Simspiration 6/1: Self-Confidence and Doubt.
“Look at those losers,” came the hissing whisper. Despite her better judgment, Ara turned from her locker to look.
It was the two girls that had been dubbed by Nymea’s group of friends during the first two weeks as the “Bluewater Nerds.” Both wore glasses, and one had brown dreadlocks that reached past her shoulders. She was also wearing very unusual makeup - her eyeliner extended from the outer corner of her left eye in a series of spirals, which must have been difficult to draw while staring into a mirror without her glasses.
“So ugly,” the blonde girl whose name Ara could never recall said as they passed, not even bothering to whisper. “Look at their saggy socks! And those five-cent barrettes are hideous. How can anyone as poor as that Ramirez girl afford to come to private school?”
If Aranel had been at all interested in psychology, she might have thought it ironic that Nymea, who would never admit to the other girls that she wasn’t rich, decided to enter the conversation then. As it was, she merely gritted her teeth as her best friend started to criticize the retreating pair loud enough for the whole hall to hear.
“Well, it’s definitely not because she’s smart or talented,” Nymea replied in a voice that seemed casual at first. “I heard that she got the Landgrabb scholarship for her year because the judges felt sorry for her.”
One of the other girls giggled. “One look at her in whatever she wears outside of school would do that to anyone.”
Aranel noticed that the look on Nymea’s face got even sourer after that.
“Well, that’s what they say,” she replied, in a confidential voice that, of course, could be heard across the hallway, where the other two girls had stopped at their lockers, “Of course, I heard differently.” All the assorted girls were listening closely now. They always listened to whatever Nymea said. Aranel usually found it annoying that they were willing to listen to Nymea, but not her. Today, however, she just felt irritable and a little queasy. Whatever was coming next wasn’t going to be good, not after the other girls had said all those things that would set off Nymea.
“What did you hear?”
Nymea shrugged, as if she didn’t particularly care about what she was about to say. That was the key to her manipulation - to act like she was above everything and didn’t care. Aranel didn’t have that kind of control over her temper. “I heard it was favoritism,” she replied as they moved away from Aranel’s locker towards whoever’s locker was next on their route to lunch. “Because her mother has a rather… special relationship with Landgrabb himself.”
This last line, delivered precisely as the group passed behind the two Bluewater girls, caused the rest of Nymea’s entourage to shriek with laughter. Every person in the hallway who had successfully ignored them so far turned to look, and there in the middle of all of it was Tessa, with her eyes wide and everyone staring at her. She suddenly looked so small and young that Aranel was forcibly reminded that she was a freshman, the same age as Achenar and the twins. Tears filled her eyes - she dropped her books and ran down the hall towards the girls’ bathroom. Her companion just looked at the five of them in shock that was quickly shading towards anger, but Nymea, having won the last round, wasn’t about to stop.
“Hello, Melody,” she said sweetly. Someone behind her muttered “stage freak,” but she pretended not to hear. “Aren’t you a Landgrabb scholarship student too?”
“Go to hell, bitches,” Melody finally spat, slamming her locker and gathering Tessa’s books before following her younger friend into the bathroom. The girls surrounding Nymea laughed all the harder as they headed towards the cafeteria.
Aranel stopped walking. It took them at least ten feet before they realized that she wasn’t following.
“Are you coming, Ara?” Nymea finally asked, half turning around.
“That was a cruel, horrible lie and you know it.” Aranel replied, impressed with how reasonable her voice sounded. There was no need to yell - half the hallway was still listening, anyhow.
Nymea just shrugged. “You know what they say about eavesdroppers not liking what they hear,” she replied. “Now are you coming to lunch or not?”
“Not,” Aranel replied, turning around and walking back the way that she had come. Somehow, she doubted that Nymea would ever have the decency to even pretend to be sorry.
~ ~ ~
It's a taste of the next proper chapter, after the interlude is over. Probably not in it's final format, though I have talked myself into using Tessa and Melody now... If only for the "Go to Hell, bitches" line. Melody has attitude.