Chapter 16

“Hurry up, Alex! We’re going to miss the beginning!” Gemma’s voice calls out to me as we attempt to shoulder our way through the throng of bodies massing as they try and squeeze into the gym.

Tonight is the first game of the football season which means that today is pep rally day. Pep rallies at our school are loud, dramatic, over the top and are one of my favourite school events of the year. The cheerleaders put on a massive display, get the boys on the team to do a sketch, and make sure that there’s lots of music and activities for us to join in with. Last year I got to shoot a t-shirt cannon that the school had rented and it was hands down one of the best days of my life. I felt so powerful. I loved it.

Our school likes to go all out when it comes to school spirit, so the pep rally for the beginning of the football season is a really big deal, and from what Faye has been hinting at, this year is going to be no exception. She’s been keeping the plans for this year tightly under wraps, and I haven’t been able to squeeze even the smallest drop of information out of any of the cheerleaders or the football boys. I figured whatever is going down is going to be funny, or contraversial at the very least. Perhaps the shock factor is what has so many people turning up and drumming up money for school in the form of buying drinks, snacks, or foam fingers we’ve decided to start selling this year.

Unfortunately, I had fallen asleep when I got home from school at lunch, with this Friday being a half day due to the pep rally and the first game of the football season, and had only woken up because Faye had rang me fifteen times asking me where the hell I had gotten to. Turns out Faye and everyone else taking part had never gone home, and she’d put a message in the group chat, one that I obviously hadn’t seen because I’d passed out, reminding us to turn up an hour early to get the good seats so we didn’t miss any of the rally. Faye has been in charge of it this year and has been really excited about it.

Yep, I’m a terrible friend.

Luck had been on my side in that my makeup from the day hadn’t rubbed off whilst I was napping, so all I had to do was get changed into Clay’s jersey, tie some ribbons in my hair and throw glitter on my face in the similar shape to that of the number 14, which is Clay’s jersey number, and I was ready to rush out of the house and back to school before everyone heads downtown where our first game would be held at Archer Tech. Archer Tech is a school full of snobby rich kids who’s equally rich parents pay for their private education to make them feel better than the commoners who go to public school.

Things with Clay have been good, despite the awkwardness that hovered over our every social interaction yesterday. So far the news has been kept within our group, so Clay doesn’t have to deal with people constantly asking him about us and shifting his focus from playing the best game he can. Things have felt slightly easier, conversations slightly less forced, our smiles slightly more natural. Despite neither of us wanting to admit this initially, I think breaking up with each other has lifted a humongous weight of both of our chests, and we can finally breathe normally again.

Getting back to my nap, something I really deserved because I had to sit through history with Mr. Barker, and that man’s voice could put the largest coffee addict to sleep. Because of my post ‘horrifically dull history lesson‘ nap I’m now late, and because Gemma insisted she come get me from my car, she is now whining about how I’ve involuntarily made her late too and likes to keep reminding me every five seconds.

“You could’ve waited for me with everyone else.” I huff out angrily as I squeeze between two members of the band waiting in the corridor outside the gym, nearly taking a trumpet to the eye as I duck quickly as the band member swings around with the instrument still in his mouth. “You could’ve saved me a seat.”

“Then I’d have to sit and deal with the awkwardness between Raven and April.” Gemma shoots a crooked smile over her shoulder as we start making our way up and towards the bleachers. Our principal is just about to start so luckily for my sanity, Gemma hasn’t missed anything. “I’d rather be late.”

“You left those two alone!” My jaw drops as I look for two people ripping each other’s hair out. I find April first, however she’s managed to sit as far away from Raven as socially acceptable. Gemma also failed to mention that nearly the whole soccer team are already sat down in the back corner of the bleachers, so April didn’t have to interact with Raven at all. “Oh you’re evil for making me stress like that.”

Gemma winks as she starts sliding round people to make our way up to the only two spare seats in the gym, one being next to April and Mackenzie, the other being next to Emma and Raven. Raven, like me, has opted to wear her boyfriend’s jersey number, as have Emma and Elise. I grin and wave at everyone as we make our way to the spare seats, Gemma having to climb over significantly more people than I have to in order to get to her seat. April slaps my ass as I climb over her, making me jolt and nearly land in Mackenzie’s lap which was probably her plan all along.

