It didn't matter that there was a smile still plastered on her face. Jon- no, sorry, Diamond began to cry. Everything had just built up too much, and the small bit of Jon that was still present in his core just cracked.
Sarah faltered for a second. It was impossible not to. How else can you react when the person sitting next to you has the perkiest smile, bright shining eyes, almost looks like any of your cheerleading teammates, but is clearly sobbing uncontrollably?
"Hey, okay, take it easy," Sarah stammered. She could be a bitch, but she wasn't heartless. "Breathe, okay? Breathe."
Diamond's breath immediately started to regulate. She looked over at Sarah, slowly getting things back under control. Then- "Why do you hate me so much you would do all this to me?"
And just like that, Sarah's sympathy disappeared. "Hate you? I don't hate you. I'm fed up with you. You and Karyn."
Diamond's smile shrunk to the slimmest turned up corner of her mouth. It was still a smile, technically, but maybe this was the best she could do to achieve neutrality. "With us? You've been an endless bitch to us for years now."
"Oh yeah? Well- no, you know what, this is ridiculous, you can make whatever facial expression you want to again, I can't look at your bizarre freakish mix anymore," Sarah snapped, and Diamond's face immediately shifted, furious narrow eyes, mouth pulled back in anger. "There, that's better. And I don't care that you're angry. It fucking goes both ways. I've had to hear every snide comment from the two of you for years. No one has to like someone, but you and Karyn made it into a sport of your own. So sure, I've dished it back. And maybe I'm leaning into being able to dish it back at you real hard right now. But the idea that you're entirely blameless is ridiculous."
Diamond was silent for a second. "It'd be a lot easier to take your point seriously if you hadn't been spending the afternoon transforming me into a giant-breasted cheerleader against my will, and even taken my name away from me!" she yelled.
"Yeah, well, it's the truth, so maybe stew on that for a while," Sarah snapped, then turned on the car and pulled out onto the road. "Now, let's go, we've got to hurry to catch up to the rest of the team."
Diamond crossed her arms, fury coming out of her ears. "Whatever we've done to you isn't even remotely comparable to what you've done to me."
Sarah laughed. "Diamond, you did this to yourself. You made a dumb wish and you were already halfway to becoming a woman by the time you and I crossed paths during math. I just redirected what was happening to you anyway."
"You've still gone too far," Diamond shot back.
"And if the situation was reversed, you would have done what to me, huh? Helped out and made my life better?" Sarah turned the car into the mall parking lot. "Or what about that rock that you and Karyn still have? You wouldn't be ready to use that on me somehow if I don't do something to defend myself?" When Diamond didn't immediately respond, Sarah smirked. "Exactly. So whether you like it or not, this is self-defense at this point. And if I change your mind so that you and Karyn aren't in agreement - based on your own words - then I'm safe. So suck it up and deal with it, and any other changes I want to make to you, okay?"
Diamond closed her eyes. "What else do you possibly have left to do to me?"
Sarah parked the car and looked over at Diamond. "I mean, you're pretty close to there already, aren't you? The stripper was right that I should fix your face. What would some of the boys call it, a "butterface"? It's a cruel thing to say, but it's not wrong. Beyond that, we'll fix your brain so you won't agree with Karyn anymore, and then any other change that happens is your own fault from that stupid wish."
"Oh, change my mind some more, sure, just a small violation, nothing to worry about," Diamond muttered sarcastically.
"Well, I'll also get rid of your dick if it comes flopping out in the middle of a routine," Sarah shrugged. "But time to get moving, we're here. Time for whining is over. Snap that happy delighted look back on your face, and get back to being the cute, perky, little cheerleader that is so delighted to take directions from your captain, alright?" Diamonds's face and posture immediately shifted back, and Sarah smirked. "Let's go, Diamond."
And they both headed into the mall, the installed excitement clearly radiating off of Sarah's changed teammate.
