Hey guys! Yes, I know I'm still currently writing like four stories but I just want to get this story up as soon as possible before I forget about west story and please please PLEASE review because I love reading through them, and they actually make me feel really appreciated. So without further ado, I present With Strings Attached!

Courtney leaned across the lunch table, a small smile on her lips. "Listen, Beth. There a certain rules and standards that you have to get accustomed to at this school. Follow my instructions and you might just survive at Wawanakwa High. So no more 'nicey-niceness' or 'generosity' or that 'everybody has a heart' stuff. Got that?"

Beth nodded and smiled. "Of course! My mom said, that now I've got my braces off, I'll have a new found personality! Don't worry, I'll be just great at this school! Thanks for the welcome though!" But little did she know that this wasn't a welcome, it was a warning. Courtney raised her eyebrow but smiled at the strange girl. "Yeah, right. Just remeber what I told you."

Beth grinned and nodded again. "Sure thing Courtney. Bye!" She said, grabbing her dinky green backpack and leaving the lunch table. Bridgette, who was quietly picking at her salad, leaned closer to Courtney, a smile on her face. "Do you think she's gonna survive?"

Courtney looked to the middle of the cafeteria, where Beth had just slipped on a juice spill, falling flat on her face, causing most of the students around her to laugh. Beth got up to her feet shakily, turning around she grinned again, waving at Courtney and Bridgette. The two girls smiled and waved back, struggling to suppress their laughs.

"I seriously doubt that." Courtney stated, bursting out into peals of laughter.

Heather stalked up to the girls lunch table and took a seat, her grey eyes narrowed. "What are you two giggling about?"

Courtney frowned at her, her onyx eyes glaring. "None of your business. And for your information, we were having a private conversation."

Heather rolled her eyes, swinging her long dark hair off her shoulders. "Whatever. So, what do you think of my newest edition to the cheerleading squad? That girl is so pathetic!" She says, giggling meanly.

"Oh, you mean Sadie? Oh my gosh, I don't want to be mean but she is pretty hilarious." Bridgette said, grinning.

"I know, right? Did you see that failed attempt at a backflip? She is such a loser!"

Courtney looked at the two giggling girls, her brow furrowed. New edition to the squad? But she was the cheer captain, not Heather. She was fuming.

"Wait, you mean to tell me that you added someone to the team without my permission? When did this happen? You have no right Heather!" Courtney hissed. She was sick of her always trying to steal her thunder, always trying to one up her. Heather and Courtney had been battling each other for superiority ever since the beginning of high school, and so far it was neck in neck. She had to get a lead and fast before Heather started to get big headed.

She rolled her eyes smirking while Bridgette fiddled with her long blonde hair which was tied up in a messy ponytail. "Well, you know when you went on that trip for future leaders last week? Heather took over as Captain while you were gone and had an emergency cheerleading tryout."

Courtney narrowed her eyes. "Why did you need an emergency cheerleading tryout? We already have a full team."

Heather yawned and studied her french manicure. "No we didn't. I kicked Sierra off the team."

"WHAT!" Courtney shouted, attracting some attention from other lunch tables around them. She kicked Sierra off the team? Why would she do that? Sure Sierra was an obsessed crazy nut job but she was a good cheerleader! Most of the time. There was the occasional time when she would ditch practise to go stalk Cody, or she would repeatedly ask questions about us for her school blog or make stupid suggestions like:"Instead of a pyramid, why don't we form an octagon!" But apart from all that she was, strong and flexible, a good cheerleader.

Heather leaned in across the table. "Shut it Courtney, you're embarrassing us! It's not like Sierra payed attention to anything you said anyway. She didn't deserve to be on the squad".

"Don't you tell me to shut it! Even if Sierra didn't listen, why pick Sadie Madison! She's a walking tub of lard on legs!"

Heather smirked. "No, thats Owen. Sadie is at least, a tub of butter on legs. I only gave her the place because Katie begged me and I thought it would be funny! Come on, you didn't think I really meant it?"

Courtney snarled. Could Heather, never take things seriously? It's no wonder that she's the captain and not her.

"Not the point. We have a reputation Heather and if we just go around letting nobodies in like Sadie, what will people think? She is so off the squad. We will be having another emergency tryout tomorrow after school and you will both be required to be there." Courtney said, her voice firm. Somebody needed to keep the authority in order. Bridgette sighed and Heather groaned.

"Whatever. Gosh, Courtney we were just joking around. No wonder people don't like you." Heather said, rolling her eyes.

Courtney gasped, her yes flaming. "What! People do to like me! Right Bridge?"

Bridgette nodded loyally. "Duh! Of course I like you Courtney, don't listen to Heather."

Heather smirked. "Yeah, and Bridgette's probably the only one."

