Wild Accusations

"What's going on in the gym," I ask Alexandra as she pulls me along with her to the gym. If I didn't keep up with her pace, I might end up tripping.

"Hope is going bat shit crazy on the squad. She called everyone for a mandatory morning practice, which they never do. She told them to be there an hour before school started and she's been working them hard since. She's going to kill them if you don't stop her."

"Why didn't Sky talk to her," I ask in confusion. What the hell is Hope thinking making them practice before school started? They probably haven't even eaten breakfast. They'll be exhausted through the whole day.

"Sky can't stop her. Hope is her captain and what Hope tells them to do, they have to do it. If they don't they're off the team." Alexandra pushes open the gym door and I see the horror that lives inside it.

Hope is yelling at the group of girls as they move around sluggishly. They can't keep up with the movements and half of them look dead.

"Come on, Kate! Finish off that move. Make it sharp, not flat," I hear her scream at some girl. She walks around, observing for any mistakes. She fixes some of the girls arms or kicks their legs into place.

"Hope, can't you see they're exhausted. We've been doing this for an hour. The girls need a break," Sky tries to convince her. Hope goes into her face, towering over her.

"You think I'm going to give them a break after this crappy lack of effort? This is only the beginning. They'll have a break during school, but we're having practice after school."

"You're freaking insane," one of the girls try to whisper under their voice, but Hope hears them.

"Would you like to repeat what you said," she asks the girl, but she doesn't answer and continues to try to keep up with the routine.

"What are you doing in my gym," Hope yells to Alex and I. She finally spot the both of us by the entrance.

"Hope, what are you doing? You can't work them this hard. They're going to pass out," I tell her. She squints her eyes at me and tightens her ponytail. Her black hair falls in waves around her shoulders.

"Your not on the squad, Spencer, and you're definitely not their captain. So, I suggest you mind your damn business. Your distracting my girls."

"Hope, I need to go to the bathroom," one of the girls say. She looks weak and she has her hand over her mouth.

"You have to earn bathroom privileges and I haven't seen you do anything right since you walked in. So, no. You may not use the bathroom." The girl looks like she's on the verge of tears, but she doesn't cry because she throws up instead.

It seems that everything that she had left in her spews out of her mouth and all over the gym floor. The girls around her back up, so they won't get splashed by the puddle of vomit, but they run to her aid after she's done.

"Look what you did, Hope. Do you really think this is ok," Alexandra asks her. Hope just stares at the girl who threw up with disgust across her face.

"Just get her out of my gym. The rest of you back to work," Hope barks out. I laugh at her insanity in disbelief. The other girls whine and groan.

"Hell no, they're not going back to work. Everyone go to the cafeteria and get something to eat before first period," I tell them and they seem more willing to go with my plan. A few people start going to collect they're stuff, but some stay in their places, probably scared of what the outcome could be.

"Anyone that walks out that gym door is off the squad! I don't know who the hell you think you are, Spencer, but your not captain." Hope bares her teeth with anger and balls her fist. She's angry that I'm taking control from her, but that's not the big problem here. She's hurting her squad and she doesn't care.

The girls that were about to collect their stuff pause and don't know what to do. If they should go or stay.

"If you all leave, she won't be able to find a whole new set of cheerleaders. I know you're all exhausted. This isn't a hierarchy. You have the free will to leave. I'm sure Hope will come back to her senses and there won't be any practice after school after all she's put you through this morning." I grab the squads attention and they all take their things and leave the gym.

It's only Hope, Sky, Alexandra, and I left in the gym. We all stare at Hope with disappointment, but she doesn't seem to care.

"What the hell was that about, Hope," Sky demands her to answer. Even though she's exhausted, she finds the strength to yell at Hope.

"I'm tired of this squad believing that they can just walk over me and today only proved it. They think they can do whatever they want and I'm just trying to gain back some discipline in this team. They just walked out after their captain said they'd be kick off the team. Do you need more proof?"

Hope goes on rambling about this non existent break in discipline her squad has.

"That's all bullshit and you know it, Hope. Your squad came to an unscheduled morning practice because their captain asked them to. They have great discipline. The problem here, is you. You pushed them too far," Sky calls her out.

I could tell Sky was pissed.

"You would've never dare talk back to me like that before Spencer showed up. Now Spencer is here and everyone wants to act different? I bet you're proud of yourself, aren't you," Hope angles the first bit at Sky and the last bit at me.

"Now you're trying to flip this on me. How is it that everytime you do something wrong, you find some way to flip it onto everyone else," I ask Hope. I thought we were done with this deflecting mechanism crap after yesterday. There's nothing for her to hide now. If there's something wrong, she should just say something.

"I'm tired of you trying to tower over me. I'm tired of you walking all over me and taking my place." She sounds like a toddler, stomping her feet and complaining. At this point, I'm just confused.

" I didn't believe what Alexander told me at first and I thought you would tell us if something was happening, but now I know I was wrong. You've got one more time to tell the truth, Hope," Alexandra tells her and her eyes blaze with anger.

"What are you talking about," Hope says, but I can hear her voice hesitate.

"You thought I wouldn't notice the extra layer of makeup you're wearing? He's hitting you," Alexandra says fuming.

We all stay quite waiting for Hope to answer. Maybe she'll finally tell the truth. She's punishing herself by staying silent.

"No, he's not. I'm not a liar like Daniel. My dad would never hit his children. I'm sick of these accusations. I'm out of here." Hope speed walks, thumping her feet hard on the floor, and leaves the gym.

I really don't know how to help her.