I look at Mackenzie and smile, my cheeks heating as I feel April’s smug and all knowing look burning into the back of my head. Mackenzie knocks shoulders with me before looking towards the gym floor, leaning her head towards me. “Why does April keep looking at you like that?”

“Absolutely no idea.” I reply, slamming the heel of my foot onto April’s toes, grinning broadly at Mackenzie as I hear April hiss in my ear. “Not a clue.”

Mackenzie looks around me with concern on her face, hopefully April’s antics going straight over her pretty blonde head. She doesn’t have time to ask further questions as the lights in the gym go off and a spotlight shines right in the middle of the gym where the sports crest is shining proudly on the floor.

Every sports team at our school are called the panthers, so it’s not surprising that our school’s crest is a giant panther head with its teeth bared and claws out. The panther is on our soccer jerseys, it’s on the football jerseys, hell the exact same panther head is on the track team tops.

“Ooh it’s starting!” Savannah, who’s sat directly in front of me, exclaims as a young guy, a freshman going by the fact I don’t recognise him and he looks about twelve, nervously walks into the light with a small keyboard hanging from around his neck. I turn and give my full attention to the guy, who pushes his thick rimmed glasses up his nose before settling his fingers on the keys.

And starts to play ‘Still Dre’ by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

Everyone in the room starts to ‘ooh’ and laugh, making the young boy grin as he starts to relax. Everyone starts cheering him on, especially the guys sitting in the crowd. He grins at everyone, spins in a circle and gives everyone a royal wave as the music stops, the light goes off, and once again we’re plunged into darkness.

Only for the song to be blasted from the band instruments, UV lights to turn on, and the entire cheer squad, band and mascots to appear in luminescent outfits, glow stick necklaces and bracelets, dancing and flipping on the floor.

The cheer and band outfits are white, purple and black, (our school colours) with the panther right in the centre of the chest. The arms and the seams on the cheer and band outfits are lit up blue with the UV lights, the feathers on the band hats and the drum sticks all lit up in multicolour as no two are the same.

“Go on Faye!” I scream as the people around me cheer and laugh. I know straight away which fluorescent cheerleader is my best friend by her long ponytail and signature killer smirk that I can see from all the way up here. She’s not right at the front of the cheer team because Devon is the captain, but I could still pick her out of a crowd with no problem. “That’s my best friend people!”

“Good afternoon Pearson High!” Devon shouts out into a microphone over the band. The rest of the cheer squad are still dancing, flipping and throwing each other into the air, Faye currently being held into the air by one of her feet whilst the other is pulled up and touching her head. “Are you ready to meet the panthers who are on the prowl for a win tonight against Archer Tech?”

The crowd roars our approval, even Freya managing not to be a mood spoiler for more than five minutes as she chants and catcalls with the rest of us, spotlights shining on the double doors underneath the basketball net on the far side of the gym. A large, paper sign lit up with the word “P A N T H E R S” scribbled in fluorescent ink across the yellow paper held up by two of the school’s panther mascots.

The lights flash on, and as one big group, all of the boys come out wearing the most ridiculous ensemble of outfits. Clay as captain has the job of breaking through the paper banner, and I can’t help but howl with laughter at the sight of him. He’s wearing a cropped jersey, a short plaid skirt I’m pretty sure is mine from Halloween last year when I went as a St. Trinian with a load of the soccer girls, and knee high socks which I also think are mine. He spreads his arms wide and takes the wolf whistles and the catcalls, the rest of the team following behind him in similar outfits.

I can’t tell, but I’m pretty sure his shirt is also stuffed, and I splutter with laughter when he turns to the side to look at the other side of the gym and I realise he has, and his boobs are bigger than mine.

“Come at me you sexy piece of man!” I shout at my best friend, watching as his eyes find me in the crowd, the blue lighting up as he grins and laughs, playing with his bright blue wig with one finger as he beckons me down with his other.

