"Why is everyone against me becoming a cheerleader?" Sarah complained.
"You don't need to become a cheerleader to be popular, Sarah."
"Really? And exactly what other way is there?" Sarah asked.
"Your sister isn't a cheerleader, and she's pretty popular," Zoe said.
"Well, why don't you go be her friend?" Sarah said, upset and annoyed. Wait, Zoe is my friend? It was getting weird again, all these strange feelings that felt normal.
"Because you're my best friend, and ever since we got to high school this year, you've been trying to get people to stop thinking of you as Athena's little sister." Zoe paused. "What about the school newspaper or something?"
Sarah paused. The school has a newspaper? She vaguely remembered getting a copy and tossing it, but hadn't paid much attention.
A Goth girl suddenly barged into the bathroom, heading toward the sink. Sarah and Zoe both froze.
She had was dressed in dark colors, with long black hair, pale features, and had rather large breasts. She turned toward the two with a look of disdain. "Are you just going to stand there?"
Sarah was just going to stand there, frightened...another emotion she wasn't used to. It was Nadine Ferguson. But clearly not anything like the uptight Baptist Sarah was used to. She had a kind of a gothic elegance and sexiness to her, and clearly an attitude.
Nadine shook her head at them. "Freshmen," she muttered, turning back to the mirror and pretending as if they weren't there. She wanted to look good for her boyfriend.
Sarah and Zoe made a hasty exit. Both girls felt intimidated by Nadine. "I heard she spends so much time in the Principal's Office, she has a favorite chair," Zoe said.
Sarah wondered if Nadine was one of those Goths into magic and the occult. Should she dare ask for help? Part of her, the new part, was afraid, and Sarha McMillan wasn't afraid of anything. But she wasn't Sarah McMillan anymore...She had to do something soon...before she was stuck like this.
