Nevermind [90s fic]

Chapter 7: Unfair Pressure

A/N: If you wanna really get the vibe of each group, play both songs in this chapter. Happy reading.

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September 8th, 1995
Friday

"Don't sweat it, we'll win the next game. It's fine, losing happens sometimes, even the greats take their losses and accept that it's all part of the package..."

Andy tried talking down Eli from his foul mood as he scuffed his feet with every step down the parking lot of Miami Killian Senior High, dragging on his sorrows over losing tonight's game by five points. That was embarrassing—his parents and their friends thought so more than the rest, as their expectations for the Eagles Quarterback were higher than God's standards. He'd never hear the end of it coming home later, therefore this was all he could think and talk about. Quite frankly, it was getting annoying; hung shoulders, intense frown lines and head bowed in deep shame - Andy wanted to whack the sadness out of him so bad.

"Losing isn't something to accept. I should have done better, there's no excuse," Eli continued, sighing.

"Would you quit it? It's not like you can get a do-over and change the facts. Take it like a man and move on, man, there's always next Friday's game to make up for it," said August as they stopped by the school bus, the other players and the cheer squad catching up behind to return to their school to change.

"Exactly," the blonde Running Back flung his hand outward. Andy lingered by the side of the bus as Eli leaned against it, stalling going inside. "You'll forget about it by the time we reach the Blue Wave. We'll have fun tonight."

"Sure," Eli covered his face with fingertips digging into his closed eyes.

Karla, Normani and Carlie weren't in a bad mood at all. Sure, defeat sucked but it didn't affect them like it did the team because they weren't the ones playing the game. Normani and Carlie were excited and raving about what they were gonna do tonight with the other girls and boys while Karla remained silent, thinking nonstop about the live show Lauren invited her to last week. It was tonight...and tonight turned out to be tricky.

"Camila, you're definitely coming," said Carlie, grabbing her hands.

"Coming where again?" Karla snapped out of her thoughts.

"To the drive-in. Remember?"

"Ohh...right, right. Yeah, I uh..." Karla clenched her teeth and winced. "I'm not coming..."

Normani held up a finger to silence Carlie before any words could come out her mouth then cut in between their bodies with a rather cold stare. Sternly, "Um, you're coming to the Blue Wave, there's no way you're cancelling tonight. You didn't even come last time and I'm pretty sure Eli told you how important after school and after game activities are to us."

"Yeah. I mean, what's the point in hanging with us if you won't actually hang with us," Carlie tried a little more nicely. They were becoming more suspicious.

Karla played with the hem of her black and purple cheer dress and rocked back and forth on her heels and toes. "It's not that I don't wanna go, it's that I already made plans last wee—"

"Your plans for every Friday after school consists of us, anything else is automatically cancelled. If Carlie and I don't break that rule, I don't see how you'd think you'd get to. We made that clear, Karla."

"But why is it a rule—"

"What were your other plans for tonight?" Carlie probed, her newly plucked eyebrows drawn together.

Karla licked her lips and rubbed them together—something she always did right as she was about to tell a lie. "My sister and I were gonna have a Disney movie marathon on VHS. I promised her."