Drew Williams.

She jerked her head and mind back to reality just in time to see one of the tubas falter and step out of line. There was no way they were going to be ready for Friday's appearance, and she planned to discuss the hiccups they still had with their formations and movements with the band director when they went inside. Brushing her auburn colored hair out of her face, she watched and shook her head. She had to remind herself that they had a lot of younger unseasoned members who had just started learning the routine recently. It would take some time. She thought back to her own Freshman year when she had started as a flutist, quickly moving up to first chair. Her junior year she had been nominated a minor major, in command on the entire win instruments in the band, and to her surprise, she had been elevated to head major this year, in charge of the entire band.

She crossed her arms, signaling the end of the song as she picked the megaphone up off the placeholder on the ladder. Reina wasn't tall, standing at 5'2, she was one of the shortest members of the band, and she caught a lotto jokes for it over time. She didn't mind though, and took them all in good humor. She was proud of her tiny and petite figure, and was glad she couldn't come close to having a body that would be comparable to some of the bimbo looking girls that were on the cheer team. She got sick nearly thinking about it.

Waiting for them to get back into place, she signaled another start with a blow of her whistle as her eyes caught a football flying through the air over on the football field as she wondered if Drew had thrown it. She, likely just like any other girl in the large school, lusted after his tall, handsome athletic body. It was so cliche though... he was dating the cheerleading captain. She rolled her eyes a bit. The 'classic' high school romantic relationship. It was like out of a damn book.

Reina wished she could break the stereotype. She had a cute figure... at least she thought she did. Though it would have been social suicide for Drew to even glance at her in the hallways. It was just the way the cliques worked at Rockford High, and she hated it. To say she worshiped Drew would be a bit of an overstatement, but Reina did collect all the news clippings about the Crusaders many wins, which all included Drew at the helm. She sighed softly, her eyes widening as she realized she had completely missed the final run through as she shrugged. She'd be informed by the junior majors if there were any major hiccups.

"Good job everyone!" She forced herself to speak through the microphone as she climbed off the ladder and grabbed her bag and things and lead them back towards the band room, which had to be traveled to through the gym. What was about to happen next was unavoidable.

As she opened the door, she was hit with the cool breeze as she heard the cheerleaders stop what they were doing as she glanced over to confirm that the high and mighty cheerleaders were practicing their daily routine of staring at the band and attempting to intimidate them. it had been going on since Reina was a freshman, and it used to bother her, but not anymore. She barely noticed it. She knew the freshman behind her would be bothered though it would soon pass.

Reina's eyes found who they were looking for, Tori Thomas as she made eye contact with the head of the other clique in the gym. It was almost unfair how one of the prettiest girls got to date one of the most handsome boys in the entire school. It was liking weeding out genetics, and Reina guessed she knew that deep down as the band silently trudged through the other end of the gym into the band room as she gave one last look at Tori and the cheerleaders before walking through the double doors.

She gave a quick update to the old band advisor, who didnt even bother to go out to the practices anymore before turning to the band members. The room reeked of BO. She'd have to have a discussion with some of the members of hygiene as she wrinkled her nose. "Good practice today guys, but please... please go home and practice and memorize the formations. We can't afford to make any mistakes this Friday. We're the pride of Rockford High." She flashed a smile. "I'll see you all tomorrow. For now, you're dismissed." She said as she clapped her hands together and watched them disperse.

Reina stayed behind after they had all left, enjoying the solace and silence of the band room to work on some of her homework. She was hoping to go to Baylor next fall, and had sent in her application several weeks beforehand. Now she was waiting to hear back from them, but kept up avidly working on her school work. She was on track to be Valedictorian at the school, but she couldnt afford any slip ups at all. Glancing up at the clock, she sighed and realized the time, figuring she should head home as she gathered her things and turned off the lights, walking through the doors in a vain hope that the cheer team was done practicing for the day.

 

[AnnaBeth]

Ambush was a cheerleader specialty.

