Chapter 11

Friday morning.

Classes were suspended as the sports fest reached its climax. Glad at the news, I planned to just chill on the bed with my laptop for the whole day. But what ought to have been a lazy day was spoiled so early before it even started.

At six in the morning, my girl squad stormed unannounced into my apartment. They entered my place while I was still in dreamland. They used Maddie's duplicate key; I gave her one before in case of emergencies. And then, to my frustration, they jumped into my bed and chatted noisily.

Disoriented, displeased, discombobulated... AND oh so sluggish, I was forced to wake up.

How the hell do they have so much energy so early in the morning?!

"What on earth?! Oh, go away! I wanna sleep some more," I said, covering my head with a pillow.

"Wake up, sleepyhead! Hey! We know you wanted to sleep it off just so you can't go to the basketball match. But you ain't fooling us, you b*tch!" Sidney bellowed.

Oh no! Was I that obvious?

"Oh, don't worry 'bout me. Just go. Leave me be. I'll be there in spirit," I said, wanting to doze back into dreamland.

"Fiona Bell, you will NOT miss the match, come hell or high water," Maddie said resolutely, sounding like my mother.

In an instant, I sat up against my will. I scratched my head in annoyance.

"Look, my presence is not even required there! Kath will be there, David, too... Neo, Steph, a-and Cliff! And surely even Ronald. They'll all be there. I'll only be a nuisance if I go!"

Sidney smacked my forehead before she preached.

"Oh! So you think there's gonna be a riot if you show up? Wow, girl! Chill! Because news flash? You are no Miss Universe. And please, don't even worry about Ronald. The guy already moved on. He's got a new chick now."

Oh, really? Good for him.

"Come on, sister! Steph told us to bring you so he'd be motivated to play despite his injury. For sure, he'd sulk if you won't be there! We know you wanna hide from Cliff. But please, just go for Stephen's sake. Or for Neo. Or whoever it is you wanted to cheer for," Hillary said.

"Alright, sleeping beauty, get up! You're coming with us. By hook or by crook. You're not gonna mope in here for the whole day," Maddie said.

Looks like they'll drag me if I refuse further. Okay, I give up! I'm going! CLEARLY, this is involuntary servitude.

Spectators almost crowded the bleachers by the time we got into the covered court. But because we were VIPs... well, sort of... we sat in the front row of the bleachers. Stephen reserved the seats for us, so we could comfortably watch the game in its entirety.

At the other end of our row was the platform for the cheerleaders. Just the mere thought of sitting that close to Katherine's squad already threw my casual mood out the window.

The members of the varsity team stood on one end of the court. They were the assigned supervisors for today's match. And they would readily switch to player mode if it was their turn to represent their respective schools.

"Fiona! Sid! Maddie! Hill!"

We turned our heads at Stephen's roll call. He sat with his varsity teammates. We immediately smiled and waved at them.

"Team rocket for the win!" Neo greeted aloud, if it was even a greeting at all.

Laughing, I waved at the varsity team captain. But I behaved at once when my eyes met Cliff's. I looked away in sudden panic.

"Oh, please! Now the day's ruined!"

Our group automatically turned to the platform at the sound of that familiar voice. Katherine. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Great! Now the cheerleaders are here! Dearest, Patience, please stay with me for the whole damn day.

We returned our attention to the court. Then we saw David approaching us. He glanced a bit at the squad of cheerleaders before addressing us.

"You ladies doing fine over here? Wanna move to other seats? Stephen said it's okay if you do as long as you're still near the court, so we can easily see you," David said, sounding concerned.

"We're fine here, David dear, don't worry," Sidney said with a wink.

"Are you sure?" David asked. He looked at me.

"Yeah. We're fine. Thanks for your concern," I said, smiling at him.

"It'd be a waste to leave these front-row seats that you guys reserved for us. We got the best view of the court right here," Madison said.

"Alright. If you need anything, just call us out," David said.

"Will you help us if we need reinforcements against an evil squad?" Hillary asked.

"Hill, there'll be no reinforcements because we're not gonna fight with them in the first place," Madison warned.

"What? Oh, bummer," Sidney commented.

David just chuckled, and then he went back to his teammates on the court.

I clapped lifelessly on the winning team that morning. I did not recognize any of the players. I was never acquainted with them. And I was disappointed to learn that all my guy friends' matches were scheduled in the afternoon. So WHY are we even here this early in the day??? I should have stayed in bed.

