Silver Tides (Silver Tides Series) (18 page)

lunch table

Miranda's suspension ended early the following week. Her return to school had everyone that sat at our table on edge, except Daniel.

Tamara, Tammy and Jaimie did a repeat of my first day as Miranda's replacement. Tamara straightened my hair and Jaimie and Tammy helped with my makeup. We all pulled up our black-knee-high-socks in the car---like gladiators preparing to enter the arena.

We strutted into school like we owned it. The routine was becoming easier, like a dancer going onto stage every night, but it still didn’t feel right. With Miranda on the prowl, I had to be convincing to maintain control. I’d glanced Julia in one of my classes and she had replaced her black socks for white in support of Miranda. She looked haunted as she rushed out of the room to avoid having to talk to me. I wanted to tell her that I bore her no ill will and that I understood that she had to support her childhood friend. Julia may have even believed me, but she was too scared to even be seen talking to me with Miranda at school.

Miranda managed to avoid all of us before lunch, which was proof that she knew I had taken her place. Julia had been tight lipped regarding Miranda and her state of mind during the previous week, but she would have been telling Miranda everything that was happening at school. The morning had gone remarkably well, which only made me tenser as to what Miranda was planning. Lunch was going to be the ultimate test.

The class before lunch was one I shared with Tamara, whose anxiety was palpable despite her cool demeanor. She didn’t take any notes, merely staring straight ahead; she was going to be the most ostracized if I failed. We had formulated a plan to always be in pairs and ensure that we didn’t lose our cool, but that was not going to protect any of us if Miranda attacked someone.

All of my friends met me at my locker so we could strut into the lunchroom together. I couldn’t believe how nonchalant they looked as we strode through the hall. A junior walked into a locker when Tammy flicked her hair, I had to keep my face neutral despite my desire to laugh at the absurdity of the scene.

Tamara pushed the cafeteria doors open, the room hushed as we entered. I could feel the eyes of the entire student body on me; I did my bored expression. My insides were shaking and all I wanted to do was run home, but my commitment to my friends made me stand my ground. Everyone’s eyes found the table simultaneously; Miranda had taken her usual seat at the head of our table. She sat immaculately groomed with Julia beside her in their matching white-knee-high-socks. Julia wouldn’t look at us, conflicted, but unable to abandon her oldest friend.

"She must have sprinted here after class." Tamara exhaled, deliberately making it seem like we weren’t talking.

“Maybe she’s been here all period four,” Jaimie offered, under her breath, stealthily.

"Boobs out, strut and smile!" Tamara ordered discreetly, as we made our way to the table, relegating the boyfriends to walking behind us.

"You're in Mya's seat," Tamara challenged Miranda.

"I always sit here," Miranda said curtly, flipping her hair.

"Not anymore," Tamara informed.

Miranda met my gaze, her eyes filled with hatred. She surveyed the entire group, her eyes resting on Daniel.

“Move out of my girlfriends seat,” he ordered.

In the face of being stared down by the six of us, Miranda and Julia both moved to the least comfortable spots on the table. I felt bad for them, but not bad enough to let Miranda hurt any of us anymore.

The plastic seat was warm when I sat in it, making me feel like a usurper. Daniel sat in Julia’s chair and slung his arm around me in support. The tension had eased incrementally but no one was comfortable.

"So after the school dance..." Miranda began, trying to reassert her authority.

"I thought you lost the social chair position?" Tamara said, being crueler than necessary.

"At assembly next week," Miranda replied, glaring at me in accusation.

"So, you won't be planning the school dance," Tamara informed her, raising an eyebrow. It was painful watching Tamara in action; she was like a samurai ice princess. But I couldn’t resent her, after years of being bullied she was getting her own back.

"I will … plan the dance," Jaimie said, clearly struggling with being a mean girl as much as I was.

"Then we're having the after-party at Daniel's house," I invited the table. "Just something small for us and our dates."

Miranda groaned, rolling her eyes dramatically. "It's our school dance; we usually have a huge blowout after-party at my house."

Daniel glared at Miranda. "You can still have that—it's just that all the pop peeps will be at my house."

"I totally think we should have it at your house," Miranda faltered. "I just think it should be everyone from school, not just us and our dates."

"I never invited you or your date," Daniel said, pointedly.

Miranda looked pained as she turned fire-engine red.

“You are invited,” I assured her kindly, “and so is your date.”

Miranda stared daggers at me, she didn’t want to hear my stupid voice and would happily beat me into submission. I wanted to retreat, but I held my head up and shrugged her off.

"We wanted to have a quiet one," Jaimie explained firmly, capturing Miranda’s attention before another fight broke out. "I'm sick of those loud parties, where we never get to hang out together."

"Or make out in a warm, comfortable space," Tim added. Jaimie gave him a playful hit for his comment.

"It's what we all decided," Tammy affirmed.

"So, what? This is a democracy now?" Miranda rolled her eyes. "You're going to lead this group into obscurity!"

"We talked about that," I replied, trying to exude a confidence I neither felt, nor deserved for being a usurper. I felt guilty for taking Miranda’s spot because a glance in the mirror was clear that I didn’t deserve my position, but I was the only thing between Miranda and Tamara having a mean girl war. So I strengthened myself and did what had to be done.

"Everyone would prefer to be invisible with me than be seen with you," I said levelly.

Miranda looked ready to jump across the table and attack me again, but she kept it together.

