*Squeal* You got the "Heathers" reference! I love you so much! I didn't think anyone would actually get it. *Hug* I like to put in a lot of weird references because I have some rather odd tastes, and I'm something of a movie buff. I'm happy that you like the story so much. By the way, my sympathies about the lack of AC.

OH wow I am like just.........I WANT MORE!! I love this story!!!!!!!!!! I'm gonna update mine now you and stormy just make me wanna update mine too *rates 5 star and subscribes*

*Hug* Dani, so good of you to join us! I'm glad you like this so much! There will be an update on the 31st, if all goes well.

I'm beyond happy that I'm joined We are family *sings*. There better be an update or else *hisses* :P.

Watch it, dani, or I'll cover my updates with garlic. Now be nice.

Glad to meet another movie fanatic! I like the lesser-known movies (Heathers, Beaches, Fried Green Tomatoes), while the husband knows all the classic popular ones (Goonies, Full Metal Jacket, etc.)

“And that’s a wrap!” Ms. Gibson called out. “Have a good weekend, guys. This’ll air Monday morning.”

The Clique News Crash team had stayed after school that Friday to tape their show for Monday.

The crew stood and stretched, chattering amongst themselves briefly. They walked out of the auditorium, calling out farewells to their teacher, who began to pack up the equipment.


As they turned the corner, they saw that the cheerleading squad had come in for a bathroom break. The cheerleaders eyed the news team disdainfully. Angela scurried away, glancing back a few times to nervously eye the cheerleaders.


Emily looked over at Tiffani. “Tiffani, do you remember--” she began.

Tiffani was eager to prove that she was still capable of acting like the other cheerleaders, despite no longer belonging to their club. “Excuse me, why are you speaking to me? Do not address me,” she said sharply to Emily.

Ophelia shot an angry glare at Tiffani and said to Emily, “Come on, Emily, Cy’s waiting for us. You don’t have to stand around and be treated like crap.” She put an arm protectively around Emily’s shoulder and led the girl out of the building, shooting a last glare in Tiffani’s direction.


AJ watched the two girls leave and said sharply to Tiffani, “Who do you think you are, talking to my sister like that? You don’t have to like her, but you could at least treat her like a human. At least I’m not too cowardly to speak to Emily in public and treat her nicely, but I guess you’re chicken. You may have only been my girlfriend for two weeks, but I expect you to show some semblance of respect to my family, and that includes my sister. Just 'cause you're beautiful, that doesn't mean that you can treat people like they don't matter. You don‘t always have to be who they want you to be, you know.”

Tiffani glared at AJ and said, “I happen to like being adored. Now, I have to go fix my makeup. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She shoved the restroom door open and walked through.


The cheerleaders snickered, and finally, Sawyer spoke.

“Girlfriend, huh?” she snickered. “My God, AJ, I didn’t know you were such a chubby chaser.”

“Seriously, AJ,” Heather added. “You used to be pretty cool, but lately you’ve been acting like a loser!”


AJ looked the cheerleaders up and down and finally spoke. “No wonder Tiffani has such a bad attitude about other cliques-- you all treat anyone who is unpopular like dirt!”

“When did you turn into such an equal rights advocate?” Veronica sneered. “I remember a time when you never would have gone for a chick as fat as she is. What happened to the cool guy we used to know and like? Someone tell me, because all I see is a pathetic loser who couldn‘t even keep himself on the football team.”

“She has a better personality than all three of you combined,” AJ responded. “You may be pretty, but your attitudes make you all into ugly monsters.”


A voice from behind AJ spoke up. “I suggest you underdressed, underfed snobs leave immediately. I don’t particularly like Tiffani either, but you don’t see me making fun of her behind her back.”

AJ turned around to see Ophelia standing there, scowling.

“Ophelia,” Sawyer sneered. “Go listen to rock music backwards and cut yourself.”

“All of you need to grow up and start seeing people for who they are, and not what they look like. Now, get out of here,” Ophelia responded.

Sawyer turned to the other two cheerleaders and said, “Let’s get out of here. If we hang around much longer, people might think we’re actually friends with these losers.”

She and the other two cheerleaders tossed their hair and sauntered out.


Ophelia turned to AJ with a smile. “I heard what you said about Emily and Tiffani. I guess you can be a good boyfriend and brother when you feel like it.”

AJ responded with a flirtatious smile, “I can’t just watch silently when a girl is in crisis. I guess it’s just the prince in me.”

“I came back to get something out of my locker. I forgot it halfway to the door and sent Emily on her way. I have to go, so I’ll see you later, hm?” Ophelia did not wait for a response and began walking down the hall to her locker.