“Come on!” I laugh as I grab Raven’s hand and drag her with me, cheers from all of our friends as we jump down the bleachers and jog across to our respective other half on the team. Derek skips over with his wig in plaits and his jersey ripped like a waistcoat, his giant feet shoved into some tiny heels he must’ve stolen from his mom.

“You both look like idiots!” Raven laughs loudly as she leans in and kisses her boyfriends poorly applied lipstick, Clay’s arm snaking around my waist as he picks me up and hikes me onto his shoulder fireman style before spinning me around so quickly I start going dizzy.

“Put me down you Neanderthal!” I shriek as I’m about three seconds from throwing up. All I can hear is Clay’s laughter in my ear and the band playing a few feet away from me and don’t open my eyes until I feel solid ground underneath my trainers. “I hate you.”

“You love me, bestie.” Clay teases as he rubs his knuckles quickly over my hair and doing a brilliant job of ruining it before planting a wet, sloppy kiss on my cheek as he sucks practically all of the glitter off my skin. “Now go find Faye, she has a job for you.”

I rub my cheek and glare at him as he slaps his own ass and saunters away much to the amusement of the crowd. I look up at April when I hear her screams over everyone else’s, my posture relaxing significantly when I see that Mackenzie is laughing with the rest of them, her shoulders loose as she wolf whistles and pumps her fist. I make eye contact with her and April and blow them both kisses, April swatting hers away childishly whilst Mackenzie catches hers and slides it into her pocket the same way she did at UPenn.

God that girl is insane in all the best ways.

“Alex! Get over here and start throwing these chocolates at everyone!” Faye calls out to me and shoves a large cardboard box at me with large chocolates of various shapes and sizes at me, all wrapped in foil like Easter eggs.

I grin and start launching chocolate at people, taking great satisfaction in nailing Freya in the chest with one shaped like a football. I swap sides of the gym and throw some out until I’m down to my last three chocolates, all of which are heart shaped. I roll my eyes before grabbing the first one and tossing it towards my ex boyfriend. “Hey Clay! Can the quarterback catch this?!”

I toss the heart at him with speed, but the show off grabs it out of the air with one hand, holding it to his chest before sending air kisses my way. The second heart I throw to someone in the crowd without much thought, smiling as it lands in Tina Jefferson’s, a quiet girl from my social studies, lap. She startles slightly as she wasn’t looking my way, rather at someone from the football team, but she laughs when I send her a playful salute, mock glaring at me before ripping open the chocolate and handing everyone nearby a piece.

Then I do something stupid.

I look up into the crowd and let my gaze lock with a pale grey one, winding my arm back before launching it to the back of the bleachers. She stands up and catches it, many of the boys from the basketball and baseball teams wolf whistling at the fact I threw my last heart at a girl, an openly gay one at that, but frankly in this moment I don’t care.

For arguments sake I could say I threw it at April, but for once I want Mackenzie to know I meant it so I don’t say anything. I only smile coyly before showing everyone the box is empty, a chorus of groans sounding out as I jump on the box and flatten it before returning my gaze to the blonde bombshell I can no longer deny my attraction to.

She makes my heart race, sets my skin alight, sends jolts of electricity through my body every time she touches me. I couldn’t tell you if Clay ever made me feel like this, and I can only hope that I make her feel the same way. Her kissing me out of everyone on the team has to count for something. So I wink at her and hope she understands what I’m trying to say in not so many words.

And I think by the way her eyes widen slightly and her grin broadens, she may be starting to get the message.

~•~

The pep rally finished after about an hour and a half, giving us plenty of time to head down to Archer Tech once it has finished. It was fun, and Faye and the cheer team definitely did the school and themselves proud.

“I’m so impressed!” I squeal at her when she finally emerges from the gym. Her bag is slung over her shoulder and her face is pulled into a tired but excited smile. I rush over and wrap her in a hug, lifting her off the floor and spinning her around. Faye’s laugh carries through the air as I put her back down on the floor and wind my arm around her neck, tugging her body close to mine as we turn and face the rest of the group. “Wasn’t that the best pep rally since we’ve been at school?”

