Chapter 15
Joycelyn’s POV
“Raven’s been bullying me since freshman year? I said quietly, “Shree the first time I outscored her
on midterms.”
1 traced the scar near my collarbone as Nathan stared in horror
“She cornered me in the third floor bathroom–the one nobody uses became the bypes always flicker. Shoved me against the sink and pressed her lit cigarette right here while her friends blocked
the door.”
“You think you can just waltz in on a scholarship and take what’s mine?” I mimicked her precise, cultured accent. “Let me show you what happens to trailer trash who forget their place.”
I met Nathan’s eyes directly.
“I wasn’t going to be one of those victims who stays silent. So I reported her to Ms. Daniels, the counselor. She looked horrified, sympathetic even… until she took me to Principal Green’s office.*
My laugh was hollow.
“Your future father–in–law straightened his Brooks Brothers tie and said, ‘Miss Quinn, while my daughter may have acted inappropriately, haven’t you also been rather… provocative? Taking opportunities that perhaps weren’t meant for you?“”
“He actually patted my shoulder and told me, ‘We all need to learn our place in the ecosystem of Boulder High. Don’t you agree?“”
I shook my head. “That’s when I realized I couldn’t keep my top ranking. But the scholarship tied to it was my only way to pay tuition.”
“My parents kicked me out when I refused an arranged marriage to some 50–year–old family friend back in our hometown. So I found a job washing dishes at Rosa’s Diner on Pearl Street. Six hours a
night after study hall.”
“Rosa was kind. Let me sleep on the break room couch when I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Always made sure I ate something with protein before my shift ended.”
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Touchdown PLAY: Cheer Queen vs. Quarterback King
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Chapter 15
“Then one of Raven’s tennis friends‘ fathers–who always commented on how ‘industrious‘ I was–reported Rosa for employing an underage worker without permits. She lost her business license and paid thousands in fines.”
I smiled bitterly.
“That’s poverty for you. One step forward, three kicks back.”
“So I spent that night sleeping behind the Dumpsters at King Soopers, and I decided–I needed that top rank back. I’d rather face Raven’s torture than give up on my future.”
“But guess what? Raven got ‘bored‘ with beating me up. Said it wasn’t fun anymore.”
“Her daddy suggested they just find a reason to expel me instead. ‘Out of sight, out of mind,‘ he said.”
I locked eyes with Nathan.
“You see? All my years fighting for just one escape route, and they could cut it with a single word. But I refused to accept that.”
“I needed to force Raven to attack me again–one last time.”
I looked down at my clenched fists.
That story I told you about seeing you and Raven kissing before exams? Complete fiction. I was obsessed with your face, sure–what girl wasn’t?-but compared to my survival, you weren’t even a
factor.
When I deliberately outscored Raven by 35 points that quarter, it had nothing to do with jealousy
over you.
It was because-”
“She took the bait perfectly. Cornered me in that alley behind the science building where she always did her dirty work. The one where no one could hear me scream.”
“She brought her friends. And her brother’s Rottweiler.”
“That night, I crawled out of that alley covered in my own blood.”
I turned my palm upward, revealing a small black SD card.
49.90
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Touchdown PLAY: Cheer Queen vs. Quarterback King
Chapter 15
“But the traffic camera at the intersection caught everything. I went to Raven with the footage and laid it out: if she touched me again, if I got expelled, this video would be on every social platform
within the hour.”
“She called me crazy. The video shows you stripped naked, crawling on all fours! You’ll destroy yourself if you release this!“”
I laughed softly. “I asked her, ‘I’m willing to burn down with you, Raven. Are you willing to burn
with me?”
“She wasn’t, of course.”
“But she couldn’t let it go either.”
“So she sent you to destroy me instead.”
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