“Uh,” I sputtered. “I’ve got to go.” I spun on my heel and made a beeline for the front of the formation. A minute later, I chanced a peek over my shoulder. Nick caught me looking and winked. I snapped my head forward, then buried my face in my pom-poms. I had a feeling Nick wouldn’t let this drop, even if I pretended it didn’t happen.
The whistle sounded, signaling the beginning of the second quarter. Stacie called another cheer, and for the next twenty minutes I focused on my job instead of my damaged pride. It was a good distraction until the buzzer sounded for half time.
Nick tapped me on the shoulder. I thought about ignoring him, but that’d be rude and cowardly. When I turned around, all my embarrassment flew out the window. He looked green again. “You’re really going to puke, aren’t you?” I picked up my water bottle. “Here, take a drink.” He accepted my offering gratefully.
Stacie and I had felt it best to cut down on the hip wiggling and booty shaking in favor of a more regimented dance with fancy footwork. Nick could easily keep up with the steps, however, watching him attempt a body roll was hysterical and a little bit painful. So, we cut that part, too. But we’d kept Nick on the team for a reason, and we intended to show him off.
Toward the end of our routine, all the girls would form into a kick line. At that point, Nick was supposed to move to the front and do this crazy tumbling sequence. It involved a roundoff, multiple handsprings, a couple of aerial cartwheels, some kind of twist thingy, and a backflip. He argued that he’d be distracting everyone from the kick line, to which Stacie replied, “That’s the point.”
Nick was still reluctant, so on Thursday we had Ms. Lancaster record the dance. Once he watched it from our point of view, he admitted that the tumbling looked cool and stopped trying to make us ditch it. I assumed that meant he was okay with everything. It appeared I was wrong.
Nick chugged half of my water and handed it back. “Better?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he replied through labored breathing. “I don’t know what’s wrong. I don’t usually get fazed by this kind of stuff.”
I shrugged. “It’s new. New can be scary.”
He looked to the ground, shaking his head as if he was ashamed. I placed my hand on his cheek, and he glanced up. “You’re going to be amazing,” I said calmly, trying to ease his nerves. “Trust me.”
Our eyes locked, and what started as a comforting gesture now felt extremely intimate. He put his hand over mine and squeezed. We stood like that for a few seconds before the announcer interrupted us again. “All right, everyone. Let’s give it up for your Lady Ravens!”
Nick made this guttural, strangled laughing sound. “Lady Ravens? That really helps.”
“I don’t think he got the memo.” I made a pouty face. When that didn’t work, I grabbed him by the shoulders and shook. “For heaven’s sake, child! Woman up and go be a badass.” Nick finally cracked a smile, and I shoved him toward the field.
Chapter 17
The stadium lights were brighter than I remembered. Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t used to experiencing them from on the field. I stood in my spot at the back of the group, willing myself not to freak out. If I biffed a few dance steps, I’d look stupid. But if I botched any of my landings, I could get seriously hurt.
I needed to center myself. Drown out the noise and the faceless bodies that speckled the bleachers in pops of gold and blue. I closed my eyes and took a calming breath. When I opened them, the first thing I saw was Mia’s ponytail, swaying back and forth. I focused on the loosely bouncing curls and didn’t look away.
The familiar hip-hop song blared through the speakers, and my body took over. I executed the steps I’d been practicing for the last two weeks as if on autopilot. My anxiety disappeared, replaced by the thrill of performing. When it came time for my tumbling solo, I turned out the tricks perfectly.
I didn’t hear the music stop, only the applause. Mia walked up beside me and signaled for me to take a bow. I bobbed unceremoniously at the waist, feeling uneasy for being singled out.
The announcer spoke while Stacie ushered us off the field.
“Well, folks, it looks like I can’t call them the Lady Ravens anymore.” The crowd chuckled. “But I can call them spectacular! The sky box is too far from the field...” His voice cut out a bit as he spoke to other people in the room. “Can anyone tell me who that was?” There was a pause. “Nick Moody?” He turned back to the microphone. “Nick Moody, ladies and gentlemen.” To my surprise, the cheering grew louder.
