RYOT GRL

Chapter 4

“So have you lived in Florida long?”, the girl, whose name I think is Stella murmurs shyly, I notice her voice trembling and I have the half the mind to tell her to stop being so timid, especially when meeting someone new. She’s literally giving me an invite to walk all over her. “Ok, let’s cut all the nonsense of you showing me around. I’m not a toddler. Just tell me who runs the school”, I ask and they both look at me in confusion. “Who’s the Queen B around here?”, I demand and they both glance at each other, with a slight worry in each other’s eye. “So, you’ve got someone in mind then?”, I say, and they nod.

“Lillian Brooke”, Georgina trembles and I burst out laughing. “She’s the queen B and her name is Lillian. That’s a grandma’s name”, I smile, and she looks at me in surprise. “She’s horrible and she’s captain of the cheer team”. “I’ll bet”, I murmur, they always are. “Who else?”, I say impatient. “Well, there’s Hope Mathews, her best friend and Melissa Sparks, she’s captain of the girl football team”.

“What about boys?”. “Well, most of the boys are ok if you stay out of their way. But there’s three who are the worst”. “Names?”, I press; not wanting up to the building suspense. “Well, there’s Jordan Adamson, he’s really smart top of every class but he’s also really mean. Hames is captain of the baseball and the soccer team, he’s horrible, sleeps with every girl in the school and discards them the minute he does”. I notice her cheeks blush red and I’m sure there’s some history there. “But by far the worst one is Castle Maddox; I’ve never even seen him smile. Everyone’s afraid of him and with good reason. If you even look at him, he’ll make you pay for it”.

The name Castle has me tensing. It can’t be the same one surely.

“Sounds like fun”, I chime and both girls look at me in utter horror. “We’re not joking. Last year he tripped up this girl and she broke her leg”, Stella splutters and I c***k a smile impressed. Since I’m not going to be here for long, I might as well annoy the hierarchy whilst I can. “Anything else?”, I ask. “Lillian is obsessed with Castle. She’s been wanting to date him since grade school” I haven’t even met her yet, but that information isn’t even surprising to me. “Ok, thanks”, and I stride off. I certainly don’t need babysitters or to be the newbie who needs someone’s hand to hold. “Wait, we didn’t even get your name”, Stella yells from behind me. “Dodo”, I shout back, and I can tell by their lack of response they think I’ve made it up.

I’m guessing by the kids filtering through the corridor, that it’s lunch. I receive a few looks as I stride, my signature scowl on my face. I can’t help but feel powerful making them all scared of me by my appearance alone. I spot the cafeteria and I decide to walk in to scope out the people. I like clicks. Where all the jocks hang out together and so do the nerds. The computer geeks, and those people that dress up like cartoon characters and pretend to be them. And at the back, nearest to the sun, I spot a group of girls, half on their phones and the other half checking their makeup in their compacts. I make a beeline for them, and the cafeteria quietens as I do. I sit in the last available seat, and immediately they turn to me. “Are you lost?”, one of them splutters. “Which one is Lillian?”. The one with the most designer gear and a red Birkin bag on her lap narrows her eyes at me. “Who’s asking?”, she hisses, and I c***k a smile. “I’m new. My name is Dodo Lucas”, I say outstretching my hand. She stifles a laugh, and her friends follow, a chorus of fake laughing entailing. “What kind of name is Dodo and what makes you think you can talk to me?”, she says and by her serious expression she’s really that conceited. “I heard you were really nice”, I reply with a fake chirped voice.

“Listen, goth girl”, she spits, her eyes travelling down my outfit in disgust. “I don’t know where you're from but in Westgate there are rules. You can’t just come up and speak to me. So why don’t you go and hang out with the other nerds. Or better yet get yourself a new outfit”. I sit back impressed; she’s got cheek I’ll give her that. But not near enough as me. “What you don’t like my outfit?”, I say, pretending to be outraged. “I would rather die than where something as hideous as that”, she says, and I c***k a smile. “Ok, well then maybe you can wear this”. I say grabbing her red slushie and opening the lid. “What are you doing that’s mine”, she snaps. “Oh, here you go”, I say, and I pour it over her head. A chorus of screams breaks out and I stand back to admire my work. The red drink, drips down onto her white dress, destroying it. She pushes me out of the way, running out of the cafeteria with her and the rest of her girl g**g in pursuit. “Dodo”, I look to see my mum at the end of the cafeteria telling me she’s just seen my little show. Before she comes in and drags me out, I stride away, keeping my head high and scanning over the other tables. When my eyes lock with a familiar pair of green ones. Castle is sitting with two other boys, dressed in rip jeans and a black sweater. His eyes travel over my face as if trying to recollect where he knows me. I c***k a smile, waving at him and walk out, a smirk proudly etched on my face.