"Ugh... I wonder why I have to go to school every damn day" I muttered to myself, the stress and regret of staying up all night binge watching horror movies on a school week weighed down on me. As if things can't get any worse, this terrible headache decided to ruin my day as I couldn't even concentrate in class.

I took out the bottled water in my locker and swallowed the pain pill I got from the school nurse before shutting my locker to head to the chemistry lab and about almost cried out when I remembered it's in the second school block.

After summoning the strength, I scuffled out the building, entered the second block and dragged my way up the stairs. Rounding the corner, I accidentally impinged on someone, making some of their books fall.

"Ugh.. could today get any worse?" The other person sounded just as frustrated as I am.

"Oh, tell me about it" I bent to help pick some of the books and came back to a vertical base alongside the other person.

"Having a bad day? Cos you look it" I nodded while handing over the books and smiled a little when I saw who it was.

"You look just as bad" she chuckled in response. "Where're you headed?"

"Chemistry lab and you?"

"Gotta return these books to the library"

"Would've helped but I swear I can't go down those stairs again or I'll die" she laughed again at my reply.

"Don't stress, I got it covered already. In that case bye"

"Bye"

Is it normal or perfectly luck to run into someone twice in a row in the minimum of a week?

Pushing the thought away from my mind, I pushed open the doors.

I walked up to the only group of people sitting at the far end.

"Look who decided to show up late today" a voice taunted the second I had my ass on a seat, earning himself a glare. With this headache, I so wasn't in the mood for another argument with him.

"Okay, firstly we have to pick which specimen and we are using a fish..."

"And whose decision was it?"

"Mine"

I opened my mouth to reply but had my eyebrows drawn together in confusion when I saw who walked in, slamming the door.

"Oh Alan, I finally found you!" The platinum blonde girl sashayed immediately wrapping her arms around Alan.
"You needed to have been clear on which lab you were in"

"And who are you?" I asked irritated.

"The question is who the hell are you?" She eyed Nicole and I before returning her gaze to Alan "Alan, I can't believe you'll actually be sitting with these people"

"Excuse you? You just walked in here like a total nit wit, interrupt our conversation and ask who the hell I am?"

"Barged in here?" She scoffed "it's more like I saved Alan from a deadening situation or whatever this is-" she waved her fingers around, between us "right baby?" This time she asked Alan as she leaned in to kiss his lips.

"Alan what's all these about?" The irritation rolling out of me in waves.

He shrugged "I don't see how her presence affects you" he sided her, making her grin in victory.

I shook my head in disbelief "You know what, I can't sit and watch these bullshit, I had a lot to do but I left it all to be here and I get this shit?" I quickly put my books back in my bag to leave.

"Yunno, some people cause joy wherever they go, some whenever they go" blonde sassed, followed by a giggle.

I rolled my eyes and slammed the door.

**

"Oh my gawd, this is real renovation. I can't believe this was Risa's few weeks ago" Liv commented the second we entered the restaurant.

"I thought so too"I giggled at an open mouthed Olivia. The place was really that beautiful.

"Don't tell me that's Madonna and Aaliyah, no fucking way" she pointed at the few portraits on the wall closest to our table.

"When did you start taking interest in classics?" I looked up at her from the menu I was going through to which she just shrugged and I returned my gaze back to the menu.

"You need to check out the menu"

"Yeah right"

The decision was tough though as everything looked so good at the moment making me and Liv have a mini argument on which will be better until we were both interrupted by the throat cleared above us.

We both looked up at the same time, while I had a smile on my face Olivia had more of a scowl. My smile faltered a bit as I looked between Cora and Olivia and back at Cora and remembered that night at the party when they could barely stand each other's presence.

"Hey we were just thinking about what we'll get it's -"

"I want another waitress" Olivia cut me off in my bland effort to calm the tension, her glare fixated on Cora and Cora alone and Cora didn't look like she'll back down from the stare down anytime soon.

"What? Why?" I asked confused, I mean I know why but the feud between them can't be that bad, can it?

"I said I want another waitress to serve me" she emphasized on every word, still having a stare down with Cora.

"Too bad I'm the only server available right now, so it's either me or you make proper use of the door"

Rude.

"In that case, I think my time here is over" she spared one last glare at Cora, flipped her hair and made her way out.

I was too stunned at what happened to even move for several seconds.

"Stuck-up bitch"Cora muttered to herself "I'd suggest you'd go after her" she said before walking off to attend to another table.

I quickly ran after Olivia and found her fuming in her car.

"What was that about?" I was also mad, after a long stressful day and when I decided to chill out a bit, this happens.

"That was about me not wanting to be in the same room as that fucking bitch" she folded her arms in defiance, her tone the same as mine.

I took deep calming breaths before speaking up again "Couldn't you have put your sentiments aside for a while and just relax"

She scoffed then flipped her hair" well not with her!" I rolled my eyes. She's being a bitch right now.

"You know, if you'd so badly want to dine there, I ain't stopping you but I ain't just stepping my foot in there as long as she's there"she started the engine before she looked at me with a raised eyebrow, silently asking if I'm staying behind or not.

I shook my head, stepping back"I'll see you later then" to which she just nodded, reversed out the parking lot and zoomed off.

"She finally left, why aren't I surprised?" I looked up and rolled my eyes at Cora as I took a sip of my latte.

"Can you tell what's up between you both?" I finally asked to which she shrugged "it's a general feud between all cheerleaders and the soccer team" I know there was a time Olivia talked about hating the soccer team but never really went into details.

"It started during one of our matches when they were supposed to perform and didn't show up but performed at the football game the next day"

"So that's what's all the feud's about?"

"That's just what started it. But what actually caused a real battle was when some of the cheerleaders picked on a few of our members. So the rest of us couldn't just watch that happen and pranked them by gluing the pom poms to their hands and since then, it was series of pranks till it got too much and we all got a week of suspension. But my favourite part was when I shot a ball on one of their faces, you should have seen it" she threw her head back in laughter at the memory.

I chuckled too as I tried imagining how it must have been. They are mostly fake so it's safe to say I hate them.

"How are you even comfortable with that bitch, I can't even stand her for a second" she spoke up, hatred in her voice as she referred to Olivia.

"That's my best friend so I'd watch it if I were you" I glared at her in a warning tone.

She raised her hands in surrender"I'm just saying, no need to go all King Kong on me"

I rolled my eyes as I sipped my latte again trying to process today's drama from school to this point.

P.s: that's Mariah Carey in the photo above. I felt like dropping a picture of one of the popular 90s artists and who else better than Mariah?

What do y'all think about this chapter?
Xoxo Ruth.