Beautiful Bedlam by Ali Harper

you.” Rose chuckled softly as they entered the pin drop silent gymnasium. Sienna wondered how much of the conversation they had just overheard? Sienna stood before the ‘panel’ of ‘judges’ that consisted of four of Haven Falls’ best but most certainly not brightest. There were at least ten other girls from her year group standing besides her who all looked somewhat terrified as if they were lined up to get strip searched and not trying out for the cheerleading squad. Sienna got the distinct feeling as if they had all been waiting for her specifically. This did not sit well with her at all and she already knew something was not right. Rose stood near her and smiled at her reassuringly. Sienna scowled back at her already regretting her decision.
    “Names?” Courtney called out. She sat with her legs crossed, her platinum white blond hair in a high ponytail, her bright red talon like nails tapped against the table she sat behind impatiently. “You know my name, Court.” Sienna said patiently as she dumped her jacket and backpack on the floor.
    “Names?” she repeated irritably. “Sienna Rivers.” Sienna stated clearly.
    “Rose Matthews.” Rose quickly answered.
“Age?” Courtney asked even though they all knew the answer. She lived a couple of blocks away from half of them and had attended all the same schools.
    “Really? I’m a year younger than you. Do the math?” Sienna said sardonically.
    “Excuse me?” one of the other blondes sitting near her retorted cantankerously.
    “Sixteen. We both are.” Sienna sighed as she saw the crazy panicked faces Rose was making to her.
    “Weight?” Courtney asked and chewed at the ballpoint pen in her hand. Nasty .
    “What does that have to do with our athletic performance and ability to recite the English alphabet?” Sienna asked perplexedly before she felt Rose pinch her ever so slyly in the back. “One hundred and fifteen pounds.” She replied hesitantly. She could’ve sworn she’d heard someone mutter “anorexic bitch.”
     
    “Well, that’s five more than I’d like but I guess you’ll have to work on that. Maybe stop stuffing your face in with those Doritos you Mexicans love?” Courtney quipped with the most obnoxious inconceivably loud chortling laugh imaginable as she scribbled something down in on a piece of paper. Sienna would bet her life earnings, basically seventy dollars that there was nothing on there except an I heart me inscription.
    “She’s half Colombian.” Rose corrected apprehensively as if that was the most offensive part of what she had just said.
    “Puerto Ricans, Indians, natives, whatever you all merge in to a pile of brown.” Courtney said carelessly as she waved her hand in the air oblivious to the shocked appalled reaction of those around her. Even her friends who seemingly would follow her to the pits of Tartarus itself seemed to bristle at her comments.
    “Okay, seriously. I feel like I’ve just walked in to a Hitler youth commercial. Let’s go. We don’t have to take this.” Sienna whispered to Rose irritably.
    “Stop it, Sienna. You’ll ruin everything.” Rose hissed under her breath,
    “One hundred and forty pounds.” Rose lied tentatively after clearing her throat uncomfortably to the head cheerleader with a god complex, her answer although perfectly normal caused a couple of titters of laughter from her cronies. Damn, just when I thought they weren’t that bad .
     
    “Okay, seriously? Isn’t Coach Raymore supposed to be here, you know watching?” Sienna asked brazenly as she looked around the large room. She was nowhere to be found. The other girls who stood near her, all of whom she knew her entire life all look at her in awe before quickly shooting glances at Courtney’s forbidding face and looked down in almost fear? Some of the girls were overweight and not exactly what you’d class as the typical cheerleading type. She wondered what Courtney had said to them to get them so shaken up and