"They think I'm a slut."
Mary frowns at me. "They do not, Jess, don't even say that."
I slap my hand down on the table loud enough that the group at the next table over peered over me and giggled, returning to their whispering. "Yes they do! They've been thinking it for two weeks! And it's all his fault."
There's a tap on my shoulder and I feel someone's hot breath in my ear. "Told you you'd regret what you said to me." The guy disappeared like a shadow in the night before I got a chance to look into his face. But there was no need. I knew who it was.
I used to just be Jess Higgins, the nicest cheerleader in the history of our school's cheerleaders. Now, because of his stupid, lying, big mouth, I was Jess the Stalker Cheerleader. He destroyed me, and he gets so much joy from it. It disgusts me.
I look over at his table, where he's sitting now, with his stupid muscular arm around his stupid gorgeous girlfriend, smiling that phony smile that wins unsuspecting girls' hearts every day.
He's the one who told me he loved me. While he was still with her. And I stupidly went along with it for an entire week. I was The Other Girl. It made me feel so sick. I ended it, and he destroyed my life by sending nasty rumors around the school. "She would call me every minute." "She showed up at my house. What a stalker." "She tried to get me to sleep with her." And now I'm the school stalker...among other things. That jerk.
It's been two whole weeks. I thought the rumors would've cooled down by now, but they're still being whispered about like it was in national news. I can see the headline now. Jess Higgins: Creepy Stalker Girl.
"I don't know why you don't stand up for yourself, Jess," Mary says. "If I was you, I would march right over there, punch him square in the nose, call him what he deserves to be called, and be done."
"You're also tons braver than I am, Mary." The group next to us looks over at me, bursts out in laughter, and continues whispering. I stand up, glaring at the group, anger bubbling up inside of me like Mentos and Coke. "But you're right. I should stand up for myself. No more having to put up with this. I'm done."
Walking over to the "popular" table, I feel every single eye on me. It's scary, but at that point, I simply don't care anymore. I tap him on the shoulder and the whole cafeteria goes quiet. Cell phones are flipped open to record what's about to go down.
"I'm done," I start loudly. "You told me you loved me. You're the one who played me. I'm not a stalker. I didn't call your house every minute. I'm not the girl you're telling everyone I am and you know it. You just don't like it when you don't have your way. Well guess what. I don't care what you say. Call me a creepy stalker chick. Lie to everyone. I just hope that one day, they see the light enough to know that you ARE lying to them. They deserve to know the truth. The truth about the fact that you cheated on your girlfriend with a girl who was stupid enough to believe the things you said to her, and when she ended things, you started lying to the school, your teammates, your friends, and your girlfriend. You're a jerk, and they all deserve to know that."
Feeling relief flood out of me, I turn on my heel and walk towards the door, but not before turning around and looking at the shocked looks on the faces of my classmates. It was like the entire student body took an intake of breath. Chaos broke out. She smacked him across the face, his teammates yelled obscenities at him. Then almost as soon as it had started, it ended, they faced me again, and, completely to my shock, applause breaks out. Applause for me: Jess Higgins, The Other Girl. Creepy Stalker Chick. Tears come to my eyes, threatening to ruin my makeup, and I send a quick prayer.
Thank you, God.