The Geek Revolution ✓

15 | tears

EVERYTIME WE LEAVE HOME ECONOMICS, Terrence offers to walk with me to wherever I'm going, no matter where it is.

I want to tell him not to, but he insists. Then if I say no, I'll be making a big deal over an innocent gesture. I don't really think it's innocent though. My theory is that Brittany is sending Terrence to monitor me, though she seems not to care about us anymore.

When we get to my table at the very edge of the cafeteria, Madison is standing there. Her nose wrinkles in disgust, probably as much because of my friends as it is because of the garbage smell. Her arms are folded tightly, and the lush raspberry colour of her nails shines against her skin. Every second, her index finger taps impatiently, each rise and fall stirring a hammering in my heart.

Drew and Leah are sitting side by side, glaring at Madison. What is going on?

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Terrence stops beside me. There is anger in his eyes, surfacing like a menacing shark fin, but I don't know at whom he is directing it. Madison turns at the sound of our footsteps. Upon seeing Terrence, a relaxed sigh seeps out through her glossy lips. Her smile stretches wider, becoming too large to be friendly. It's caustic.

For a second, I'm surprised that the girl in front of me is Madison.

Usually, she's a diva with a sweet voice and a mean personality, who wounds by sprinkling compliments that sound completely patronising. But today, she's different. Less glitzy and more gritty. Madison has mastered the art of turning breath into poison and blood into ice almost as well as Brittany has — maybe even better, considering that Brittany never uses the transition; she's always poison.

"Terry," she drawls. "Short time, no see."

I'm not whether it's the nickname or Madison's voice that makes him flinch. Maybe both. Probably both.

"Madison," he says calmly. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, just what Brittany asked us to do. You know, put the geeks in hell, ruin their lives. Blah, blah, blah." She looks up from examining her nails to give a bored sigh. "Stuff you've done thousands of times."

I turn to Terrence, watching shame escape from his eyes and run rampant across his face, spreading red flames all across his cheeks. All the explanation I need, because I totally called it. Madison looks back to Leah, whose shoulders are hunched inwards vulnerably. Drew inches closer to her, looking about to shield her from Madison.

Except, Madison's not the type who physically bullies. Leave that to Reece and Derek. She has spent her life finding her weapons, sharpening them with her tongue, and spitting them like bullets. And these sorts of bullets never miss their target, because they spread on lips and paper and phones. Inescapable.

"Just think about what I said. Anything that happens after this is completely on you, honey." Madison glides away, arms swaying like willow branches in the wind.

Once, she glances back at Terrence, obviously expecting him to follow. When he stares at me, eyes drowning in guilt, his hazel irises look torn between Madison and me. But he leaves with Madison, rushing to catch up with her side. She hugs him when he does.

It's not like I expected him to pick me over Madison, one of his best friends, but it just reminds me that some things aren't worth the pain and hassle they will cause. My blooming friendship with Terrence is probably one of those things.

The Monarchy is too big to ignore, for the sake of one person. I used to think that a person's friends did not define his character. But now I don't believe that. I wonder how similar Terrence's character is to Brittany's, if they're such good friends. He seems kinder, more easy-going, but I can't get the image of him standing with Brittany as Derek and Reece get closer and closer to hitting me.