Marci's Wellington's POV

"The British, French and Spanish have a unique history. Apart from the wars that they have fought against each other. They finally resolved when no more blood has to be shed for petty reasons." Our History teacher droned on.

As I jotted down some points, I came up with a blank that needed filling, so I raised my hand.

"Yes, Marcella?"

I resisted the urge to grit my teeth in annoyance and settled for a forced smile, "What happened between the British and Spanish?"

She rested on her table and crossed her hands, "Well, according to a few history books, the British went into a partnership with the Americans, and they might have stirred up trouble for the Spanish. The French aided the Spanish to help them fight the war, but it all came at a price."

I cocked my head to the side, "What happened between the British and the French?"

"Around the lines of attainment of various assets from colonising other places to religious differences and trade facilities," She replied.

"And the French and the Spanish?" I questioned further.

"I'm not certain if this war happened before their fight against Britain or after. It was along the lines of kidnap; the French captured some important people in power from the Spanish. It forced the current ruler of the Spanish to step down."

"So how exactly was everything resolved between these three?" I drummed my pen on the table and waited for her to respond.

I have a funny feeling that I may be going off course with what was meant to be taught today, but I'm a silent overachiever.

She rubbed her furrowed brows and sighed, "All of these conflicts happened in the Seven Years' War which began and ended in 1754 and 1763 respectively. And you can find out about the countries involved, the individual dates with the reasons for their involvement in the war. I want it all written down and on my desk before tomorrow's class." She looked me in the eye as she gave out the assignment.

Seems like wanting to be valedictorian came at its one high rise.

The bell rang, and everyone sighed in relief. "A word Marci," Our history teacher said while my classmates started filling out of the classroom.

I arranged my backpack, slung it over my shoulders and approached her table.

"You know stealing the spotlight might get you in the bad light of your peers," She said in a motherly tone. "I get that you want to be the best student in your passing class, but tone it down a bit."

"Thanks, ma'am, but I'm pretty sure I can handle myself." I sassed with a small smile as she rolled her eyes at me and had a smile of her own on her face.

"Don't worry about me, Teach. I'll handle the report and my peers faster than your husband could get you to drop your panties." I sent her a wink, and her jaw slacked.

I might be spending way too much time with Jacob.

I walked towards the door and called over my shoulders, "See you tomorrow in class, Teach."

The halls were getting emptier by the second, so I dumped my bag pack in my locker and made my way to the cafeteria for lunch.

Surprisingly the cafeteria food smelt nice today, so I settled for a sandwich and some tea.

I approached the usual lunch table I shared with my little family; whenever we didn't eat on the bleachers. I walked into a conversation I never thought would come up again.

"Get this, if the Gymnastic Instructor and Miss Beatrice got into a fight for the Coach's affection, who do you think would win?" Giá asked as she stirred her soup.

"My money is on the Gymnasts, she's pretty flexible, and Miss Beatrice doesn't look like she could hold her own in a fight." My boyfriend drank his juice after stating a bullshit reason.

We all know that appearances should never be taken for granted in capability; look at Gail. She might look like a sweet innocent girl, but that kid bleached most of my black shirts by accident. The reason is still unknown to me to this day.

"As for me, my money is on the girls on the cheer squad." Giá might have taken our negative friend's comment literally because she looked down at her cheer uniform and shot a glare at a certain brunette.

Lucas dropped his fork and looked her dead in the eye, "The coach might be old, but he's built like a horse. I know you girls like it rough, but I doubt he could last longer than Marci throwing on a coloured shirt to class by mistake."

I decided to make my presence known, "I didn't think you could throw shade more than sunglasses, but you proved me wrong."

I sit next to Giá and face the boys with a smirk as I open up my napkin and begin eating, "And to answer your question Giá, my money would be on neither of them because frankly, Miss Beatrice could do much better. The coach would get sacked if there was ever an affair between him and a student. As for the gymnast, she looks like someone with skeletons in a closet."

"You gathered that from just meeting her in fourth grade?" My cousin was spot on with that accusation.

Who makes fourth-graders try monkey bars while attending business in their office for two weeks straight? One of the reasons why I decided not to take up gymnastics ever again.

"On an unrelated note, our YouTube channel is blowing up the roof." Nate showed us his phone screen. Our co-joined channel about dancing and some videos of us came to view.

Giá did a spit-take and glared at Lucas as she stuck her hand into her pocket to bring out a dollar and hand it over to Lucas. "You win this round Lucas," She grumbled.

"You guys made a bet?" I asked as I directed my fork from one person to the other.

