by Piper Shelly
Outside, I ran into Allie. “Hey, Sam,” she said. “We’re going to meet up for training on the soccer field in a few minutes. You coming?”
Some dancing was just what I needed after getting a stiff neck in class, and since I had decided to give the cheerleader thing a shot after all, I nodded and followed her to the trimmed lawn a few hundred meters off the campus. We were the first to arrive and I slumped down under a tree while we waited for the others. By and by, they joined us, and in the end we were a total of eight girls.
Liza sat down Indian style next to me and bumped her shoulder against mine. “How was Arts? Did the oaf behave?”
“Yeah, everything was cool.” I shrugged. “No insults for once.”
“Good. I told him I’d kick his ass from here to Nebraska if he was mean to you ever again.”
I was right about them having another argument last night then. It hadn’t been necessary, because I’d be out of his path from now on anyway, but it was nice to hear that Liza was standing up for me. I bumped her shoulder back. “Thanks.”
A moment later, Allie had us stretching our muscles before we started the training. I planted the sole of my right foot against a tree trunk and did some stretches like I used to do in ballet class as a child, reaching for my toes and touching my forehead to my kneecap.
But looking at my pants was boring, so I turned my head to the side and let my gaze roll out on the soccer field. Some boys and girls were running out on the field. So it was co-ed training today. Twisting my upper body to one side and laying my temple on my knee now, I tried to find Susan in the crowd. She must be there somewhere, but I couldn’t spot her. Instead, I caught a glimpse of Anthony Mitchell.
He wore the white shorts and blue jersey again, and now I saw that there was an angry red shark on everyone’s back. The same as on the banner hanging from the bleachers that spelled Grover Beach Bay Sharks.
Tony swung around, his gaze landing on our small group. Too late, I realized that I had started to watch him kick ball with Nick, and he sure noticed, because his eyes narrowed when our gazes met for a second before he turned away and ran off toward the goal.
TONY
As I ran out with Hunter and the others to the field, I was still gnashing my teeth over my lack of attention when the little troll had dumped my stuff on my desk and actually rendered me speechless for a second.
Nick aimed a shot at me. “Do some kicks for warm-up?”
We kicked back and forth for a minute, running along the side of the field, trying hard not to get into Cloey’s line. Well, I did. I had enough craze going on since last night and didn’t care for bumping into her, too.
At the far end of the grounds, Nick and I switched positions, and there I spotted the girls. Allie had made it a point to train with the girls while we were training, too, so we could give them feedback afterward. Nothing I was really eager about. Girls dancing was, well…if you were a guy you would like it, no matter if they were pros or not.
Normally, I enjoyed them for a few minutes but then concentrated on the game and afterward told them they were cool. But this time I knew Liza would be with them, and my blood pressure rose in anticipation of seeing her cheering for us.
I had been dumbstruck when she’d announced it yesterday during lunch. But then she’d joined the soccer team for me last summer, so why not go cheerleader for Hunter now? I searched the small group for her beautiful, long hair. What I got stuck on, though, was a thatch of black weed attached to a body that could stretch like a fucking bungee-rope.
The little troll had her leg bumped up on a tree and was bending forward like she was made of rubber. She quickly looked away. Yeah right, like I hadn’t noticed her staring at me. Ugh. With all the shit I’d given her last night, it surprised me that she still could look at me and not throw up. Credit to her for giving me the notes back today. They were still neat and spotless.
Damn, Samantha Summers was probably a nice girl. She must be if Liz had befriended her the first day. And logically, I knew she and Cloey Summers weren’t the same person, but still…better keep a distance. I’d had my fair share of trouble with one of them; I didn’t need another story which I couldn’t tell to anybody afterward.
I raced Nick with headers to the upper end of the field, then we kicked back and forth once more.
