• DARA'S POV •

 

I was almost sure that the knock I heard on my door during my free period was Chaerin trying to escape math again - who else could it be?

 

"It's open," I called invitingly, expecting a gorgeous Blonde to walk in. In lieu of her dark tresses, however, much to my surprise, I saw only Brunette curls and a devious expression. She looked almost angry, but still somewhat cool. In a word, she looked suspicious.

 

"Hey, Tiffany," I greeted lightly, not letting on that I'd been expecting someone else.

 

"Hi, Miss Park ," she replied, not maliciously, but without a smile.

 

"What can I do for you?" She walked in further, until she was in the seat closest to my desk. "You can explain something," she said, cutting to her point. I felt my whole body tense. There was only one thing this could be about - the guilt was already eating me apart.

 

"Explain what?" I said, forcing a slight laugh, determined to appear nonchalant. She lowered her eyes, sizing me down. "I think you know what."

 

I shook my head, fabricating some confused expression. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about," I said.

 

"I know you're hooking up with Lee Chaerin ," she finally said. I swear I felt my insides liquify. "Don't bother arguing," she said. "I know."

 

"Excuse me?" I asked, sounding slightly offended, and more shocked, though neither were true. "Where did you get that idea?"

 

"You don't need to worry about it," she said suspiciously. "The point is that I know."

 

"I don't think you know anything," I said with a little bit of edge.

 

"Stop pretending," she said. "You're not fooling anyone. Now all I want is an answer. Do you treat her special because she's screwing you?"

 

"Tiffany!" I nearly gasped, sounding like a real live teacher for once, taken aback by her blunt language.

 

"Oh, please. If you can do it, I can at least say it."

 

"I didn't do anything," I argued, lying through my teeth. If she wasn't so convinced already, I could have won an Academy Award for this performance. It's funny how when it was so dire, I could lie. "And I treat all of you the same," I said, though outside of practice this was far from the truth.

 

"Bull," she said. "She's captain, she's a top girl, you're flirting with her all the time at practice."

 

"I made Chaerin captain before I knew any of you," I began to calmly explain, "based on her skill. I know you were a captain in the past, and I'm sorry, but you're on a different team now. Chaerin's been on Varsity since her freshman year, and she's been a top girl all her life, so she does have a leg up in those kinds of things. There's a lot of consideration that goes into these decisions, Tiffany, and it's not based on anything outside of cheering."

 

"Look," she said. "I just want to know which came first."

 

"What are you talking about?" I asked, not understanding.

 

"I mean, are you hooking up because you like her? Or do you like her because you're hooking up?"

 

"Tiffany, those are serious allegations you're making," I admonished, even though they were accurate allegations.

 

"And I'm making them seriously," she said.

 

"Look, I'm not going to tell on you or anything. I'm just wondering how I can get ahead."

 

That stopped me completely dead. "Excuse me?"

 

"Well how does this work? Can I sign up to get myself ahead at cheering, or is that a right reserved only for Lee Chaerin ?"

 

Was she offering to hook up with me to get placed as captain? I couldn't tell if it was a mechanism of argument, or a serious offer. Either way, for her to insinuate that I would do that; to treat me like nothing more than a e; was absolutely too much.

 

"Tiffany," I warned firmly, placing my hands on the desk in front of me as I stood up. She got up with me and stood in my face, looking tough. I realized I didn't scare her - I didn't scare anyone. But I figured I was holding my own. I managed to hold on enough to say, "To get ahead, you earn it. Not through hook-ups, through skill. If you want to get ahead, you'll work for it. That's all I have to tell you."

 

She put her bag over her shoulder, chin up, as she turned to go. "Oh, I'll work at it," she said. "Trust that."

 

"I'm looking forward to it," I told her as she gave me a final look before shutting the door. That was before I completely broke down, knowing that I was absolutely and irrevocably ed.

 

_______

 

I spent the remainder of the day searching for solutions, for the most part coming up dry. What could I do? She knew. I didn't know how she knew, but she knew. And worse, I was not on her good side. The situation was extremely volatile. One wrong move on my part, and I could be in serious, serious trouble. I knew what Tiffany wanted, and more than once I considered giving it to her. But that wasn't fair. Not to Chaerin , and not to the team. I wasn't going to let this sixteen year old girl run my life. And I was going to stay true to my word. If she wanted to get ahead, then she would definitely work for it.

 

"Today," I announced at practice, "We're working out. You all need to work on conditioning, so you can strengthen your jumps and your stunts. And I know some of you," I said, looking directly at Tiffany, "Are looking to get further ahead in your cheering. So here's how." I made sure I used her exact language, so she would get the hint that I'd meant what I said. I didn't smile, I didn't even say please. I was making a point, and sticking by it. "Get changed and meet me in the weight room."

 

As I could have anticipated, Chaerin was the first one there.

 

"Reporting for duty, Sergeant Park," she joked as she put a leg up to stretch. "I have to admit, the whole power thing is kind of hot on you."

 

"Shh!" I hiss