Chapter Text
The gymnasium is thrilled and buzzing like Britney Spears or One Direction will perform but the real reason why is because of North Shore High’s Spring Fling assembly, but all Cady Heron could hear was the sound of her own heart hammering against her ribs. She stood at the edge of the stage, watching Regina George adjust the microphone stand with practiced ease, her blonde hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail that caught the overhead lights like spun gold, her royal blue satin dress hugging every curve in a way that made Cady’s palms sweat even through her white lace gloves.
Three months had passed since the Burn Book incident had exploded like a powder keg across the school, leaving the social hierarchy in smoldering ruins. The Plastics were officially disbanded: Gretchen Wieners had found her voice as president of the debate team, finally free from the pressure of living up to Regina’s impossible standards; Karen Smith was killing it as co-captain of the cheer squad, her bubbly enthusiasm earning her more respect than she’d ever gotten as the group’s “dumb blonde.” And Regina, well, Regina was… different.
She’d spent six weeks in the hospital recovering from her bus accident, and when she’d returned to school in January, she’d walked the halls with a quiet confidence that was worlds away from the sharp, intimidating swagger she’d worn as Queen Bee. Her wardrobe had shifted too, goodbye to the pink cardigans and mini skirts, hello to tailored blazers, high-waisted trousers, and practical flats that let her move through the halls without the click-click-click of heels announcing her arrival.
“Can I have your attention, please?” Regina’s voice cut through the noise, clear and steady. Cady felt a shiver run down her spine, she’d heard that voice command entire lunch tables into silence, but now it held something softer, something almost vulnerable. “I know most of you probably think I’m the last person who should be up here talking about… well, anything good. And you’d be right. For two years, I let my need to be on top turn me into someone I’m not proud of. I hurt people. A lot of people.”
Cady watched as Regina’s eyes scanned the crowd, pausing just for a second when they landed on her. There was a flicker of something there regret? Hope? Cady couldn’t tell. She’d been avoiding Regina since the day everything fell apart, even though every time she saw her in the hallway or in calculus class, she felt a pull that made her stomach flip.
“I started the Burn Book,” Regina continued, her voice never wavering. “I thought it would make me feel powerful, but all it did was make me lonely. And I’m sorry. To every single person whose name was in there. To Gretchen and Karen, who deserved so much better than to be treated like my accessories. And to Cady… especially to Cady.”
Cady’s breath caught in her throat. She’d been the one to turn the Burn Book into the administration, the one who’d exposed all of Regina’s secrets. But as she stood there under Regina’s gaze, she couldn’t help but remember the moments before everything went wrong—the way Regina had laughed at her terrible joke about limits in calculus, the time she’d slipped Cady a note in history class correcting the teacher’s mistake about the French Revolution, the afternoon they’d spent in the park after school just talking about their favorite movies.
After the assembly ended, Cady found herself walking toward the parking lot on autopilot, her mind replaying Regina’s words over and over again. She was so lost in thought that she almost walked straight into someone leaning against her beat-up Honda Civic.
“Whoa there, Africa,” Regina said, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. The old nickname would have made Cady bristle once, but now it just made her smile back despite herself.
“Regina. I… I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Figured you’d be making a run for it. You’ve been pretty good at avoiding me lately.” Regina pushed off the car and took a step closer, her eyes searching Cady’s face. “I meant what I said up there. About being sorry. Not just for what I did to everyone else, but for how I treated you. I knew you were different from the start, but I was too scared to admit that I actually… liked having you around.”
Cady felt her cheeks heat up. “I wasn’t exactly innocent either. I came here planning to use you to get back at Aaron, and then I got so caught up in being a Plastic that I forgot who I was.” She paused, gathering her courage. “But the thing is… when I was with you, sometimes I felt like I was myself. Like when we’d talk about math or watch stupid reality TV and make fun of all the contestants. That part was real.”
Regina reached out slowly, like she was afraid Cady would pull away, and tucked a strand of hair behind Cady’s ear. Her touch was warm and gentle, nothing like the sharp, possessive gestures Cady had seen her use with other people. “It was real for me too,” she said quietly. “I just… I didn’t know how to handle it. I’d spent so long building up these walls around myself that when someone actually got through them, I panicked.”
