"Oh my God, look at what they're saying about us on the school's social media account," Cece says, showing her phone to Daniel.
Daniel looks at her phone.
Two hot British twins, Cecelia Ivanov and Daniel Ivanov, have just arrived from London to attend school with us here in our town in California. I hope they love the weather. They're both so regal, and of course, they are when they live like royalty in the mansion close to the maple trees. Cecelia is serving princess realness in her expensive Blair Waldorf attire and the confident way she walks. Meanwhile, her brother Daniel already has the girls talking. Does he have a girlfriend? If not, then who will be the lucky girl Daniel Ivanov chooses to date?
"Rose, Rose is who I want."
"Oh, brother, can we talk about the compliments geared at me for a second?"
"Yes, yes, we all know you're hot, Cece."
"And soon everyone's going to know that you have a thing for Rosalie Lockwood, and they're all going to laugh because that girl doesn't want to date anyone at all."
He shakes his head. "We'll see about that, sis."
"Oh my God, you really aren't going to give up?"
"Nope."
"You really like this girl, don't you?"
"Yep," Daniel says, and Cece just folds her arms and stares at her brother.
"You are such a lover boy." They stand in front of the gym where Cece has come to try out for the cheerleading squad called the the crimson roses.
She's always been fascinated by cheerleaders and has always thought that cheerleading is the only good thing in an American high school. Besides, she can easily get in; she knows she can. She can dance, and she's naturally athletic because she's a vampire.
"Alright, this is it, I would say wish me luck, but I don't need it."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's just get in," he says, which makes her giggle, and the twins walk into the gym, and they head straight for the bleachers, where the others are.
Piper and her friends are up front, judging girls who came to try out for the team. Right now, Penelope Giles is up front attempting to do a split but failing. Piper, her friends and Arnold and his friends laugh at her, but everyone laughs even more because Arnold and his friends are the only ones to let her know that she's not supposed to be here at all.
"Geez, for people who live in a town where everyone's so obsessed with love, you'd think they'd be nice at least," Cece says to her brother in a whisper.
"I know, right, poor kid." Says Daniel, looking at her with so much sympathy on her face.
"GET OFF THE STAGE, FATTY PENELOPE!" Arnold yells, and his friends follow suit because they're all sheep.
"Go away!"
Unfortunately, this makes some of the girls who came to try out very nervous. Cece's not nervous. It's going to take a lot for human boys to get her down.
"Okay, stop stop stop. I've seen enough." Piper says with so much disgust. "I've seen enough, please go."
"But wait," Penelope says, struggling to stand up, she falls back down, which ignites the laughter.
"Do I get to be in the team?" she asks Piper, and Piper doesn't say anything. All she does is stare at her like she's crazy. Penelope takes her stare as a no, and she nods her head.
"Thank you for having me," she walks away in disappointment.
"Finally, the elephant's gone!" Arnold says, which makes everyone laugh. Penelope runs away with tears on her face. Cece watches her as she leaves. She feels so bad for her.
Her performance might not be the best, well, it was horrible, but that didn't mean these dick heads had to make her feel worse.
"Okay, next up, Cecelia Ivanov."
It's her turn, and everyone keeps quiet. It's almost like the only reason they're quiet is that they're waiting for the next person to fuck up just so they can laugh, just like what they did to poor Penelope.
"Go get em sis," Daniel says, and she leaves the bleachers and walks toward the front lines, standing in front of Piper and her judgmental friends.
"Okay, hot new girl!" Arnold hollers, and Cece gives him a fake smile, then relaxes her face.
"Welcome to our school, Cecelia. How are you liking it so far?" Piper asks, and Cece shrugs.
"Not bad," she puts on a fake smile, and so does Piper.
Cece has met people like Piper, and she knows how Piper operates. Everyone might be scared of her, but not Cece; in fact, it won't be a bad thing if Cece comes for her job.
Become cheer captain.
"Alright, Cece, show us what you got."
Cece's fake smile is still plastered on her face as she moves over to the speaker and presses play, then, when the music starts, she does her moves.
Her very impressive moves.
Of course, they didn't think she was going to mess up like Penelope. But they didn't expect her to be this good.
