"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life."

- Winston Churchill

"Hello? Earth to Athena." Ace waved a hand in her face for the hundredth time, taking the water bottle from her as she was spilling it from daydreaming.

"What's up? What are you thinking about?" He placed a palm on her forehead. "Are you sick? You're quite hot."

She swept his hand away, surprised when she noticed the captain was making her way to them.

She could also tell her body was burning up, but it was only because of her sweet memory from the day before.

She nudged Ace. "Oi Bull. Stand straight, chin up, the captain is heading here. What did you do this time?"

"Probably she wants to have a word with you on your adept performance so far?" He went a note higher, side-glancing, taunting her.

"Fuck you, Ace," she mumbled through gritted teeth while a feign smile was plastered on her face forcefully for the captain.

"Hey sweeties," the captain greeted, sliding both arms onto their shoulders casually as if they had been friends for over a decade.

Athena handled the weight of her arm by respectfully disregarding it, at the same time, stupefied over the rich, distinctive whiff of her perfume. "Hey..." Was all she could say at the stressful moment.

"I just came over to thank you guys for attending the cheer tryouts and I'm totally impressed with the overflowing good vibes you guys emanate in the room,"she chimed with slanted eyebrows, her hands grasping one another.

She looked towards Athena." And of course, I respect you for what you did the other day. "

"Excuse me?" Athena's lips narrowed and her eyes followed suit, wondering if the captain had mistook her as someone else.

She must have.

She was the new one and barely knew where the school bathroom was. Surely, she would remember if she did anything noble for the most popular bee to recognize her.

"You are the girl that stopped the Thieves from injuring Mr. Grey. It's not likely to have someone as courageous as you to do that. It's people like you that still make me believe in humanity."

Ace saw this as an opportunity for Athena to have an outstanding repute and couldn't bear for her to stall to own up for such a commendable action.

He hooked his arm over her." Yup! My girlie here always put others before her own. It's just in her blood."

Oh, how Athena wished it was when peeping into her past, though appreciated Ace putting in good words for her.

She scratched the back of her head, feeling the spotlight was solely on her. "Haha... Don't say that. I'm sure there are a few who would want to help Mr. Grey as well."

"Yes, but didn't dare to," the captain asserted.

Athena laughed again. It was the only escape for an answer she didn't know to. "It's just the right time at the right place and I happened to be there," she claimed.

"You really won't take credits for anything, huh. Not to mention, you suffered the consequences of saving Mr. Grey."

Athena pulled her bottom lip with her teeth, erasing the horrible picture of it. "Well the past is the past."

The captain held her hands up as her eyebrow inclined at the sides again. It seemed like it was her habit. She tend to have excessively imperishable and shedload of facial expression when she talks.

Her eyes were locking with her shoes as though she did a crime. "I swear I was at my quickest pace to kick all of their faces but I was relieved that my brother stepped in earlier because I still had endless of staircase before I could get there."

Athena's head whipped towards the captain hastily, she faced an enormous whiplash. "B-Brother?"

The term wasn't anything to shout about and people may think Athena was exaggerating but who could have blame her? She had just completely humiliated herself with her awful cheer stunts in front of her crush's sibling and Ace added fuel to fire with his demonic buttocks.

"Oh yes! How rude of me." Two fingers were upon the captain's lips as she cleared her throat. "My name is Thea. Thea Cielo. It would be great if we could all be friends." Her eyes sparkled.

Athena's eyes blinked repeatedly as she let the air drift in and out of her mouth, hardly able to wrap around the fact she was interacting with her idol's sister or rather now, a boyfriend, a bogus one, nonetheless she discarded that part.

"And you? What's your name?" Thea asked.

Here it goes again.

Athena tried to contain her need for help through her eyes, having a glimpse at Ace with the most charming smile she could offer.

She middled finger Ace inside for not looking and tried her luck. "Belle."

As might be Ace was apologising for it, he backed her. "Elise Belle," He emphasised the first name louder.

She nodded slowly, determinedly. "Yup. Elise Belle." You better bring that name to your grave, you useless brain.

"Very pretty," Thea complimented.