The boring morning went on fine despite my mental complaints. So far, Katherine's group did not bother us. They just concentrated on their responsibility as a squad — and that is 'to cheer'.

By lunchtime, we went to the nearest diner off-campus. Because, surely, students and visitors already crowded in the food establishments on campus due to the ongoing sports fest.

I instantly liked the Latin ambiance inside the diner. There was a mix of Spanish, Mexican, and Italian. Without a doubt, they serve delicious pasta, chili con carne, and even Spanish rice bowls.

"What are we waiting for? Let's order our food. I'm already hungry," I said.

"Let's wait for the guys. They're coming here, they're just caught up in their team huddle," Madison said.

I bet she meant Stephen, David, and Neo. Hmm, speaking of the guys...

"By the way, be honest with me, you witches. What do Stephen and the others know about me and Cliff?" I said.

I caught them looking hesitantly at each other. My sharp gaze traveled back and forth between the three of them.

"Well... because..." Hillary started, hesitating.

"Oh, let me! It goes like this, girl... Stephen related how Cliff was not in the mood since Sunday's training. As far as the guys were concerned, he got a 'chick issue'. So they invited him out for drinks last Tuesday night. But they struggled to find out because, even when he got so drunk, Cliff was still in silent mode and won't ever tell them what his problem was," Sidney explained.

"And?" I asked, urging her to go on.

"So, when drunk Cliff slept, they tampered with his phone, which luckily did not have an unlock code. And to their surprise, they saw all your pictures together, and even read all your lovey-dovey text messages."

"Oh. My. God," I blurted absentmindedly.

"Oh, it really surprised them! They did not expect you were that close with Cliff. And since Steph is quite the chatterbox, for sure he already dished it out to his two close buds," Hillary said.

"So... you witches did not tell them," I said.

My forehead creased when they hesitantly looked at each other again.

"Well, w-we... c-confirmed it," Hillary said.

She instantly grinned and did a peace sign with her hand. I sighed in defeat.

"We didn't have a choice. Steph, David, and Neo waited for us after class last Wednesday. We were dazed when they asked if you and Cliff were together. So, of course, we said yes because... well, there's really something between you two. There's certainly no reason to deny the obvious, right?" Madison explained.

Helpless, I nodded. And then my lips curved into a smile.

"It's okay. Well, anyway, I'm not hiding what went on between Cliff and me. It's just that I wasn't able to tell Stephen and David about it because... okay, I'm the insensitive one," I said.

"Oh, sister, how nice of you to admit you're numb," Hillary reacted.

"Hill!" Madison glared wide-eyed at Hillary.

I smiled. My friends were brutally honest sometimes. And I was used to it because I treated them the same way, too. That was just how we loved each other.

"Oops! Stephen's here with, uhm, OMG," Sidney whispered.

We stopped talking as Stephen entered the diner. And I was glued to my chair like a statue because he was... with Cliff! Why, oh why?! Shouldn't he be with Neo and David?

"Hola (Hello), Cliff!" my girl friends greeted in unison at the guy who we gossiped about just a short while ago.

The handsome jerk smiled at them and said, "Hola, señoritas (Hello, ladies)!"

"Sorry, bro, I haven't told you we'll be having lunch with a group. I'm sure you know them, though, right?" Stephen said to Cliff, tapping on the latter's shoulder.

Cliff nodded and gave him a friendly smile. "It's okay, bro. Yeah, I do know them."

Stephen almost pulled the vacant chair opposite me. But he changed his mind and took his hand off it. Instead, he pulled the one beside it and seated himself opposite Sidney, who was sitting beside me. Then he smiled and teasingly flashed his brows at me as he sat down. My brow rose in defiance.

Cliff casually pulled the chair opposite me. It was now the only vacant chair on our table so there was no other choice. But it was rather awkward.

Cliff and I automatically stared at each other the moment he sat down. As usual, I was the first one to look away. Why? The way he stared at me was almost hypnotizing. And I was also aware that the teasing eyes of our friends were watching us.

Silence reigned around our group for seconds. Then we heard Stephen drumming his fingers on the table before he finally spoke.

"Shall we order some food? Or are we just gonna keep on staring?" he asked.

I immediately threw him a deadly glare. Just a little more and I'll forget we're childhood friends! I'm gonna strangle the hell out of him!

I heard Hillary controlling her own snicker.