Her dance moves are off the charts; a black woman would say she has rhythm; she dances like Britney Spears. She's flexible as well, adding that one to the checklist, she's skinny, she's pretty, and she knows how to do a multiple back somersault, a salto double back and the splits.
Which is how she ends her routine. The whole gym erupts in applause. Daniel is the loudest.
Piper tries her best not to look jealous, but she is. She is skilled, but not as skilled as Cece. She could easily take her job as cheer captain. Piper has no choice but to allow her into the team.
"Wow, that's amazing," she says, and Cece can hear the fakeness in her voice.
"Thank you." She doesn't sound fake; she actually means it.
"Welcome to the crimson roses, Cece."
Everyone claps their hands, and Cece jumps up in excitement. She walks over to Daniel, and Daniel gives her a high five.
"Everyone loves you," he says.
"Yeah, not everyone," she says, looking straight at Piper, who is looking at her. She throws that fake smile her way, then continues to look back at her clipboard to continue calling the people who came to tryout.
Cece doesn't know what she's planning. But she's going to be ready for her.
Cece poses in front of her new teammates as she comes out wearing her uniform.
She and two other girls were among the fifty girls who came to try out.
They're really strict.
"Congratulations to the new crimson roses, welcome to the team. Welcome to the sisterhood, you were chosen because we see potential in you, you guys better not embarrass us." Piper says that last part, pointing at them.
They laugh.
"Good job, roses, go to Valentine's celebrate," the girls scream in excitement, especially the new girls.
After Cece's done telling the girls about getting to know each other in Valentine's, they move out of the locker room, and they walk together down the hallway.
But Cece catches something, a sound. It feels like someone is crying. They don't hear it, of course, they don't have super hearing.
"Uh, you pretty girlies go, I'll catch up with you later," she says, and they all move forward.
Cece watches as the girls leave the building happily then she walks into the music room which is where the crying is coming from.
She sees Penelope sitting on one of the chairs crying. Cece's heart sinks. She hates that Piper and the others made this girl feel like crap.
Cece walks up to her, and she sits next to her.
"Hey," Cece says in a low voice. Penelope looks up, and then she wipes the tears off her face. It seems like she was crying while playing the piano. But she wasn't playing the piano, just sitting next to it.
It seems like one of those times where music can't save you.
"Oh," she starts wiping the tears off her eyes. "Sorry."
"What are you apologising for, sweetie. No need to apologise. What those people did to you was cruel. I would have cried as well," she scoffs.
With red eyes, Penelope looks Cece up and down with a smile on her face.
"The uniform looks good on you."
"Oh, it does, doesn't it? Thank you, dear." Cece says. And Penelope looks away in disappointment.
"Hey, can I ask you something. Why did you try out? I know you hate cheerleading."
"What? I love cheerleading," she says, and Cece gives her a look.
"Fine, I don't really care for it. I just wanted to do something different. Be one of the cool kids."
"You don't need to be a cheerleader to be cool. God knows I didn't join the squad to be cool, I was born cool," she says, and Penelope chuckles.
"You were."
"And so are you. I think you're cool too."
Penelope's eyes light up.
"You think I'm cool?" she asks.
"Yes, you look like a Disney princess with your wavy hair and beautiful blue dress."
"Oh, I made this," she says, looking at the dress.
"What? Shut up! Are you serious?"
"Mhmm," she says, smiling.
"No way, stand up. Stand up." And Penelope does as she says. "Now twirl."
Penelope twirls, and she giggles.
"This is so beautiful. And you say you're not cool. What a load of bull."
Penelope blushes.
"And you can also play the piano?"
She nods. "A little bit."
"A little bit? You are cool. You can design clothes, and you can play the piano. What else can you do?"
"That's it."
Cece folds her arms. "Are you lying to me?"
"No, I promise that's all."
"Hmm." Cece gives her the side eye, and Penelope smiles nervously. "I'm Cecelia. But you can call me Cece."
"Penelope, but you can call me Penny." They both shake hands.
"Well, Penny, I feel like destiny brought us together because I also love fashion, and I think you are cool as hell."
Penelope blushes.
"Wanna go to Valentine's together. I'm new here, so I don't know where the place is. Can you show me?"
"Of course." Penelope picks up her bag. And the two of them walk toward the door.
"You should try the strawberry milkshake, it's amazing," Penelope says.
"Oh really, I can't wait then!"