Courtney's lips curled down into a frown. People like her, right? Sure she could be a little demanding sometimes but they liked her. She was popular! Of course she was liked. Courtney furrowed her neatly waxed brow and looked around the lunch hall, looking for someone to back her up. She saw Trent holding his guitar, walking past their table, probably heading towards the music room. She reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards their table.

He stumbled over in shock and smiled at the three girls. "Hey girls! How's it going?"

"Yeah yeah whatever. Trent, do you like me?" Courtney said, pouting, her soft brown hair falling over her eyes. Trent blinked at her, soaking in what she just said. What does she mean 'like her'? Does she mean like her like her? Trent stared at her for a moment, blinking into her onyx eyes. They were glittering under the light and there was hints of plead in them. Did he like her? Like, like her like her? No, he has a girlfriend.

"Um, yeah, I er like you Courtney.." He stumbled, clearly flustered.

Courtney grinned triumphantly. "Ha! I told you people like me!" Trent raised is brow confused.

Heather scowled. "Whatever. He's probably only saying that because he's weak and has no friends of his own. He's been brainwashed by that goth vampire he's calls a girlfriend, so he's possibly lost all of his social skills."

Trent frowned, anger shown clearly on his face. "Hey! I have friends! And Gwen isn't a vampire! She's just...different. That's all."

Heather smirked and Courtney rolled her eyes, returning her attention back to he salad. Trent ran his fingers through his raven black hair and began to back away. "Yeah. I, um, gotta go..."

He walked away from the girls lunch table and exited the lunch hall, walking down the hallway to the poetry room, looking for Gwen. He smiled as he thought about his girlfriend, whom he had been dating for the past three months. Trent was happy in their relationship and assumed Gwen was too. After all, she was everything he wanted in a girl: smart, beautiful, independent and poetic. He felt like he truly loved her.

He peeked inside the poetry room and grinned when he saw his girlfriend. She was wearing her usual attire, a tight black corset, patterned with skulls and crossbones, a black leather mini skirt, black fishnet tights, forest green leather jacket and knee high black combat boots. Trent watched as she tossed her teal streaked hair, and smiled, a laugh escaping her dark blue lips. She was sitting on a desk in the back row and swinging her thin legs happily.

"Nice try, but I like Trent." She said, her dark eyes glittering. Trent furrowed his brow. Who was she talking to? It couldn't be him. He walked into the room, a swag in his step. Gwen's head turned towards him and Trent sneered at the sight of the person she was talking to. Duncan sat beside her, alarmingly close and his hand inching slowly towards hers. He was wearing a black shirt shirt, a skull in the centre of it and a yellow long sleeved under shirt. His shorts were baggy and worn out, rips on the knees and his red converses were scruffy and caked in mud. He smiled menacingly at Trent, his piercings glinting in the sunlight streaming through the classroom window and his fauxhawk, was toned down a dark shade of green, after many complaints from the principal.

"Hey Trent." Gwen said, smiling half heartedly at him. Trent frowned at her lack of enthusiasm.

Duncan nodded at him. "Hey, man." Trent stared at the duo and felt a lump in his throat. Gwen had been seeing more and more of Duncan everyday and they seemed to become closer by the minute. Duncan flirted with her constantly and Gwen let him, giggling at all his jokes, backing up his theories, letting him hold her hand sometimes...

Trent shook his head, trying to erase the thoughts. Gwen was his girlfriend. And he knew she would never cheat on him, she was too faithful for that. He walked up to her and kissed her sweetly on her pale cheek, placing his arm around her.

"Hey babe. So what are you two doing?" He said, trying to sound casual.

Gwen smiled at him. "Oh, nothing much...Just talking."

Duncan frowned at the scene and rolled his eyes. He jumped off the table and grabbed his bag of the desk. "Gwen, we better go".

She sighed and grabbed her own black leather bag, jumping off the desk. "Oh yeah, right. We gotta get going Trent...See ya later." Trent gawked and narrowed his eyes. She was ditching him? Just like that? So at she just jumped up and left him as soon as Duncan called out commands? He couldn't belive what was happening.

"What? Wait, where are you going?" He said, fear in his eyes.

Gwen smiled reassuringly. "We're going back to my place to work on an art project. We can hang out later though. Ok, Trent?"

Trent pursed his lips, frowning. "Um, yeah. Ok. Bye".

Gwen left the room first, walking quickly. Duncan followed her, but not before whispering in Trents ear. "See ya. Trent" He hissed menacingly.

Trent sighed heavily as he was left alone in the classroom. Gwen was drifting slowly away from him.

Drifting slowly away, to Duncan.

Wow, that chapter turned out much longer than it was meant to be! But I hope you like it all the same! Please please review because your thoughts mean a lot to me! Next chap will be up soon!

LOVE PEACE HAPPINESS

InsanelyCrazy3299