Cliff called a waitress, who brought us a menu. My friends got busy choosing and ordering their food. I could not help but stare at Cliff as he talked to the waitress. God, I missed him!

I almost jumped on my seat when Madison handed me the menu.

"Hey, wake up! Order your food, girl, or you might eat the one in front of you," Sidney whispered to me.

I roamed my eyes at the people sitting with me around the table. Then I realized I was the only one who had not ordered my food yet. I took a quick look at the menu and then gave a sheepish grin. I could not decide what I wanted to eat.

"W-what's the bestseller here?" I asked the waitress.

"We got all-day breakfast choices if you find it hard to decide," the waitress politely answered.

I looked at the menu again. I was always like this. It takes me quite a while to choose a food from the menu. Everything seemed delicious! Three or four of my favorites were there. But I might regret it if I choose one only to find out that the other one was better.

Sometimes my friends would not even let me hold the menu anymore. They would just go ahead and order for me. It was faster that way. Sorry, friends.

"Go ahead, girl, just choose anything... or whatever," Madison said.

"Hah! There's no 'whatever' in the menu," Stephen joked, chuckling.

"Hey, the food I ordered is delicious. You can try it," Hillary suggested.

Still undecided, I scratched my temple as I continued to look at the menu. Then Cliff cleared his throat. And my eyes darted to him as he mentioned some food names to the waitress. Wasn't I the only one who hadn't ordered food yet?

"Seafood paella bowl, please. Add chili con carne for one, but not too spicy. Iced café latte for the beverage." Then he looked my way and asked, "Sounds good to you?"

I was momentarily stunned.

Th-that was for me? Those were my favorites! Okay. Now I'm embarrassed. Why won't the ground just swallow me up already?

I nodded and simply said, "Y-yeah. Thanks."

"Awesome! How 'bout you, Sid? D'you also know my favorites?" Stephen alluded.

Sidney playfully answered with a wink and a thumb up. Shall I spank them both?

The waitress left our table after confirming our orders. Once again, silence reigned over our group. By and by, my friends and Cliff engaged in small talks. I, on the other hand, busied myself with a word game on my smartphone.

After about thirty minutes, our orders were served. I stared at the chili con carne that the waitress mistakenly placed before Cliff. The guy noticed it right away. So he just silently transferred it beside my plate.

"Hey, don't forget to cheer for us later," Stephen said. Then he shoved a spoonful of food into his mouth.

"What schools will be playing first? The match starts at two o'clock, right?" Madison asked.

"Yeah. School of Liberal Arts, where David and I belong. We're playing against Jason, that'll be the School of Business, where Fiona belongs," Stephen said.

"Well, if that's the case. Then I'll go cheer for Jason," I said.

Stephen coughed. "Hey! Who's your best friend again?"

"Oh, I don't know. Definitely not you," I joked.

"Why? You don't love me anymore?" Stephen asked, trying to act cute.

This time, I coughed. That sudden question made me choke on my food. Damn you, Stephen!

Cliff instinctively handed me HIS glass of water. I absentmindedly took it and gobbled it all up. When I placed the now empty glass back on the table, I realized it was not MY glass of water. My friends just burst out laughing.

When the choking feeling subsided, I forced a grin to ease my awkwardness. I briefly glanced at Cliff, checking his reaction. He just stared at me with a blank expression as he resumed eating. He turned to Stephen when the latter tapped on his shoulder.

"I was just kidding, bro. Fiona here is my childhood buddy. She's like a sister I didn't have and, of course, I don't wanna have EVER," Stephen said to Cliff.

"You jackass! The feeling is mutual," I commented.

Cliff chuckled and shrugged at Stephen. "That's funny, bro."

"I know, right? They always snapped at each other. Hated and cared for each other the way siblings do," Madison said.

I did not react to that. It was true anyway.

Cliff's phone rang. He swiftly took it out of his pocket and answered the call.

"Hola? Si, mama? Estoy almorzando ahora (Hello? Yes, mom? I'm having lunch now)," he said to the caller. Then he turned to look at me and said, "Si, ella está aquí (Yes, she's here)."

He turned his eyes away from me and was silent for a few seconds. Then he nodded and said, "Está bien, te llamaré más tarde (Okay, I'll just call you later)."

After ending the call, he placed his phone back into his pocket.

"I think I'd have a nosebleed! His Spanish sounded so nice," Hillary quipped.

Cliff chuckled. "Sorry. It was my mom," he said.

