Glee: To the Next Level (the second book in the Glee series)

Chapter 68: Change

Ok so pretty long chapter. This one is almost ALL about Julie (Jyder, Jalie, you name it), with the exception of a bit on Shanique (Unique/Shana), Kana (Shana/Kitty-- I tried this with Shana's name first and made myself laugh but it was inappropriate lol) and Damity (Dan/Amity).
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Julie walked onto campus next week with a different mindset. She was cautious, but more optimistic. In truth, she was ready to be around without Sam, who had hesitantly gone back to New York. Jake was probably going back to keeping his distance, something she really didn't want. Ryder was watching her like a hawk and her dad, who had been very worried when he found out what had happened, refused to leave the house while she was still in it. So for the first time in many, many months, she was dropped off at school by her dad.

 "Call me if you need anything," he told her as she got off the car. "Anything at all."

She nodded and bid him farewell, glad to finally be able to go to school and get back to a regular life without him worrying about her every move. As she walked through the front doors, however, a terrible feel came upon her when she saw her fellow Cheerios, Peyton and Michelle, chatting, laughing, and most importantly, wearing their Cheerios uniforms. When they saw her pass by, they scowled and shook their heads. She had been back for only a minute and already everyone knew she'd left the Cheerios.

She sighed as the girls turned away from her, refusing to talk to her, and continued walking until she reached her locker. There, Bree and Kitty were already waiting.

"It'll be alright," Kitty said automatically.

"Seriously," Bree began. "As soon as we find out who did it, we'll make them pay."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Julie asked them. They looked at each other briefly before turning to her.

"You haven't heard?" asked Bree. 

"Heard what?" she asked them. Neither of them answered, too afraid of being the ones to tell her what was going on. Meanwhile, people looked at her funny when they passed by.

Julie looked around at all the murmuring faces and turned back to her friends, her eyes demanding an explanation, so Kitty said, "It would appear... that someone began a rumor... About why you've been missing school so much."

"A rumor?" asked Julie, confused. "What kind of rumor?"

"A head cheerleader is pregnant rumor," Bree whispered.

"What?" Julie exclaimed, immediately hushed by the girls. In a whisper she added, "Why on Earth would they think that?"

"Well," Bree began, "considering the fact that you've taken multiple breaks from school in the last few weeks and that you've walked around like a zombie for some of them and that you quit cheerleading, it wasn't too hard for people to believe whoever started the rumor."

Julie felt herself hyperventilate as she sighed, "Poor Ryder."

Kitty refrained from laughing as she said, "Got that right. Being fake-cheated on is--"

"Wait, come again?" Julie said, her eyes widening. "They don't think..?"

Bree couldn't help laughing. "No one would ever believe Ryder pulled off knocking you up," she murmured. "So they think someone else did it and by now they've all got a pretty good idea."

"At first they were saying Sam," Kitty continued.

"Oh lord..." Julie murmured.

"But by now pretty much everyone has settled on Jake," Bree informed her.