Illicit Feelings (ENGLISH) - GirlXGirl

Chapter 5

I WAS GETTING BUSY WITH CHEERING PRACTICE AS THE COMPETITION NEARED. Zoey and I didn't have much time to hang out either these days.

I noticed she was also preoccupied because her childhood friend had returned to town and transferred to Clover City. It turned out to be the girl from the Oceanarium.

I'm not sure what her name was, but she introduced herself as Nora or Neri. I'm not entirely sure. I wasn't interested at all, especially since she was sitting right next to Zoey's chair.

Zoey and I were in the same class. It was difficult to conceal our actual relationship, but fortunately, we are very good at it. But Zoey's childhood friend will make things more difficult for us.

What if she realizes Zoey is my stepsister? She appears to be a chatterbox. What if she reveals our secret to the entire school?

I haven't talked to Zoey about her yet because I've been so busy, and every time I got home from practice, I fell asleep quickly due to exhaustion. I have a habit of forgetting to eat dinner at times. Zoey will try to wake me up, but she usually gives up since I am tired.

Anyway, practice is done, and the cheering competition is tomorrow. It will be held in the school gym, and students from several well-known high schools will attend.

Clover High Cheerleading Squad is never out of the top three. Last year, we came close to winning first place. Since last year, I've been a cheerleading squad member, and my family has been very supportive.

I went to the tryout because three of my so-called friends would join. Since I transferred, I've been befriended by the "it girls" in our class. They dubbed themselves "The Charmer."

Camila, the so-called leader, acts as a kind girl, but when she is only with the girls, she is a backstabbing bitch. Her family is wealthy. That's why she might have felt so entitled. She's not exceptionally bright academically, but she's a natural dancer. To be honest, she's nothing compared to me when it comes to dancing. She wanted to be the next captain of the cheerleading squad.

Stella, the smallest member of the group, is a feisty and vicious character. If she doesn't like you, she won't bother being nice to you. Stella is also impolite. She's the Vice Mayor's daughter, so she's acting high and mighty. She's okay with it.

Naomi, her mother, was one of the school's shareholders. Naomi is better at academics and more intelligent than the other two. She's not that mean, but she's been friends with the two since middle school, so it was inevitable that she'd be a part of the group. She enjoys dancing and strives to improve.

I joined "The Charmer" because I've learned that if you're friends with them, no one will pick on you or bully you. But before I could suggest adding Zoey to the group, they were bullying my stepsister, and I had no idea how to respond. Bullying memories from elementary and middle school flashed through my mind. After that, I made my decision not to say or do anything.

At the time, my relationship with Zoey became awkward. I didn't know how to address the "abandoning" thing because we live in the same house. But Zoey just smiled and pretended nothing had happened. I was relieved after that. I tried to correct my mistakes and stand by Zoey, but it became more difficult by the day. The bullies were too powerful, and no one wanted to get into a fight with them. As a result, everyone simply turns a blind eye. Even the teachers are powerless to intervene. As a result, I became terrified.

Fortunately, our cheering squad captain, Piper, was like a knight in shining armor. She is always willing to assist Zoey when the bullies are causing her physical harm. Miss Peyton was another of the teachers who could not be tamed by The Charmer. As a result, she is one of the people protecting the students, including Zoey, from the bullies.