“Yeah… sure,” AJ said quietly. He watched her walk down the hall. “I wonder if…” he began to think to himself.

The slam of the bathroom door jolted him back to reality. AJ turned to look at Tiffani, quickly composing himself.

“Well, shall we go?” AJ asked.

Boo! You whore!

Not you, DarkPhoenix, Tiffani and those other cheerleaders. :P

I'm glad AJ stood up for his sister. And for Tiffani, I guess. Great update! :D

Hehehehe. I didn't think you were calling me a whore, stormy. The cheerleaders are b****es-- no analysis needed there; Tiffani still wants to be liked by the popular crowd, plain and simple. As for AJ... well... just keep an eye on him in this chapter.

Yeah I was kinda stating the obvious. Keep an eye on AJ, huh? Hmm...interesting. Will do.

awsome update! I LOVED IT! I have a weird feeling!!!

Interesting.
Great update.
Can't wait till the next installment.

Awww, AJ has a crush...kind of. I can't understand Tiffani, why would she want to show the cheerleaders that she's still like them even when they were bitches to her? This, I suppose, might be the reason I've never hung out with the popular set.
AJ is such a nice kid, but he's not quite as snappy with his comebacks as his sister. Maybe he's out of practice.

Tiffani is still convinced that if she can prove that she is "cool" enough, they will accept her back into their group.

As for AJ... well, he's no saint. A lot of the humor in this chapter will revolve around him and the stupid things he does. I will give him this much-- he does not give up easily.

The telephone rang, jolting Ophelia out of her thoughts. She rolled off the bed and onto her feet, and grabbed up the telephone.
“Hello?” she said.

“Ophelia, you… you little… wretch!” Mae screamed in response. Ophelia held the receiver away from her ear, cringing slightly.


“What did I do wrong this time?” Ophelia asked.

“You know what you did!” Mae snapped.

“What did I do?” Ophelia replied.

“Why have you been spending so much time with that four-eyed weirdo? I thought we were best friends!”


“You and I are friends, Mae, although you seem to think otherwise. And she has a name, and it’s not ‘four-eyed weirdo,’ it’s Emily.”

“You haven’t been spending any time with me lately,” Mae whined.

“I’ve been busy,” Ophelia replied.

“But you’ve been acting like a completely different person and totally ignoring me and spending tons of time with that… nerd!”

“Look, Mae,” Ophelia snapped, “you don’t own me. I can be friends with whoever I want. Emily is a nice girl, and unlike some people, she doesn’t get jealous of my other friends. You need to grow up.”


“Fine,” Mae snapped back, “but keep that little brat away from my brother.”

“Which one, LB or Louie?” Ophelia asked.

“Which one do you think? Louie! I’ve seen her looking at him all lovey-dovey. It’s disgusting.”


“Mae, I can’t make anyone stop liking anyone else. If Emily likes your brother, then it’s her choice, and not yours or mine. You are acting very childish. When you can act your age, call me,” Ophelia replied.

Without waiting for a response, she hung up. “That was kind of childish of me, wasn’t it?” she muttered to herself.



Kenny and AJ sat in the living room of the Desjardin home, watching sports.

“Look, dude, it’s like this,” Kenny explained. “I’m sure Tiffany’s a nice girl and all, but she’s…”

“She’s what?” AJ asked.

“Fat. I mean, she got kicked off the cheerleading squad and dance team for putting on weight. Take away what little she has in her favor, and all you have left is a C minus GPA with a Wonderbra.”

“Would you date her?” AJ asked.

“Maybe if we were the last two people alive, and there were sheep. Are there sheep?”

“Very funny,” AJ groaned.


“Seriously, though, there’s much hotter chicks out there.”

AJ rolled his eyes. “Like who?”

“Well, why did you have to pick that particular person from your news show, when there’s other cute chicks?”

“I’m not going to date my sister, if that’s what you’re implying. My family’s not redneck.”

“I wasn’t going to suggest that, bro. Now listen. That Angela is pretty cute. And that goth chick, what’s her face--”

“Ophelia.”

“Right, Ophelia,” Kenny said. “They’re both pretty cute. In fact,” Kenny mused, “if you put her in some nicer clothes and more flattering makeup, Ophelia would be a major hottie.”

“Maybe.”

“Dude, I would give anything to see Ophelia in something non-goth.”

AJ eyed his friend. “If I can get it to happen, how much will you give me?”

Kenny thought for a few seconds and then replied, “Twenty bucks.”

AJ rolled his eyes. “Remember, this is the chick who regularly goes head to head with Perma-PMS Queen Mae Rivers.”

Kenny sighed. “Fine, thirty.”