Ace poked his head slightly between the girls and waved his finger like a little wand. "What about me? Can someone ask for my name?"

Thea rolled her eyes skittishly. "I know who you are. Ace King duh... Son of the famous Bernard King. Didn't know you would ever have a passion for cheerleading but hey anyone is welcome."

Ace shrugged. "Even a Mafia could dream of being a teacher and... wait. Isn't your name Tallulah? Which is the nickname here?"

Thea covered her face with her hair shyly. "Please don't reveal it to anybody. My brother always has this wall that no one, even me, his only sister could demolish it. No one but his fiancé, Tatiana. In order for me to feel closer to him, it was the only way."

It turned out to be true. Athena's incredulous assumption and doubt of his wedding band she'd felt the other day.

The ground beneath her was bereft from one name, Tatiana.

"He has a fiancé?"

Thea tilted her head at Athena. "Oh, I thought everyone would have known by now. In spite of my brother's long list of exes, she's his only true love. They are really really sweet actually."

Athena wanted to label herself as an imbecile of the century.

After all these years of carrying hope was in vain. She wasn't anything special or the luckiest, that person was only Tatiana.

Thought that being the 'girlfriend' was the best thing Theo could grant her? Then what about a golden ring? A lifetime vow?

She had no right to feel betrayed. Not when they hadn't even gone on a fake date nor a celebration of the seven days chapter of their hoax relationship.

She wasn't his girl. What was she thinking? She was just like any other girl he'd date and dispose.

His real Queen was Tatiana, always had been, always will be.

"F-For how long now?" Her question became a whisper when the students' chatters filled in the center space of the room, eager to know of the results for they have been waited almost ten minutes now.

"So will the results be announced now or..."

This caused their little group to split. "Sorry guys. It's lovely talking to you all but gotta go now." She bid them over her shoulder with smiling eyes as she skipped to the front, giving light taps and small hugs to the others as she made her way.

"Okay guys, this is the moment of truth!" She double clapped as her hips wiggled slightly, something a typical cheerleader would do when they are ready for a riveting event.

"Now if I call out your names, you may come stand at this white lines here beside me and for those of you who are not called, I'm really sorry but I'm sure we all had a great and fun experience together. We made exciting memories here today so never regret or feel disheartened. There's always next year. "

She manouvered herself to a gangling guy as she tapped on his shoulder. "Timothy! Congratulations!"

Many surprised gasps were audible while Athena smiled at the guy, happy Thea didn't relied on looks for the Conquerors.

Thea skipped pass some students to the left with her hands behind her in relaxation as if she had done this since forever.

She halted at a girl with orthodontic headgear wreathed around her mouth area all the way to the back of her head. "Patricia! Congrats to you darling, you made it!"

Thirty seconds dreaded by and Athena's palms could be easily mistaken as a running cliff.

The shock from Tatiana hadn't falter yet another storm had hauled her from the face of the Earth with an ordeal of heart attacks.

"Simone!"

"Harry!"

"Enrique!"

Thea swivelled her path closer and closer to where Athena was frozen at her spot. Thea was centimetres away from her her and it made her shut her eyes while her heart thundered like she had just came out of a haunted house.

She heard a loud tap of Thea's hand, indicating she had chosen the last eligible participant.

"Ace! Welcome to the Conquerors!"

She gave a small hug to the very startled Ace in which his eyes quickly shifted to Athena.

Athena smiled back and clapped, the first thing every true friend would do.

Ace somehow hoped she would have reacted differently. He didn't want to make her feel betrayed although knowing she wouldn't.

What was the point of getting in without his ultimate purpose of signing the cheer audition?

He feared she would be lonely and afraid so he felt he was needed.

"Babe, I'm pulling out. There's no reason for me to be in the team without you."

"No! Are you stupid? You mustn't!" Athena scolded.

Just when Ace was about to go to the front to Thea, the door to the gym creaked open and in came a trembling geeky male declaring, "Sorry to intrude, but Xerus is impatient to meet a Belle in here. He's right outside and it's better not to keep him waiting. Let's just say he's not in the best mood."

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