Chapter 14: Homecoming Court
*A year ago, my life revolved around this shit. I can’t believe I was so shallow. – Megan*
Camille showed up at the large Lowery house with new thermal underwear for both her and Priscilla. The cold front was moving in, and snow was threatening. Clay had already made comments about when they would go hunting and the thermals would be needed.
Granted, most of his comments had been aimed at Camille and forbidding her from having anything to do with the fire, propane stove or even a glow stick. When Priscilla asked about the glow stick, Clay pointed to her friend and declared, “Don’t underestimate her ability to start a fire.”
“Are you issuing her a challenge?” Priscilla asked.
Clay had walked away muttering under his breath and threatening not to take the four teens hunting that fall. But the next weekend, the musketeers had a bye week, and Clay had already reserved a cabin. Camille had been forbidden from touching anything flammable.
Now, as they sat on the cold bleachers of the Roosevelt Stadium, huddled under a fleece blanket, Priscilla wished her friend would start a fire. A shiver ran through her, and she moved closer to her friend. Aramis sat next to Priscilla with an arm around Megan, who sat under the blanket with him. Their baby, Dakota, was at the Shack being spoiled by Karan.
He nudged her and when she looked at him, he slipped her some hand warmers. She smiled her thanks to her cousin, and he slipped some more under the blanket for Camille. After passing them to her friend, she kissed Aramis on his cheek.
Megan leaned around her boyfriend and gave her friend a warning look before doing the ‘I’ve got my eyes on you’ motion with two fingers. The hot pink knit mittens with brightly dyed faux fur made the warning much less intimidating. Priscilla gave a mock look of fear and both women laughed.
Tonight was all about Eliza making it onto the TRHS homecoming court. Priscilla was grateful that, unlike when she had been nominated, the freshmen cheerleaders wanted their friend to win because they liked Eliza. She was popular among the cheerleaders and throughout school and the private competition team.
All the high school cheerleaders were in attendance for the homecoming celebration. Along with the dance team, Teddy’s Bears, the varsity, junior varsity and freshman cheer squads lined the field in two rows for the team to run between. The football team would run out of the mouth of a giant inflatable bear. Priscilla always thought that it looked like the bear was throwing up a football team.
There was a long-standing tradition where each of the high school cheerleaders walked out with one from the youth league. Two of Priscilla’s sisters, Fatima and Sheree, held the hands of varsity cheerleaders. Eliza held the hand of a cute little dark-skinned boy who waved and smiled, causing the friends to wave back.
Raising her camera, Priscilla snapped pictures of her sisters and then of other random cheerleaders. The school newspaper frequently used her pictures.
A man sitting in front of the friends told his wife, “I can’t believe that someone let their son be a cheerleader.”
“Excuse me?” The question came out of Priscilla’s mouth before she could stop herself.
The man and his wife turned around, sneering at her. “Let me guess, you’re okay with a boy being a cheerleader?”
“Why not?” Athos asked and pulled out one of Evie’s useless pieces of knowledge, “It was good enough for FDR.”
“FDR had polio,” the man scoffed at the teens.
“He contracted it in adulthood. But he was a cheerleader for Harvard,” Megan told him with a smile.
“He’s not the only president,” Priscilla added. “The younger Bush and Reagan.”
“And Eisenhower.” Michelle told them with a grin. “If none of those are man enough for you, how about Samuel L. Jackson.”
With a sneer, the wife asked, “If cheerleading is so great, why aren’t you one?”
Meagan shrugged, “I was one. But then I graduated. And well… the high school frowns on graduates being on the cheer squad.”
“I did football.” Aramis smirked back. “You can watch me play for Worcester State tomorrow. I’ll be number 94 on offense.”
“Number 72, defense.” Athos grinned.
“Swim and dive.” Camille smiled. “Ranked twenty-second in the nation.”
“Pitcher for fast pitch.” Priscilla winked. “My average speed is 71.”
“I’m just a normal mortal.” Michelle shrugged. “But even I know that we’ve entered the twenty-first century, where boys can be cheerleaders, and your narrowmindedness should have been left in the last century.”
