CHAPTER 63: the dumb blonde

[sis snaps in this chapter oop]

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I quickly put my blazer on, checking myself over as I breathed out again for the one hundredth time this morning. Waiting for the results of the tryouts is probably more stressful than the actual tryouts for the team, but today is the day that we finally find out.

It's Friday.

The billboard this morning will be packed with students wanting to know the results. Nicole would be posting the results on the web page to congratulate those who made it on the team.

Ugh, this is so stressful like breathe, girl.

I grabbed my bag and ran down the stairs of the house where mom was talking to Cassidy, who offered to drive me to school this morning. I quickly kissed my mother on the cheek and waved to her one last time before following Cassidy out of the house. We ran to her car and got in, putting our seat belts on.

"Right, let's get it!" she exclaimed, turning on the radio and the engine, "are you excited? Because I am. I bet you made the team."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," I spoke with a chuckle as Cassidy guided us onto the main road and off to the school grounds. Everyone was talking about it on their snap stories, girls saying 'wish me luck' and other students hoping for a good team this year, "even if I don't make the team, I know I would've done my best."

"You did amazing, B. Trust me, they'd be stupid not to have you on the team." I smiled in response, thanking her as she drove down the road. We saw other students walking or in buses as she stopped at a red light, quickly changing the song to something she liked more, "I almost forgot how great it is to drive freely and just do student stuff. When you live my life, the second you come out of the womb, childhood's over and you officially have to grow up and always stay in line. It's nice to just let loose whenever I can."

"I don't know how your dad keeps up with that woman," I told her as she sighs and nods, "surely it must bother him that his wife is treating his own child like some prisoner."

Now I wasn't one to meddle in family affairs, but it wasn't right that the magazines, tabloids and TV shows tell us that the Harrington lifestyle is absolutely perfect when it's not. It's pure bullshit and Cassidy refused to be treated like some celebrity just because she's got a rich family.

"He loves her," she said simply, "and he doesn't love me enough. I can't let him be unhappy, B. He put a roof over my head and put food on the table. It's just how it is and I've learnt to grow a thick layer of skin to avoid the gossip and ignore it as much as I could. Sometimes rumours spiral out of control, but that's just life for me."

"Oh, Cassidy," I started as she gave me a reassuring smile, "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, honestly. When you've lived this life for so long, it's just like a process you have to do. It's like having to live through your least favourite day of school," she spoke with a small smile. I've seen what her life is like and it's not all it's cracked up to be. All she was is controlled and there's no such thing as making your own decisions. She couldn't run a company if she wanted to because she wasn't the child of the oldest in her family.

Michael was.

Michael is the son of the eldest brother and he was also their only child so he immediately is made the next CEO of the company. Her father was the second eldest and he always got his older brother's scraps and he was always in his shadow. Nothing had changed since then. Because Cassidy is the daughter to the second eldest son, she will always be second to Michael and Michael would always come first.

In the eyes of everyone in her family, she was just the weaker one and her mother took advantage of that, blaming her for her mother's potential humiliation in the upper crust. I felt sorry for the girl because she had talent, she was an amazing dancer and a massive supporter of anything her friends did. Unlike those people who didn't give shit, she did. She endured years of guilt that it was her fault the assault happened and Miranda's taunting only made it worst.

She felt as if she was nothing but a label like 'slut' or 'desperate' even though she wasn't. I watched her crumble at her very worst, but she showed me there was at least a little bit of hope because even if people regarded her family as celebrities and flaunted their riches, she was humble and she chose to not be like those in her family.

We sat there in a comfortable silence as we entered the parking lot of the school. She found us a place to park and we quickly headed into school where a crowd was gathered around the billboard as expected.

Nicole and Kelly were already there with huge grins on their face and when they noticed me, their smiles broadened. Me and Cass walked up to them, the excitement and anticipation building up inside me. I noticed some girls walking away disappointed, which kind of dampened my mood slightly, but I wasn't them. I wasn't let down and I need to know whether I made the team or not.

"Girls!" we turned to see Michael, Jaxon and Darren stood there in their crisp uniforms. Darren was on his phone as Kelly joined his side, clearly swooned by him and Nicole joined Jaxon, yanking him down to her level by his tie.

"Come on, we have to know whether Brielle made the team or not!" Kelly exclaimed excitedly as I furrowed my brows at her in response. Okay, she's excited, but she doesn't even know if I made the team yet. If that isn't confidence, I don't know what is.

"You mean you don't know?" I told as she shrugged before leaving Darren's side and grabbing my arm. She pushed us through the crowd of people and to the front where we were faced with advertisements and clubs, but one sheet in particular caught my attention.

SVA'S CHEER SQUAD TRYOUT RESULTS :

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

Bridget WALLIS
Summer BROWN
Zara PEYTON
Isabelle GREENER
Veronica WILLIAMS
Brielle THOMSON...

Oh my fucking god.

I clasped a hand over my mouth in shock as I read my name on the sheet a few more times before running in Kelly and Nicole's arms with happiness. I made the team. I actually made the team. They hugged me back just as hard and I pulled back, going over to the others for a group hug.

