Game Changer

NINE

I find it strange how someone can stay mad at you for so long without actually coming to the realisation that you don't even deserve it. I mean, how long does it take you to come to your damn senses? Those are the thoughts I have as I look at Kelcy across our lunch table. She doesn't even spare me a glance, just talks soflty to Tyler. I internally roll my eyes and flip Courtney off in my head. I still can't believe what she did...

How low can you go?

"Hello, Earth to Sophie." Someone says, snapping their fingers in front of my face. I jolt back into realisation, seeing Courtney looking at me expectantly.

"Huh?" I ask in confusion and she rolls her eyes.

"Can you pay attention for once?" She scorns and I purse my lips to keep from saying anything. We all look at her expectantly before she smiles adoringly at Logan.

"We're all going to Seder Square on Friday. You all cool with that?" Logan says, his tone flat and monotonous. The boys all cheer.

"Yeah, man! When was the last time we went clubbing?" James asks. As everyone agrees to go clubbing, I do too simply because clubbing means music and music means dancing.

And I love dancing.

"Great! Make sure you guys have your IDs." Logan reminds us. Some of us haven't turned eighteen as of yet which means that we have to use the fake ones to get in. However, we were already sneaking in at sixteen so it's nothing new anyway.

"I hope that they actually have decent DJs." Ashleigh rolls her eyes. I begin to zone out of the conversation and my eyes roam over the cafeteria until they finally settle on a very unusual place; the Rebels' table. I watch how they interact with each other. Martin throws something at Alex and he smacks Martin upside the head. Nina roll her eyes, saying something to the boys with a frown. Martin pouts at her and she rolls her eyes again before Martin leans back in his chair in a mini tantrum. Alex gives him a smug smile. Dylan says something to Thalia who nods and I frown. Christina mumbles and Alex chuckles. I continue watching, only for Alex to slowly turn to me causing his smile to immediately drop from his face and him to sober up. My eyes widen slightly and I purse my lips. His hazel eyes look at me curiously and I gulp, not able to pull my eyes away. He raises an eyebrow at me and I'm about to do it back when I'm jolted from the side. My head snaps to Chris who is eyeing me weirdly.

"Huh?" I ask and I hear a sigh from in front of me. Courtney looks at me in irritation and I give her a sheepish smile. "What were you saying?"

"I was saying that the theme is glow in the dark so we're all wearing black with glowing paint. Understood?" She scorns and I nod.

"Yeah, okay."

"Great." She clips and I sigh softly before looking back at the Rebels briefly and then back down at my lap. I wish I could say that their friendship wasn't admirable.

Too bad that's the truth.

****

Coco Café is a small café just a few kilometers from Sunny Smiles which makes it convenient and accessible for me before going there. That's why I order a chocolate milkshake and take a seat at one of the tables next to the windows so that I can look at the busy road and evergreen sidewalks. As I sip on my milkshake, my mind drifts back and forth between my current thoughts. I've being friends with the Elite for a long time but I've recently felt so out of place with them. Like everything is so fake and unreal amongst us. I don't even dress the way I'd like to. Why should it matter how we look? We're human anyway. I have to put up with gossip and lies, while pretending that I enjoy it and it couldn't be even farther than that.
I would rather be surfing at the beach than going to parties or constantly shopping at the mall which is so boring due to us always going there. I have to keep this wall up when I'm around them because I'm scared they'll use whatever they can possibly find against me.