Lucas grinned as he checked if the money was fake or not as he raised it into the light, "A pact, to be precise. I told her that our followers would triple because of that video we made of you two, but our favourite cheerleader took me up on that case." He made sure to shoot her a wink which had Giá curse him out in her native tongue.

"What video?" Nate's cheeks became darker.

"Calm down, amigo. It was a small collection of pictures," Giá said as she took a drink of her water and avoided my questioning eyes.

I pulled out my phone, opened our channel and checked the recent videos. I felt my jaw drop as I watched the video. It ranged from small snap chat videos to selfies and some pictures of us together that I didn't even know were out there. The ending had me blushing. It was a picture from my tenth birthday; it had both of us dancing with my hands on his neck while his hands were on my waist.

If you looked a bit closer, you could tell I was shy while Nate was as bold as a boulder.

I need to stop hanging around Jacob.

"Guys, why was our permission not asked first?" I couldn't tell if his cheeks were red from anger or embarrassment. Either way, Nate's lips were placed in a thin line as he stared daggers at my cousin above the rims of his glasses.

"And what makes you think that I did it?" She jumps to her defence.

Nate huffed with an eye roll and looked at her like, really looked at her. You know those looks when the person is holding themselves from unleashing the beast within, and that was what Nate was doing right now.

Before more words could be said, a questionable perfume wafted in the vicinity, and a dark green mop of curls was plastered between Nate and Giá.

We looked towards none other than Xena, the girl I wanted to stab with a printer when I walked into school this morning, but I'll save you the details.

"Good morning, sunshine." She beamed at us, but her eyes settled on me the most.

With my appetite lost, I pushed what was left of my sandwich and faced her squarely with a clenched jaw.

"What do you want, Xena?" Lucas spoke up, not trusting Giá nor me with how the scowls were growing on our faces.

She grinned at having the attention on her, "I came bearing good news."

"Is it raining free trips to the hair salon?" I cut into her award-winning statement, but her smile did not falter.

Ignoring me, she continued, "Anyway, there is an away game happening for the football team in two days, and the Principal has asked that you guys perform in honour of the school."

That makes no sense since the seniors or juniors handle this, not a bunch of sophomores. Even though I knew I wanted to perform at one of the sports games, I wasn't sure my friends were in the same boat as me.

Nate turned his burning gaze to the head editor of the school's newspaper, "And what happened to the people who normally do these things and why us?"

She sighed, "It's confidential,l but on the bright side, the principal did say the school would give you some money in exchange for your services..."

Giá cut her off; her native accent was heard as she growled out. "Do we look like fucking paupers to you?"

The only person who would need some extra cash here would be Nate, but that was none of her business.

"Fine, fine," Xena held up her hands in defence. "We need someone to entertain the guests, and the school is desperate and out of options."

I rubbed my chin and debated for a while. This girl could work out some bugs for us but with the hell that she has put us through since the term began, I'll make her sweat it out.

"If we agree to dance for the away game, you stop harassing me and get your bestie to leave my cousin alone," I say.

Everyone turned toward me as if I'd lost my marbles, but with the subtle nod of my head, they could see that I had a plan for where this was going.

Giá huffed and turned to Xena, "We've got more to say, but if you settle those for us, we'll get back to you. For now, we're in."

"Thank you guys so much, I'm grateful-"

"Be a good negotiator and leave, we enjoyed your presentation, but I'm sure the door would enjoy it better," Lucas said

I gotta hand it to her. Even though we didn't like her, she still was ballsy enough to talk to us without being afraid that we would embarrass her in front of the whole school.

The gang turned to me for answers as she left, "To answer your questions, we need more exposure for that channel of ours. Nate could use the extra cash, and I have a personal bone to pick with that walking piece of chemicals." I huffed.

"Okay, we'll sign you up for anger management class later, Prima." Giá cooed at me before turning an apologetic smile to Nate, "I'm sorry for invading your privacy, but it was requested." Then she smirked, "Even on camera, you two can't keep your hands off each other."

I could tell he was still pissed, but since it's Giá and not a stranger, Nate would let it slide, but he and Lucas was another case on its own.

"Accepted, but you owe me a novel from Abuelo." He grinned.

"Deal. Lucas?"

We all focused on the brunette who was currently trying to burn Giá to the ground with his eyes.

"If I'm going down, I'm taking you down with me." She sent him a toothy smile.

Lucas held out a fist bump towards Nate, "Sorry, dude, but you guys look great together."

Here comes the blush that has me grinning like a loon.