I sneaked another glance at the girls, who were now practicing some easy steps to music. Liza laughed when they were all supposed to roll their hips, and I couldn’t look away until she’d done it. Fuck, just why had I let that girl go? She twisted her hair up and fixed it with a claw at the back of her head. Nothing the bungee troll could ever do with her hair. She just shoved it out of her face and tried to hook it behind her ears, which didn’t work out. Fringy as it was, it immediately slid to the front again. She blew the bangs out of her eyes, then unzipped her hoodie and tossed it to the side.
Holy shit!
She wore little to nothing underneath. Just a brief black top that ended right below her ribs and pressed her boobs to her body. It was laced in the back, and together with the army pants and the heavy black boots she seemed to wear permanently, the bungee troll suddenly looked a damn lot like Lara Croft. I stopped with the ball under my foot and blatantly watched while she showed the others some seriously cool street dance moves. With the little she wore on top, this was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
Pain exploded in my head as a ball hit me right above my left ear. Cussing and with a roaring head, I stumbled to the side.
“Stop staring at my girl, Mitchell!” Hunter shouted as he came running to me, laughing. He knew I wouldn’t touch Liza as long as she was hooked up with him. But he also knew this would change the very instant one of them decided to break up. However, this time his bantering failed to reach the mark.
“I wasn’t staring at your—” Yeah right. Tell him who you were really looking at. I almost laughed at myself. “Ah, forget it. Let’s play.” I grabbed the soccer ball he’d tossed at me and ran up to the opposite goal to get voted into either Hunter’s or Winter’s team. As always, I ended up as Hunter’s first pick.
CHAPTER 6
The cheerleading was fun. Nothing that I had expected, really. When Allie asked me to show them more intricate moves and they all found them pretty cool, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to stick with the girls. In the end it was clear that we weren’t the usual kind of cheerleaders, hopping and shouting and doing the splits, but we aimed for a mix of hip-hop and funk. Even the few weeks’ Zumba class I’d taken a couple of years ago came in handy with salsa steps and body rolls. I liked what we did, and the rest of them apparently did, too.
We went for some ice cream after the training, but I excused myself early, because I had to work on my drawing. With the homework we’d gotten in AVE, which was sketching a female fantasy villain, I wanted to make good on the time I’d missed. I decided to go for a harpy with leathery wings, a raven’s beak and a rat’s tail with a spear at the end. After I finished this one, I only managed to get half of another project done, then I did my Math homework and wrote a funky poem about my boots for English Literature. During all that work, I finally got to know Rosa, the cook.
Later I sat through a queasy dinner with Cloey and her parents that featured a really weird conversation.
“It was your first cheerleading training today, wasn’t it, Sammy?” Pamela asked me midway through dinner.
I looked up from my meal and answered with a nod.
“Did you like it?”
“It was okay. Actually, I’m thinking of staying with the girls. I guess it’s better to dance with them than not at all.”
Pam beamed at me across the table. “I’m sure you made the right decision.”
“Cheerleading, ha!” Cloey laughed and poked her father in the side with her elbow. “The good ones play the real sport, don’t they, Dad?”
He nodded and dabbed at his mouth with an embroidered napkin. “How’s your penalty kick doing? Have you improved since last su
mmer?”
Cloey smirked. “I scored seven goals out of ten last week. Hunter says I’m one of his best players.”
Yeah, that’s probably the only reason why he keeps you in a team where no one really likes you. I snorted, but quickly shoved a slice of carrot into my mouth to smother the sound.
Pamela ignored her husband and daughter’s chat and looked at me with gleaming eyes. “I still have my cheerleading uniform from my own high school time. If you want, you can try it on later. I can alter it for you if it’s too long.”
Wow, that was a great offer. “Thanks, but we’re not dancing in robes. It’s just a fun thing, and Allie—she’s sort of the captain—lets us wear whatever we like. She even finds it cool that I wear my army pants and boots, because it fits the dance style we’re practicing right now.”
Cloey turned cold eyes on me. “You seriously call that stomping and stupid spasms you do a style?” She jerked her body from side to side to ridicule our choreo.
