Nevermind [90s fic]

Chapter 9: Common Denominator

September 12th, 1995 - Southwest Miami High

The girls bathroom on the second floor—strategically used on that level to avoid contact with anyone from the main office below—was the third coolest spot in school, after the football field and senior parking lot. Used predominantly by the cheerleaders and the "proud" girls (also known as the rebellious sluts), cigarette smoke and gossiping, makeup and hazing was its primary purpose; actually using the bathroom wasn't all that much a priority. Like clockwork, the cheerleaders would be in there gathered around by the sink or leaning against the stalls in the mornings, doing the things they couldn't do in their homes: changing into outfits more revealing, touching up their lipstick or putting on some eyeshadow, catching up with their girlfriends, making every other girl who came in there hate themselves with the help of some scowls and sneers or whispering while staring at their target, and venting about their problems.

Normani loved to rave all about her crush who was already in college and much more mature than the boys her age, and she often did so while doing any of her girls' hair in the mirror because she felt a lot of them "looked like a mess" even if they made their best effort not to. If Carlie wasn't constantly criticising the cheer routines or talking about the latest episode of The Real World, her only other hobby was...well, obviously worrying about the Jauregui twin in a different way Karla worried about the other Jauregui twin. Karla merely nodded her head 'yes' and threw in a 'that's crazy' here and there, nothing more. Half of these girls were disappointingly walking stereotypes of the popular girls seen in films; the only reason Karla stuck around (other than for survival) was because the other half who were more original, less bitchy, made the group tolerable.

In fact, since Carlie loved talking shit about Marilyn, it sort of inspired Karla to as well; given that their last meetup in Saturday really did a number on her. She didn't know what came over her, she didn't keep it bottle up inside any longer.

"I'm not buggin', I know what I'm talking about. That bitch has it out for me and I'm sick of being in the same place as her all of the time. It's like she's following me around or something, you know, like, to piss me off. It's a pretty big school, you mean to tell me your stupid face is the only one I have to see excessively everywhere I go? Like, what are you trying to show me?? You know what I mean, guys?" Carlie accidentally dropped the hairbrush as she turned her back to the mirror, seeking validation from the other girls who already tuned out minutes ago.

"I doubt that girl is stalking you. The only thing she's stalking is the print in the pants of any boy that walks by her," remarked Jenna, the only cheerleader in the bathroom stall that was currently being passed a tampon from under the door. The other girls snickered and agreed.

"Don't act like y'all don't be looking sometimes," Normani crossed her arms. "If the guys look, so do the girls. It's only natural."

"I'll tell you what's not natural" Carlie pinned half of her hair up with a butterfly clip and sneered "those breasts. They're bigger than her brain and she uses it to get people to like her. Any boy that I talk to all of a sudden forgets that I even exist as soon as she shows up, flaunting it like—"

"Carlie, you do know that you don't have to pay her attention, right? She lives for it and here you are giving her what she wants. Let it go, girl," advised another girl.

"You know who also has me so worked up?" piped up Karla. She uncrossed her arms and stepped to Carlie. "The other Jauregui. I think she has a problem with me, too. I tried being nice to her but apparently she and her sister are allergic to it."

"Hey, she's always watching you, too!" Carlie excitedly tapped her. "I noticed! Ugh, what the hell is their problem?"

"Dykes hate what they can't have. Makes it easier to hold back the desire to pounce on us," said Normani, sparking amused cackles around the bathroom.