“I told you they’d love it!” Mia squealed when we got back to the track. “FYI, that might be the best performance we’ve ever done.”
The girls practically dogpiled on me. Though I was still standing, I felt like I’d been smushed. Stacie yelled at everyone to back off. When I could breathe again, she pointed to the stands. “See those faces? Their minds have been blown.”
Cass clapped me on the back. “You’re a freaking rock star.”
I grinned, both proud of my performance and relieved to have it done. “Don’t give me all the credit. From where I stood, you guys looked pretty good, too.”
“That’s because you were looking at our butts,” Cass teased.
“Not intentionally,” I replied, and everyone laughed.
Roosevelt won the game 28 to 14. Afterward, I was approached by a ton of people, most of them telling me how impressed they were or how they had no clue I could tumble like that. At the back of my new fan club stood a girl in skinny jeans, decked head to toe in different skateboard brands. When the group thinned, I realized she was the one who’d been recording me on her phone. She approached me with an outstretched hand.
“Hi, Nick. My name is Joey Taylor.” A handshake felt weirdly formal, but I did it anyway. “I’m a sports reporter for the school paper. I’d like to do a feature on you for next week’s edition. Would you be okay with that?”
My eyebrows rose in surprise. “You want to write about me?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yeah. Football player makes history by quitting mid-season to become Roosevelt’s first-ever guy cheerleader. I’d be stupid not to run with it.”
“It wasn’t exactly mid-season,” I started to protest. Verbiage like that would make me sound bad for leaving the football team high and dry. Hardly the truth.
“Semantics.” She flipped her hand through the air, dismissing my concern. “So, when can we get together for an interview?”
“Well, my weekdays are pretty packed…” I stalled for time to think. I wasn’t sure I wanted her to do an article. Reporters were sketchy when it came to spinning things. Especially high school reporters.
“Let’s do Sunday morning. We can meet for coffee while we talk. My treat.”
This girl was direct, almost to the point of being scary. I hemmed and hawed again. “Sunday, Sunday…”
“Nine a.m. at Beans & Brews.” She whipped out her phone and entered the appointment into her calendar.
“Sure,” I replied. What else could I say? She’d already penciled me in.
“Awesome. Oh, and before I forget, I recorded the performance. If you want to see it, I’ll be posting it on my Vlog later tonight.” Joey reached into the back pocket of her jeans and whipped out a business card. Handing it to me, she said, “My web address is on there. My cell number, too. Call if something comes up or you need to reschedule.”
She had her own business cards? “Uh, thanks.”
Joey glanced across the track to my grandpa. He’d started walking toward the locker room. She gave me a hurried smile and said, “Gotta go. See you Sunday.” Then she dashed off, calling, “Coach Moody! Wait! Can I have a minute?”
I felt all discombobulated. “What in the heck was that?” I asked Mia, who’d been privy to the whole crazy conversation.
She grinned. “I think you just became the most popular guy in school.”
I shook my head, completely bewildered. “It was only a few back handsprings and a couple flips.”
Mia threw her hands on her hips. “It was way more than handsprings. Whether you meant to or not, you made a statement. You dared to step outside the social stigmas, and that makes you different. Around here, different is newsworthy.”
“But I’m not looking for attention. Actually, I’d rather not have it.”
“All the better. Your humility makes you the perfect champion for everyone else who’s scared to color outside the lines.”
I was prepared to keep arguing, but my mother accosted me with a million hugs and kisses. “My baby was brilliant!”
“Thanks, Mom.” I shrugged away from her and wiped at my cheek. I could feel the lipstick mark she’d left behind.
“I’m so proud of you. I always knew you had good rhythm. You should have let me put you in more dance classes.”
“More dance classes?” Mia questioned curiously.
“It’s not a big deal.” I tried to downplay it. Mom smothering me had been embarrassing enough. “All little kids take them to help with their floor routine. I was, like, seven.”
