“I’ve never seen a boy on the cheer team.”
“What if he’s faking being gay?”
“Can he even cheer?”
I shifted my weight onto one leg, crossing my arms at their entitlement.Jesus.And to think I had the same mindset—albeit forced—only a few months ago. I stared straight ahead with a bored expression, waiting for their unfounded complaints to die down.
To no surprise, Meredith made her thoughts abundantly clear as she spoke again. “No.” She exaggeratedly shook her head. “There’s no way.”
Coach Smithson shrugged. “It’s been decided. He’s on the team.”
“We haven’t even seen him cheer!”
“Yes, we did,” I countered before she could squeeze in another excuse. “During tryouts, just like everyone else.”
“But—”
“Sorry, Meredith.”Not sorry.“It’s not your decision.”
“Alright, ladies.” Coach Smithson clapped. “We don’t have many cheer events left for the school year, but I expect you all to show up for practice regardless, so I’ll see you all on Friday.”
“All?” Meredith questioned pointedly.
“Yes, Meredith.” The coach sighed as creases became visible on her forehead. “That means Andrew will be here, too.”
Everyone seemed to deflate at the mention of his name, sagging their shoulders. Coach Smithson dismissed us with a wave of her hand. I balled my hands into fists at my side, digging my nails into my skin. The muscles in my jaw tightened as Meredith sulked over to me.
“This was your idea, wasn’t it?”
“Maybe.”
“Is this some lame attempt at getting revenge?”
“Not everything’s about you,” I muttered, throwing my bag over my shoulder. “Andrew was great during tryouts, and we needed another cheerleader.”
“You knew I said I’d leave if he was on the team.”
“Well, nothing’s stopping you, so…”
A sickly-sweet smile grazed over her lips. “And to think I was going to let you win Prom Queen.”
“I don’t need your handouts, Meredith. I’m perfectly capable of—”
“Oh, please! You were no one before you met me. Just because you’re the captain now, doesn’t mean you can control me.” She took two steps closer to me, her pupils constricting. “Imadeyou, Clarke, and I can destroy you just as easily.”
Beads of sweat formed on my face, lining my brows. The hands glued to my side began to quake. Looking down at my feet, I swallowed a wave of anxiety creeping its way out of my abdomen. My eyes lost their focus as I stared at nothing at all. When I looked up at Meredith again, my lips were stretched tight like a rubber band waiting to snap.
“I’ll see you Friday.”
As the days ticked on, I pushed every thought of Meredith aside and tried to focus on school.
Mrs. Hawthorne’s class had been surprisingly tame so far. Not that I wanted to jinx anything, but there had been no detentions yet. I’d count that as a win.Especially for Elliot. He was even holding his own in class, answering questions, studying for exams, doing his own assignments—of course, he asked me to revise his homework if there were any errors, but he was doing more than I ever expected him to.
He was by no means an ‘A+’ student, but he was actually trying, which was something I never thought he was capable of. Not when we first met, at least. I just think he needed a reason to fight, and he found it in his sister. Not that I was analyzing every angle of his life with a magnifying glass or anything, but I think he was trying to be a role model for her.
Elliot feverishly scribbled in his notebook, jotting down Mrs. Hawthorne’s words as she discussed how to write aSOAPSToneessay.
Speaker.
