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Chapter 16 - The Classic Misogyny

"Are you okay?" she asked. My brows rose at that. Did I hear her correctly? She's asking if I am alright. I mean, Kisha, who doesn't care about anyone else but herself?

But then, I just nodded at that. She put her hands on her waist and then looked at me intensely.

"You should've just confronted that Snow in a more mannerly and quietly fashion. Instead of doing something like that, you could've just pushed her off the stairs and pretend that it's an accident. God, you just put the entire team in jeopardy now," she said.

I blinked twice, then laughed sarcastically. "Wow, I must have hit my head and fell into a deep sleep, seeing that the great Kisha Mariano is actually concerned about the team. That's news." I rolled my eyes.

"Of course! Aside from the fact that I am still dating your twin, I have also started enjoying the sport. What were you thinking, Arya? Calling Coach Vicente a scum? That's true, but you should've thought about the consequences first."

At the thought that Kisha was able to say something like that, I suddenly felt ashamed of myself. I am the captain of the team, and I am supposed to uphold our dignity, yet I am being reprimanded by my player like a child. I feel bad because Kisha made a point. Isn't it true that I am the one among us who's doing everything to lift up our team? Yet at this rate, it might also be that I am the one who will tarnish it all because of my ill temper, which could've been avoided if I wasn't reckless.

The door opened again. My heart suddenly thumped, seeing that it was the assistant principal who entered.

"Ms. Fonacier, please go to the office. The same goes for you as well, Ms. Capistrano, Ms. Salazar, and of course you, Ms. Mariano," the assistant principal said.

I narrowed my eyes, then looked at Kisha. Why is she included? What did she do?

"Yes, we're going," Trina said. The assistant principal just shook her head and left.

"Why are you going with us, Kisha? What did you do?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I punched one of your ex's teammates because I heard him talking trash about our team," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"That's good. Let's go then."

***

"Calling a school staff member with a foul name is strictly prohibited. Isn't it, Ms. Fonacier?" Mr. Montgomery eyed me seriously, and disappointment was dripping on his face.

Coach Vicente is currently sitting in front of me with Maven and Snow. As much as possible, I am not looking their way, especially at Snow, because, truth be told, even if Mr. Montgomery is here, I might really punch her in the face if she wants to piss me off.

More than anyone, I know that she's the happiest that this is happening.

"Do you admit your fault, Arya?" Mr. Montgomery asked.

I nodded. "Yes, sir, and I'm sorry for that. Just please don't drag my friends to this. They did not do anything but just go with me," I answered.

Mr. Montgomery clasped his hands together and then looked at me and my friends, one by one. He then shook his head as if he didn't know how to deal with this. And his silence is scaring me big time.

"Why don't we tell them already of the sanction, Mr. Montgomery? The earlier, the better," Coach Vicente said, jumping into the conversation. Just seeing the smug look on his face, I already know what it is, but I am still clinging to that tiny streak of hope that I am mistaken.

Mr. Montgomery looked at me solemnly, and it seems that he's already breaking down in his head the words he's going to say. He let out a harsh sigh and then started speaking slowly.

"We have decided to cut your team from the interschool league. We have already called Phylisse Academy and told them that you will be redrawing from your upcoming matches."

I wasn't able to respond to that. I didn't even know how to react until it was Kisha who broke the silence first.

"You can't do that to us! You don't even support us, so you don't have the right to cut our team!" she said angrily, saying that if Trina was not able to hold her, she could've broken something already.

"Do you see now what I was talking about, Mr. Montgomery? Look at these girls. That's what their team has made them to be. They all became arrogant and disrespectful as if they had already proven something. Imagine, if we'll just let them on their own, probably time will come that we're worse than Herondale High already."

I clenched my fist at that. I bit my tongue to stop myself because I badly wanted to cry already. If I were removed from the honor roll, it would be more acceptable, but to actually disperse our team like we're just ants being shaken away from fabric isn't acceptable and is totally heartbreaking.

"Sorry girls, time's up. Anyway, at this time I believe you're already supposed to be focusing on your academics because you're already seniors. You should be considering taking your College EEs by now," Mr. Montgomery added as if it would change anything. It's as if going to college and being on the volleyball team are the same thing to begin with.

"And one more thing: you haven't won a game ever since you joined the interschool league. Aren't you all ashamed being compared to the men's team? Going to the game venues and empty trainings are nothing but a waste of your time. Like what I said before, why not just join the cheering team? That is where girls like you belong."

Since, by the looks of it, we will not be able to change Mr. Montgomery's mind, I decided to take things all the way. Anyway, it really seems to me that they just used the incident last time as an excuse to cut our team, and this day would still come whether I liked it or not, so screw this.

"The classic misogyny, isn't it? Not because we're girls, it also means that we should be on the cheering team automatically. You don't get to choose which sport we should play," I said.

"That's true. And why should we even want to be on the cheering team? So that we'll also learn how to steal another person's boyfriend? No thanks," Kisha said bitchily and even sneered at Snow.

I saw how Snow's eyes widened at that. She was about to make her move, but Maven stopped her.

I don't know, but that made me furious even more.