“And he was good, even back then,” Dad said. He reached out to Mia. “Hello. I’m Tim, Nick’s father.”
“Mia.” She smiled bashfully and took his offered hand. “I’m on the team with Nick.” After looking down at her uniform, she blushed. “But I guess you already knew that.”
Dad chuckled. “Nice to meet you, Mia.”
“I’m Diane.” Mom shook her hand next. When they were done, Mia laced her fingers together and rocked back on her heels. “You guys did a wonderful job tonight,” Mom continued. “Who does your choreography?”
“Stacie and I do most of it. We take suggestions from everyone, though.”
“Mia and Stacie are the captains,” I interjected.
On cue, Stacie snuck up behind me and threw one arm over my shoulder. She held the other up like she was taking an oath. “I heard my name, and I promise I didn’t do it.”
Mom laughed. “That’s too bad. We were just talking about how great the choreography was.”
Stacie grinned. “In that case, I totally did it. I’m Stacie, by the way.”
Mom laughed. “Hello, Stacie. Diane and Tim, Nick’s parents. Thanks for taking a chance on him.”
“It seems like our gamble paid off.”
“Gamble? Ah!” I faked being offended and threw her arm off my shoulder.
“I’m only kidding,” Stacie said to my parents. “He earned his spot, fair and square.” Then she asked Mia and me, “Some of us are going to Rocky’s. You want to come?”
“I’m game,” Mia replied.
“Is that cool?” I looked to Mom.
She shrugged, and her eyes drifted over my shoulder. As she spoke, her voice became strained. “Fine by me. Don’t stay out too late, though. Remember, you took Cheryl’s seven a.m. class tomorrow.”
“I remember.”
“Ehem.” Someone cleared their throat behind me, seconds before I felt a tap on my shoulder. I glanced down to see a tanned and wrinkly hand give me two firm pats. “Good job out there tonight.”
“Thanks,” I answered cautiously, unsure if this meant our discord was over.
Grandpa didn’t offer any other words. He nodded tersely and continued in the direction of the parking lot. Sean had been about ten feet behind him. The fact that grandpa wasn’t talking to me was no big secret among my friends. “The family feud over now?” Sean asked.
“That was supposed to go better.” Mom scowled with annoyance.
I barked out a short laugh. “You told him to be nice to me, didn’t you?”
“No,” she denied guiltily. After a second, she added, “Your father did.”
That surprised me. Dad wasn’t the confrontational type, especially with Grandpa. Mom was much more likely to approach him since Grandpa was much more likely to forgive her. She must have bugged Dad about saying something until he caved. Dad’s face screwed up in disappointment. “I think your grandfather and I need to revisit the discussion and clearly define what nice means.”
“Let it be, Dad. I don’t want him to be supportive if he doesn’t mean it. Fake pleasantry is worse than getting yelled at and ignored. At least with those, I know how he really feels.”
“That doesn’t make it okay,” Mom grumbled.
Dad grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Let’s talk about it later, Diane.” He nodded to my friends, who were getting more of my personal life than I’m sure he wanted them to. “Forgive us,” Dad continued. “This is no place for family drama.”
Sean huffed and pointed his thumb toward Stacie. “No big deal. We get plenty of drama anyway.” Stacie tried to slug Sean, but he took off running. She chased him across the field.
I laughed. “We better go. I’m never sure if it’ll come to blows with those two.”
“It was really nice to meet you,” Mia said to my parents.
“The pleasure was all ours. I hope we’ll see you again.”
“Me too.” Mia smiled.
“Bye, guys.” I put my hand on the small of Mia’s back and ushered her away.
“Your parents are nice,” she said.
“They’re pretty cool,” I agreed.
“I’m glad your Grandpa said something, even if he was forced to.”
“I’m over it,” I replied, and she dropped the subject.