They stood there in silence for a long moment, the sound of students filing out of the gymnasium fading into the background. The sun was setting over the parking lot, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink that reminded Cady of the Plastics’ Wednesday color code—though somehow, this felt more meaningful than any dress rule ever could.
“Would you maybe… want to get some frozen yogurt?” Regina asked, breaking the silence. “My treat. I know a place that doesn’t put sprinkles on everything—you mentioned once that you hate sprinkles.”
Cady stared at her, surprised that Regina had remembered something so small. “You remembered that?”
“Of course I did,” Regina said, her smile growing wider. “I pay attention to the things that matter.”
The frozen yogurt shop was tucked away on a side street just off Main Street, painted in soft shades of blue and white that made it look like something out of a winter wonderland, even in April. Cady had to admit, Regina had good taste; the place was quiet, with comfortable leather booths and walls covered in vintage movie posters.
“So,” Regina said as they slid into a booth in the back corner, “how’s life without the Plastics treating you?”
Cady laughed, stirring her plain vanilla yogurt with a wooden spoon. “Surprisingly good. I’m actually tutoring some freshmen in math now—there’s this one kid, Leo, who’s really struggling with algebra, but he’s starting to get it. It’s kind of amazing to watch him figure things out.”
Regina nodded, her eyes soft with genuine interest. “That makes sense. You were always good at explaining things. Remember when you taught me how to do derivatives? I’d been failing that unit for weeks, and you made it seem so simple.”
“I remember you called me a ‘math genius’ and offered to do my chemistry homework for a month,” Cady said, grinning. “Which you did, by the way. And you got me an A+.”
“Hey, I may not be a math whiz like you, but I know my way around a periodic table,” Regina said with a playful shrug. She took a bite of her strawberry yogurt, then paused, looking thoughtful. “I’ve been thinking about joining the debate team. Gretchen keeps asking me to, and I actually think I’d be good at it. I’ve always been pretty good at arguing my point.”
“That’s an understatement,” Cady said, laughing. “But seriously—you’d be great. You’re passionate about things once you get past the whole ‘I don’t care’ act.”
Regina’s smile faded a little, and she traced the edge of her cup with her finger. “Yeah, well. The ‘I don’t care’ act was easier than admitting that I actually cared about anything. It’s hard, you know? When everyone expects you to be this cold, perfect queen, it’s scary to let them see that you have feelings.”
Cady reached across the table and placed her hand over Regina’s. The contact sent a jolt of electricity up her arm, but she didn’t pull away. “You don’t have to be that person anymore, Regina. Everyone knows the truth now, and the people who matter—they’ll like you for who you really are.”
“Even you?” Regina asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Especially me,” Cady said firmly. “The real you is way more interesting than the Queen Bee everyone thought they knew.”
They talked for hours, long after the sun had set and the shop had emptied out except for them and the bored-looking cashier in the corner. They talked about everything—their families (Regina’s parents were finally going to marriage counseling, which she said was “weird but kind of hopeful”), their plans for college (Cady was looking at MIT, Regina was thinking about Northwestern for political science), their favorite books and movies and music.
When the cashier finally cleared her throat and mentioned that they were closing, Cady realized with a jolt that it was almost midnight. “Oh my god, we’ve been here for five hours,” she said, gathering her things. “My mom is going to kill me.”
“I’ll drive you home,” Regina said immediately, standing up. “It’s the least I can do—plus, I want to make sure you get there safe.”
The drive to Cady’s house was quiet but comfortable, with Regina’s playlist of indie rock and 90s alternative filling the car. When they pulled into the driveway, Cady found herself not wanting to get out.
“Thank you,” she said, turning to look at Regina. “For tonight. For everything you said at the assembly. It means more than you know.”
Regina reached over and brushed a strand of hair away from Cady’s face, her hand lingering on Cady’s cheek. “Cady… can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“What if… what if we tried this? Us? I know we have a lot of history, and it won’t be easy, but I think… I think we could be good together.”
