Her Last Cheer

| Chapter Seventeen + How to catch a. . . |

I had some thinking to do. I had big life decisions that I needed to think about. I had monumental issues that I needed to work through. I needed to take a second, sit down, think long and hard about what I wanted in life. I needed to sort through some things.

And because I had to do all that and possibly more, that was the reason why I needed to get away and do something that brought me comfort: shop. Shop for clothes, shoes, socks, kneepads. Anything, and I mean shopping for anything, gave me comfort. It brought me out of my head and focused in on one thing: this top or that skirt?

I wanted that to be my only problem. I didn't want to think about Veer. The guilt I felt. Facing coach the next day. I wanted to put all my issues to the side for one second and think about tops. Today, that was going to be my only problem. Today, I was only putting my energy into that.

Today was going to be a great day.

I had my best friend by my side - Kiana - and was at a mall that was far, far away from the school. Technically, it was an outlet that was far, far - about two hours - away. The perfect distance to keep my mind free of all my problems, issues, and Coach Epps.

God, could today get anymore perfect? When we first arrived in the parking lot, we found a spot that was a little to the side, but in the front of the main doors. Also, the mall surprisingly wasn't that crowded. Every store we went in so far, we didn't have to wait in a line longer than five minutes to check out our items. So far, my day had been the best.

Nothing better jinks it.

My feet were looking to ruin my awesome day though. We had been walking, standing, and walking straight for a few hours, so yes my feet needed a break. My stomach was also empty. But that didn't dim my positive outlook on today because when I informed Kiana of these casualties, she suggested that we head to the foodcourt and rest our feet. I completely agreed.

So now I found myself with a corndog in my mouth and my feet parched on a side chair; lounging about. "So, how are you and Morgy?" I asked Kiana, who was stationed in the chair in front of me, after I swallowed down a bite of the wiener.

"Morgy?" She laughed as she placed her smoothie on the table in between us. And the smoothie looked so good, I made a mental note to ask her for a sip of it. "That's the nickname you choose?"

"What? You don't like it? Mortgage was my next choice." I snickered then took another bite of the delicious wiener.

She smiled, snorted and shoved my shoulder. "Shut up, Sev. Don't get me started on coach grandpa."

A big laugh - right from the belly - came out of me a second later, after I fully processed that joke. "Oooh, look at you, sticking up for your man." I leaned forward on the table and made sure to pronounce my words very clearly, so she could tell that I wasn't for her lies. "I saw that you were looking extra carefully and hard at that lingerie you bought today. Trying to empress a certain someone, am I right?"

She pushed my shoulder again - violent child -, almost knocking the meat out my hand. "Can a girl buy sexy lingerie for herself? It's for me. . .and whoever else I let see it." She whispered the last part, but I heard the hoe loud and clear.

"Oooh, it's going dooown! Right when it happens, you need to tell me!" I moved even closer across the table, more in her face. "Like right when he is about to stick his penis in, I need to you get out your phone and shoot me a text or call that. . .its about to go down."

She did the opposite of me: moving further away, our faces no longer centimeters apart. "Calling is a no because I don't want your annoying ass to hear me whine, but right when it's about to happen, I will make sure to send that text to you." She added.