"I'm guessing she made the team?" Jaxon spoke, his voice muffled in my hair as he hugged me tightly, trying to stop me from jumping around. I chuckled lightly and pulled back, only to be bombarded by congratulations by my other friends and even a few other students.

Bridget walked past with her group and tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see her walking off slowly with a smile on her face. She had her gym bag over one shoulder and a few books in the other as she wore her jacket.

"Well done on making the team!" she exclaimed as I grinned in response before shouting back at her.

"You too!" I exclaimed back at her before she walked off. Well, this year's gone off to a good start, I thought. All my work up to now has paid off because I'm. On. The. Team! Hallelujah and praise the Lord because I'm on the cheer squad!

"She made it," Michael spike, wiping a fake tear from his eyes and smiling down at me. I rolled my eyes at him as he gave me a side hug, "oh, so grown up."

"Oh shush, will you? I'm not the only one who made the team, you know?" I told the others as they stood there, moving me around and shaking me with pure elation. At this point, I might either faint or throw up or even both.

"Yes, but it's our jobs as your best friends to congratulate you on your successes so relax whilst we take out our excitement on you," Nicole said before shaking me back and forth, "Ah! You fucking did it, girl!"

I simply allowed her and the others to toss me around like I was some voodoo doll, but out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed Ivy stood at the billboard with her friends. Her eyes were blazing angrily as she bit her thumb in frustration. I presume...she...didn't make...the team? Well, of course she didn't. She has the same amount of sass and skill as a brick, my conscience said.

As if she sensed me looking at her, she snapped her head over to us and was storming over. By then, my friends had noticed and paused what they were doing. Michael was quick on his feet, stepping next to me with his arm protectively around me.

"You!" she shouted, which alerted some of the other students' attention. Her heels were clicking heavily on the marble floors as if she could break them at any second. Ivy suddenly got all in my face and I stumbled back slightly, "because of you, I didn't get a place on the team. You bitch!"

"Woah, woah, woah," Kelly interrupted as she stood in front of me, her hands raised as Ivy glared down at me. What the actual fuck? "Brielle didn't do anything wrong. It was because your performance wasn't good enough that we didn't allow you on the team. Don't blame her for doing better than you."

"Get out of my way, Kelly," Ivy warned her as a smirk worked its way to Kelly's mouth. She stepped up, her hands on her hips as she arched an eyebrow at her, "this has nothing to do with you."

"What are you going to fucking do? Hit me? I dare you—" Kelly mumbled before Darren swooped in to pull Kelly back. He obviously wouldn't want her getting hurt in any way, but also because Kelly would literally beat her ass in a fight and maybe he's a more sympathetic guy than we realised.

Her gaze averted from Kelly back to me and the brightness drained from them, not that there was a lot anyway. They were icy and cold as they stared down at me. She stepped forward and pointed a perfectly manicured finger in my face. Well, I say perfectly manicured, but in reality, her nails were a disgusting green colour and last time I checked we weren't allowed nail varnish in school.

"The only reason you got on the team was because you had your little friends in there to get you in. It's a shame really. You seemed like such a nice girl and I felt sorry for you when Owen left you—" I burst out with a laugh as a crowd began to form around us. Is this bitch serious? She's even more what she would call a 'dumb blonde' than me.

"Don't even try to sympathise with me, Ivy. You helped in kicking me out of his house even through the shit coming from his mouth. I don't know what game you're trying to play, but stop because it's getting on my nerves. I made the cheer squad, you didn't and I'm sorry you didn't, but loads of other people didn't get in as well. So stop targeting me as if I'm the main reason you didn't lift your leg high enough or land a flip."

"You sound even more conceited, you realise that? I always knew you were nothing but a bitch. You're no different to Miranda. Anyway, who fucking cares? You're a whore anyway!" she lunges forward and before I could stop her, my head snaps to the right as a loud snap made my eyes snap open in shock.

Everything stopped in that moment. The students gathered paused what they were doing and everyone was silent. I didn't know how to react because she had just so openly slapped me on the face. My hand shakily went up to my left cheek and held it there. It stung slightly and I could only imagine the mark left behind.

What are you doing, girl? She just fucking slapped you! my conscience was telling me and my eyes widened further though no one could notice because my hair had fallen in front of my face. I looked up at her and saw that dirty smirk on her face that looked exactly like Miranda's. The bitch looked so cocky right now as if she was right to do me dirty like that in front of everyone.

"Oh, boohoo, are you going to cry? God, don't even think you can fake it for the attention. Karma's a bitch, isn't it? It's just a shame you're a bitch. You don't know what it's like to have everything ripped from you, to feel humiliated the way I did. I want what I deserve after all the shit I've gone through and you don't deserve anything from anyone. No wonder Owen broke up with you. If I were you, I'd just drop dead already."

That was when I snapped, red clouding my vision as I raised my head to look at her dead in the eyes. My cheek was still burning and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Darren holding Kelly back from potentially committing murder.

Everything she said reminded me of Miranda. She was that same control freak who couldn't bare to have anyone better than her in the school. Nearly everything she said were small fragments of how Miranda spoke to me before and I knew that I wasn't going to let her get away with it this time.