"Hey, your school's next after our match, right?" Stephen asked him.

"Yeah." Cliff nodded.

"Oh, guess who they're up against," Stephen addressed the ladies.

"Who? Are they any good, too?" Sidney asked.

"School of Science & Engineering versus School of Architecture. This dude is playing against our team captain," Stephen said, laughing. And what the hell is he laughing about?

I turned to Cliff for his reaction. He smiled at my friends.

"Wait for it. It's gonna be a good game. You won't wanna miss it. Our point guard has a bright future on the basketball court. He and the captain are both really good," Stephen said.

Speaking of their team captain...

"Where's Neo, by the way? He said that he and David are gonna join us for lunch," I said obliviously.

I was taken aback when Sidney kicked me under the table. When I glared at her, she discreetly pointed to Cliff. Understanding what she meant, I instantly regretted asking about Neo and David.

"You missed your crush already?" Stephen asked thoughtlessly.

I immediately kicked his foot under the table. He winced a bit because of the pain. Realizing why I kicked him, he laughed.

"Neo was invited by their dean for a lunch huddle. And David, well, there's a luncheon for campus journalists in their office," Stephen explained.

We then resumed eating, doing small talks by and by. We noticed that Cliff was not in the mood again. He did not even finish his lunch. He just leaned on the chair and busied himself by tapping on his phone and glancing my way from time to time.

I should not have mentioned Neo's name at all. Me and my stupid mouth!

By two o'clock that afternoon, we were already seated in the covered court. We took the same seats we had this morning for an easy view of the game.

The match was about to start. I was now excited to watch and cheer!

Neo approached our group and sat at the seat behind me. Then he leaned closer and rested both of his hands on the top of the backrest of my seat.

"Which team will you cheer for? Your school or that of your friend's?" Neo asked me.

I smiled and faced him. My friends also turned in their seats to face Neo.

"Do I really need to answer that?" I asked back lightheartedly.

He replied with a handsome chuckle.

"Hi, captain Neo!" Sidney greeted.

"You weren't with us during lunch. We thought you and David would join us," Madison said.

"Sorry, ladies. I got stuck in a lunch huddle at the dean's office," Neo answered, looking apologetically at my friends.

He turned back to me. He looked me straight in the eyes before he spoke.

"And in the next game after Stephen's... Will you cheer for me, sunshine?" he asked.

I was baffled and speechless for seconds. How can I answer that?

My thoughts paused when Hillary spoke.

"Neo, hey, your coach is calling you," she said.

We looked to the side of the basketball court, where this afternoon's supervising varsity athletes stood. The coach called out Neo with his hand. My eyes automatically darted to the athlete next to the coach. It was Cliff. And his facial expression was blank as he stared at us. I could not read what he thought at that moment.

"Save the chick for later, bud," Denzel joked aloud so we could hear.

"Nevermind, sunshine," Neo uttered, standing up. My attention went back to Neo. But I still did not have the answer to his question. He smiled at me and messed up my hair before he spoke again.

"We know who you'd cheer for," he said. Then he turned and ran back to his teammates. I became even more speechless at what he said. My gaze just followed him as he went.

"Cat got your tongue?" Sidney asked.

I did not answer. I just combed my hair using my hands.

"Torn between two lovers, feeling like a fool. Loving both of you is breaking all the rules—" I slowly turned to Hillary, who was singing Mary MacGregor's famous song. The witch automatically stopped at the sight of my sharp glare.

I sighed upon hearing the loud chitchats of the approaching cheerleaders.

"What a total flirt!" I heard Katherine mutter as she passed me by.

"Stop me, otherwise I'll grab that ponytail," Sidney whispered.

"No one's making trouble, okay? Let's just focus on watching the game. I don't wanna be detained in the Discipline Committee's office," Madison advised.

Our group behaved. And just like what Maddie said, we focused on the match and cheered for Stephen and David. It was an intense game. The covered court was filled with the deafening noise of spectators. My voice had gone hoarse as I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Goooo, Liberal Aaarrrtts!!!"

Our throats were able to rest for fifteen minutes due to the half-time break. Thank goodness we brought some bottled water. It helped ease the dryness in our mouths. And then we resumed shouting and cheering when the second half started.

I no longer cared that I became a traitor to my own school. Those players in the School of Business were not my friends anyway. Fortunately, my dean and any of my professors had not seen me yet.

"Aherm! I see you're cheering for the opposite team, Miss Bell."

