happens in the Lonely Hearts Club, stays in the Lonely Hearts Club, I'd thought that was a given.
If you couldn't trust a member of the Club, who could you trust?
But It hadn't counted on one very shootworthy messenger.
Tracy, Diane, and I were walking into school together on Monday morning, talking about Morgan and Tyson, hoping his audition had gone well and he was ready to ask her out. We were just rounding the corner when Diane's expression fell, 'Oh, no,' she said. Both Tracy and I followed her gaze and saw Rosanna talking to Ryan at his locker with a smug look on her face.
This couldn't have been good.
Diane quickened her pace, and Ryan spotted the three of us walking over. He gave me a hurt look before slamming his locker and walking away.
'Let me talk to him,' Diane headed after him.
I could tell Tracy was about ready to go after Rosanna, but she stopped when she noticed the panicked expression on my face, 'It's okay, Penny,' she said. 'She's a jerk.'
I nodded slowly. A numbness had spread over my body.
'That's it, she's out of the Club,' Tracy went on. 'I'll tell her.' Tracy guided me to my locker and opened it up for me. All I could do was stare straight ahead.
'No, I'll tell her' I said. 'At lunch.' I could hardly get the words out.
'Okay.' Tracy got my books for me. 'Do you need anything else?'
Yes, I needed to know why, if I didn't have any feelings for Ryan, I felt so demolished.
Diane filled me in right before lunch. 'Rosanna told Ryan that basically you declared in front of the entire Club that you think he's pathetic, that you don't even like him as a friend, and that you would never go on a date with him.'
'That's not what I said!' I protested.
Well, not the first two parts.
'That's what I told him, but he's still pretty upset. I don't think he liked the fact that you would talk about him to the Club.'
'All right,' Tracy chimed in. 'Let's slow down for a second and catch our breath.' She put her arm around me and looked me in the eye. 'Are you sure you want to do this now?'
I couldn't believe that at a time like this Tracy had decided to be the voice of reason. Even Diane looked at her like she was mental. Of course I wanted to do this.
Right.
Now.
'Yes.'
I marched into the cafeteria like a soldier off to battle, with Diane and Tracy right behind me. Rosanna was at the end of the table talking poor Eileen's and Annette's ears off. She jumped a bit when I slammed down my books next to her. the entire table went silent.
'I have something I need to say,' I was looking at Rosanna, but said it loud enough for everyone to hear. 'there are certain people who are here for the wrong reasons. Certain people who aren't here because of friendship. People who are manipulative and wouldn't know how to be a good friend even if their bony ass depended on it. they're here because they want to be popular.
Well, you know what? I've been used far too much in my life to stand here and let it happen to me again. It's bad enough that I've been screwed around by boys. But to be screwed around by a girl… a supposed friend… is even worse. Underminers are not welcome in the Lonely Hearts Club any longer.'
Rosanna continued to eat her banana, while looking around as if I couldn't possibly be speaking about her.
'Apparently, I'm not making myself clear.' I leaned over so I was face-to-face with her. 'Rosanna Shaw, you've taken advantage of me, of the Club, of our trust. You took something I said when I thought I was among friends, and you twisted it into a hurtful He.
You're no longer welcome in the Club, in my house, or at this table. Do you understand?'
She squinted at me. 'Are you seriously going to kick me out?'
'I just did!' My voice started to rise. 'Get out of here, you backstabbing, two-faced wench.'
'Yes!' Tracy got up and clapped, followed by Diane, then Morgan and Kara and Jen. Soon the entire table was up, cheering me on.
Rosanna quickly got up and started to leave. Adrenaline was pumping through my entire body as I sat down. I examined the happy faces around me. I was so glad to have the old, supportive Club back.
I turned around to see the entire cafeteria was looking in our direction. A few other tables even joined in the celebration of Rosanna's departure.
I caught Ryan's eye at the other end of the room and gave him a smile, but he looked away.
The camaraderie within the Lonely Hearts Club was better than ever all week. We were stronger, more united. Maybe it was Braddock's threats, or Rosanna's interference, but all the Club members seemed to have become more invested in the Club and one another.
We all came out in full force to support Diane's debut as a member of the McKinley Ravens basketball team. With only two minutes left, Diane had yet to be put in the game.
'Coach Ramsey has to let Diane in — we're up by nineteen points!' Tracy said.
I kept stealing glances over by Diane's parents, where Ryan was sitting, I guessed there was no way Todd, or any of the guys, would've come to support Diane, despite how many times she had cheered them on. I had tried to talk to Ryan since Monday's debacle with Rosanna, but he wouldn't even look at me.
Anytime I tried to approach him, he walked away. He had to have heard the conversation in the cafeteria; it was all anybody had been talking about the last four days.
The junior varsity cheerleading squad took the floor. they didn't even try to display any enthusiasm for the game, like they were being punished by having to cheer for the girls' team.
'Ugh, this is painful, I could do a better job!' Tracy said as the cheerleaders anemically asked if we had spirit.
The buzzer sounded and the teams got back to the court. Diane sat patiently at the end of the bench, her knee visibly shaking with nerves.
Jen threw the ball from out-of-bounds to Britney Stewart, who was immediately fouled by a desperate member of the Springfield team. the team lined up at the free-throw line, and Britney easily scored two extra points for the team.
'Oh, come on, Coach!' Tracy screamed. 'Put Diane in!'
All five Ravens players sprinted down to the other end of the court. Jen easily recovered a failed attempt from Springfield to score a basket. She grabbed the ball fiercely and began to dribble it down the court. A tall brunette player from Springfield ran up alongside her and pushed her down with a swift motion of her hips.
The whistle blew as the referees conferred.
'That so better be a technical foul,' Tracy hissed. the team congregated near the bench to be briefed by Coach Ramsey. As the coach talked to the team and went over the next play, Diane looked on intently, then she bit her lip, and headed into the game. the entire Club section stood up and started cheering. Signs were hoisted, and chants of 'Diane' started filling the gymnasium.
Diane's eyes narrowed as she lined up at the foul line and watched Jen miss her two free throws. Then, when the action resumed, she ran full force to Springfield's end of the court. She was squatting down and staying low as the guard from the other team approached her. Diane stayed with the guard the entire time, focused on the player's torso, a trick Ryan taught her. the ball was thrown to a tall blonde who missed the basket. Jen recovered the ball and threw it to Diane, Diane dribbled the length of the court, every ounce of her attention on the basket before her.
'Come on, Diane!' Tracy and I screamed in unison- Tracy grabbed my hand as we watched Diane approach the basket for a lay-up and.. miss.
'It's okay, Diane!' Kara screamed next to me. We all continued to clap as Springfield called another time- out.
'Can you believe them?' Tracy motioned down to the front, where the cheerleading team had decided to take a break. 'they sat down the second Diane took to the court. So pathetic.'