Whether it was by a blindsiding Snapchat, a perfectly crafted casual comment said just a little too loud with the target in earshot, or being messy with gossip knowing it would get back to another girl, the cheer squad kept their place at the top of the social hierarchy not by rising to the top through excellence of character but by keeping everyone else from thinking that they even deserved to be on top at all. Waiting by the door leading from the band hall into the gym for Reina to walk through it was boring but Tori had the patience of all good lionesses. When the petite girl with her crown of auburn hair emerged, Tori was concealed by the opening door and let Reina get a few steps from it. The way her head looked from side to side let Tori catch a glimpse of the side of Reina's face and she thought, not for the first time, how really cute Reina was. The glasses just accented it all, making her green eyes look a little more enormous than they were and the frames were a great choice for the face of her shape. Once, in class last year, she'd seen Reina take them off to rub her eyes like they were tired - and they probably were, Mr. Zandt had worked them really hard that year in AP Economics - and then Reina had turned in her seat to look at Tori, eyes that amazing shade of green and soft and unfocused, like how a girl looked after she got kissed really well, and Tori's heart had squeezed so tight in her chest she had to look down lest anyone know what she had been thinking.

She almost felt bad about ambushing Reina.

Almost.

"Reina," she called in her cheer captain voice, a firm and confident alto that was unexpected from anyone who didn't know how big and tall her dad was, like a bear, and his voice was deeper still. Tori used to be ashamed of it, wishing she had a pretty and sweet soprano, but had grown into her voice and received compliments on it especially since she didn't use like and so all the time, except when her circle of friends dictated she do so to fall in with the rest of the tribe, and she almost never ended her sentences on a rising tone like a question, making her sound like one of those girls. Well, except with Drew, but that was just because it was part of the Perfect Girlfriend Package.

"We need to talk," she continued, her tone making it clear they were going to talk and it wasn't a request and it wasn't about something pleasant. Tori stood with her legs slightly spread, arms folded, and her back straight and head up but cocked slightly down and to the left, like a teacher displeased with the antics of her class. She'd practiced it in the mirrors in the dance room, getting it and all of her other expressions just right.

Tori waited for the other girl to stop and turn around. While most often they hit you from behind, sometimes a lioness liked to see the prey's fear in their eyes.

Gorgeous green eyes.

 

[Charlotte Honeycutt]

Reina pushed open the door and gave a quick sigh at the empty looking gym with its dimmed down lights. They weren’t turned all the way off quite yet as the janitorial crew still had to come through later that evening.

The redhead began to think of what book she was going to pick up when she got home that night. She didn’t have any homework, having completed anything she had in her study hall. She was bad about starting something before finishing it, and often would have upwards of five or six books laying around her smaller bedroom. She had always enjoyed reading, having gotten in trouble when she was in school at a younger age for trying to read underneath her desk, and had been promptly reprimanded on several other occasions for the same issue. She had grown out of it, but it was a delightful alternative to burying her eyes into the bright screen of a computer or smartphone.

She had been called a technological dinosaur, but found she didn’t care. She still had a tiny flip phone, and had been made fun of by none other than the cheerleaders for having one. She didn’t mind. It was all she needed really. As long as it successfully made phone calls and could send short text messages as needed. She saw no time or need for silly social media apps where some girls could further whore themselves out using the silly dog ears filter or giving themselves a stupid flower crown. She also saw no need for a platform to post ridiculous photos with their ridiculous hashtags. She much preferred her Polaroid camera she cherished and cared for at home. She preferred to hold her photos in her hand, not have to scroll down some sort of bright screen and tap back and forth. Maybe she really was a nerd. She silently chuckled to herself as the thought ran back across her mind as the door to the band room slammed behind her, echoing through what Reina thought was an empty gym.

She winced a bit as she heard the very recognizable voice. A voice she could hear over the loud noise and roars at football games. The voice she could hear echoing up and down the halls followed by the obligatory laughter an agreement and chirpy voices of the cheerleaders. She silently cursed under her breath. ’Shit’ she muttered to herself as she kept walking. Tori didn’t command anything over her… she didn’t plan on stopping. She was sick and tired of the dominant way the cheerleaders ran things around the school, and it all stemmed from Tori. Reina sighed as she wrapped her arms around her straps and continued to walk a bit further before Tori repeated her command… a bit more forceful the second time as she slowly stopped.

