Chapter 2
I was speechless. "If you're the one treating, why are you paying with my card?"
"Come on, we're all friends here, and you're loaded. Don't be so cheap. Lunch's on you today," Claire said.
She directly reached for my card. I shot her a cold look and slapped her hand away.
"Claire, this is my card. Stop acting like you deserve it. I don't owe you anything," I said.
She was used to taking from me and never giving anything back. She paused for a moment, and then shot me an annoyed look.
She snapped, "Why are you being so stingy? I'm actually doing you a favor, letting you show off in front of everyone, and you don't even know how to be grateful?
"You know I'm poor. Are you just trying to embarrass me? Hand over your card, or don't blame me if I stop being friends with you."
I turned to leave, but Claire suddenly stuck out her foot and sent me crashing to the floor.
A sharp pain shot through my teeth, blood pooling in my mouth. Everyone around me burst out laughing.
"Oops. Sorry, Violet, I swear I didn't mean it. It's just that you're so huge. You really need to lose some weight. The sound when you hit the ground totally freaked us out," Claire sneered.
I couldn't take it anymore. I pushed myself up from the floor, ready to go at Claire with everything I had.
But a couple of guys from class jumped in front of me, blocking my way. Their faces twisted with pure disgust and scorn.
"Fatty, you can't even treat us to one meal? Serves you right for falling flat on your face. How dare you act up?" one of them spat.
"Don't even think about snitching to the teacher. We all saw it. Everyone knows you threw yourself down just to scam someone," another guy jeered.
Just then, someone started making an announcement over a loudspeaker off to the side. "Hey everyone, the Arts Department's got an announcement from the school.
"There's a city-wide basketball league at the end of this month, and our school needs to put together a cheerleading squad to support our team."
"If you've got the skills, come sign up. This is an awesome chance to get on TV, and if you're chosen as the cheerleader, you'll score an extra $15,000 cash bonus."
Everyone crowded around, all talking at once, eager to find out how to sign up.
Then, a handsome guy in a school uniform strode over.
His name tag read "Jason Brooks". He had short hair, deep brown eyes and brows, and smooth skin.
The noisy crowd instantly fell silent, replaced by a chorus of gasps.
Someone whispered in awe, "Whoa, that's Jason Brooks, the cutest guy in school. He's already got a guaranteed spot at film school, and he's still back here?"
"Man, he's way better looking in real life than on TV. No wonder I saw the Brooks family's Rolls-Royce parked at the school gate this morning," another person whispered.
The student with the loudspeaker said respectfully, "Jason, the announcement's out. Now we're just waiting for people to sign up."
"Good job," Jason replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he scanned the crowd.
Back in freshman year, during the very first school basketball tournament, Jason was leading the team, and I was the cheerleader, rooting for them.
He asked for my contact info, but I turned him down because I didn't want any distractions from my studies. Now, everything had changed. We were living in totally different worlds.
"Cheerleader tryouts? I'm signing up!" Claire called out.
Claire, who was as stiff as a board and had never danced a day in her life, shot her hand up and eagerly pushed through the crowd.
She strutted up to Jason, head held high, and spoke in a clear, poised voice, "I'm Claire Jennings from Class 1, Grade 2. I want to bring honor to my class and to our school."
Jason's gaze rested on her briefly, a hint of admiration flickering in his eyes, but he just gave a polite nod.
"Sorry, but if I remember right, there's actually someone else in Class 1 who's even more suited for this," he said.
I had a bad feeling, ducking down and trying to slip away before anyone caught sight of me.
But I was too late. Claire called out, "Violet!"
Her voice was so sharp that it sliced through the crowd, and people instantly stepped aside, clearing a path for her.
She stormed over, grabbed my arm like she was never letting go, and yanked me out front.
Claire said loudly, "Violet's been dancing since she was little. Is that who you meant, Jason? I totally support her joining."
My chin was still swollen, and the pain had my face all twisted up. With Claire yanking me out like that, my whole body was trembling, all my fat shaking.
Everyone froze for a second, and then the whole place erupted with laughter.
"No way, with her size doing cheerleading? She's gonna stomp a hole in the floor," someone shouted.
"Are you sure this is a cheerleading routine and not just an earthquake drill?" another person joked.
"Who else could it be from Class 1? Isn't Claire supposed to be the cutest girl in the whole class? Don't tell me Jason's got a special taste," someone else snickered.