"'We do not know the full story from either side yet, so we will not pick a side with no evidence as many people are already doing after the supposed "campaign" yesterday afternoon. Since we will not know the full story without hearing it from the witness herself, Amy Gardener, and the supposed criminal, Camilla Green, the Newspaper Committee has requested to have a one-on-one interview with both Amy and Camilla. Please see Leah Miller of the Newspaper Committee to request an interview or provide information, or email her--blah blah blah, more boring crap."
Michelle slammed the newspaper down on her desk, clearly frustrated after reading it aloud. "This is so stupid!" she proclaimed. "They were supposed to be on our side. After all, we requested their services in the first place, and we're the reason they're going to have a lot more business. There wouldn't be much to write in the newspaper without a juicy story, but now that they have one, they aren't even taking our side!"
Camilla listened to her best friend ramble on as she plopped herself in the seat across from her. Of course, she was grateful to Michelle for supporting her unconditionally--that is, as long as she was in the dark about Camilla's crimes--but she knew that the committee had a point; they couldn't just take a side without evidence. Amy's supporters had done that at the start, but with Camilla's popularity, she was able to use those same tactics against her and shift her peers' support in her favor. It was unfortunate that the committee was indirectly exposing her plan, but Camilla was unconcerned by their jabs.
"I should do the interview," Camilla mentioned, interrupting Michelle's ranting.
"Um, excuse me?" Michelle replied. "No, you shouldn't. And you won't. They're clearly against us."
"I don't know, maybe you're reading into it too much. After all, they didn't outwardly express their opposition."
Michelle groaned, saying, "Stop using such big words, it's only 7 am."
Camilla giggled while Meagan approached them. The moment she joined them, Michelle blabbered on about the committee "scheming against them," but Camilla merely shook her head. After all, she was sure nobody believed Amy that wasn't already close to.
Suddenly, she felt an arm lean against her shoulder, and she looked up to meet Jared's gaze. "What are we talking about?" Jared asked.
"Don't--" Camilla started, but it was too late; she was interrupted by Michelle restarting her speech to Jared.
"Hm, it does sound like they're against us," Jared noted.
"Look," Camilla began, "I don't know the committee very well, but I know of the people that run it, and I don't think they have anything against me. If they did, don't you think they'd be directly supporting Amy? And why would they request an interview from me if they already know their side? I just think they want to hear both sides, which I think is reasonable."
Michelle hesitated but, of course, didn't cease to retort, "Well, I don't understand how they don't know you're innocent after yesterday."
"Because all you guys were doing was chanting, not giving them any official evidence."
Then, the table went silent. Michelle's eyes darted to Meagan's, and they shared a look that Camilla couldn't quite pin down.
Jared turned to her and mumbled sincerely, "Sorry, we didn't know you didn't want us to do the campaign."
"What? No, I really appreciated the campaign. That's not what I'm saying, I just understand why the committee doesn't believe us solely based on popular belief. It would be hypocritical for me to think that anyway since Amy got people on her side without any evidence too."
Everyone stayed quiet, even Michelle, until Jared spoke up, offering, "Maybe we can make our own newspaper, then."
Michelle's head snapped up and she announced, "That's perfect! We can make our own paper that will debunk theirs and prove that you're innocent."
"Well, I don't know..." Camilla trailed off, leaving their imaginations to wander more.
"I'm going to be the founder!" Meagan insisted.
"I want to be in too!" Michelle exclaimed.
"Can I be in?" Jared asked.
The three of them babbled on while Camilla's mind raced. Their plan could be a good thing for her, or it could make people more suspicious and turn the committee against her even more than they already were, according to Michelle. And she didn't want any more enemies than she already had.
They planned it for the entire rest of the class, deciding that Meagan would be the founder and write it most of the time, Michelle could do interviews, Jared wouldn't be allowed in because he "wasn't smart enough to help" according to them, and they would recruit a few other juniors to help write it. It could be updated twice per week, not every day, and they were determined to advertise it frequently.
"I'm still going to do the interview," Camilla commented, feeling the need to bring it up.
"Why?" Meagan asked before Michelle could scold her.
"Because they requested it and I don't want to hate on them when they haven't wronged me," Camilla explained.
"But that's what they're going to do if you interview!" Michelle reiterated.
"If Amy does the interview, I will. And I guarantee she will, so I'm going to do it."
No one retorted, and only moments later, the bell rang. Their group filed out of the Spanish classroom, heading to their lockers, but before Camilla could follow, Christina approached her with a guest.
She knew instantly that he must have been new because she didn't recognize him. He had black hair styled in a quiff with curls at the edges, chocolatey eyes that would make any normal girl melt, sienna skin that suggested he had Latino heritage, and thick eyebrows to complete the look. Camilla smiled at him, and he returned it with a grin that lit up his face.
"New student, André Garcia," Christina informed me hurriedly. "You have to show him around. I have a test next period and I'm supposed to be taking care of a situation right now. I hope that's okay with you. I have to go now, bye."
And about as soon as she appeared, Christina rushed in the other direction, leaving Camilla with the most basic-looking popular boy she could imagine. Considering she spent most of her time at school surrounded by others with the same descriptions, that was a bold statement. Sure, this new boy, Christina had called him André, would be considered attractive to most girls—she even caught girls passing by them and whispering to their nearby friends, practically drooling over him—Camilla didn't personally agree. Regardless, she knew he could be important in helping rebuild her reputation because of his potential, so she felt it wise to take their time together as an opportunity to benefit her image.
"André Garcia, right?" Camilla asked meeting his eyes again with a warm expression.