“What is there that we need to talk about?” She turned back quickly, causing her glasses to slip down the bridge of her nose, bringing her hand up to push them up back onto her face as she half stared/glared at the dark haired tan and taller girl as she crossed her own arms, trying to be imposing as well as she looked up at her and took another deep breath and continued before Tori could release another tirade on her like she had done so many times in the past. “Were we too loud when we came back in today?” She asked half jokingly. They had been reprimanded for that already. “I could have them come in and play the Rockford High fight song.” She suggested, slight venom in her voice as she stared her down, her own dark green eyes bearing down on the cheerleaders ocean blue eyes. “God forbid we walk through silently and don’t disrupt your practice at all.” She said as she looked her up and down, the girl still in her cheer outfit. “What do you want this time?” She said as she impatiently tapped her shoe. “If you have any problems, take them up with Mr. Stevens, not me… I’ve told you that a million times” She explained, referencing the band director and advisor. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get going.” She said as she turned back around and began to walk back towards the exit of the gym towards the parking lot.

 

[AnnaBeth]

"As you wish," Tori replied in a super calm voice after it was obvious that Reina's diatribe had wound down to that post-angry lash out point where she needed to make her escape, or grand exit as the petite redhead probably thought it was. If Reina thought her little tirade was going to rock Tori back in her heels, well cheer shoes actually, then she wasn't as smart as Tori thought she was. She might have been able to scare another band kid into trembling, dropping their sharps into flats or something, but to a cheerleader?

Please.

Tori stood exactly as she had been, not moving, and watched Reina until she was out the door and it sighed shut then paused before the final click of the mechanism pulled it closed. So Reina wanted her to take it up with the band director. Fine.

And everyone, even band geeks, knew what Fine meant in girl talk.

---

"Madison. I need you to go pick-"

"You've never heard of texting? Hello?" Madison, Tori's understudy as the head of the JV squad, interrupted the phone call.

"Some things you don't put in texts," Tori explained, voice showing her annoyance at being interrupted. "And," she laughed, "some things you do as someone is about to find out."

"Oh, this sounds juicy!" Madison stopped complaining. "Who am I picking up?"

"Bethany."

"She's a fish. What are we doing with a freshman?"

"She cries about everything, right?" Tori prompted.

"Yeah? And?" In the background Madison could be heard picking up her purse and keys.

"And I need a cryer. Bring her over to my house. We've got work to do." Tori was all but shivering in happy anticipation.

---

Unusual for this time of morning the doors to the band hall were already unlocked and lights were on inside. Mr. Stevens wasn't known to be an early riser, for all he fell asleep in class sometimes, and had long ago given a spare key to Reina to open things up in the morning. Today though it seemed he had come to work early and was in his office. Through the long glass window that looked out into the band hall Reina could see Mr. Stevens sitting behind his desk looking unusually alert and concerned. Tori sat across from his desk, one arm around the shoulder of a much younger, smaller girl who was hunched over with her head in her hands, body twitching as she sobbed. Mr. Stevens noticed Reina through the window and motioned her over.

Tori glanced up at the arm wave, met Reina's eyes, and gave a coldly cat-like smile then let worried compassion slide back as a mask and looked back at the younger girl beside her.

"Reina, thank goodness you're here," he said. "We've, uh, we've got something of problem. A real pickle." Strong words for Mr. Stevens. "Um, it uh, it seems that one of our musicians," he always called them musicians, like it was a special honor or something, "has been a little..." his voice lowered, "...naughty to um..."

"Bethany," Tori supplied, voice helpful and so coolly innocent that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

"Yes, Bethany," at the double mention of her name the girl, one of the freshman squad cheerleaders, hiccuped out a sob and began crying even more as Tori murmured soothingly to her and rubbed her back. Mr. Stevens's fingers twitched and grabbed at a pencil, twiddling it then putting it down. "Our musician was, er..." his fingers and thumbs made a gesture and Tori helpfully supplied "Was texting?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you, Tori. You're so helpful, just like Reina."