AJ smirked. “Well, let’s think about this. I need to win her over by doing utterly ridiculous and stupid stuff that only happens in the movies. So, I’ll need the newest goth-type CD-- probably something by Ozzy or My Chemical Romance or whatever the heck it is that goth chicks listen to these days. That’s, uh, about fifteen bucks. I need a cool new outfit. That’s, uh, fifty-three. And, uh, she’ll want to have at least one meal with me, right? So, uh, we’re looking at seventy-five bucks.”

Kenny threw the remote control at AJ, groaning in frustration. “This ain’t a negotiation. Take it or leave it.”

“Fifty bucks, and we’ve got a deal.”

“Fine, fifty," Kenny agreed. "You show change in the woman, and you get the cash.”

“You mean I don’t get the money beforehand? Now what am I supposed to do?!” AJ whined.

"I suggest you watch lots of movies and steal some ideas," Kenny responded.

LOL!!! I love this update! Lol he wanted more and more money lamo!!! great update!!!

Great update!! Psst--AJ might considered ripping a CD for 'Lia (way cooler than buying a CD) :laugh:

He isn't buying it to give to her. Let's just say he decided to imitate a movie... well, you'll see. But I assure you, what's set to happen will be very funny. All I'm going to say is, Ophelia is neither stupid nor easily impressed.

Glad to hear that!

Ah Tiffani isn't fat! And I can't believe Kenny and AJ would play with Ophelia's emtions like that. Great update! :D

Ahahahahaha! Oh man, I can't wait to see how this one's gonna turn out...
I actually know some people who are rather like Mae. Kudos for not making only the cheerleaders bad people. It's weird how few people write about jerks in the counterculture.

hehehe, we all have moments of not so niceness,.. Just some more than others. LOL~
DarkPhoenix, I love the sets you came up with for these shots.. Very cool update.. *smiles*

“Hey, Ophelia!” AJ called out, approaching Ophelia. Ophelia turned around, startled, looking to see who had addressed her.

It vaguely occurred to AJ that they were in the “popular people” area, but it wouldn’t deter him from his mission. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?

Ophelia waited to hear what he had to say.


“So listen, you ever wondered what it'd be like to be the one of the most popular girls in school?” AJ asked.

Ophelia stared at him as if he’d grown another head and said bitterly, “You mean anorexic, superficial, a b****, a w**** who lacks any real long-term goals?”

AJ looked startled by her words. “Uh, not quite what I was going for, but yes. So, Ophelia, I was wondering if--”


Ophelia turned and walked away from him leaving him alone. Several people nearby snickered at him.

“--If you wanted to embarrass me in front of all these people,” AJ muttered, looking around and hurrying away.



“Hey, Em?” AJ said, peeking into the bedroom.

Emily looked up. “What’s up?” she asked, putting her book away.

“Emily, you’re a girl, right?”

“Last time I checked,” Emily said dryly.

“Real funny. All that time around Ophelia has been rubbing off on you,” AJ replied. “Anyways, I wanted to know how to impress a woman.”


“Well,” Emily sighed. “It really varies from woman to woman. But why do you want to impress a woman when you have a girlfriend? Are things really going that bad for you and Tiffani?”

“Miserable,” AJ responded.

“And who’s the lucky lady on the side?” Emily dryly quipped.

“I’m not going to tell you that,” AJ said. He didn’t want Emily to know that he was interested in one of her friends.

“Have you at least tried to tell her how you feel?”

“Yes.”

“What happened?” Emily asked.

AJ blushed, embarrassed. “She kind of blew me off.”


Emily grinned and said, “I like her already. You know, AJ, if you tell me who she is, I might be able to give you details on how to really impress her.”

AJ decided it was worth the risk. “It’s Ophelia.”

Emily laughed hysterically. “Oh my God, have you been watching too many John Hughes movies?” she gasped out. “How very Breakfast Club!”

“Thanks for your support, Emily,” AJ groaned. He turned to leave.


“Wait,” Emily said, still giggling. “Do you want my help or not?”

“Sure, I guess,” AJ responded.

“Okay… first problem,” Emily said, looking her brother over. “Ophelia likes… pretty guys.”

AJ was silent for a few seconds. “Are you telling me I’m not a pretty guy?”

Emily stammered, “You’re very pretty. A gorgeous guy. I just wasn’t sure. I didn’t know. Here’s how you impress Ophelia. Or tick her off. I wasn’t really paying much attention…”



End of part three, but I wanted to share an outtake shot that I thought was really funny:

LMAO! That picture is so cute! Great update! I loved the Breakfast Club joke!

I second that stormy it was so so so funny I love the Breakfast Club joke too! Thank you for the laugh great update!