Chapter 32: CHAPTER 32

The afternoon sun beamed across the freshly cut grass, the paint glistening over the mascot shaped in the center of the field. To the right, an LED score board towered above the bleachers. If there was one thing our school loved to invest in, it was football. And they had reason to we were on our way to winning state championships for the second year in a row.

While the cheer squad was here to support the players, our real audience sat in the bleachers, munching on popcorn and the concession stand's famous hotdogs. As I neared our station, a blur of motion darted past me. Rubi. She ran straight to Amy, chest heaving as she whispered something that made Amy's countenance darken. I could only guess she was reporting the results of her prank. My smile waited for her as angry eyes predictably rose to find

me.

Yes, it failed miserably.

And the best part? She had no idea Cross saw through her ruse. All those public gestures--his arms around me, calling me his girlfriend she thought it was real. Her worst nightmare.

She glared venomously. I winked appreciatively. This was all thanks to you, I communicated. When she looked away, elation bubbled in my chest. She deserved every ounce of frustration darkening her mood. I'd clear things up after the game, but for now, why not let her simmer? Maybe next time she'll think twice before messing with me. Rather than be grateful I was hosting her, she was acting like a bratty princess. She didn't own Cross, and I was sick of her obsessing over him.

After stretching, Coach Kit gave us a quick pep talk. Smile. Suck in your stomach. Don't mess up. Then she sent us to our positions. Most of the cheerleaders had a number on their cheek, the most frequent being Cross's. I promised Theodore I'd wear his, but after the earlier chaos I completely forgot.

We took our places, and before I knew it, the game was in full swing. Every move I practiced the night before clicked into place, and it felt rewarding to see my efforts pay off. Just a month ago, I'd been struggling to memorize the sequence; now I anticipated the next step, even keeping the routine going when the music cut off ten seconds early. It wasn't until halftime that my nerves spiked again.

Now for the hard part.

I walked to the center of the field. Anything from here on out would be scrutinized by the crowd, they were all amped to see the beautiful cheerleaders perform their halftime show.

Music blared fromn the speakers, and on cue, I slid into first position. The opening sequence was easy. Arms up, turn, step. I waved my pom-poms and stayed in synch with the beat. When the middle section hit, I maneuvered to the front, where Amy, Eliza and I completed our flips and were lifted into the air.

I wasn't the lightest on the team, but I was still a flyer. Mostly because I balanced well and didn't mind heights. But when the beat dropped into the dancing portion, my confidence wavered. I forced a smile. If you smile bright enough, people won't notice when you mess up.

I sincerely hoped Coach Kit's advice was true, because halfway through I turned left instead of right, and that threw me off for the next three movements. Good thing the best girls were in the front, it made my mistakes go mostly unnoticed.

When we finished, a strange sense of accomplishment swelled in my chest. The cheers that burst through me as we jogged back to the sidelines were genuine. I actually enjoyed it.

The rest of the game went smoothly. Cross and Theodore scored most of the touchdowns, and David was stellar on defense. By the time it ended, the scoreboard read – 42–28 – and the crowd went wild. I joined the girls in our victory chant:

We won the game,

Yes, we won the game!

The other team lost,

And we're to blame!

The boys shook hands with the other team and the crowd began to thin. I stayed behind with the rest of the cheerleaders to gather water bottles into the trashcan. Near the edge of the field, I spotted another and bent to pick it up.

Right as I did so, a torrent of freezing water poured over my head. I shrieked as the icy liquid doused me from head to toe, ice cubes lodging into my top and shocking every nerve in my body. When I blinked the water away, I spotted the team's giant water cooler lying empty on the grass.

For a pregnant pause, no one moved. Then laughter erupted sharp, loud and merciless. Embarrassment

burned my cheeks. In a whirl of fury, I spun towards the culprit, unsurprised to see sky-blue eyes gleaming with unrestrained satisfaction.

His helmet was of, leaving his hair damp and handsomely tousled. Sweat glistened along his jaw, a drop trailing dowm the line of his throat and into his shirt. For a moment, under the sunlight, he looked untouchable. A boy carved from heat and effort. My eyes narrowed.

Of course. It had to be him.

"You little shit!" Anger blurred my vision as I lunged at him.

Cross kicked the back of my legs, sending us both

crashing to ground. I winced when our chests collided. His stupid protection gear dug into my ribs. He roared with laughter, clearly finding my retaliation hilarious. Before I could slap him, he caught my wrist mid-swing, that infuriating grin stretching wider.

"Look at that, Clara. You're all over me. Who would've thought I could make you so wet. If you wanted some, all you had to do was ask, instead of letting some disgusting insect touch you," he spat.

His jeering made me want to kick him in the groin, but with all that padding, I'd just bruise my foot.

"What the hell is your problem! You're being completely unreasonable over a hug, it was a hug!"

"No," he hissed, eyes flashing. "Not just a hug. Be grateful I didn't wash his touch off you myself."

"PLAYERS! YOU CAN TALK TO YOUR GIRLFRIENDS

AFTER DEBRIEFING!" Coach's voice bellowed through the megaphone. He addressed the team, but he was clearly referring to Cross.

Wonderful. As if we needed any more attention. I mentally seethed. "He's not my--umph!" I felt my tush hit the ground as Cross shoved me off him and jogged to the huddle.

I glared daggers into his back. This was payback for letting Jacob hug me. But what was I supposed to do? Ignore the innocent boy who'd also been duped by Amy?

A delicate hand appeared in my line of sight. Kelly. The only one who hadn't laughed. She must've taken my gesture in health class as an act of good will. She wasn't keeping distance from me like she had with others.

"Let's go," she said softly, helping me up. "We have our own debriefing."

My feet wobbled as I stood, the uniform clinging to me, heavy and cold from the freezing water. I'd never been so thankful for the sun's sweltering rays. Inside the gymnasium my body trembled. Everything felt wet and uncomfortable. My shoes made a squish sound with every step, drawing so much attention I wanted to sink through the floor.

Once we gathered around Coach Kit, she cleared her throat. "First, please refrain from joining your boyfriends until after the debriefing. As we saw outside, Clara and her boyfriend got ahead of themselves."

My cheeks puffed in protest. It wasn't even my fault! "He's not my-”

"Silence!" She interrupted, straightening her already perfect blouse. I heard muffled giggles from the front.

"As I was saying," she continued. "I'm moderately proud of your first performance. It was passable. Thankfully, the crowd didn't notice your mistakes. They said we did great, which is all that matters in the end. Enjoy your weekend, ladies. I'l see you Monday!"