Giá groaned beside me, "See, you've got them making goo-goo eyes at each other."

-

The last bell for the day rings. Giá and I walk out of the classroom with the rest of our peers. We head to our lockers and open them and dump our stuff in.

I close mine and turn to her, "Please, can you and the boys wait for me? I have some business to take care of."

She eyed me sceptically, "Does it involve a walking rainbow?"

"You betcha." I give her a toothy smile and start walking backwards.

"If you are not back in thirty minutes, I'm bringing the Calvary." She yelled since I was already getting further from her and towards the editing room.

I pointed my thumbs to myself, "Woman, I am the Calvary." Throwing a wink at her, I turn around and walk toward the editing room.

The editor crew is the borderline of the school if you ask me. They have to relate to every sector and section of the school, which is why I refuse to have anything to do with them. They not only bug into other people's business, but since they get extra credit for bringing a new scoop now and then, they aren't afraid of the consequences and are more than ready to sell out their closest friends' secrets.

This is why they were a family of their own. Although I think it's because the only people stupid enough to associate with any of them would be a freshman.

Sorry, not sorry.

I knock on the big black door that reads 'editor's lair'. Cringe-worthy name, but it fits them just right.

A familiar face opens the door and gives me a blank stare.

"What are you doing here?" He rolls his eyes.

I return a favour with an eye roll of my own and cross my hands across my chest, "Nice to see you again, Felix."

Felix and I have history.

Get your dirty minds out of the gutter.

He had a thing for Giá when we were in middle school, and they dated briefly. It ended when he sold a scoop about Giá and her brothers to the present heads of the editor's crew back then.

Long story short, they broke up, and he got a place in the crew, but Diego and Mateo beat him up for messing with their sister and meddling with their family.

You could say Giá and I share similar views toward these people.

"I came to talk to Xena. Is she in?" I pick at my nails.

He huffs and opens the door wider for me to walk in but whispers in my ear before I go in.

"How's that cousin of yours?" He snarled quietly.

"Doing better now that a lousy person like you is out of her life," I say sweetly and shove him with my shoulder as I walk in.

The walls are lined with cut-out pieces of different school magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, stickers and banners. There was a case at the corner of the large room that held laminated parts of stories that made the top lines of the school.

The room was divided into different parts and was further divided by many thin wooden half walls. Each editor can have privacy while they invade another person's privacy.

Ironic, isn't it?

Felix walks behind me as I walk down the little aisle separating the different sections of the room. Thankfully the nosey people are so deep into whatever it is that they are meddling in that they don't notice me.

Before I can knock on the head editor, Felix grips my hand, and I turn back to glare at him.

"I'd advise you to let go of my hand before you have a repeat of the beating you got a few years ago." I make my voice go high pitch to add effect to the words that leave my mouth, "Spoiler alert, it would include close to ten guys, and this time there will be a casualty."

Felix must have taken my threat seriously because he dropped my hand and took a step back with his hand raised in mock surrender.

"Just a friendly reminder, we will be listening in on your conversation. I'd be careful with what words come out of that mouth if I were you." He looks all too smug for my liking.

I cross my hands and look him dead in the eye, "For someone who has a wanted note on his back, I'm surprised that you still have that mouth to talk."

His brows furrowed in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

I took a step closer to ensure that only he heard what I was saying. "I know it's because of you that Xena knows about my family's drama, so I'd be careful where next I stick my nose into if I were you. You might see a fist waiting to hit you in the face."

His smug smile was back, and it shot him up higher onto my 'I will kill you after high school' list.

"You're all bark and no bite Marci, just like I remember." He said to spite me.

As much as I would love to have mouth diarrhoea with this fool, I had a reason I came here and if I didn't accomplish that soon. Giá would storm in here any minute.

I turned my back to him, knocked on the door in front of me and walked in.

"Well, well, well, look what the tide dragged in." The girl behind the desk smirked as she filled her nails.

Her feet were up on her desk. It was neat, not a single speck of dust in place. The office may be old, but you could still see a little touch of her personality here and there. The picture at the corner of the table had me raising my brows in surprise. It was her, Jade, Ian and surprising Diego on it.

Well, then I know who I'm cornering when I get home.

I walked further into the room, took the chair meant for guests and straddled it backwards. My hand rested on the back of the chair in front of me. I faced the girl who was supposed to have a printer in her head.

Xena Blanc.

"Turn off the listening device so that your cohorts won't hear what we are talking about," I demand.

