Chapter 11: CHAPTER 11

Cross unfolded his slip. He cleared his throat, and the room seemed to hold its breath. His gaze snapped up-straight at me.

His lips curved with mischievous delight, like he'd known all along that was my paper.

"Clara James."

My jaw dropped. Eliza released a livid growl. Relief surged through me so strongly it was impossible to hide. Cross, of course, didn't fail to notice. With a saccharine smile he sent me an exaggerated air kiss, as if to say you're welcome. For once, I couldn't even be mad; I really had wanted him as my partner.

"No! That can't be right! Ms. Ken, I demand a rerun!" Eliza slammed her palm on the desk like she'd just witnessed gross forgery.

Cross chuckled, basking in the drama, his ego swelled with every ounce of attention. His head couldn't get any bigger, yet here Eliza was feeding into it with her abysmal reaction.

"And I demand you sit down," Ms. Ken retorted, giving her a pointed look.

Eliza flushed scarlet. I couldn't help but smile. I guess little miss Preppy Princess didn't always get what she wanted.

"Ms. Ken, I can't do CPR with Eliza," Robert declined. To add to everyone's abject horror, Robert picked his nose, inspected a gooey find, then proceeded to place it in his mouth. Beside me, Eliza turned pale and looked as if she was about to hurl.

"You're dang right you can't, nasty!" Eliza looked like she wanted to strike him with lightning.

"If I let you change partners then everyone will want to do that," Ms. Ken stressed.

"It's not that," Robert said, "I’ve got a doctors appointment tomorrow. I wont be here."

Eliza's shoulders dropped in relief, she took a deep breath as if his last sentence was the only thing withholding her from fainting. At this point, I couldn't blame her.

"In that case..." Ms. Ken tapped her chin, then shrugged. "Eliza, Clara. You both will be partners with Cross. A three-person resuscitation."

The announcement detonated through the room. Boys immediately swarmed Forrest, clapping his back and jeering their congratulations. Translation: lucky bastard.

Cross only leaned back into his chair, smirk wide enough to swallow the room whole. Eliza was visibly happier, but I could tell she hated the idea of sharing Cross. With her nose lifted in a pretentious tilt, she looked at me like I had a lot of audacity to steal what was hers.

I, on the other hand, savored it. If I was lucky Eliza would take over completely and I could coast by unnoticed. I could already imagine what the sessions would be like: Eliza tossing her hair every two seconds, trying to angle her chest just right, and Cross soaking up the attention.

Then me, an awkward third-wheel who got easy points by

association.

Thankfully, the bell chose that moment to ring.

"It seems we don't have time for further details. You're all dismissed," said Ms. Ken.

As I gathered my books and headed for the door, a folder slipped from my hands, scattering papers across the floor. I sighed.

Lovely.

Muttering under my breath, I dropped to my knees and shoved them back haphazardly. By the time I stood expected the classroom to be empty, but Cross remained. He reclined lazily against the doorframe like he had all the time in the world.

"Shouldn't you be off to class?" I narrowed my eyes, suspicious.

"What?I can't wait for a friend?" He placed a hand to his chest in mock injury.

I rolled my eyes, but the corner of my mouth betrayed me with a smile. "Whatever."

Usually Cross was gone before anyone else to give himself extra time to flirt with girls who lingered the halls. I guess that wasn't the case today. Stepping out, he slung his arm casually around my shoulders, the way he, David, and Theodore did when they walked with a girl; not that they even realized how much weight that gesture carried.

A few feet away I spotted Kevin, he was by the lockers periodically shifting his weight like he was waiting for someone. His eyes wandered until he saw me. Taking in Cross's gesture, his lips flattened to a hard line. My brows pinched.

Wait..was he waiting for me?

Before I could process, Cross shifted. His broad frame slid smoothly into my line of vision, effectively obscuring my ex. With a nudge he steered me down the opposite direction, guiding me farther and farther away fromn Kevin.