Barely resisting the urge to look at Reina and grin at how that must have hurt, Tori kept her charade in place. "Would you like me to explain it, Mr. Stevens? I mean, it's probably easier girl to girl?"

"Please," he said quickly and stood up to go to the corner of his office and look at old panoramic photos of the band, trying to pretend he wasn't even in the room.

"One of the band boys, a junior, has been harassing poor Bethany. Sending her the most awful texts and really being inappropriate with her. I mean, she's just a freshman. It's not fair the way he's preying on her and the things he's texting," her voice was horrified.

"He said he wanted to-" Bethany wailed and began crying harder.

"Shh, it's okay, honey. Tori's going to fix this. Shhh." She pulled Bethany into a hug and lowered her head into the other girl's hair, not out of compassion but to let out the satisfied smirk she just couldn't hold back.

"Bethany wanted to tell her mom, who would go to the principal and then there would be a big, big investigation and Mr. Stevens agreed that would be bad for the band. For his program. Right, Mr. Stevens?"

"Mmm, yes. Yes, yes, yes." he said without turning around, going up and down on the balls of his feet.

"But Bethany came to me, because I'm like every cheerleader's big sister, and she knew I could help her. And I don't want anything bad to happen to the band. I mean, you guys are like the heart of the school." Gag. Gag and die. "So I came and talked to Mr. Stevens and he thinks that the best thing to do is sit the boy out a few performances, let him learn a lesson by not participating, and we'll just keep this whole thing between ourselves so no one else has to know. I mean, we don't want a scandal. A junior boy texting, sexting really, a freshman girl? So Mr. Stevens is going to sit him out and then everything will be fixed. Right, Mr. Stevens?"

"Yes, what Tori said." He turned and looked apologetically at Reina. "I, um, I need you to break the news to him. The band members look up to you, you're a leader just like Tori."

Okay, now the shoe was on the other foot and Tori couldn't quite hide the displeasure she felt at being compared to Reina.

"Tell Michael he's out for three performances." Michael Brigham, the lead trumpet and a crucial pivot and follow person for one entire side of the band. His absence would put a huge wrinkle in their marching and everyone on that entire side was going to be thrown off. "Now, um, I need to make a phone call. Private so you girls," he motioned to the door and Tori stood up, arm still around the crying Bethany.

As she walked past Reina, Tori smiled her bitchiest smile and spoke so only Reina could hear. "Suck it up, Buttercup."

 

[Charlotte Honeycutt]

Reina had crossed her arms underneath her chest as she struggled not to show her surprise at Tori’s response as she turned on her heels, pulling at the straps of her backpack. She gave one last look up at the taller and dark haired girl before turning back and walking out of the door. That had been too easy… Reina knew it, but she wasn’t quite sure what sort of retribution she would receive in return, but she was sure she could handle it.

Walking out to her car, she threw her backpack into the back of her banged up ’03 silver Camry and slid into her drivers seat as she cranked her car up and rolled down her windows. Her A/C had cut out the month before and she didn’t have the money to get it fixed as she pulled out of the parking lot.

She began to run back over the tirade that she had unloaded on the head cheerleader as she made her way home. She relished the fact that she had unload on Tori Thomas… Tori, head-bitch, Thomas. She shivered a bit with adrenaline as she pulled into her neighborhood and quickly into her own drive, hurrying inside and running up into her room so as she would avoid her parents and their annoying questions.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Up in her room, Reina had found herself looking in the mirror. Something she did normally when she came home. As a senior, she, like many other girls her age, wasn’t totally 100% satisfied with her body. She slid off her shirt and pants, looking at herself covered in her simple underwear that covered her smaller chest and simple yet flat ass.

