Ever Enough by Stacy Borel

tables were manned by three people that I immediately recognized as the cheerleading triplets Susan, Aubrey, and Cassie. They weren’t really triplets but Harper and I had called them that because they were always together, dressed the same, and finished each other’s sentences. These were the girls that gave Harper the hardest time in school. They were what we considered the ‘popular crowd’. The ones who only dated the football players and wore designer clothes. Apparently Harper hadn’t been good enough to socialize with them because of her secondhand clothes, and because she hadn’t lived in the nicest part of town. I thought the real reason they hadn’t liked her was because they knew Kyler was interested in her and he was the only football player that wouldn’t give them the time of day. It pissed them off that someone they thought was beneath them was being noticed. That was until I came along and got Finn’s attention. Then they turned their venomous stares and words on me. They were cruel in the worst ways teenage girls could be.
    Once in gym class, Aubrey had taken a picture on her cell of Harper naked in the shower; she’d been bending over to get a bottle of shampoo. Aubrey sent it to every single person in her contact list. They then forwarded it to everyone they knew and so on and so forth, until everyone in the school had it. Guys were saying nasty, vulgar things to her because of the position she was in. They said she was bending over and begging for it. Aubrey told everyone that Harper had asked for her picture to be taken. Harper was so mortified that she stayed home from school for a whole week because of it. As much as I’d tried to convince her that the rumors had died down, it eventually took for Kyler to go over to her house and speak to her before she would listen. Harper wouldn’t tell me what Kyler had said to get her to come back to school, but she did and nobody bothered her about it. I had no doubt that Kyler threatened anybody who dared to say something about the picture. The girls toned it down after that, but they still found ways to make our lives hell.
    Despite the lessened cruelty, I remained a target of their hounding. They were always there in my ear, making me feel like I wasn’t good enough—or pretty enough—to be with someone like Finn. After time, they didn’t even have to be there telling me these things, because I told myself the damaging words.
    As we walked to the table I could see that Cassie had nudged Susan and bumped elbows with Aubrey. The three of them watched us with their perfect little smirks until we got up to the table. None of us said anything right away because we were doing what all women do; sizing each other up. I decided to be the one to break the ice.
    “Hi Cassie, Susan, Aubrey. It’s nice to see you all.” I gave them the most genuine smile I could muster.
    I heard Harper snort next to me. “Yeah I can see that time has been real nice to you all.” Her sarcasm couldn’t have been more obvious.
    Susan was pregnant with her third child. She had married a bank manager and I’d heard that he was known to run around on her. By the looks of things she’d put on a bit more than just pregnancy weight. Aubrey was a heavy smoker and her persistent tanning made her look like she was in her fifties not twenties. She had an on-again/off-again boyfriend Gabe, who worked at the car shop in town. Cassie used to have thick beautiful golden locks but time hadn’t done her any favors. Her hair was now sparse and brittle and she was in the middle of her second divorce.
    Aubrey snickered and flicked her short brown hair behind her shoulder, “Well hello Harper,” and nodded in my direction. “Emilyn. How has life been treating you two?”
    “Pretty well thank you,” I replied. “How about yourself?”
    Sticking her nose in the air a bit she said, “I just opened the new tanning salon on First Street. And Gabe and I are getting engaged soon.” She