“Cloey!” Pam hissed in a sharp voice I hadn’t heard since my cousin and I both fell into their swimming pool behind the house when we were seven years old and fully dressed. “I’m sure the girls know what they’re doing. And since you’re not with them, you’re not going to badmouth their dancing. I won’t have that in this house. Do I make myself clear?”
As if Pam’s defending me wasn’t bad enough, she also placed a hand on top of mine in support. Cloey’s disgusted stare felt like she was pinching my skin with little pricks. Finally, her eyes snapped up to mine. Beneath all the ice in her gaze, I thought I spotted a tiny flicker of pain. She ran a napkin over her lips, then tossed it onto her half-finished meal and stood. “May I be excused, Dad? I still have homework to do.”
“Of course, darling,” he told her, and we watched as she stalked out the door.
I was happy when I had finished my dinner and could head to my room as well. I didn’t understand why Cloey was so jealous every time Pamela and I seemed to have something in common, something we could talk about or do together. It was not like I was trying to steal her mom to replace my own. I missed my parents, goddammit. Nothing and no one could replace them for me. I was only trying to adapt to the given situation and be a nice guest instead of an annoying burden while I was here.
I called my mother, because I had forgotten to do it after school, and told her only about the good things that had happened since our last call. She didn’t need to hear about the Hobbit insult of last night or Cloey’s jealous freak shows. It felt good to hear Mom’s voice. She told me how much she and Dad missed me before we rang off. After the call, I studied a little history for the test due tomorrow. Most of the stuff I already knew by heart, so I didn’t worry about failing at all.
Wednesday, for once, went by peacefully and gave me hope for a quiet rest of the week. I wasn’t disappointed. Tony was there at lunch breaks, but he always kept the greatest possible space between us, so I considered it safe to sit with my friends. Occasionally, I caught his cold gaze on me in AVE, but when Miss Jackson picked my sketches to discuss with the rest of the class, he never said a word. I wondered if Liza’s threats were what kept him silent. If so, I was really grateful for them.
On Friday, I went to school in a lighter frame of mind, filled with anticipation for Liza’s sleepover. Someone had mentioned Warm Bodies and tons of chocolate ice cream. Though I wasn’t a real fan of zombie movies, I totally fancied Nicholas Hoult and didn’t care if he ate brains for a while as long as he got to kiss the girl in the end.
But during lunch break, Alyssa Silverman came over, pulled out a chair next to Liza, and squashed the idea of Nicholas and ice cream.
“Sorry, guys.” Her gaze skated over us. “I can’t come to the sleepover tonight. Is there any chance we can delay this until tomorrow?” She looked sheepish, but then a wide grin stretched her lips and, like everyone else, I wondered why.
“What came up?” Liza asked.
Funny thing, it was Sasha who answered that question. Carefully, not looking at any of us, he lifted his slice of pizza to his mouth without dripping any of the molten, hot cheese and said, “I asked her out, and she said yes.” He bit off the corner and grinned self-consciously.
We smiled at Allie, but none of us said anything. We would have to wait until the break was over and we could corner her during gym for details.
I saw Liza squeeze Allie’s hand in shared glee, then she gave us others a questioning look. “Who’s okay with coming over on Saturday?”
“Sure, count me in,” said Susan. Since Simone was chewing on a big bite of burger, she only lifted her hand.
I shrugged one shoulder. “’K, that’s cool.”
And gone was a good Friday night. The prospect of hanging out at my aunt’s house with a melodramatic Cloey around made me reach into my pocket for a cherry lollipop to sweeten up my mood.
“That means I don’t get to see you two nights in a row.” Hunter slipped his hand under Liza’s hair and pouted.
I knew why he was depressed, even though most of it was feigned. Some of the boys had planned a night out in the woods while we girls would be by ourselves at Liza’s place. Now they would be out tonight, and not allowed to join us tomorrow.
“You’re a big boy. You’ll survive,” Liza replied playfully.
“Or…” he drawled, letting his grin slip, “you girls could come out with us.”
