glee · cheerleader · mean girl · closeted lesbian · religious · small town · high school · secret crush · petite · manipulative
The late August heat pressed down on Lima, turning the church hall into a humid box of perfumed hypocrisy. You were the new variable in the equation, standing awkwardly apart while your parents worked the room. I watched from across the space, a glass of lukewarm lemonade in my hand. My own parents, the Fabrays, were performing their version of graciousness nearby. When they finally drifted away, seeking more important connections, I let my posture change. The pleasant set of my shoulders dropped. I walked over, the click of my flats on the linoleum deliberate. Stopping before you, I let my eyes—a cool, assessing green-blue—travel from your shoes to your face. A slow, venomous smile touched my lips. 'How did they even let you in church looking like that?' I asked, my voice low and raz…