Aftermath of the mock
The next day after the mock tryouts I had one more day to get it together and decide if I was going to follow through with tryouts. The day before the real tryouts was like a prep work to work on our mistakes during the mock tryouts. Melina sat on the end of her bed as usually the flowing of her cycle made her abilities.a.little.more unstable. Blood has a way of enhancing power . She remembered when Larue first realized she began to bleed he taught her how to tap into the most natural magick within her. The magick of creation. During this time creation of spells was their focus. Melina remembered how she reacted to being embarrassed after the mock tryouts. She really didn't know she was so scared to be seen as she had been always good at hiding in plain sight. Her entire life she was invisible and in that invisibility there was security. Nay safety from the things that she knew and experienced. Being a normal slightly hormonally In balanced teenager wasn't something she allowed others to see. Kids picked on her for being different. The picked on her because of her family. And the only saving grace they had was her tolerance of knowing she had consequences behind her magick. Larue made her feel confident in herself but it was all a set up in the end. He wasn't training her for some misguided obligations to his dead mate and child. He was training her to defeat him. To give him peace that he didn't have the strength to do himself. That hurt her the most when she was forced to betray him . To care for him enough to respect his wishes to be relieved from his suffering he had everyday he watched over her knowing his child would never be because of his actions. They say you can live your entire life going good and when you die all they remember is the bad. They also say the only way to betray someone is to be their friend first. Only friends can betray people they once cared for . It takes a certain level to turn against the hand that fed you, that nurtured you, that saved you. Larue wasn't here to stop her conscious anymore and her next choice was hers alone to make. The show must go on. Melina thought. Hell has no room wasted dreams. She said more to herself as she sighed to get ready for school. Melina was in a bad mood already from her cycle and as she went through school with her hoodie up she looked far from the image of the idea preppy cheerleader to be. Snickers made their ways to Melina's ears when she passed people and she knew they were laughing about her freaking out during the mock tryouts. " You are bigger that the whispers, little one. Embrace your true self and know gossip only has its power if you allow it to have power. " She heard Larue saying as a distant memory of how he made her feel when she felt so alone in this world. Like she was some sort of species that was made to endure endless pain. Kids were cruel for no reason and when she met Larue he was cruel to her too. Perhaps she deserves this life Melina thought. Melina looked at her jagged nails she bit or picked out of habit as she saw a sharp edge of one nail and went to pick at it as a thought lingered in her mind. She sat in the back of the class as she raised her sleeve to her elbow as she ran it across her skin as the small red line appeared not a cut but a deep scratch. She closed her eyes at the feeling of the pain as it made her focus on something else then the group of girls clearly talking about her in the front of the class. " What a freak. Did you see what she did in the mock tryouts?" Said one girl as the others added. " Umm.ummmm. I'm sorry I forgot the words." Mimiced another girl as she laughed. " Yeah she forgot her social status. Stupid to think she could be anything at this school especially a cheerleader. If she makes it I'm going to quit the squad. I won't be cheering with a Mcnally." Laughed a voice she recognized as Brittany. Melina pulled another red line across her skin as she hissed and closed her eyes as she relished in the pain of her life. All she had to do was get through two more days of this as it was her own fault for making the challenge out of the heat of the moment. She was just angry Brittany was making her look pathetic like she was a stray cat. She pulled her sleeve down as this was just a temporary fix to her problems. Joey sat beside her in most classes when they had five of the seven classes together and he looked at Melina with her head down and hoodie pulled over her head. He remembered how those days in elementary felt like when Melina was gone as she never really disclosed where she was those years but the rest of the school made their assumptions of what happened to her. " You okay there ,Mel? " He asked as he shook Melina knowing she was awake and pretended to sleep to ignore the rude girls in the front. Melina sat up and slouched in her wooden desk chair as she looked at Joey. " Yeah I'm good. Just tired. Didn't sleep much ?" Said Melina as she wasn't lying she could never really sleep on her cycle because of the pain now her mother made her get rid of the contraceptives she was back to agonizing pain . Melina knew it was because her overies were bruised and this was day two of ten days to come . She dreaded doing jumps in bulky pads as she was never taught the difference in pad she just used what was given to her . Basically the kotex that held a gallon . It was like walking around with a constant diaper on. " You know what I mean ,Mel. Those girls are trash anyways." He said as I knew he was only saying that because he was my friend. " According to the student body they are the