"Eyes ahead, not on your ex, Clara," he tutted, tone teasing but laced with warning.

"I can handle myself Cross," I said.

It honestly wasn't his business if I decided to communicate with my ex, but since this was his way of trying to protect me, I'd let him. Inwardly, it tugged at something softer inside.

"You never answered my question earlier." His grip around my shoulders firmed, pulling me in closer like he wasn't letting me off easy. "You didn't do this change for Kevin, did you?"

I groaned, tipping my head back. This again?

His hand squeezed me, impatience simmering in the way he drew me in, waiting for an answer.

Finally, I exhaled, refusing to give him the satisfaction of clarity. "Think whatever you want."

"Alright girls, that was...decent." Coach Kit announced, her tone betraying just how unimpressed she really was.

Tapping her foot she immediately began to cross names from her clipboard. I wiped sweat from my forehead and gulped from my water bottle.

Who knew cheerleading tryouts would be this exhausting? You'd think they just pranced around in short skirts all day, but it turns out they could do push-ups like the military.

Beside me, Amy sipped from her own bottle, and Kelly, David's CPR partner from health class, was doing the same.

"I don't get why returning cheerleaders even have to try out again," Eliza whined.

Coach Kit didn't even glance up. "Because sometimes summer changes people." She struck through another name with ruthless finality.

Translation: they got heavier or less attractive.

I raised my eyebrows but schooled my face when Amy elbowed me. It wasn't a coincidence the squad ended up stacked with "pretty" girls. What most people didn't realize was the first cut wasn't about skill, it was looks.

Coach Kit didn't need everyone to be stunning, just "cute enough" to not ruin the picturesque aesthetic of her team. It's the reason she'd begun crossing names the moment girls walked in without displaying a cheer move. It was a shame too, some of those girls were sweet and friendly.

Coach Kit herself was pretty-young, toned, and put together. Today her hair was slicked into a high ponytail, her shorts and tank top perfectly suited the sweltering heat. I regretting ignoring Amy's advice to not wear sweatpants, I was practically boiling alive.

Lesson learned.

"I will announce this year's squad. If you don't hear your name, you can always try out next year. Eliza Carter, Amy Thomas, Samantha..." I listened patiently as Coach Kit read the names one by one, but as names kept rolling, and mine wasn't in them, I grew anxious.

Why couldn't she read faster? Or better yet, post the list on the gym door, that way those of us who didn't make it could slink away without public humiliation.

Mom, I did warn you I might not make the team. "..Clara James, and Kelly Williams." Coach Kit finished. "For the rest that weren't called, you may go to the girl's locker room and change early"

Relief flooded me like a wave. Those who weren't chosen glumly trudged to the locker room, disappointment written in their faces.

Upon their exit, Coach Kit did a one-eighty. Her smile turned bright, almost maternal. "Now that we have our squad, I expect you all to practice at home, especially on weekends. Rest well, stay hydrated, and come Monday full of energy. This is going to be a great year!"

I blinked at the whiplashed. Amy caught my look and giggled. "Coach Kit is actually cool when the team is set, she's just strict about choosing the best."

I held my tongue. Their version of "best" was shallow, but what was the point in arguing? Like it or not, I was one of them now.

Stepping out of the school building felt funny. In the past I would wait for Amy in the parking lot. Now, I was with the girls chatting it up like I'd been one of them since forever.

Kelly was mid-sentence when her gaze lifted to a

looming figure, her speech delayed to a halt. Before I

could turn… jab.

"Dang it Cross, stop poking me like that!" I swatted his hands away. "How would you feel if I was always doing this!" Furious, I jabbed him back, but all my fingers felt was hard abdominal muscle. He peered down at me dispassionately, is that all you've got?

He proceeded to grasp the exposed side of my waist and gave it a brazen squeeze, making me jump. "I'm not squishy like you," he said.