Athos leaned over and murmured something into her hair.
Priscilla and Camille snuggled in close together, causing the couple to get up and leave. They passed Molly, who looked from the couple to the laughing friends.
“I’m not even going to ask.” Molly shook his head as he sat down.
Camille shrugged. “They were being pricks.”
“They were wearing shirts for the 'we hate everybody' church, so I can believe that.” Molly laughed and motioned to where the couple sat down near Evie and her men. “Text your brother and tell him to behave.”
“Hell naw!” Athos laughed. “I think I’d rather move down there and watch.”
“Don’t get into trouble,” Molly suggested with a laugh. “I think we’re taking the younger little pretties home after the court ceremony. Will you make sure that Eliza gets home?”
“Yeah. Is Imogen still going over to Mia’s?” Priscilla asked.
“Her and Amanda. Trisha is going to Werewolf’s. Imogen is the only one staying that needs to come home.”
Concerned, Camille asked, “She’s not in trouble, is she?”
“Soccer tournament in the morning,” father and daughter replied.
Laughing, Priscilla hugged Molly. “I’ll text you when I’m done at North Star tomorrow. If she’s still in the tournament, I’ll head over.”
“We’ve got a game tomorrow, or else we’d be there,” Athos said, and Aramis agreed.
“Can I go?” Michelle asked timidly, all her bravado was now gone.
“You’re always welcome.” Molly assured her. “You need a ride?”
Michelle glanced at Athos. “I have a car. It was part of the North Star program.”
“That’s what Celt said,” Athos said with an innocent shrug. His friends chuckled and rolled their eyes.
“I’m not getting into the middle of that.” Molly grinned as he turned back to his daughter. “You coming home or staying at the Shack tonight?”
Priscilla looked at Camille, who shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’ll let you know.”
“Let me check in with Toad.” Camille said.
Priscilla looked at her best friend with admiration and a little jealousy. Camille was the first female prospect for the Saints since Dom. From what she had told Priscilla, it was not as much fun as they thought that it would be.
Leo, Priscilla’s boyfriend, did not want her to patch, he would prefer to put a property patch with his name on her. Although she had always admired her moms and their property patches, she wanted her own patch.
Standing up, Molly nodded at the friends and aimed the next question at his daughter, “You need money for anything?”
Holding out his hand, Aramis teasingly suggested, “Rent?”
Molly laughed as the announcer asked everyone to stand for the national anthem. After the song, he walked away as the teams did the coin toss.
Leaning across Aramis, Megan touched Priscilla’s knee. “I’m sorry.”
Priscilla shook her head in confusion, “For what?”
“How I treated you for so many years.”
Priscilla brushed off the unneeded apology with a smile. “You weren’t the only one. Besides, if me going through all that means that my younger sisters and brother don’t have to, I would do it all again in a heartbeat.”
Brushing away a tear from her eye, the former bully smiled at her victim turned friend, “I hope Dakota is half as awesome as you are.”
Reaching across her cousin, Priscilla squeezed her former enemy’s knee and smiled at her. “Stick with the Saints. Are you going to help with the toy run?”
“The toy run?” Megan asked, her voice thick with confusion.
Priscilla grinned, “You don’t think that these big, bad-ass bikers are as tough as they present do you? They’re squishies in the middle.”
Camille laughed. “Hairy, tattooed, scowling, squishies.”
“Shut up, prospect.” Aramis scowled as Athos laughed.
Priscilla and Camille both imitated the scowl, causing Athos to laugh harder. Rolling his eyes, Aramis began to chuckle.
Snowflakes began to fall near the end of the game, and they were all grateful when the game was over. They gathered Priscilla’s younger sisters and loaded them into Evie’s gray Charger wagon that Athos was driving. Everyone else climbed into the baby blue Heaven, and they all headed to the Shack.
Nessie had hot cocoa and coffee ready for them in the kitchen, and they all huddled at their regular table to warm up. They toasted Eliza’s crowning as Freshman Princess with fresh chocolate chip cookies.