Cady’s heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. She’d been dreaming about this moment for months, but now that it was actually happening, she could barely believe it was real.
“I think so too,” she said, leaning forward slightly. “I really, really think so.”
Regina closed the distance between them, her lips soft against Cady’s. It was gentle and sweet, nothing like the passionate, dramatic kisses Cady had imagined in her daydreams—this was better. This was real.
When they pulled apart, both of them were smiling like idiots. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” Regina said, her voice thick with emotion.
“Please do,” Cady said, opening the car door. “And Regina? I’m really glad you’re not dead.”
Regina laughed, a full, genuine laugh that made Cady’s heart skip a beat. “Me too, Africa. Me too.”
The next morning, Cady woke up with a smile on her face and Regina’s name already lighting up her phone screen.
Good morning, math genius. I was thinking—there’s a football game this Friday. Would you want to go with me? I’ll even let you explain the rules to me.
Cady typed back immediately: Only if you promise to buy me nachos. And maybe teach me how to do that cheer you guys used to do.
Deal. But fair warning—I still haven’t figured out the words to the fight song.
Their first official date was everything Cady could have hoped for and more. Regina picked her up wearing jeans, a black band t-shirt, and a red flannel tied around her waist—nothing like the polished outfits she used to wear to games. She’d even brought Cady a small bouquet of wildflowers she’d picked on the way over.
“You picked these for me?” Cady asked, touching the delicate purple petals.
“Yep,” Regina said, scratching the back of her neck nervously. “I know they’re not roses or anything, but I remembered you saying you liked wildflowers better because they’re more… real.”
Cady felt her eyes get a little misty. “They’re perfect. Thank you.”
The game itself was chaotic and loud, with North Shore’s team barely managing to hold their own against their rivals from Westfield High. Cady spent the first quarter explaining downs and yards and penalties to Regina, who listened intently and asked questions that showed she was actually paying attention.
“Okay, so if they get a first down, that means they get to keep the ball?” Regina asked during a timeout.
“Exactly!” Cady said, beaming. “You’re getting it.”
“Of course I am,” Regina said with a grin. “I have the best teacher.”
At halftime, they went to the concession stand where Regina bought them both nachos loaded with cheese and jalapeños (just how Cady liked them) and shared a large soda. They stood by the fence, watching the cheerleaders perform, when Regina suddenly grabbed Cady’s hand.
“Come on,” she said, pulling Cady toward the track surrounding the field. “I want to show you something.”
She led Cady to a small patch of grass behind the bleachers, where a group of kids had built a small bonfire out of old pallets. The flames cast warm, dancing shadows across Regina’s face, making her look softer and more beautiful than Cady had ever seen her.
“I used to come out here during games when I was a freshman,” Regina said, sitting down on the grass and pulling Cady down next to her. “Before I became a Plastic. I’d watch the game from here, away from all the pressure to be perfect and popular. It was the only place I felt like I could breathe.”
Cady wrapped her arm around Regina’s shoulders, pulling her close. “Why didn’t you ever tell me this before?”
“Because back then, I thought admitting I needed a place to escape made me weak,” Regina said, leaning her head against Cady’s shoulder. “But now… now I know that being strong means being honest about what you need. And what I need is… you.”
Cady pressed a kiss to the top of Regina’s head. “Well, you’ve got me. For as long as you want me.”
They stayed there until the end of the third quarter, talking and watching the fire crackle and pop. When they finally made their way back to the bleachers, North Shore had taken the lead, and the crowd was going wild. Regina stood up and pulled Cady to her feet, grinning.
“Come on,” she said. “I promised to teach you that cheer.”
They spent the final quarter jumping up and down with the crowd, shouting the words to the fight song (even if Regina still messed up half of them) and doing the silly hand motions to the cheer. When the final whistle blew and North Shore won by three points, Regina grabbed Cady’s face and kissed her right there in the middle of the bleachers, to the cheers and whistles of their classmates.
“I think I’m in love with you,” Regina said when they pulled apart, her voice loud enough to be heard over the crowd.
Cady’s heart soared. “I think I’m in love with you too.”