I watch as Faye blushes under the sheer size of the wave of compliments bombarding her, from Gemma gushing about the dance in UV to Raven and Freya agreeing that the boys dressing up was a stroke of genious. Faye doesn’t do compliments, and because of this she doesn’t know how to receive them when they’re tossed her way. If a compliment was a ball, she’d stand rigid with her arms by her side and let it hit her in the face because she’s that awkward.

Once Faye is positively red in the face do we stop and realise the time, a half hour before Archer Tech stop letting supporters in so that everyone is seated for kick off. Not everyone drove to the pep rally so we’re dividing up the group of nine between Freya and I because we’re the only drivers. April, Faye, Devon and Kiera jump in with me whilst everyone else piles into Freya’s car. I glare at April and Faye when they manage to get Kiera in the passenger seat, the subtle wink from Faye makes me sure I’m not overthinking everything.

God knows why they’re doing it, Kiera has always had boyfriends and has never given off any impression she swings any other way.

I smile at Kiera as I pull the car out of one school and head in the direction of another, my eyes focusing on the road whilst Devon and April argue over who gets control over the aux during the ten minute drive to Archer Tech.

“So,” I hear Kiera say beside me, and I take my eyes off the road briefly to look at her. Her dark, almond eyes are focused solely on me, her arm rested on the door of my car and her hand supporting her face. The cheer outfit looks better on her in person than it did in the photos on Faye’s phone all those weeks ago, and I have to stare at the road again before I start staring elsewhere. “I heard your first game of the season is tomorrow.”

“You heard correctly.” I say, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. I can count on one hand the number of one on one conversations I’ve had with Kiera, and most of them if not all of them were her asking me where Faye is. I don’t really know if we could classify ourselves as friends; more friends of friends than anything else. We’ve been out in big groups, and I’ve gone to as many cheer meets as I can because of Faye, so we’ve been at parties and meals together before. “Are you coming?”

“I think Faye would kill me if I didn’t.” Kiera chuckles, spinning her pin straight dark hair daintily around her index finger. Faye comes to pretty much every game we play if her schedule allows her and travel isn’t too far away, and she always brings at least one of her cheer friends so she has someone to talk to. “Devon has said that she might, but I know she’ll probably be passed out on Jeremy’s couch at the time we need to set off so I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

Devon reaches from the back of my car and smacks Kiera playfully on the shoulder. “I will not. I’ve said I’ll come!”

I laugh with Kiera as I watch Faye and April haul Devon back into a seated position in the back. I turn around and join the queue of cars waiting to park outside Archer Tech, giving Kiera a look out of the corner of my eye. “Will you be wearing your cheer outfits then? Three is a cheer squad.”

I swear Kiera’s cheeks flush slightly, but before I can get a better look a car in front of me pulls out of a space so I quickly drive into it, ignoring the honks of the other annoyed drivers who were waiting to get in. We quickly unclip our belts and head towards the entrance of the game, loud music being blasted out of the stadium’s top quality speaker system.

Because Archer Tech is a private school, they have lots of money to spend on pointless things. One of which was the surround speaker systems on all of their sports fields, so when you sit on the very expensive and very comfortable bleachers, you can hear the full commentary of the match in high quality. Frankly I think it’s rather pointless because you’re here to watch the game and the stadium isn’t as big as a professional football team so wherever you sit you can see the game because you’re basically pitch side. But, Archer Tech are compensating for being a terrible team with the provision of lavish amenities, so I’m going to enjoy watching us win the game that little bit more sitting on a cushioned chair rather than a rickety old bleacher.

“I think we’re the first ones here.” April says as she slides her phone into the pocket of her skirt. “I’ve text Gemma and told them we’re in the west stand; hopefully they’ll find us.”

The crowd is starting to build, many students and families opting to buy food and concessions now instead of half time when the queue will no doubt be longer and they’d miss the third quarter. It does mean that the bleachers are half empty so it’s easy to grab enough seats for all of us, Gemma’s group included. I sit on the end next to Kiera, April opting to sit sandwiched between Devon and Faye on the far side of the row. I’ve sat on the end because I’m hoping that Mackenzie sits next to me.