She thought it worked though with her smaller body… and found she didn’t mind it. She just didn’t see how she’d ever have success with boys… they weren’t interested in some flat chested band nerd that could talk about every single Harry Potter book or discuss which version of Star Trek was better and how Kirk was better than Piccard or other things that would surely drive an athlete like Drew Williams to complete and total boredom.

She sighed as she turned her attention to her desk, covered with the latest volumes of a scientific magazine she was subscribed to. Other various sheets of music covered her desk in front of her computer she used for writing her long papers, her college admission essays, and for playing WoW, her secret addiction as well. Reina had long accepted the fact that she was in fact a massive nerd, and didn’t feel the need to hide it.

Reina gave one last glance at herself in the mirror before slipping on her favorite pair of PJ’s, a longer pair of pajamas with batman and robin prints on them before sliding on her Baylor sweater and sitting down to do some work for a project she had due later that week. She took a break for dinner, suffering silently through the imploring questions of her annoying parents, something she dreaded and was looking forward to moving out and very far away the next year and having to deal with the useless bullshit and their hovering over her.

Running back upstairs after dinner. She sent a quick text to her majors of the other sections. “Go back and look over the steps and motions for this Friday. We can’t afford any screw-ups at the game this Friday. Get this message to each of your area captains too.” She hit send on the text before sighing and going back over the step procedure. She had an uneasy feeling, and wasn’t sure exactly why. Closing her computer, she sighed and looked over at the cutouts of the front page spread of Drew and sighed as she wished what she wanted to happen could be a reality as she went and slid into bed for the night, not knowing what the next day would hold for her.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

When Reina arrived the next morning, she took her usual route, which was to head straight to the band room to prepare for practice in the afternoon. She hadn’t walked halfway down the hallway before she noticed Mr. Stevens office was lit up and she saw the older and balding man. Then she noticed her and groaned. “Fuck.” She muttered, knowing something terrible was about to happen to her and her day, and the day had barely begun as she slung her bag off her shoulder, leaving it outside of the door to the office before walking in and facing the bitch that was Tori and whatever lackey that she had gotten to come in and perform an act surely worthy of an Oscar.

Reina had heard of Tori doing these types of things before as she glanced down at the briefly smug cat like grin of the icy blue eyes of the taller cheerleader. Reina refused to sit and instead took an immediate defensive position, crossing her arms under her chest and trying to speak up. “Mr. Stevens… whatever this is I can…” She stopped as she was interrupted as Mr. Stevens attempted to explain awkwardly over the course of the next several minutes as to what had happened before handing it off to Tori to try and explain what had gone down. Meanwhile the freshman cheerleader sat silently sobbing in her seat.

Reina was seething mad, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it at all. She maintained her composure, save a massive glare she was giving Tori the entire time the head cheerleader explained what her band member had done. She knew there had been no way in hell that this was something that could have happened, and was waiting until the end to try and find out who it was. She honestly didn’t have the time to reply to Tori as the girl explained what had gone on between Bethany and one of her band members. Reina found her lips pursed as she clenched her teeth, balling her fists back and forth. Tori had crossed a line… and Reina was going to make her pay in more ways than one. She would do something that would destroy Tori’s reputation as head cheerleader.

The band members, though viewed as geeks and nerds, were one of the top gossiping cliques in the school. They also had some of the better connections. Reina would rain hell down on Tori and her trope of cheerleaders.

Reina’s attention was brought back to the present as the name was called out from Mr. Stevens as her eyes widened, an audible gasp coming from her lips as she jerked her head quickly back to Tori. “You….” She paused, hissing at Tori as she restrained herself from completing the sentence as she groaned. “I… yes sir…” She muttered and hung her head. This would hurt… but would hopefully make retribution all the better for her. Reina hadn’t wanted to start a war with the cheerleaders, but she was afraid that was where they were all headed.

She watched as Tori stood and guided the still whimpering girl out of the office. “Bitch…” she muttered in response as she stood for a moment before curtly nodding to her band director and snapping her phone out of the pocket of her jacket and quickly shooting a text to her majors. ‘Meeting in the gym. Just us… ten minutes’ She then sent a text to Michael and asked him to meet her even sooner, and as soon as he could get to the gym.