She drops the nail file and looks at me. "And why would I?" She drops her feet from the table and rests her palms on the table, "Who do you think you are walking into my office and making demands?"

A printer rested in the corner of the room next to a computer. I was itching to grab it, but I restrained myself. The information I wanted would be long forgotten if she was unconscious on the floor.

"I believe that you were the one that asked for the help of my friends and me today." It was my turn to examine my nails. "I suggest you drop the bullshit, and let's discuss the terms of what you asked for."

I had her where I wanted, but I knew she could turn the tables around, so I would have to be careful with what I let out here.

She pressed a button at the edge of her desk and gave me a grim look.

"How does the principal even know we are a dance group?" I cock a brow.

"He doesn't. He just wants to try something new." She answers. I know there's more, but I'll get it out of her eventually.

"And why would you want my group of all the dance groups in this school?"

"Because I knew that would make you come to me." She smiled sweetly, "I may not know the full details of what's going on with that family of yours, but I knew that if I threatened and frustrated you and your friends further, you would have to come to me."

"So what exactly is the point of me coming here?" I wave my hand around.

I don't know why but an image of her looking unkempt with a lab coat comes to mind, and I bite my cheek to keep myself from laughing.

"I know you know something is going on between Jade, Diego, Ian and me." She points out.

I guess I wasn't seeing things on the night of the basketball game.

"And what makes you think that I know about your business? If you've forgotten, I'm not in your editorial crew." A jab would leave my mouth sooner or later, people. Let's keep moving.

"Shit happened and split us up when we were younger. I want us back together as friends. And you are going to help me do just that." She stands up from her desk and walks around me in circles.

"What makes you think that I would ever help Diego want to stand in the same vicinity with you?" I roll my eyes.

"You know you remind me of myself; your present group of friends was very similar to mine. You are like my younger self, the leader of the group who would protect her friends at all costs. Giá and Jade were the cheerleaders who didn't want to relate with the cheer squad outside practice. Nathan and Ian were basketball players who only played the sport to get their minds off the shit going on in their lives. As for Lucas and Diego, they are parallel people who make our groups different." She explains.

I mull over what she's saying, but I allow her to continue, "I could tell you what went down, how we all said goodbye to our friendship, but I can already see your cousin making small talk with Felix."

Looks like the Calvary is here.

"So I'll keep this short, you guys perform at the away game, and you perform at the next one."

"Why are you singling me out?" I question incredulously.

"Because, the basketball and football teams have away games that same day, and the cheer squad has a jamboree to attend. Your little friend group isn't going to be together that day, so you will pick which team you're rooting for."

I bite back a growl of frustration. "And why would I or any of my friends go along with this?"

"Well, as I said earlier, I needed you to come to me. I could keep you and your friends out of the gossip chain and rumours going around the school." This bitch dared to pout at me, "You've heard them, haven't you?"

This is why I wanted to bash her brains with a printer when I walked in this morning. I knew that she was the one who started up the rumours.

Nate cheated on me with Giá while we used Giá as our duff. I manipulated them with my father's money while Lucas was asexual.

Trust me, even I agreed that the web of lies she spindled was creative. If you heard how the stories connected, I still had one thing she couldn't blackmail me with.

"If I allow Diego to know what you are planning, how well do you think this would go down with the precious friend group you are trying to get back together?" I give her a pout of my own.

She sighed, "I forgot what a smartass you could be."

Compliment accepted.

"I'll offer you a pact of my own. I'll get my friends to dance for the away game and dance for the next two only if," I raise my fingers and begin counting, "You keep my friends and I out of the rumour mills, keep Felix back in the cage he belongs and tell Jade to stop messing with Giá."

She presses her lips into a thin line and then opens it, "And what do I get out of this?"

"You get entertainment for the dance, and I would try and get Diego to talk to you. Mind you, the way he talks to you would be none of my doing because if we were both friends before and we stopped being friends, I wouldn't hold you in my good books. After the games and the talk with Diego, you leave my friends alone and get back to whom or what dick you were supposed to suck next."

Sending jabs should be my next stress reliever after being sarcastic.

A knock on the door drags our attention, "Do we have a deal?" I told her.

It wasn't easy, but I had what I wanted with the uneasy look in her eyes. I knew that she knew it too.

"Deal," She huffed.

I stood up from the chair and walked to the door before I could open it. She said something which had me willing my feet to the ground and not making a beeline to the corner by my left.

"We'll be in touch, Marci." I could only nod dumbly to her, open the door and walk out.

I don't know whether I could fully say that what I just did would be worth the aftermath.

I'm back and sorry for the wait.