I promptly turned to the one who talked. Then I gasped when I saw Mr. Brown, my school's Associate Dean for Administration and Finance. He sat comfortably just one seat away from me at the row behind us.

"M-Mr. Brown, h-how long have you been there?" I asked awkwardly.

"For about ten minutes now." He laughed and continued with a nod, "Don't worry, Miss Bell. It's a friendly match after all. Carry on."

My face brightened at that. "Thank you, Mr. Brown! Whooo!!! Gooo! Liberal Aaarrrttss!" I shouted again when Stephen shot a three-pointer.

Maddie, Hill, and Sidney just laughed at me. The four of us did a standing ovation as soon as the loud ending buzzer came on. The Liberal Arts team won. Man! I am so happy for my friends!

There was a resting time of twenty minutes before the next match. The players spent the time warming up in their respective team corners. And my friends got busy deciding what food and drinks to buy.

Meanwhile, I pretended to be busy with my phone. My thoughts were preoccupied. I was torn between two lovers... I-I mean... on who I really want to cheer for in the next match. Damn! Who should it be?

Was it not possible to cheer for both opposing teams?

Neo's my friend. And Cliff, well, he's another friend. Oh, come on, Fiona! One of them's got to be more than just a friend! Choose the special one!

They were both important to me. I did not want any one of them to sulk just because I cheered for the other one.

"Popcorn for your thoughts?"

My hectic thoughts paused when a bowl of popcorn popped up before me. It was held by David. Apparently, he already sat with Stephen on the seats behind our row. My two hands rose to accept the snack. Then I put the bowl down on my lap.

When I turned to face the two guys, I noticed that Mr. Brown was no longer there. Oh, good! I won't be self-conscious anymore.

"Have you decided? So who will you cheer for?" Stephen asked.

I frowned at him. How could he easily read my dilemma? Damn! Sometimes I hated how close we had been as childhood buddies!

"Mind your own monkey business," I replied.

They just laughed and made fun of me.

"Oh, let her be. It's for her to know and for us to find out," Sidney said.

I rolled my eyes and turned in my seat, facing the court again. Then I shook my head and hid a smile. I knew my friends teamed up just to tease me.

When the twenty-minute break was over, the starting buzzer loudly echoed. Cheering and screaming surrounded the basketball court once again. The anticipated match was about to start.

School of Science & Engineering versus School of Architecture. Both teams got really good players. Only the first quarter of the game yet it was already very exciting. Each team's score was not far off from the other. It was a pretty close fight.

Nonchalantly, I cheered and clapped for whoever had shot the ball. Or made a successful pass. Whether it was Cliff or Neo. I can cheer for them both! Who the hell cares?!

But what we believed was a peaceful and friendly match turned out to be aggressive and chaotic in the middle of the second quarter. I could not tell if I was the only one who noticed but... it looked like a personal showdown was on between both leaders of the opposing teams.

The covered court went silent when the referee whistled.

"Defensive foul, jersey number 1," the referee announced.

"W-what happened?" I asked, confused.

"Captain made a foul, he blocked Clifford's foot. Well, it was probably accidental," Stephen answered with a shrug.

The game went on. When the second quarter was coming to an end, Cliff just went and rammed into Neo, who was in a defensive position. The referee whistled irritably. Cliff let go of the ball.

"Offensive foul, jersey number 7!"

"Watch the heat, people! This could turn into a hockey game anytime now," the game announcer said.

In his frustration, Neo picked the ball up and ruthlessly threw it right on Cliff's chest. The alarmed referee immediately went in between them and whistled.

"Technical foul, jersey number 1!"

"Tsk tsk tsk," Stephen muttered in annoyance.

The chaotic second half ended with the players in a bad mood. Even the referee and coaches were cranky, too. Each team huddled in their respective corners during the half-time break. My anxious gaze traveled from Cliff to Neo and vice versa.

Of course, I was worried. How will this match end up? I hope it won't reach a point where one of them will be injured.

Shouting and cheering were on again as the third quarter started. But only five minutes into the game and there were two fouls already.

"Offensive foul, jersey number 1!'

After a short while, the referee whistled again.

"Technical foul, jersey number 7!"

"This ain't freakin' basketball, it's boxing!" A male spectator shouted aloud from the middle bleachers.

I turned to the source of the shout, having the urge to glare at the conceited jerk. But then I instantly returned my focus to the basketball court. My heart sank at the referee's announcement.

