The Player | Herophine ~ Hero Fiennes Tiffin x Josephine Langford Fanfic

Chapter 10

Hero's POV

I've been sat here for well over an hour on this rather uncomfortable chair and my butt is going numb from the time spent at this table. Going through these documents and paper has been informative but also I've never felt so guilty. The truth of these words and what I'm reading will, I hope, never see the light of day. I will never bring myself to speak about what I'm doing right now, not even to Felix because of his closeness with Kasey and now probably Jo too. I've got a few more pages to look through and then I'm done and I'm shutting it away forever more.
I've learned so much more about what happened and how it happened. The deaths. I couldn't bring myself to not do this and I needed to know for myself.

I close up the last document and place it back in the box and carry it out of the room. I take it back to the front desk where I can see the guy from earlier basically dosing off. "Hello" I say in an automated tone. His head snaps up and he mumbles something of an apology. "Yes sir are you finished?"
I nod my head and he takes the box from my hands. "Its going in the Vault. Therefore if you require to look at it again, just phone up and ask." He gives me a smile that shows some of his missing teeth before I thank him and head out of the door.

I get back in my car and notice the time. 5pm. I know that cheer do practice tonight and I know Jo is going. My subconscious tells me that I shouldn't go, that it's a waste of time and that Jo wouldn't want me to be there. But I know that some of the other football guys watch the girls so it won't look too suspicious. I don't think.

Jo's POV

Omg it's nearly time! Time for my first session with the cheer squad and I can't wait. I'm doing this for me, for Lexie and for my dad. He was always a massive supporter in my cheerleading and well everything I suppose. I greet Rach and Em at the changing rooms and change into my gym gear. Apparently they always wear gym gear for practice and save the skirts for the performances.
Out on the field, it feels amazing. I see a couple of the guys in the stands, clearly here to watch some of the girls they are crushing on. As I glance round more, a dark tall figure appears, walking towards the group of boys. Hero.

"Ready Jo!" Grace calls and we gather in a circle.
Don't be distracted. It's just Hero. Nothing to worry out. It's just Hero. Show him what you've got Jo!
My subconscious is nagging at the front of my brain. We do a jogging lap of the field and then position the mats out. I haven't flipped in years, and now I'm seriously petrified because I'm feeling the pressure of being the newbie in this squad. "Hey don't look so worried I'm sure you'll do fine" Rach reassures me with a pat on the back. I force a smile at her and nod my head. We're watching all the girls doing flips and I'm second to last in the line.

Fuck it's my turn. Okay I got this and everything will be fine. I walk about 2 metres back from the mats and take a few deep breaths.
Here's goes nothing.
I take a run up, but I loose my speed and stop abruptly at the edge of the first mat. Embarrassment, humiliation, sadness, anger; all sorts of emotions rush threw me and I feel close to tears. I fucked up and I couldn't do it. "It's okay don't worry about. I bet it's been a while. Take as long as you need Jo" Grace comforts.

Hero's POV

I decided to come and watch Jo practice and I don't think she's seen me. Yet. But she's having a hard time and I know she's always going to be feeling sad about her friend Lexie. She's just stopped before she went to flip and now she's doing a lot of pacing back and forth. Jo just needs some encouragement, I know she can do this. She knows she can do this too, she just has to try. Without thinking and not caring about what people might think, I call out. "Come on Jo! You got this!"
Her head snaps up and her eyes find mine in the growing darkness. "Come on Jo. You can do it!" I call out again a little quieter. I see the traces of a smile appear across her face and she starts to walk backwards away from the mats and to her original position. "Come on Jo!" She smiles up at me again and it seems as though I've started a chant from the guys.

"Jo!" "Jo!" "Jo!"

Jo's POV

Honesty if you would have told me last week that I'd find my confidence from a few encouraging words of a schools bad boy player, football captain. I would have probably told you to fuck off and maybe punched you in the face.
But now he's got people chanting my name and I feel alive and ready. Grace gives me the all clear as I start my run up. I have a special signature cheerleading flip that only us Aussies know about and I want to show them, to show him what I can do. As my fingers touch the mat, I let my body take over and allow it to fill me with the moves. It's been so long but I've never felt happiness like it and it's the best feeling. I land perfectly on one foot with my arms out and take a small bow, my world is spinning and all I can here is cat calling and clapping.

"Omg Jo that was incredible!"
"Jo where the hell did you learn how to do that?"
"God Jo your like an professional. Why aren't you in the olympics yet?"
I'm greeted with millions of questions and compliments as my new teammates come up to me showering me with hugs. "I told you she was well worth the team Grace" Sam pipes up from behind me.

Hero's POV

Okay what the fuck did I just watch? I've never seen anything like that. Jo was so flawless, effortless and just incredible on those mats, you wouldn't think it if you looked at her once. She's a born natural and I can't wait to see an actual sequence with her on the side of one of our games, it'll bring a whole new edge to Brownings. Or she'll bring a whole load of trouble with her and to the school.