When we reached the parking lot, Sean was standing by my car, rubbing his arm. Stacie was next to him, leaning against the passenger door with a smug smile. “That’ll teach you to mess with my girls,” I said to Sean.
His eyebrows shot up and his voice cracked. “Your girls? Since when are they your girls?”
“Since they started needing protection from you.”
“You’ve got it backwards, dude. I need protection from them.” Stacie punched him in the other arm, and he yelped. “See? Why are cheerleaders so violent?”
“We’re only violent with people who bug us,” Stacie replied.
“Don’t lie. You love the attention.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. It’s more like I tolerate the attention because I love punching you.”
Sean narrowed his eyes. “Man, you’re lucky you’re a girl.”
I pulled my keys out of my bag. “Are you two done? The line at Rocky’s is probably already out the door.” Rocky’s was the happening place after home games. I looked at Mia. “Do you need a ride?”
Stacie spoke before Mia could. “She came with me tonight. I’ll drive her over. You guys want to come with us?”
I was about to say yes, but Sean ruined it for me. “Nah, we can take Nick’s car. Then you don’t have to bring us back here later.”
“All right,” Stacie said. “We’ll meet you there.” She grabbed Mia by the elbow and pulled her away.
“See you in a bit,” she called over her shoulder.
I hit the unlock button on my key fob, and Sean got in the passenger seat while I walked around to the driver’s side. He waited for me to get on the road before he started grilling me. “So, what’s up with you and Mia? You two looked pretty cozy before the game started. All that hugging and whatnot.”
“You were spying on me?”
He shrugged. “Nothing better to do for us bench sitters.”
I sighed. “I’m getting major mixed signals. Sometimes I think she’s flirting, but other times it feels like I’m in the friend zone. I have no idea if she’s interested in anything romantic. Most girls make it obvious, but Mia’s kind of reserved. For all I know, she’s just playing nice because she’s trying to be a good captain.”
“No way.” Sean shook his head. “That girl wants you. I’ve been watching her.”
“Spying on me is one thing. But spying on her? That’s creepy.”
“Shut up. You know what I mean. Before the game, she spent more time talking to you than anyone else.”
“That’s because I was nervous. She was talking me down from the ledge.”
“Okay, what about lunch?”
�
��What about it? She was talking to everyone, not just me.”
“Yeah, but she saved you a seat. And don’t think I didn’t notice those lame moves. You were all up in her space. You probably made her choke on her soda just so you’d have an excuse to grope her.”
I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t grope her, moron. And I couldn’t make her drink go down the wrong way. It was a happy coincidence. Don’t knock my moves. At least I don’t resort to teasing and hair pulling like an eight-year-old.”
Sean scoffed. “Stacie likes that stuff.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“It’s true. Otherwise, she wouldn’t retaliate. If she was really annoyed, she’d ignore me.”
He had a point. “Are you actually into her? Or do you just like getting a reaction?”
“Not sure yet. But she does have a rockin’ body. Plus, I like my women a little feisty.”
I snorted. “Oh, brother. You can’t know what you like until you’ve kissed someone other than your mom.”
Sean growled and shook his fist at me. “That’s it! Pull over.”
I laughed as I swatted it away. “Chill. I know you’ve got game. It’s messed up, but it’s there.”
“How did we get so far off topic?” He crossed his arms over his chest, slumped in his seat, and put his feet on the dash. I reached over and smacked them down, but he put them right back up. “I don’t think you’re being straight enough with Mia. Just tell her you like her.”
“I can’t. She’s got this stupid deal with the team that she won’t date until after football season.”
“So what? Mia’s a big girl. She can do whatever she wants.”
“She can, but she won’t. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Mia, it’s that she’s a people pleaser. And if faced with a choice between saying no or giving in, she’ll always give in.” I clenched my jaw and tightened my grip on the steering wheel. “Honestly, it makes me worried for her. She’d be so easy to take advantage of. I swear, If I ever heard that a guy tried to pressure her into anything, I’d Hulk out so fast.”
One of the Girls (Friendzone #1) Page 15