The new uniforms fit like a glove. We tried them on after practice to ensure they fit, and afterwards most girls kept them on. Partly because changing twice was a pain, but also because they were absolutely cute. The burgundy skirt skimmed my upper thighs, while the fitted top threaded in gold dipped low enough to hint at cleavage and cut high enough to expose my belly. Judging by Cross's sharp once-over, he wasn't exactly thrilled.

"First you dress up, now you're in a costume. Is there anything else I should be prepared for?" He muttered, and dare I say he sounded the tinsiest bit peeved.

"Why are you so bothered?" I asked, batting his hand away as he continued to assess my outfit with bold touches.

His gaze swept me again, alarms flashing like he couldn't believe I was showing this much skin.

Compared to my earlier outfit, this fit was much more revealing. I hadn't thought much of it since a group of us were wearing the same thing, but now he was making me feel self-conscious.

Before he could answer, Theodore swooped in, pulling me into a bear hug. "Congrats, CJ! You're writing my name on your cheek during games, right?"

"Of course," I laughed.

Cross's expression darkened. "You told him, but not me?" Offense ebbed off him in waves, like I'd betrayed him somehow.

I'd told Theodore during class without thinking, I wasn't intending for it to be a secret, but I'd just naturally felt comfortable telling him compared to Cross who always had something caustic to say.

Theodore stuck his tongue at him, to which Cross shoved him off my side with enough force to drive him backwards. They began to play fight trying to see who could get the other in a deadlock first. I slipped between them, dutifully prying them apart. Were they always this testosterone high after practice?

"I told Teddy because he's actually supportive, unlike you," I clipped, plucking innocent Theodore safely to my other side.

Theodore grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "She has two cheeks Cross, maybe I can give you one side," he sauced, eyes gleaming like he knew exactly which nerve he was hitting.

Cross made a move to attack him but I stood in front of Theodore, unwilling to move.

Cross ignored me completely, stepping closer until I was sandwiched between them. Their imposing frames caging me in. "Really, you're going to hide behind a girl?"

"Tch, I didn't know intercepting your pass would make you this sensitive," I could hear the grin in Theodore's voice. He meant football, yet somehow it felt as though he spoke of two things at the same time.

Cross's jaw twitched, and before things could escalate further, Theodore laughed. He spun dramatically toward Kelly, bowing low like the perfect gentleman he was not.

"And who might this vision be? Clara's friend, I presume." With exaggerated chivalry he drew her hand and kissed it.

Kelly flushed crimson, stammering out her name while Theodore smirked like he just found his next victim. I shook my head slowly. Poor Kelly. She never had a chance.

Then, a sudden tug on my hair made my head feel lighter. I whipped around. "Hey! Give me back my bow!"

Cross dangled it just beyond my reach, entertained by my desperate grabs as I yanked on his jersey to pull him down.

"Easy CJ, I'm trying to help you here," he said smoothly.

His step back to keep it from me proved otherwise.

"Help me how?!" I cried, stomping my foot as he dodged me yet again.

"It was going to fall off. I'm trying to fix it." He blinked all innocence, the kind that didn't fool me for a second.

"Then why are you holding it away from me?!" I swiped again, but this time Cross didn't retreat.

I collided with his chest, and his warm breath seared my neck. His body heat seeped into me, pine and sweat curling around my senses. It was then I realized how far we'd drifted from the others, their chatter was little more than background noise here.

"Will you stay still?" He asked, quieter now.

"Fine." I clutched his shirt and pouted. But it wasn't stubbornness anymore-I didn't trust my voice to say anything else. If I wanted it back maybe I needed to play nice.

With a sigh, Cross leaned in. His fingers brushed against my temple, unexpectedly gentle as he clipped the bow back into my hair. His voice softened. "Okay Clara, I'll support you in this...this."

"Journey to womanhood," I supplied playfully, lifting my chin.

The corner of his mouth lifted. "Yes, sure. That."