UNEDITED VERSION
To break free of the stereotypical box that high school placed her in, Charlie must team up with Liam, the new soccer player on the team her dad coaches.
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Girls fall at Liam's feet - except Charlie. She...
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Anagnorisis(noun)
- the point in a play, novel, etc., in which a principal character recognizes or discovers another character's true identity or the true nature of their own circumstances.
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The practice was unmerciful and I couldn't contain my giggling when Jeremy tumbled over his own feet and barrelled into Simon. He was so used to being benched that it seemed like he forgot how to play soccer.
It was the fourth practice of this week and the closer it got to the Martelle game, the more brutal practice became. It was the end of the school day but I stuck around to watch the boys. The cheer squad went home because we'd already mastered our routines.
"If Jeremy falls one more time, he's going to get a concussion," Tammy giggled, lounged on the bleachers alongside me. She was the only other cheer member with me, wanting to watch practice as well.
There were random students dispersed around, some waiting for clubs to start and others just hanging out, enjoying the sun. I was elated to admit that the cliques were still fraternising, which meant that Mattia hadn't come out with any of his claims yet. I scowled at the thought of Mattia, and you know what they said - speak of the devil and he shall appear.
"You little bitch!" Mattia roared as he suddenly blocked my view from the practice. Jillian followed closely behind, looking apologetic. She must've let it slip that she was meeting with me later. And Mattia didn't look too happy about it. "Did you really think you could trick Jill into believing you? You and your friends are all the same," he spat. "Manipulative."
"What is wrong with you?!" I practically fumed, thin fingers wrapped tightly around my backpack as if I was envisioning choking Mattia. "You speak as if all of us aren't humans."
I was hoping that someone from the soccer team would intervene but we were too far from them. And Caleb wouldn't just call off practice. I had to wait until they were finished so that meant I had to calm down this situation.
"Apparently you aren't!" Mattia seethed, teeth grinding in absolute rage. "You all think you're higher than everyone else as if we're supposed to worship you. You popular kids think you're the shit."
"Mattia, please stop," Jillian infringed softly, looking unsure about what her friend was talking about.
"No! It's time she understood that she's nothing but a bully," Mattia said in a deadly tone. Oh, here we go, finally. "You put everyone else down so that you could use them to climb up the social ladder," he boiled, pointing an accusing finger at me. "Jill was bullied because of you and that skank Maya."
