Just before the bell rings, ending your study hall, you DM Chelsea: What class u have now? You don't want to go to your last class of the day, and if you have a chance to talk to Chelsea again, you'd like it.
Her answer comes a minute later. (Bless her, she must be dutifully checking her DMs at most every class break, to be sure of catching a message from you.) Sudy hall in library, she tells you, with kendra and gloria.
And just as you're reading it, you look up in time to see Kendra come striding in. She gives you the briefest of glances as she passes, as though you're bug.
Kendra and Gloria are cheerleaders, and two of Chelsea's key sycophants. Kendra is a light-skinned black (her ancestors came from Kenya, she is always reminding people) with the physique of a track runner. Her hair is dyed a light crimson and falls in ringlets past her shoulders. Gloria is a lot plusher and more buxom, with thick, dark hair and pouting lips.
Either of them, being close to Chelsea, would be easy to get to, and you'd have no problems then talking and texting with her from behind their faces. But Chelsea mentioned neither of them as a possible replacement, and you can understand why: they are already "servants" of Chelsea, and replacing them with magical clones would be redundant.
Besides, you're leaning in another direction.
There are several names on Chelsea's list that you don't know, but Chelsea has provided some thumbnails. George Basham she calls a "rich so-and-so" who "runs with a posse of other rich so-and-sos." It sounds like another group like Kelsey's, and if Kelsey is worth replacing with a clone, then one of these guys—Basham, apparently—would be worth it as well.
Similarly, Chelsea tells you of Kennedy Palmer, who used to be friends with Kelsey, but she got frozen out for trying to undercut Kelsey with some vicious rumormongering. She suggests that Kennedy would be really good for undercutting some of the more stuck-up elements at school.
The same train of thought apparently led Chelsea to suggest Cristina Ramon, who she describes as a pushy busybody who runs a gang of trailer-trash girls. Normally don't care thinking abt her and her type, Chelsea sniffs, but she's awful in a way we might like to have on our side.
On the other hand, Chelsea mentions Brianna Kirschke only in passing, as someone who would be a good agent if you want someone inside the marching band.
Finally, she mentions Sydney McGlynn, who is a new girl in town. She was a star cheerleader at her old school (somewhere in Kansas) and she seems to be rapidly building up a strong circle of influence. From between the lines, you get the impression that the old Chelsea was frightened of her, though the new Chelsea says that the girl might make "a good ally."
As you are pondering these choices, Chelsea herself comes swinging into the library. She gives you a long look out of the corner of her eye as she passes you, then turns away when she reaches the table where Kendra is waiting. "Gloria's going to be late again, isn't she?" she sighs as she drops her backpack onto the table.
"She usually is," Kendra says.
"And it's not like her locker's on the other side of the school!"
"It's disrespect, Chelsea."
Chelsea clucks her tongue again . "Don't try to stir up shit, Kendra," she sneers. "Or if you're gonna try, at least try not to be so flipping obvious about it." She tosses her hair as she settles into her seat, and lifts up her phone to peer down her nose at it.
You've seen enough, and you don't want to tempt Chelsea into acting "in character" with you. So you scoop up your stuff and (against your earlier intuition) scamper off to class.
The delay gives you time to settle your own mind. When the final bell rings, you settle back in your desk to compose the DM to Chelsea: Need your help with—
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author