“To the woods?” Simone exclaimed, dropping her burger. Yeah, she didn’t seem like she’d enjoy a night out in nature. But the look on Alex’s face made me believe he’d just had an idea for how he’d make the time enjoyable for her.
“Sure, that’s a great idea, baby,” he told her. “We can sleep in the same tent and cuddle up in one sleeping bag. I’ll even roast you a marshmallow in the fire.”
The next moment Simone beamed at Liza and said, “Let’s do it!” I didn’t think it was the marshmallow that swayed her so fast.
Liza seemed a little skeptical. She glanced at Susan. “What do you think?”
“If you go, I go.”
And then everyone looked at me.
A sudden swoosh of discomfort came over me. I sucked a little harder on my lollipop, then pulled it out with a smack. Apart from Ryan and Alex, I knew Nick and Tony would be there, too. Nick I could stomach, Tony…probably not. The grumpy look he was giving me made my gut roll with unease. “I don’t know. I’m not that big a fan of camping. You know, without bathrooms, warm water, and cable TV.”
Nick laughed and bumped into my shoulder. “Come on, Finn Girl. It’ll be fun.”
“Yeah, and I need someone to sleep with me in a tent, anyway,” Susan pointed out. “I’m not gonna sleep alone with all the coyotes and bears out there, and you can’t team me up with one of those jerks.” She nodded her head toward Tony and Nick, but we all knew she liked them both big time, so no one bothered about her bantering.
I made a wry face. “You don’t get bears in California.”
“Doesn’t matter. I want you to come.”
“Me, too,” said Liza and gave me a pleading look.
“Yeah, me, too,” Simone agreed.
And then Alex, Nick, and Ryan all repeated what the girls had said. I was really flattered, looking from one to the next, my smile spreading wider. I didn’t expect Tony to comment on it, but the others were apparently awaiting his approval nonetheless. When they all looked at him, he grumbled, “Forgive me if I’m not that enthusiastic.”
But this time I cared as little about his annoyed look as the others did, given that they’d already counted me in. I flashed a grin at Tony and said, “Bad news, Mitchell. I’m coming. Deal with it.”
The corners of his lips curved up in a stilted grin, and he double-blinked at me. “Oh joy.”
Yeah, it would be, for sure.
Before sixth period, Allie spilled all the romantic details. She’d found Sasha next to her locker this morning—she’d nearly swallowed her tongue when she’d banged the metal door shut and seen him the
re. But when he’d told her, “Hey, you do realize I’ve been chasing you for a while now? I think it’s about time you go out with me,” she’d been all his. The dreamy look in her eyes made us swoon with her.
While we got dressed after an hour of playing basketball, we discussed the camping trip, and I arranged with Susan to give me a ride. Late now, I rushed out from PE. I had my homework project for AVE clamped under my arm in a folder and hurried to make it into class before the bell rang.
Just as I rounded the last corner, I bumped face first into a much taller student. I was tossed backward and landed on my ass, my sketches skating a few feet down the corridor.
“Dang! I’m so sorry,” I panted, getting on my knees and helping him gather his dropped drawings. “I didn’t see you.”
He’d squatted, too, and only when I held out a few pictures to him did I notice who I’d crashed into. On eye level with Anthony Mitchell, that was something new.
Expecting the worst from him, I tensed, but he remained silent for the second time this week, which freaked me out even more. Swiftly, he’d collected all his drawings, apart from the two I held out to him. His eyes were so wide, they spelled horror in crystal clarity as he gazed straight at my face. Slowly, he reached for the drawings.
A soft tug at the sheets in my hand made me look down at them. And then I understood his horror. He probably never wanted me to see those drawings. Or maybe he did, just not now but a little later in class, when he could score a fantastic laugh with them. A joke at my cost. The world stopped for a millisecond while I fell out of my dream and face forward into a hole of shock.
“Oh my God,” I whispered and dropped from my knees to land on my butt again. My hands shook, my lungs refused to pump enough air in. I was dizzy like I’d been riding too fast on a carousel.