Reina was sitting and frowning as the brown haired junior walked into the gym as she stood, pushing her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose. “Michael… I… I’m sorry. I’m taking you off for two games.” She said slowly as Michael stopped dead in front of her.

“You’re doing what?” He demanded frantically. “Why?” He asked louder and angrier. He soon got his explanation as Reina went back over what had just happened. Reina wrang her hands as she glanced up at the dejected band member.

“You’re our best trumpet… and so crucial to our performance… I just didn’t want anything to come out of it. I’m sorry… this is my fault… but we’re going to fix it.” She promised as the two other majors arrived into the gym as Reina quickly brought them up to speed, including the plan for payback against Tori and the cheerleaders. Giving directions to each of them, they were to head to individual contacts that they knew were either A. Gullible or B. Loyal to the band and hated the cheerleaders. In the end it was clear.

“Michael… you’re going to start rumors that Tori has ditched Drew and is sleeping around with Mark Carter.” She said, using the name of the school’s top receiver, and Drew’s go to receiver in the games. It was sure to provoke some controversy between Drew and Mark… but also between Drew and Tori as well. The goal was to take the dream couple down.

“Samantha… you’re going to talk to the lead investigative reporter for the school paper about how you heard the cheerleaders gossiping about a peephole into the mens changing room in the gym and out by the fields.” She told her first manager and good friend as the younger junior nodded confidently.

“And lastly… Jeff.” She turned to her other major. “You’re going to start a rumor that you maybe heard that Madison Williams is either sleeping around… or is a lesbian…. Your call.” She shrugged. “Make it good though.” She grinned wickedly. She wasn’t about to let Tori beat her at her own game… and it was about to get nasty. She was ready for it though, and nodded to her majors and Michael as they concluded their plotting for the day and headed out for their classes of the day. Reina herself still had one more piece, but it would have to wait until the end of the day when she could get her target at the right moment.

The rest of the day went by without a hitch. She got texts from her band members demanding to know about the situation with Michael, but referred them to Samantha or to Jeff about it. All three of her cohorts and confirmed that they had spread the rumors successfully.

Soon enough it was the end of the day and Reina found herself eager with anticipation at the next step in her plan as she bounded to the location of Drew’s locker, seeing the jock there, alone for a moment as she summoned the courage she needed. She could hear the chipper chatter of the herd of cheerleaders approaching, and hoped Tori was with them, though it didn’t matter. She only needed one cheerleader to see her do what she was about to do.

“Hi Drew!” She said cheerfully, brushing her red hair back as she walked up to him, the jock turning to face her. “Hi… Reina… right?” He asked as Reina nodded and flashed a wide grin, seeing the flurry of cheer uniforms rounding the corner. ‘Right on time’ she thought to herself as she smiled and nodded.

“Yep. That’s me.” She continued to grin up at him. “I just wanted to stop by and tell you how much I enjoy seeing you play. And that I wish you good luck this weekend.” She said.

“Oh… well th-“ Drew started to respond before Reina interrupted him with a frown.

“Though it’s a shame those rumors about Tori and Mark… awful for you.” She frowned before making sure she had said it loudy enough. She had heard the cheerful and giggling cheerleader chatter stop and knew that they were listening.

“What?” Drew asked confused before Reina flashed another huge smile.

“Anyways, I look forward to seeing you play this Friday! Bye!” She grinned and stood up on her tip toes, leaving a lingering hand on his shoulder that she was sure would be seen by the cheerleaders before quickly bounding off to her own practice, leaving a confused Drew at his locker wondering what Reina had meant about Mark and Tori as the cheerleaders looked on in shock before running off to find their own captains.

Reina shone a bright flashing smile as she walked to practice. Retribution was nice, but revenge felt oh so sweet. She was worried about how Tori would respond, but for now she chose not to worry about it. The seeds of a rumor mill had been planted, and now Tori had to sow the bad seeds out before they took root.