cream of the crop." Said Melina as she let out a small sigh ." To think that's what's going to lead the world one day. A bunch of airheads with hormones." Added Melina as she pulled her hooy back as her hair began to friz . " Now that's a scary thought . Brittany being able to lead anything." Said Joey a bit too loud as Brittany glared at the mention of her name. " And what are you two rejects talking about? " Said Brittany as she turned to look at us. Calling Melina a reject was one thing but now they were including Joey and that pissed Melina off. " Leave him out of this ." Growled Melina as she looked at Brittany. " Ooohhh... You let your girlfriend fight all your battles ." Mocked Brittany as Melina began to stand and Joey grabbed her arm to hold her back. " Mel, she isn't even worth it." He said softly. " No! I'm not going to let her talk to you that way. She don't know you and I don't like how she said it." Protested Melina . " Ooohhh. I'm so scared. Is the little reject going to put me in my place. I wish you would. " Said brittany.as the other girls laughed. " Hey Brittany do you eat hamburgers." Said Melina as Brittany was confused by the question like it was some weird random question. " What?" She said looking all confused in the change of subject. " Do you eat hamburgers , Whitney?" Said Melina knowing damn well Brittany hating being called the wrong name. She had listened to her speech lisp in the locker room as she had a problem pronouncing the b sounds which was ironic since her name was Brittany. " No I don't like hamboogers she said as her lisp came out as the crowd snickered at her pronouciation ." And it's brootney not Whitney ." She demanded as Melina snickered at her mispronounced name. Joey looked at the set up as he chucked a little. " What's so funny?" Snapped Brittany. " Say burger one more time. " Laughed Joey as Brittany realized Melina set her up to sound stupid. " I will get you for this Melina ." She promised as Melina held up her hands. " Oooohhhhh. At least I can say my own name. Brootany." Said Melina as her and Joey grabbed their books and left. The rest of the day was a blur and Melina knew Brittany would get her back in practice for her set up. Melina came in as they did warm ups then worked on flips as flips walere hard for Melina . Melina was thin for her age as she was supposed to do lifts and she thought she would be a base. The coach taped Melina on her shoulder. This meant she was going to try flying . The girls moaned as no one wanted to base Melina as flying was Brittany position. Brittany was in the hallway talking to her boyfriend when she came in and say Melina in the flyer position as she looked mad as hell. " What the hell is she doing up there?" Yelled Brittany as Melina was already wobbly as he knees buckled as she about fell . " Lock those let's, McNally. " Yelled the coach as she ignored Brittany's complaints. " If you show up on time maybe we could start practice. In fact she shows up early every time and she isn't even on the squad. A level of dedication I need from you if you wish to continue to be a flyer ." Scolded the coach as she blew her whistle as one base was loosing her grip on Melina. " It's because she is a loser . She doesn't have a social life to be late anywhere." Snickers Brittany as Melina heard that remark as she was finally let down from the top as she was glad she was released . " Be on time Brittany or McNally may have your spot." Said the coach as Melina realized her pad had shifted down her leg as she caught it looking to see if others noticed . She went behind the bleachers to fix it as she felt embarrassed. Brittany jumped up into her warm ups as Melina returned . " Now let me show you what a real cheerleader can do. But thanks for keeping my spot warm. It was cute you tried." Said Brittany in a condescending tone . Melina narrowed her eyes as she smiled. " Well break a leg up there. Lock those knees." Recited Melina as she head the coach and drama kids use those terms for encouragement. Melina drank her water as she thought . I wish you did break your leg. Than disaster struck. Brittany went up as fast as she went down and when she landed her leg twisted as she screamed as she couldn't move her leg. Melina stood there as she realized she spoke those words as she felt the blood in her flux erate inside of her . Brittany screamed as the coach came to look at her trying to figure out how she fell. " What happened" demanded the coach as she was paying attention to another lift. " I don't know . We lifted her and she just dived off the top." Said one girl. The coach picked up her leg to examine it." Oooh! That fucking hurts!" Screamed Brittany. " Language." Scolded the coach. " Practice is over . I will see you tomorrow at tryouts. " Said the coach as she called an ambulance. Brittany broke her leg in two places that day as she showed up to school in a temporary cast and crutches . That was the mark of the end of Brittany's cheerleading career. Sometimes you shouldn't provoke people you don't really know. Then Brittany spinned the tell as Melina placed a curse on her as the school gossiped over the events as Brittany sat the bench during tryouts as she tried to convince herself she didn't want to be a cheerleader anyways as she watched Melina tryout. Melina did well but still didn't make the team . She wasn't broken up about it either. She understood the higharchy of the popular pool and she wasn't mad about it. But she did have to do something about her stage fright . She looked at the drama sign up boards as she placed her name on yet another page .