He smiled at her, looking excited, and responded, "Yeah, and you are...?"
"Camilla Green," she answered.
"Nice to meet you." He blushed and ran his hands through his hair.
'I've really hit the jackpot now,' Camilla thought, eyeing him. 'Not only is he incredibly hot by society's standards and I have the chance to get with him, but his arrival will take all the attention off of me.'
"Follow me, and I'll show you around."
As I strode confidently in the opposite direction of where my friends had gone, André trailed close behind. Many girls that passed had a double-take when they saw him, but when they noticed me chatting with him, they passed by with dismay. To Camilla, their desperation was pathetic, but she pretended to be oblivious.
"Are you involved in any extracurricular activities?" Camilla asked, but she immediately interrupted him. "No, wait! Let me guess...football? I mean, American football."
He smiled and answered, "Both soccer and football, actually. But I knew what you meant. I grew up in America."
"Oh, sorry. I hope that didn't upset you. I just wanted to make sure I was being clear."
"It's all good, Camilla." She glanced back at him, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets, eyes wandering around the halls. He was very easygoing, she noticed.
"Well, I think that since you play football, you'll fit right in with a lot of my friends."
"Really?"
"Yeah, a lot of my guy friends are on the team because I'm a cheerleader and so are a lot of my girl friends."
"Besides cheerleading and apparently being the class president, what extracurriculars are you involved with?"
She responded, "I'm in the cast in drama, the choir, and the debate team."
"Woah, you're serious? That's so much work. How do you manage?"
Camilla shrugged, leaning her head back and looking in his direction. "I just work really hard," she stated.
"Does everyone here do that much stuff too because if they do, I'm screwed. I only do sports."
"Nope, that's really only me," she pointed out, holding her head high. "I have very little free time as a result, but it's worth it being as well-rounded and skilled as I am."
"Yeah, that's really impressive."
He started walking next to her, and she observed his city boy attire. From that, she could only assume that he was from Chicago, which wasn't particularly surprising.
"Where did you move from?" Camilla questioned to confirm her inference.
"Chicago."
"I figured." She giggled, flashing her white teeth and deep blue eyes at him. "Why did you move here, though?"
He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck as if he was suddenly uncomfortable, so she followed up by saying, "You don't need to tell me if you don't want to, but I'm open to listen if you ever want to share."
André flashed a grin my way, but his face dropped again like he was lost in thought. His actions ignited Camilla's curiosity, but she knew that pressuring him to open up would be a poor decision, so she refrained from pushing any further.
They explored the school, Camilla showing André where all of his classes and other important areas were, in 20 minutes, so she knew that the next class had already began and let André go. As she headed to her own class, a voice called her name from behind her, the direction André had gone. If she didn't know that voice too well, she would've mistaken it for André, but she knew who it really belonged to.
Jared approached Camilla, a foreign expression on his face. It almost resembled what Camilla often observed as confusion but also hurt. "Who was that?" he asked, eyeing her.
"Oh, he's a new student, André Garcia," she replied.
"Why were you with him?" he inquired, darting his gaze to the floor.
"Because he's in our class and I'm the class president," she reasoned.
"Oh, okay..."
After an uncomfortable silence, Camilla added, "Well, he's on the football team, so you might as well get to know him."
"Wait, what?" He looked at her in disbelief, as if André's entire build didn't give that away. "Will he be playing this week?"
"I don't know. It's kinda last minute, but if he's really good then maybe."
"If he's really good," Jared muttered, "then coach is going to favorite him right off the bat. Kind of how everyone already has been."
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone is talking about him. Girls are calling dibs and obsessed with getting to know him. A lot of them are jealous of you for getting to be with his first."
"Is that why you're so upset? Because you're not getting as much attention from girls anymore because of him?" She laughed, but Jared just looked at her incredulously.
"No, of course not. It's just..."
He went quiet again. Camilla had never seen Jared act so strangely. He seemed on edge about everything, so she just assumed something had happened before that put him in a pissy mood.
"Well, um...I guess I'll just go," she said, turning to leave and hearing him splutter in shock, but to her surprise, he didn't bother stopping her.
During her second class, Michelle and Meagan stormed Camilla with questions about André, mainly revolving around his looks, leaving Camilla with no choice but to confirm that he was as unbelievably hot as the rumors suggested.
"I wonder what Jared thinks," Michelle thinks aloud, earning an elbow bump from Meagan.
"What do you mean?" Camilla asked.
"Well, isn't he jealous of André?"
"Michelle," Meagan scolded, glaring, "that's seriously going too far."
"He was upset earlier," Camilla mentioned, "but I don't know if that was why."
"It so was!" Michelle insisted, her voice raising to a squeal. "That's adorable, he's jealous of another guy being around you now. You guys are goals."
"Michelle!" Meagan snapped. "They aren't together."
"Yet," she added, giggling.
Camilla rolled her eyes, well-aware of where the conversation was headed. Sure, she knew Jared liked her—or at least assumed it—but she didn't think he'd be jealous of André, someone she barely knew and had just met. But if made sense, especially because she hoped to make him fall in love with her and start dating him. It would heal her reputation and take her peers' minds off of the circumstance. And Jared would be her backup plan if she and André, for whatever reason, didn't work out.
Camilla had dated people before while being with Zach in secret, and she refused to tell him about it. Zach had a terribly short temper and was much more attached to Camilla than she was with him, so she never risked telling him about her posed relationships.
André could be a contributor to rebuilding her image, and as long as she kept leading Jared on, he would bow at her feet.