After the initial confrontation Miranda caught on quickly that she and I had swapped places. I was the most popular girl in school, and she was the invisible girl sitting at the popular table. The other students were generally unfazed by the power shift, as Daniel was the golden-boy everyone watched.

I felt sorry for the bitter way in which Miranda carried herself; it was terrible for her to be ignored. I tried to include her and be kind, but she just glared at me with hatred in her eyes. She would have faired better with the others if she'd tried to be nice, but all her conniving to try to regain power led to Tamara, Jaimie, and Tammy ignoring her entirely.

As the day of the apology approached, Miranda was getting more and more snarky. I dreaded how my mother would react to Miranda’s bad attitude.

apology

The following week my parents and Miranda's dad attended assembly for the apology.

The school gymnasium had orange plastic chairs from the late 70s lined up in rows for all the students. I sat with my parents with the year seven students in the front row so we could reach the front quicker.

The rest of my class sat at the back of the room. I looked at the tiny year sevens around me and wondered if I'd ever looked so small and desperate to fit in. Every year we would move back a couple of rows the younger kids taking the seats in front; at the time it was a nonevent, but being my last year and sitting up in the front made me feel nostalgic. I remembered when Jaimie and I had sat so close to the front that we could see Mr. Horton's belly quiver and growl, signifying that lunch drew near.

Miranda fidgeted with her hem, leading up to us being summoned to the front. She was the only one in our group who continued to wear white socks, a protest against my leadership.

Dr. Kock had choreographed the whole apology, telling us when the apology was in the program and where we had to stand. Miranda was to stand on his right and I was to stand on his left. My heart felt like it was over-beating as Dr. Kock called us onto the stage. I hated being up the front, and it felt so silly that I would just stand there like a wordless dummy. Miranda's body language screamed her lack of remorse, but her stage presence was undeniable.

She took the microphone. "In front of all my friends and my school I want to apologize for misusing the School Spirit Site to bully Mya Belan. At the time I thought it was a joke, but I realize how hurtful my actions were and I'm sorry." There was not an apologetic note in her speech, but I was glad it was over.

Sitting in the front row, Dad wrinkled his nose as the principal accepted the microphone. Mum crossed her arms across her chest unimpressed. Miranda’s Dad seemed oblivious to my parents disgust, he was just grateful that my parents were not going to sue him. Dad was never one to shrink back from a fight.

"What about attacking my daughter like you are a feral cat?" Dad asked, causing the students to laugh.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Mya." She smirked, looking at me for the first time during the apology.

Before my dad wiped the smirk off Miranda's face, the principal did. "Your behavior has been unbecoming as school social chair, so you are stripped of the title. Jaimie Rodgers is our new social chair for Geelong High. Also, if you bother Mya again, you will be expelled, not to mention whatever legal action the Belan family chooses to use against you."

Miranda paled as Jaimie stepped onto the stage to accept her new title; just the way Dr. Kock had schooled her. Miranda swallowed hard as Dr. Kock took her social chair badge and handed it to Jaimie. For a moment I thought I saw remorse in Miranda’s eyes, but then she glared her death daggers at me, erasing any softness that may have existed.

"The new vice social chair is Daniel Esso," Dr. Kock announced. I glanced around surprised, unaware that Dr. Kock had even approached Daniel about being vice social chair. It seemed like something that Daniel should have spoken to me about, it stoked the fire of doubt that continued to burn in my mind regarding Daniel’s past and our future.

Daniel rose triumphantly from the back row and sauntered to the stage to accept the vice social chair badge. My eyes were intoxicated with his beauty as he strode toward me. The students from every year clapped enthusiastically.

He carried himself like a god among mortals, I felt diminished in his shadow, till he winked at me. I felt my chest swell with affection, I didn’t understand why he’d chosen me, but he made me feel like a princess. Had he always been so charismatic, or had the gene mutation caused it? I pushed the question from my mind. Not thinking about the two years Daniel had been missing was becoming an established habit.

Daniel took the microphone. I didn't think he was supposed to say anything, just accept the badge, but everyone was so mesmerized by Daniel that they didn't even question him making a speech.

"My fellow students," he said, smiling playfully. "I'm honored by my election. Miranda has demonstrated today what it means to be a dirtbag."

I expected Dr. Kock to give Daniel a warning, but he was as enchanted as the rest of the student body. Only Miranda grimaced at the put-down.

"Let's make our school a better place and say no to bullying," Daniel finished, raising a fist in the air.

The student body erupted in applause, some girls rose to their feet to give Daniel a standing ovation. Daniel returned to his seat with everyone’s eyes following him; it took Dr. Kock a few minutes to regain everyone’s attention. I went back to my seat beside my parents, my thoughts focused on Daniel. Whatever happened during assembly was lost on me, because all I could think about was why Daniel hadn’t told me he was becoming vice social chair. I contented myself with the thought that maybe he hadn’t known till his name was announced.

I escorted my parents to the car; Dad was less than impressed by the apology but was appeased by the cheque. Mum was unhappy, but gracious.

School was weird during the day. I was used to people staring at Daniel and me, but the looks were filled with admiration, rather than gossip mongering. The students were being nicer to each other. There was a peaceful, positive vibe around school, rather than the feeling of being imprisoned.

Only Miranda seemed to remain angsty. I was worried that the impending school dance was just going to make things worse.