"Technical foul! Jersey number 7!"

WHAT?! I haven't even seen what happened!

The referee got in between Neo and Cliff. It looked like they were about to kill each other. Cliff was ordered to return to the bench. But he did not want to move an inch from where he stood. So their coach called for a time out and forcibly dragged along a stubborn athlete.

As Cliff's team walked to their bench, Neo approached without warning and madly pushed Cliff backward. The coach immediately jumped between them. While their teammates ran to surround them.

Panicked, I and my friends stood from our seats. Then we found ourselves rushing down the bleachers to the basketball court below.

"Spectators, you're not allowed down here. Please return to the bleachers," the referee said, stopping us with his hands.

I halted upon hearing Neo.

"Wanna come at me, man?! You're like a girl on her period! What the hell is wrong with you?" Neo lashed out.

Cliff's jaw clenched in controlled anger. He stared silently at Neo.

"Got some rage in you? Let it out, man! I won't back down! What? You angry 'coz I'm cozy with your chick? You're afraid of being robbed but you won't even—"

Cliff took a big step forward and hit a right hook on Neo's jaw. The rest of the latter's words was instantly cut off. Neo was forced to step backward. But in a second, he was back from where he stood. Then his fist flew and punched a left hook in Cliff's face.

Flabbergasted, my friends and I gasped audibly. My hands instinctively rose to cover my mouth. The referee, coaches, and their teammates struggled to stop the two heated guys. But Cliff and Neo were relentless. Even Stephen and David were pushed aside just so they could go on boxing each other.

The game announcer and some professors, on the other hand, tried to pacify the commenting crowd of onlookers. And with no hope of the game being resumed, a big portion of disappointed spectators exited the covered court.

Just like that, the rest of the sports fest was brought to a standstill. What was supposed to be a friendly basketball game ended up in distress, riot, and an unexpected boxing match.

"This is your fault, slut! You had to have them both, didn't you? If only you'd chosen one guy at a time, it wouldn't have ended up like this!"

At once, our group turned to face Katherine. She stood a few feet away with her squad behind her. I frowned and stared at her in absolute distaste.

"That's not true," I said, trying hard to calm my tone.

I tried to hold on to my patience, aware that many people heard what she said. I never wanted any trouble, especially not with Katherine. But when my temper was triggered and my patience had run out... All hell breaks loose! I fight back!

Katherine mocked before she spoke.

"Hah! Go on, keep denying it! Alright then, let's ask them why they're killing each other. For sure, your name will be mentioned one way or another."

"Bitch, you're only insecure because Fiona is prettier than you," Sidney butted in.

"Oh, please! I am not that desperate." Katherine's brow rose in defiance.

"Shut up, Kath. Please, just shut up," I said, exasperated.

In the corner of my eye, I noticed how everyone's attention was turned to us little by little. It looked like Cliff and Neo's 'boxing match' was finally over. And they were now advancing to witness the heated confrontation of us ladies.

"Why?" Katherine laughed scornfully and continued, "Don't tell me you're ashamed of it. Well, you should be! Everyone's in a riot 'coz of your promiscuity. You couldn't choose just one. You wanted them both. Because, hey, you wanna hog everyone's attention. You're a spoiled and selfish flirt!"

"That's not true!" In a fit of rage, I closed in on Katherine like a predator about to devour its prey.

My two hands rose to reach her head. One hand slapped her face. And the other grabbed her hair. She screamed in pain and shock. Then she also reached out for my head and retaliated with scratches and hair pulls. It was literally a catfight.

Our respective groups struggled to put a distance between us. My hair was all messy and I was red-faced. Katherine was in the same state. Madison and Hillary gripped each of my arms to hold me back. My nemesis was also held back by some of her squad members.

"Ladies, enough! Calm down, okay," a worried referee said, jumping between us.

I flared up with so much anger that I decided to say whatever I wanted to say to Katherine at that moment. I shrugged the hands of my friends off my arms before I spoke.

"What's the matter, Kath? Poor little cheerleader got hurt in the past? No! Scratch that! Let's be honest here. You went all upset and became a bully just because you couldn't accept how your mom became my dad's mistress! You and your mom ruined my family! Like mother, like daughter. You're the bitter slut who—"

"Fiona!"

It was Cliff. He called out so loud, cutting me off. He wanted me to stop talking. The referee stepped aside, giving way for him. He now stood between Katherine and me. And then he stared intently into my eyes.