I’ve barely spoken to her today, not having any lessons with her and barely sitting next her during the pep rally before Clay called me down and got me involved. The only contact I’ve had with her was the interaction when I threw her the chocolate.

I’ve missed our playful banter and over cautious flirting.

I can’t stop my knee from bouncing as I try and focus on the conversation at hand, my gaze occasionally flitting towards the main gate. The wind is blowing and I shiver, it’s bite causing my skin to raise and my hair to stand on end. I regret not throwing a hoodie on underneath Clay’s jersey and I didn’t put a blanket in my car, so I’m really kicking myself at my lack of preparation.

I lean into Kiera and we both laugh when we realise how cold we both are. Her skin is icy to touch, and when I lean across her to touch Faye’s arm, I realise we’re all chilled to the bone, Faye’s skin slightly redder than mine as she’s wearing significantly less clothing in just her cheer outfit. Frankly I feel sorry for all three of the cheerleaders sat in our group as they’re covering less than half of their skin with clothes.

Only April seems to have prepared for the cold September weather with a thick woollen jumper that bunches around the neck and sports leggings. I have a half mind to try and get into that jumper with her, but the way she’s guarding the hem like her life depends on it suggests that Devon might have already tried.

“Oh thank god we found you guys we were worried we were going to have to sit alone!”

I snap my eyes around to see the other half of our rag tag group standing at the end of the bleachers, my body relaxing when I see Mackenzie walking towards me leading the group over. I grin when she shows me she has a pile of blankets in her hands, and I take two and pass them down so that Devon and April, and Faye and Kiera have one each to share.

Mackenzie settles the large, fluffy throw around both of us, my body leaning slightly towards hers so she can get the blanket over my shoulders. She smells like perfume and vanilla, heat radiating from her covered skin, and I almost felt her arm hesitate behind my head, almost like she didn’t know if she was allowed to wrap her arm around me.

“I’m still cold.” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest and tucking my hands under my armpits as I huff out a breath. My eyes are glued to the two teams that are finally emerging onto the pitch, not on Mackenzie, in a sly way of hopefully hinting that I actually want her to hold me.

“Move closer to me and I’ll wrap the blanket tighter.” Mackenzie suggests quietly, and I fight the smile as I lean into her and feel her arm wrap around my waist and tightening the blanket. Nobody else is looking at us, and I doubt anyone can tell where her arm is from the outside.

I’m hoping nobody can see the way the skin on my cheeks is flaming at our proximity, because my face is the only thing people can see.

The referee blows his whistle and the game begins, the crowd shouting and screaming as the first play is made, each school trying to be heard over the other one as they call for defence, or scream as their team makes the play. Our school won the toss and is currently on offence, Clay making pass after pass as the ball is ran further towards Arthur Tech’s goal line. I find myself screaming along with everyone else, chanting and abusing the other team, the rest of my friends following suit and more often than not backing me up.

I actually manage to start a few chants, and I’ve not been able to stop grinning for the last three plays upfield. We’re currently on third down and thirteen yards away from a touchdown, and I find myself bouncing with excitement. If we can score within the first five minutes of the first quarter it’ll really set the mood for the rest of the game.

“Come on Clay, call the play!” I shout, bouncing in my seat as I watch my ex boyfriend on the field. I see Mackenzie smirking in my peripheral vision and I turn and jab her lightly in the stomach. “What’re you laughing at.”

“You.” She chuckles, her fingers digging into my skin slightly as she squeezes my side. “You’re a poet and you don’t even know it.”

I glare playfully and turn my attention back to the game. I can just about make out Clay screaming a play to his team as he waits for the hike, and I grip Mackenzie’shand in anticipation, almost letting go when I feel her body flinch next to mine. But she doesn’t let me; she just laces our fingers together before I can pull away and apologise, my face heating up because of it. I grin and rest my head on her shoulder as the game carries on, unable to stop myself from liking her more than I thought possible.