Miranda may have got away with it, but I won't be kinder to Ivy. Bringing down other girls was something of a skill of her's, highlighting their insecurities and problems to make them feel bad when she should just take a look in the mirror. She should see what kind of monster she was towards everyone.

I was tired of getting hurt and I was tired of my mother worrying about who hurt me so I needed to step up, to take control of every fucking problem I ever had and do something to fix it because lord help me if I keep the same mentality that 'things will get better over time'. Sometimes they won't and sometimes some people just needed to be told to shut the fuck up and learn some human decency.

I walked up to her, confidence in my stride as she stumbled back, a surprise look on her face as I stared at her dead in the face with a glare. Leaning on one foot, a crossed my arms over my chest and raised an eyebrow at her. My jaw clenched as I struggled to maintain my fury.

"Lay another finger on me and next time, I won't hold back. I've got a lot of patience, but for people like you, it wears really thin so one second I could be civil with you and the next, I will. Beat. Your. Ass. Into the ground. Don't think I'm weak just because I've been knocked down by Miranda because trust me, that's the exact opposite. You really think I don't know how humiliation felt like? Bitch, I had a drug addict of a father who had affairs! My life at home was utter shit! Miranda made the whole school think I was delusional and insane and you're fucking crying over her kicking you out of the cheer squad four years ago. Do you realise after she left, I had to clean up her shit? Don't make me do the same to you." I paused as she looked at me with a shocked expression written all over her face. That was when I noticed the familiar sight of dark tousled hair. Owen was stood behind Ivy with his jaw slack, looking at me as if I'd just grown eight extra legs. Oop, he must've heard everything, I thought. I looked back at Ivy as Michael came forward and held my arm, rubbing it soothingly as I nodded at him. He let go as I stepped forward once again which caused Ivy to step back, her breathing slightly shaky.

"So if I were you, I'd better learn some respect or sit the fuck down and keep quiet." I mumbled before walking past her and seeing the other students staring onward in shock as a small smirk appeared on my face.

Oh, yesss, she's back, bitches!

I moved past Owen, not even sparing one glance at him as I felt the others following after me. They asked questions, asking if I was alright, but I couldn't pay attention to them. Wow, I didn't mean to get that angry, but...wow...it felt...good. Relieving even. God, I've never felt this relieved like damn.

Right now I couldn't care less about Ivy and Owen. If they ever started dating, cool, but I don't care. If in his eyes, I made myself look like the bad guy then that doesn't concern me. I was truthful to everything I said and if people have a different opinion then that's their choice and I'm not going to be disrespectful about their opinions. Although, this was my opinion. I don't need girls like Ivy or Miranda coming into this school and shitting on the rainbows and peace I've created for this place. I don't have the effort to actually change things again.

"That was the best thing I've seen this year!" Michael hollered as he threw an arm over my shoulders. I laughed at his happiness as Nicole was typing speedily on her phone, "like fucking hell, you tore her to shreds."

"Tell me about it," Nicole spoke, not looking up from her phone. Her fingers worked quickly at the screen before she bit her lip, "I'm getting loads of messages about what happened. People put it all over the gossip page. Brielle, you definitely surprised everyone."

"To be honest, I surprised myself," I muttered as the whole situation settled down in my gut, my anger slowly fading away to slight irritation. I wasn't expecting to get that angry about what she was doing, but I guess when she started talking like Miranda, I snapped.

God, what would mom say when she finds out what happened? She'd probably laugh now that I think about it. Knowing her, she wouldn't have liked Ivy in the first place and after what happened with Owen, she definitely had a score to settle with her whether she settled it herself or let karma do it for her.

"I feel like the Brielle Thomson is back," Nicole hinted, jabbing me lightly on the arm. I chuckled lightly before shrugging, not giving anything away to them.

I know even when I am back, I will never be the person I was before without a certain dark haired and blue eyed man in my life. He probably thinks I'm a monster, I thought. He already hated me so I was only adding fuel to this fire.

Ivy had felt like a fool, assuming Brielle was just some innocent girl with no talk whatsoever and she was almost surprised when he found out she was dating Owen. Someone as ruthless as Owen just didn't allow her to imagine him with someone like Brielle. However, as soon as she had slapped her, Ivy realised a big mistake that she had made and didn't prepare for.

Brielle was all talk and bite when someone got on her bad side and realising it now, she panicked, resorting to the one thing she was good at.

Manipulation.

The girl sensed Owen's presence behind her and maybe, just maybe, he hadn't seen the whole argument. Maybe he had just seen Brielle go off on her and that was it. She ran off into Owen's chest and cried with as much emotion as she could muster up. Panic coursed through her veins enough that she shook, which only added to the effect even more.

Her fists has clenched around the fabric of his jacket that he chose to wear, realistic fake sobs coming out of her mouth. She knew people were watching and she knew they saw everything that happened, but Ivy knew there was no way they'd tell Owen that. People feared him because he had the ability to end your life with a click of his fingers. He was a gang leader and if anyone ever told him their opposite opinion of a situation, he'd prepare their funeral. Everyone preferred to not do anything and to allow everything to take its course.

Owen was